▁September ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁Par s ons ' ▁sentence ▁was ▁decided ▁by ▁a ▁j ury . ▁Par s ons ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁def ending ▁himself ▁with ▁a ▁four - inch ▁kn ife ▁when ▁Ernest ▁gra bb ed ▁his ▁leg ▁and ▁thought ▁that ▁Ernest ' s ▁multiple ▁w ounds ▁were ▁" super f icial ." ▁Par s ons ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁present ▁evidence ▁to ▁cor ro bor ate ▁his ▁claim ▁of ▁a ▁sexual ▁advance ▁by ▁Ernest . ▁Ernest ' s ▁family ▁and ▁friends ▁stated ▁in ▁court ▁that ▁Ernest ▁was ▁not ▁gay ▁or ▁bis ex ual . ▁Pro sec ution ▁witness es ▁test ified ▁of ▁Par s ons ' ▁hom osex ual ▁activity ▁in ▁j ail . ▁According ▁to ▁for ens ic ▁psych iat rist ▁David ▁T omb ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ut ah , ▁the ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁Par s ons ' ▁sexual ▁history ▁indicated ▁that ▁he ▁" may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁one ▁initi ating ▁the ▁contact ▁and ▁became ▁angry ▁when ▁[ Er nest ] ▁turned ▁him ▁down ." ▁A ▁medical ▁exam iner ▁test ified ▁that ▁Ernest ▁appeared ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁st ab bed ▁while ▁sleep ing ▁and ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁defend ▁himself . ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁a ▁j ury ▁of ▁six ▁men ▁and ▁six ▁women ▁sent enced ▁Par s ons ▁to ▁death . ▁He ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Ut ah ▁State ▁Pr ison . ▁ ▁App e als ▁ ▁Par s ons ▁file d ▁an ▁appeal ▁disput