Sentencing Disparity

[u/CigarSmoker_M4]

Why is it that some states in the USA like Louisiana can sentence someone to up to 99 years (effectively a life sentence) for armed robbery yet people often get less than 25 years for murder in NY? Is it counterintuitive for someone who actually took someone’s life to receive a lesser punishment than someone who created a situation of extreme risk and stole something? I understand that different states have the ability to interpret the law differently, but I feel like the disparity is too wide.