Does An Attempt to Commit Murder Require a Specific Intent to Kill ?

In Braxton v. United States, 500 U.S. 344, 111 S. Ct. 1854, 114 L. Ed. 2d 385 (1991), the United States Supreme Court stated the following in a footnote: Since the statute does not specify the elements of "attempt to kill," they are those required for an "attempt" at common law, see Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246, 263, 96 L. Ed. 288, 72 S. Ct. 240 (1952), which include a specific intent to commit the unlawful act. "Although a murder may be committed without an intent to kill, an attempt to commit murder requires a specific intent to kill." 4 C. Torcia, Wharton's Criminal Law 743, p. 572 (14th ed. 1981). See also R. Perkins & R. Boyce, Criminal Law 637 (3d ed. 1982); W. LaFave & A. Scott, Criminal Law 428-429 (1972). Most of the jurisdictions that have considered the issue have concluded that the crime of attempted depraved mind or reckless murder does not exist. See: Chaney v. State, 417 So. 2d 625, 626-27 (Ala. Crim. App. 1982); Huitt v. State, 678 P.2d 415 (Alaska Ct. App. 1984); State v. Mandel, 78 Ariz. 226, 278 P.2d 413 (Ariz. 1954); People v. Miller, 2 Cal. 2d 527, 42 P.2d 308 (Cal. 1935); State v. Trinkle, 68 Ill. 2d 198, 369 N.E.2d 888, 892, 12 Ill. Dec. 181 (Ill. 1977); State v. Roberts, 213 La. 559, 35 So. 2d 216 (La. 1948); Abernathy v. State, 109 Md. App. 364, 675 A.2d 115, 121 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1996); People v. Hall, 174 Mich. App. 686, 436 N.W.2d 446, 447 (Mich. Ct. App. 1989); State v. Dahlstrom, 276 Minn. 301, 150 N.W.2d 53, 58-59 (Minn. 1967); State v. Rhett, 127 N.J. 3, 601 A.2d 689 (N.J. 1992); State v. Johnson, 103 N.M. 364, 707 P.2d 1174, 1177 (N.M. Ct. App. 1985); Commonwealth v. Griffin, 310 Pa. Super. 39, 456 A.2d 171, 177 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1983); State v. Lyerla, 424 N.W.2d 908, 913 (S.D. 1988); State v. Vigil, 842 P.2d 843 (Utah 1992); Thacker v. Commonwealth, 134 Va. 767, 114 S.E. 504, 506 (Va. 1922); State v. Dunbar, 117 Wn.2d 587, 817 P.2d 1360, 1362 (Wash. 1991); State v. Melvin, 49 Wis. 2d 246, 181 N.W.2d 490 (Wis. 1970) overruled on other grounds by State v. Smith, 55 Wis. 2d 304, 198 N.W.2d 630 (Wis. 1972). Since Colorado is the only state that adopts the Gentry test, it is also the only state that recognizes attempted depraved-mind murder without requiring the state to prove an intent to murder. See People v. Castro, 657 P.2d 932 (Colo. 1983).