[lonewacko_dot_com]

"If I hire a chemist to poison 25 people, and what he gives them doesn't even make them sick, does the law say "no problem"?"

How about if, in your deranged mind, you think Magic Fairy Pixel Dust is poisonous. You feed it to people, but they don't die, because MFPD doesn't exist. Is that attempted murder? Is the intent more important than what a sane person would consider the possibility of your plan working?

I don't think he'll be prosecuted for this. However, I think Wacko has finally met his match: all those cows will get PETA on his case.

[general_re]

How about if, in your deranged mind, you think Magic Fairy Pixel Dust is poisonous. You feed it to people, but they don't die, because MFPD doesn't exist. Is that attempted murder?

Oooo, law school hypotheticals - I love it ;)

[per loin]

The point is that he actively conspired with another to have these people murdered. He paid $6000 each to have them offed. Conspiracy to commit murder is a crime, regardless of the soundness of the plan. Your wishing someone dead is not a crime. But your giving people MFPD, with the expectation that it would kill them, would seem to my non-lawyer mind to be a crime.

Any lawyers here?

[per loin]

The general rule seems to be that factual imossibility is not a valid defense. In particular it is not a valid defense in crimes of attempt. Still hoping a lawyer will enter, stage right.