White was subsequently convicted of voluntary manslaughter , rather than first-degree murder . The verdict sparked the " White Night riots " in San Francisco , and led to the state of California abolishing the diminished capacity criminal defense . It also led to the urban legend of the " Twinkie defense " , as many media reports had incorrectly described the defense as having attributed White 's diminished capacity to the effects of sugar-laden junk food . White committed suicide in 1985 , a little more than a year after his release from prison
White Night riots
White Night riots
Moscone–Milk assassinations