If former Sacramento State student Quran Jones is found not guilty by reason of insanity for allegedly beating his roommate to death last year, he may face a stiffer sentence than if he were to be convicted by a jury.

Jones, 21, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at his Nov. 19 court hearing, prompting Judge Marjorie Koller to order psychiatric testing.

The tests will be reviewed at Jones’ next court hearing, scheduled for Friday. If the Sacramento County District Attorney agrees to accept Jones’ plea, then he will be sentenced to a state psychiatric facility without trial. If prosecutors reject the plea Jones’ will go to trial, where his lawyers will have to convince a jury he was insane when he allegedly killed dorm mate Scott Hawkins, 23, with a baseball bat on Oct. 21, 2009.

“A not guilty by reason of insanity plea is an indeterminate sentence, and it could be for the rest of his life,” said Sacramento defense attorney Jason Lawley, who has had experience with insanity pleas.

A defendant found guilty of murder may be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, be given credit for good behavior and have parole hearings. But in order to be released from a state psychiatric facility, a panel of psychiatrists have to agree there is no danger for relapse, Lawley said.

“You’re there until three or five psychiatrists are willing to stake their careers on being healed,” Lawley said. “It’s tough to get three or five psychiatrists to take that bet.”

Even if a state psychiatric facility patient is released, he or she must return to court every couple years for review, and can be re-institutionalized at any time, Lawley said.

The district attorney’s office could disagree that Jones is insane, as prosecutors typically refuse to accept not guilty by reason of insanity pleas “unless the evidence is overwhelming,” Lawley said.

The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment, as did Jones’ attorney.

Two written statements by Jones have provided the few clues into his mind. One was a note found by investigators in a trash can at the American River Courtyard residence hall suite, which states, “If Quran Muhammed Jones ever dies He Quran Muhammed Jones orders you to put his body in an incinerator so that every atom of his body is burned away. Thank you.”

The other was a written statement by Jones saying “I kill people,” which was released at Jones’ Oct. 29 preliminary hearing.

Further clues have come from statements from police, following Sac State residence hall adviser Jason Molay’s 911 call saying Jones was acting crazy and throwing things into the dorm courtyard, according to the Sac State police case synopsis.

Jones was described as having “a crazed look in his eye,” by an officer entering the dorm room, Sac State Police Cpl. Jeff Solomon states in the synopsis.

A dorm resident told officers he was “bashing (the baseball bat) against his own head,” the synopsis states.

Another officer, Thelma Mathews, said Jones’ “eyes were wide open, and one eye was looking one way, and the other was looking the other way. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth. He looked really strange,” the synopsis states.

Jones reportedly barricaded himself in the dorm room as officers arrived. One officer reported seeing Jones “stabbing himself” with a kitchen knife, the synopsis states.

Jones’ allegedly attacked officers with the knife, according to police records. Officers fired several pepper ball spray shots into his chest, but he continued to come at them, the synopsis states.

Police ultimately shot Jones in the arm and buttocks, and he was taken into custody. Jones is currently paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.

Hawkins was found unconscious inside the room, with a stab wound to his brain, court records state. He was transported to the UC Davis Medical Center, where he died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Ken Paglia can be reached at [email protected]