Man gets life sentence in strangling of Ohio cellmate

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (AP) — A convicted thief found guilty in the strangulation death of a fellow Ohio inmate has been sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole after 30 years.

Logan Murphy, 23, was sentenced Monday in Ross County for killing his cellmate in January 2013 at the Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe.

A message seeking comment was left today for Murphy’s attorney.

Murphy had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and the defense said he had a history of mental illness. In a recorded confession played in court, Murphy said Jesus and a Hell’s Angel named Mitch had instructed him to kill 34-year-old Michael Ferrara Jr.

Ferrara’s family has sued the state for failing to protect him. The state prisons department has declined to comment on the case.