▁year ▁of ▁the ▁crime .   Acc or iding ▁to ▁Er sh ov , ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁all ▁his ▁attacks ▁was ▁surely ▁checked ▁through ▁the ▁media ▁( read ▁newsp apers ▁and ▁watched ▁television ), ▁and ▁also ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁scenes ▁of ▁the ▁crime ▁committed ▁by ▁him ▁and ▁watched ▁the ▁operators ▁work ▁from ▁a ▁safe ▁distance . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁the ▁Si ber ian ▁Military ▁District ▁Court ▁found ▁him ▁guilty ▁on ▁all ▁counts ▁and ▁sent enced ▁him ▁to ▁death ▁by ▁firing ▁squad .   Des p ite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁the ▁conclus ions ▁of ▁the ▁expert ▁opinion ▁of ▁the ▁Ser b sky ▁Center , ▁Er sh ov ▁" s uffer ed ▁from ▁a ▁total ▁delay ▁in ▁psych osex ual ▁development ... with ▁an ▁anom aly ▁of ▁the ▁sexual ▁att raction ▁of ▁the ▁sad istic ▁circle ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁ra pe ▁and ▁the ▁desire ▁to ▁kill ", ▁the ▁court ▁recognized ▁him ▁as ▁s ane .   D uring ▁the ▁reading ▁of ▁a ▁multi - jud ge ▁ver dict ▁( the ▁criminal ▁case ▁was ▁ 4 3 ▁volumes ) ▁Er sh ov , ▁usually ▁calm , ▁lost ▁conscious ness .   H is ▁lawyer ▁file d ▁a ▁c ass ation ▁appeal , ▁seeking ▁to ▁mit ig ate ▁the ▁sentence ▁of ▁his ▁client , ▁but ▁Er sh ov ▁himself ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁" lost ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁live ."   On ▁January ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the