San Diego

The convicted killer of two San Diego store clerks in 1985 during separate robberies was sentenced Thursday to life in state prison without possibility of parole.

Keith Cosby, 29, of San Diego was also given a state prison term of 33 years to life, which a judge ordered to run consecutively.

Cosby was convicted Oct. 28 of two charges of first-degree murder, but the jury recommended that he be given a life sentence without parole instead of the death penalty.

One clerk, Fred Harb, 49, worked at an AM-PM mini-market on University Avenue when he was shot to death June 1, 1985. On Aug. 26 that same year, Kenneth Muck, 55, was stabbed 37 times while he worked at the Aztec Liquor Store on El Cajon Boulevard.

Relatives of the dead men testified at Thursday’s sentencing.

“I’d like to see him hang,” said Joe Harb, 76, Harb’s father.

Carolyn Sue Burden, Muck’s stepdaughter, directed her comments to Cosby.

“You took my stepfather away. My mother’s going through a hell of a time. My sons don’t have a grandfather to go fishing with.” she said. “Looking at you now, you don’t look like an animal. But you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Superior Court Judge David Gill said of Cosby: “The conduct is so outrageous and not to be condoned and accepted by society. Mr. Cosby knew exactly what was being done to his victims.”

A co-defendant, Terry Bemore, 32, who prosecutors believe accompanied Cosby during the killings and robberies, will go on trial next. Jury selection in his trial begins Monday. Prosecutors will be seeking the death penalty.