Heh -- not my favorite episode! The legal question is one that you likely would hear in law school, in part because there is not really an easy, definite answer. But I would say that, if the shooter believes the person is alive, and does the shooting, then he is guilty of attempted murder. Some discussions here, if you don't mind copy-pasting:

http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/puzz12.html

https://www.quora.com/What-would-happen-if-someone-tried-to-murder-a-dead-person-without-knowing-they-were-dead

Isn't there laws in regards to notifying or disposing a corpse in dignified and respectful manner?

Absolutely, and that would be the minimum of his guilt -- it just seems like small stuff compared to trying to murder someone, and even believing you were doing so.

Since MeTV began airing the ABC installments, I've managed to put my biases aside long enough to make it about as far as an hour into a couple of the eps, but I'll never understand how any fan groomed on the original series can stand to watch an aged Falk butcher his own character.

"how any fan groomed on the original series can stand to watch an aged Falk butcher his own character"

Yeah there are only a few 2.0 shows where this is a problem, Columbo being a dopey grampa. Otherwise, I must admit, they are still mostly very good productions - the later shows I mean.

But yeah, some of those episodes where he's acting completely out of character from 1.0 are a serious distraction. Some of the more poignant moments are laughable, where he's acting like some squinty-eyed Italian old man on smiling gas wandering around with that ridiculous perma-smirk. And that voice.. sounds like some 80-year old Yiddish lady on happy pills. Enter a crime scene with 12 well-dressed professionals doing their job, and Columbo waltzes in with his hair in a ball and pajamas literally still on under the rain coat. lol- A bit much..

Thank you for all the answers.

So, basically it's what I thought: worst alibi ever.

@Tom Ahawk

Granted, "murder in malibu" is not terrific. But I don't think all the "new" Columbo are that bad. The very last one for instance, "Columbo Likes the Nightlife", was pretty good IMO.

If ME TV goes in order....this episode will be on in about 3 weeks.