San Diego

A man accused of participating in the slayings of two store clerks during separate robberies admitted to the robberies but denied committing the killings, a police officer testified Wednesday.

The statements by Keith Shawn Cosby, 29, of San Diego, were recounted in San Diego Superior Court by Officer Ron Jordan, who interviewed Cosby.

Cosby is on trial, accused of murder in the June 1, 1985, slaying of Fred Harb, 49, and the Aug. 26, 1985, slaying of Kenneth Muck, 55. The June 1 robbery occurred at an AM/PM mini-market on University Avenue, and the Aug. 26 holdup took place at the Aztec Liquor Store on El Cajon Boulevard.

Muck was stabbed 37 times and Harb was shot, strangled with a necktie, stabbed four times and bludgeoned. Cosby could be sentenced to death if convicted of first-degree murder.

In the liquor store shooting, Jordan quoted Cosby as saying “I didn’t off him” when shown a picture of the crime scene. Cosby did admit, however, that he helped co-defendant Terry Bemore, 32, drag the store’s safe to Bemore’s truck outside, Jordan said.

In the AM/PM holdup, Cosby reportedly told the officer he gave a gun to Harold Robinson, 28, who struggled with the victim.

Although Cosby has denied killing either man, under the felony murder rule he can still be convicted of murder if a jury finds that he participated in the robberies.

Both Cosby and Bemore remain in County Jail without bail.