A man robbed a convenience store by threatening the clerk with a gun. During the robbery, a frightened customer suffered a heart attack and died on the scene. Under the rules of felony murder, could the man be criminally liable for the customer's death?
Yes, because a death occurred on the premises during the commission of a felony.
No, because the man did not physically cause harm to the customer.
No, because the man did not foresee that his actions would cause the customer's death.
Yes, because felony murder applies to deaths resulting from the dangers created by certain felonies.
Under the doctrine of felony murder, a person can be held criminally liable for any death that occurs during the commission or attempted commission of certain inherently dangerous felonies, such as robbery, regardless of whether the death was intended or foreseeable. The customer's death was a direct result of the robbery, as the fear induced by the crime caused the heart attack. While felony murder does not require physical harm by the defendant, it is limited to deaths directly caused by the felony. In this case, the causation requirement is satisfied because the heart attack would not have occurred but for the robbery.
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Can the defendant be held liable if they didn't foresee the death?