San Diego

The family of a Spring Valley roofer shot to death last summer at the Over the Line tournament games expressed relief Monday that the judge sent his convicted killer to prison.

San Diego Superior Court Judge G. Dennis Adams rejected a defense request Monday to place John Neblett, 21, on probation, and sent him to state prison to serve a 15-years-to-life sentence. Neblett, a sailor from New York stationed at Point Loma, pleaded guilty Nov. 21 to second-degree murder in the July 14, 1984, death of Robert Gortarez, 22, on Fiesta Island near the tournament games.

“I’m very glad,” said Martha Johnson, the victim’s mother, about Adams’ decision to deny probation. The judge apparently was considering probation, because he ordered a prison study Jan. 9 on the sailor to see if he would be a good candidate for probation. The prison authorities split 2-1 against probation. The ordering of such a study is very unusual for defendants convicted of murder, who are almost never considered candidates for immediate probation. The judge did order that Neblett be sentenced under 1170(d), a provision that will allow him to review the sentence at a later date and possibly reduce it.

The incident occurred after Gortarez crashed a private party in a trailer near the games. Police tapes recorded a vivid confession from Neblett after he was arrested. “I put it to his head and squeezed . . . I did it. I did it. I shot him. I blew it,” Neblett was heard saying on tape. Neblett, who had been drinking, told police Gortarez refused to leave after he was repeatedly asked to go elsewhere.