Police Stand by Murder-Suicide Theory in Educators’ Slayings : Crime: Black community leaders continue to express disbelief, call for further investigation.

San Diego police Tuesday stood by their theory that the deaths of two San Diego school administrators were a murder-suicide, despite increasing criticism and calls for further investigation from black community leaders.

“There is nothing to change our opinion at this time as to the nature of the incident,” police Cmdr. Larry Gore said. “We think we have a fairly clear picture of the circumstances.”

The victims were George Frey, 57, an assistant superintendent in charge of the San Diego Unified School District’s community relations and integration programs, and Elizabeth (Betty) Tomblin, 43, who directed the district’s program evaluations department.

Police believe that Frey shot Tomblin while she was visiting him at his San Diego home, then shot himself. The bodies were found early Sunday morning.

Frey, who had been divorced three times, and Tomblin, who was married, were said to have had a romantic relationship, according to police and friends.

Police reached their initial conclusion of murder-suicide after 10 hours of investigation, department spokesman Dave Cohen said, adding that the investigation is continuing. Officials hope to release a final report within several days, he said.

Black community leaders have criticized police for drawing what they call premature conclusions.

“This is not an effort to defend anyone, but we do not believe that anyone can tell immediately what the circumstances were,” said Herb Cawthorne, chief executive officer of the Black Federation, a group that runs social service programs. “We say let the chips fall where they may--this is not a particular effort to defend anyone. But we don’t believe anyone can tell immediately what the circumstances were at Mr. Frey’s house.”

Cawthorne held a 30-minute news conference Tuesday, at which he called for further police investigation of the case that has rocked the school system and the black community. He said his office had received about 40 calls from people expressing concern about the police investigation.

Friends of the slain pair expressed disbelief that a man they viewed as kind and gentle was capable of killing Tomblin and then himself.

“He was a very good man--I just don’t believe he killed himself, neither do I believe he killed her,” said the Rev. George Walker Smith, who had known Frey for 25 years.

“It’s hard to fathom--it doesn’t seem like the George I knew,” said George Russell, an assistant to the district superintendent.

However, one former colleague of Frey’s said he was not surprised by the apparent unfolding of events. Ed Anderson, a school administrator for 25 years who retired in 1983, described Frey as an ambitious and temperamental man.

“A significant number of people were afraid of him. He was a hot-tempered guy,” Anderson said. “He had a sinister kind of temper.”

The bodies of Frey and Tomblin were found along a short stairway leading to a sunken first-floor bedroom in Frey’s home. Frey, who had been shot in the head, was found fallen on top of Tomblin, who had been shot in the head and in the left thigh, Cohen said.

Frey’s house showed no signs of burglary, police said. According to a police official familiar with the case, a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol was found by the bodies where Frey would have dropped it. There was no suicide note, the official said.

Meanwhile, at the regular school board meeting Tuesday, district Supt. Tom Payzant spoke of his personal shock at the news of the deaths, saying the district “is not going to be quite the same” without Tomblin and Frey.

Payzant recalled that Frey, who worked for the district for 26 years, was always willing to “take on board members” when he disagreed with them on how integration-related issues should be pursued. “There was no sense of ambiguity about what he said or where he stood.”

Similarly, Payzant said, Tomblin, hired by the district in 1982, stood her ground in presenting evaluations of district educational programs, sometimes “taking her lumps and answering tough questions” from trustees. “I hope we remember them for what they did professionally for the school district and for children,” he said.

Board President Kay Davis, an eight-year board member, said Tuesday that Frey had “fire in his gut,” that he would not settle for less than best for the district’s integration plan.

Under Frey, Davis said, that plan “took such focus,” and she praised Payzant for taking a large risk in promoting Frey from a principal at Morse High School directly to assistant superintendent in 1983.

“I am really going to be missing what George Frey forced me to think about” in terms of how best to educate all students, but especially nonwhite students, Davis said.

Payzant announced Tuesday that Deputy Supt. Bertha Pendleton will assume Frey’s duties for an indefinite period until Payzant comes back to the board with recommendations on a replacement. Taking over Tomblin’s duties temporarily will be Ruben Carriedo, assistant to the superintendent for planning, Payzant said.

Times staff writer David Smollar contributed to this story.