A man who was convicted of second-degree murder in the slaying of a gay sailor 33 years ago in his Point Loma home was sentenced Nov. 17 to 16 years to life in state prison.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Kimberlee Lagotta imposed the maximum sentence of 15 years to life to Brian Scott Koehl, 52, for killing Larry Joe Breen, 31, whose jugular vein was cut and he was found dead, leaning against a fence in his back yard on May 25, 1990, without clothing.

Lagotta added a 1-year term consecutively for the use of a deadly weapon, a knife, which was never recovered. The case was solved through DNA as Koehl accidentally cut himself and left his own blood, as well as his DNA on beer bottles at Breen’s new apartment at the corner of Nimitz Boulevard and Locust Street.

Breen was a Navy cook aboard the USS Fox (CG-33), and was just promoted to an assignment at Camp David, said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox.

“He just found out he was going to be a chef for then-President George Bush,” Fox told the judge.

“Mr. Breen did not have an opportunity to say goodbye to his family,” said Fox, who said his parents are deceased, but he is survived by sisters and other relatives.

Koehl testified that he found himself naked in Breen’s apartment after both of them had been drinking and that Breen tried to orally copulate with him. When he pushed him away, Koehl said Breen came at him at knifepoint, even while attempting to orally copulate with him again.

Koehl said he took the knife away from Breen and then stabbed him in the neck twice. Breen escaped by breaking through a window but died afterward.

“It was one of the goriest, bloodiest crime scenes they had to view,” said Fox, referring to San Diego Police officers and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents.

Koehl’s attorney, Alicia Freeze, had argued for acquittal to jurors, saying he was defending himself against a sexual assault. She asked the judge to grant probation, saying it was an unusual case, and he had remorse.

“He is not a danger to himself or to the community,” said Freeze, who added that he was “only 19” at the time and a “naive” sailor in San Diego, far from his home in Ohio.

Koehl, dressed in jail clothes, said this to Lagotta: “There’s not a day that I’ve not thought about it…I’ve lived an honest life. I’ve served my country with great pride and honor. I beg the court to show me some leniency.”

Elizabeth Koehl, his wife of 26 years, said he was a provider for their family and she feared he might “not be able to grow old with me.” She added: “This has been a nightmare that I think our family will never be rid of.”

“I hope you see he’s a good man knowing he is alone behind these cold walls,” said his daughter, Mya Koehl. “Please have compassion.”

Matthew Koehl said his father was his best friend. “I beg the court to show leniency,” he said. Freeze said 25 letters from supporters were sent to the judge and Koehl had no criminal record.

“I hear your pain,” began the judge to Koehl’s family. “However, the defendant killed Mr. Breen in an absolutely horrific manner.”

“It wasn’t until DNA technology…could link Mr. Koehl to this crime,” said Lagotta. “The jury rejected self-defense and rightly convicted him of murder.”

“The manner does demonstrate criminal sophistication. I do not find this is an unusual case,” said Lagotta, in denying probation.

Someone in Koehl’s distant family offered their DNA into a publicly accessible database and a forensic genealogist assisted NCIS when a hit was discovered. Investigators also preserved a bare footprint in Breen’s shower which was matched to Koehl, which he said he used to wash the blood off himself.

A 10-man, two-woman jury convicted Koehl on Oct. 19 after they deliberated 2 1/2 days. They acquitted him of first-degree murder.

Lagotta gave Koehl credit for serving 111 days in jail and fined him $10,280.