Michigan Murder & Homicide Lawyer | Overcome with Coontz Law

A detective asks you to “come in and clear a few things up.” Police take your phone. A family member says officers are asking where you were. In a homicide investigation, small decisions can become evidence fast.

A Michigan murder defense lawyer should get involved before the prosecution’s version becomes the only one anyone hears. Coontz Law is based in Lansing and defends people across Michigan facing homicide investigations and charges.

We start with what the State must prove, what the evidence actually shows, and what you should do next.

An Open Murder Charge Does Not Decide the Degree

Michigan prosecutors may charge “open murder,” leaving the degree for the fact-finder to determine. Michigan law requires a jury that returns a murder conviction to decide whether it is first- or second-degree murder.

Michigan’s current verdict form likewise recognizes first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree felony murder, second-degree murder, and qualifying lesser offenses.

For an offense committed at age 21 or older, first-degree murder carries life without parole. Younger defendants require individualized sentencing before life without parole may be imposed. Second-degree murder allows life or any term of years.

The charging label is only the beginning. The defense has to test the facts against the elements (facts that must be proved) of each possible offense.

First-Degree Murder Requires More Than Proof of a Death

First-degree murder includes a willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing. Prosecutors must prove that the accused caused the death, intended to kill, and thought about the killing before acting.

Premeditation does not require days of planning but does require real reflection. A sudden impulse without enough time to think twice does not satisfy that requirement.

Michigan also treats certain killings during specified felonies as first-degree felony murder. Those felonies include robbery, arson, carjacking, home invasion, kidnapping, and others. But the underlying felony does not automatically supply the mental state for murder. Prosecutors must still prove malice, which involves:

Intent to kill;
Intent to cause great bodily harm; or
Knowingly creating a very high risk of death or great bodily harm when such harm was likely.

First-degree murder also includes knowingly killing a peace or corrections officer who is lawfully performing official duties.

First-degree murder may result in life in prison without eligibility for parole.

Second-Degree Murder Is About Malice, Not Premeditation

Second-degree murder covers other forms of murder in Michigan that do not meet the first-degree category.

The prosecution must prove that the accused caused the death and acted with malice. Premeditation is not required, nor is motive, although prosecutors may use evidence of motive to support their theory of the crime (the story they will tell the judge or jury).

Second-degree murder remains punishable by life imprisonment or any term of years.

Manslaughter May Fit When Murder Does Not

Manslaughter is not a degree of murder, but it is considered when the evidence does not support murder. Michigan recognizes voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.

Voluntary manslaughter may involve a killing in the heat of passion after adequate provocation and before a reasonable chance to cool down.

Involuntary manslaughter generally involves an unintentional death without malice, such as one caused by gross negligence, which is an extreme and severe lack of care that shows a reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others.

Manslaughter can carry up to 15 years in prison and a $7,500 fine.

The Defense Has to Fit the Evidence

Depending on the evidence, a defense may focus on:

Identity or causation—whether reliable evidence proves the accused caused the death;
Intent, malice, or premeditation—whether the facts support the required mental state or degree charged;
Self-defense or defense of another—whether the accused honestly and reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm; and
Felony-murder allegations—whether prosecutors can prove the specified felony, participation in it, and the separate requirement of malice.

Michigan law permits deadly force in self-defense or defense of another under defined circumstances, including an honest and reasonable belief it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.

Cases are based on witness credibility, phone location data, surveillance footage, firearms or DNA analysis, medical conclusions, or whether police lawfully obtained statements and physical evidence.

Do Not Hand Investigators Evidence They Do Not Already Have

If officers want another interview or access to a device, this is not the time to explain more and hope the allegation disappears.

Preserve messages, photographs, location information, receipts, video, and names of potential witnesses. Do not delete evidence, tell witnesses what to say, or discuss facts publicly. A Michigan murder defense lawyer can communicate with investigators and start protecting evidence before memories fade or footage disappears.

For a Lansing-area felony, the case may begin in district court before moving to the Ingham County Circuit Court. Coontz Law is based here, but we defend serious criminal cases throughout Michigan.

How Coontz Law Builds the Defense Around the Actual Case

Coontz Law does not decide what your defense is before reading the evidence. We start with police reports, recordings, witness accounts, digital evidence, search warrant materials, forensic findings, and the prosecution’s theory. Then we identify where the proof is strong, where assumptions are dressed up as fact, and what needs independent investigation.

That may mean challenging premeditation, litigating a search or statement, developing self-defense evidence, testing causation, locating witnesses, or preparing for trial while evaluating every realistic resolution.

You should know what we are doing and why. We give candid advice, keep the strategy tied to your goals, and tell you when a theory helps the case and when it does not.

A murder accusation may be the most serious thing you have ever faced. It is still an accusation, not a verdict.

If you are under investigation or charged with murder in Michigan, schedule a consultation with Coontz Law before making another decision that cannot be taken back.

Overcome With Coontz Law.

Michigan Murder Defensse FAQs

1. Does Michigan Have the Death Penalty for Murder?

No. Michigan’s Constitution prohibits capital punishment. A person convicted of murder can face severe prison penalties, but execution is not one of them.

2. Should I Talk to the Police If I Have Not Been Charged?

Get legal advice before giving a substantive statement. Being told you are not under arrest does not mean your words cannot later be used as evidence. Counsel can assess the situation and communicate with investigators without having to guess where the investigation stands.

3. Can a Murder Case Change Before Trial?

Yes. Evidence may be suppressed, forensic conclusions challenged, witnesses re-evaluated, or a charge changed if the proof does not support the original theory. What is available depends on the evidence of the case.

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Michigan Murder Defense Lawyer