People v. Purvis

Appellant was charged with having murdered (Pen. Code, § 187) Hazel Wilson on December 19, 1957. He was also charged with the prior conviction (September 1950) of the second degree murder of his then wife, Eleanor Purvis. He admitted the prior, and entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. A jury found him guilty of murder in the first degree, found that he was sane at the time of the commission of the crime, and fixed the penalty at death. On appeal this court affirmed the conviction of first degree murder, but reversed and remanded on the sole question of penalty…