Key legal question
Whether the killing qualified as murder rather than intentional homicide
Extracted holding
The facts did not establish the special ruthlessness required for murder; the conviction for intentional homicide stood.
Extracted reasoning
The court accepted that the accused acted with direct intent, but found no proof of a beforehand precisely planned, particularly ruthless killing. The immediate conflict, panic, and confused post-offence conduct supported a killing out of desperation rather than a cold-blooded elimination.