If you make the penalty for burglary the death penalty, then any burglar will kill anyone they can to avoid being caught. I.e. why rob a house with an elderly o

If you make the penalty for burglary the death penalty, then any burglar will kill anyone they can to avoid being caught. I.e. why rob a house with an elderly occupant who might identify you when you could just kill them? Escalating penalties put more things on the table, too.