People v. Cook

Defendant was indicted for the murder of Robert Dewey. He pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. Later he withdrew his plea of not guilty, and the sole issue at the trial was whether or not he was insane at the time he committed the homicide. The jury returned a verdict that he was sane. The court considered the evidence for the purpose of fixing the degree of the crime, found defendant guilty of murder in the first degree, and sentenced him to death. This appeal is taken automatically under section 1239(b) .of the Penal Code.

On the day of the homicide defendant kidnapped a…