What offense is committed if a person knowingly causes the death of a 14-year-old?

Capital murder is defined as the unlawful killing of a person under certain aggravated circumstances. In many jurisdictions, including Texas, one of those circumstances includes the murder of a child under a specific age—generally 15 years or younger. Since the person in this scenario is knowingly causing the death of a 14-year-old, this crime fits the classification of capital murder due to the victim’s age, which is a factor that elevates the offense to a capital level, potentially making it punishable by the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.

This distinction is crucial because the other options refer to different degrees of murder or manslaughter that do not involve the heightened penalties associated with the murder of a child. Second-degree murder and first-degree murder typically relate to adult victims or involve different circumstances of premeditation or intent, while involuntary manslaughter usually involves unintentional killing or reckless behavior without the intent to cause death. Therefore, the correct answer represents the most serious charge reflecting the age of the victim and the intention behind the act.