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Man Ruled to be Sane During Deadly Hammer Attack on Wife

Written by KEY News Staff

Story Created: Feb 22, 2012 at 12:21 PM PDT

Story Updated: Feb 22, 2012 at 1:55 PM PDT

San Luis Obispo (AP) - A California man who says voices told him beat his wife to death with a hammer as a sacrifice to God has been ruled sane.

Four doctors had concluded 68-year-old Kenneth Leroy Cockrell Jr. was insane when he killed his wife four years ago.

But a San Luis Obispo County judge ruled Tuesday that Cockrell was legally sane at the time of the killing, saying the Atascadero man had the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

The judge noted Cockrell told doctors he considered the commandment "thou shalt not kill" before attacking 69-year-old Peggy Cockrell with a hammer in March 2008.

Cockrell faces 31 years to life in prison when he's sentenced on March 27.

Cockrell had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His non-jury trial ended on Friday.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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