Former Sacramento State student Quran Jones is set to go on trial for the 2009 beating death of his roommate, Scott Hawkins.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 20 after an Oct. 14 hearing at the Sacramento County Jail.

Jones is being charged with seven counts, including attempted murder of cops at the scene and assault with a deadly weapon.

It was on Oct. 21, 2009 when Jones allegedly killed his roommate, 23-year-old Hawkins, with a baseball bat at their American River courtyard suite.

At his Nov. 19, 2010 hearing, he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Judge Marjorie Koller then ordered Jones to undergo psychiatric testing.

In the two years since he was arrested, Jones, now 21, has had 32 hearings.

Associate Criminal Justice Professor Bruce Bikle said he believes the reason behind the long-delayed trial is related to the analysis of Jones’ psychological tests.

“I suspect there that was a lot of investigation, as well as the ongoing look at Jones’ mental health,” Bikle said.

Investigators have two statements written by Jones that were found in a trash can outside the American River Courtyard after he was apprehended.

The first said, “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 second simply was a written statement that read, “I kill people.” This was released at his preliminary hearing.

The Sacramento County District Attorney’s office did not respond to a request to comment for this story.

The police synopsis details many events of the incident. The Sac State residence hall adviser’s call to 911 said Jones was throwing things into the residence hall’s courtyard and acting crazy.

Officers arrived on the scene after receiving the call, and entered the residence hall. When Jones allegedly began attacking officers with a knife, the officers fired pepper ball spray shots at his chest.

The situation ended when officers shot Jones in the arm and the buttocks. From there he was taken into custody.

As a result of his injuries, he was in a wheelchair for all his courtroom appearances in the first year of hearings.

Bikle said he recalls how unbelievable of an incident it was when the news broke at Sac State.

“I remember it came as a shock,” he said. “It seemed like an unlikely crime to be done on campus.”

Bikle said he is not sure for how long the trial could go, but said there are many variables on the table.

“It very much depends on what the district attorney asks for and how vigorous the defense is,” Bikle said.

Jones’ attorney Jeffrey Barbour refused to comment for this story, as he said he never comments on any of his cases.

Sac State spokeswoman Kim Nava said to her knowledge this was the first incident of its kind to ever occur on campus. She said the tragedy deeply affected the Sac State community.

“Despite our grief, it became clear that a heartwarming sense of community emerged, as the outpouring of support and unity provided comfort to our campus,” Nava said.

Nava said Sac State has always taken student safety seriously on campus and gave a second look at safety procedures following this incident.

“Our crises response and safety procedures remain critical to our mission,” Nava said. “We continue to review them in light of this tragedy as well as potential future incidents.”

Nava said Sac State is committed to keeping the campus safe from harm.

“This includes a yearly review of our procedures, training workshops and of the physical environment in which we implement them,” Nava said.

Bikle said that the murder of Hawkins is something that will never be forgotten.

“It is a tragedy and a reminder that things like this can happen anytime and anywhere, although such cases are quite uncommon and rare,” Bikle said.

Sean Keister can be reached at [email protected]