Felony Murder: An On-Ramp for Extreme Sentencing Felony murder laws compel harsh decades-long–or even life–sentences even when the person charged did not directly cause or intend the loss of life. Related to: Sentencing Reform In San Joaquin County, California in 2010, 19-year-old Emmanuel Mendoza helped lure a robbery victim to a location where a masked accomplice waited with a firearm. When a st...