Conspiracy to Commit Murder

Conspiracy to Commit Murder

Bill asks two friends to help him kill his wife. They agree, and the three of them work out a plan. A few days later, Bill gets cold feet; he tells the others that he wants nothing further to do with the plan and specifically asks them to abandon it. Later that evening, Bill comes to the police department and tells you about the plan. You plan your next day’s schedule around conducting interviews of his friends as a means of investigating the matter further. Unfortunately, the night Bill comes to see you, Bill’s friends carry out the original plan to kill his wife. When the friends are apprehended, they admit to killing Bill’swife but insist that Bill “planned the whole thing.” The prosecutor is preparing to indict all three for conspiracy and first-degree murder.

a. Should you tell the prosecutor about your meeting with Bill? Why or why not?

b. What, if anything, should Bill be charged with?

c. Does Bill have any legal liability in this case? Why or why not? What about his friends? Why or why not?

Solution: