▁which ▁Jacob s ▁ple aded ▁not ▁guilty ▁by ▁reason ▁of ▁ins an ity ▁and ▁was ▁found ▁guilty ▁of ▁first ▁degree ▁murder ▁in ▁a ▁trial ▁without ▁a ▁j ury ▁( no ▁j ury ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁request ▁of ▁the ▁defense ). ▁ ▁Mur phy ' s ▁sentence ▁was ▁especially ▁unique . ▁He ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁very ▁close ▁to ▁sent encing ▁Jacob s ▁to ▁the ▁death ▁penalty , ▁but ▁felt ▁that ▁Jacob s ▁" ab normal " ▁mental ▁and ▁emot ional ▁state ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁spare ▁Jacob s ' ▁life . ▁He ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁end or se ▁abol ition ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁penalty , ▁as ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁legisl ative ▁matter , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ▁was ▁a ▁fit ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁those ▁conv icted ▁of ▁a ▁h ired ▁killing , ▁for ▁in m ates ▁who ▁killed ▁gu ards , ▁for ▁mass ▁kill ers ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁who ▁bomb ▁air lines , ▁and ▁for ▁" many ▁other ▁kinds ". ▁Instead ▁Mur phy ▁sent enced ▁Jacob s ▁to ▁two ▁life ▁sentences ▁plus ▁ 5 0 ▁years ▁with ▁the ▁special ▁provision ▁that ▁Jacob s ▁be ▁placed ▁in ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement ▁for ▁ 2 4 ▁hours ▁every ▁year ▁on ▁the ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁murder . ▁ ▁In ▁j ail , ▁Jacob s ▁attacked ▁other ▁in m ates ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁allowed ▁into ▁the ▁general ▁population . ▁He ▁committed ▁suic ide ▁in ▁his ▁cell ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁about ▁ 8 ▁months