A San Diego Superior Court jury on Thursday found a man guilty in the cold-case fatal stabbing of a Navy sailor whose nude body was found slumped against a backyard fence in Point Loma in 1990.
Brian Koehl, 52, was convicted of second-degree murder and a weapon-use allegation in the death of Navy Petty Officer Larry Joe Breen. The jury deliberated for about two and a half days before it reached its verdict.
Koehl faces a possible sentence of 16 years to life in prison at a hearing set for Nov. 17.
At trial, Koehl and his attorney told the jury he acted in self-defense after Breen sexually assaulted him. The prosecution called it a fabricated story.
Breen, 32, was a cook stationed aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Fox in San Diego.
His body was found covered in blood in the backyard of his studio apartment on the corner of Nimitz Boulevard and Locust Street around 11:40 a.m. on May 25, 1990. He had suffered two stab wounds to his neck.
A couple looking for a home to rent made the grisly discovery.
For three decades, the case went cold.
But in 2019, investigators turned to genetic genealogy, a technique in which they upload the DNA of unidentified suspects to commercial genealogy websites in hopes of finding family members. The renewed investigation led to Koehl, prosecutors said.
Koehl was a 19-year-old sailor from Ohio at the time of the killing.
In 2021, a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent surreptitiously collected an Arby’s cup and straw that Koehl threw away, and a DNA sample from the items ultimately tied him to the crime scene, prosecutors said.
Koehl, who is married and has three children, was arrested last year in Knoxville, Tenn., where he was living.
At trial, the prosecution and defense gave different accounts of the fatal attack.
The prosecution argued that Koehl stabbed Breen multiple times as Breen first fought for his life and then tried to get away. The struggle sent the two men out a window, and Breen ended up slumped against his backyard fence, Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox said.
The prosecutor argued that Koehl cleaned up part of the crime scene in the bathroom and rinsed blood off of himself in the shower. His footprint was found in the shower, and blood stains in the apartment, including a speck on the bathroom floor, contained his DNA, Fox said.
After Koehl’s arrest, a friend contacted investigators and told them Koehl confessed to him in 1992 to stabbing and killing a man who “came onto” him, Fox said.
Unaware the crime occurred in San Diego, the friend reported the information to authorities in Ohio, where he lived, Fox said. The information did not reach San Diego at the time.
Defense attorney Alicia Freeze said Koehl and Breen had been drinking beer. Eventually, Breen went to take a shower. Freeze argued that Koehl passed out on the floor, then came to during the alleged sexual assault.
Freeze argued that Koehl tried to leave, but Breen didn’t allow it. She argued that Breen had a knife, and that the two men struggled for the weapon before Koehl stabbed Breen.
“Brian Koehl had no choice, “Freeze said.
She added that Koehl feared for his life.
Fox argued that before the trial, Koehl did not characterize the incident as a sexual assault, let alone report it. Over the years, he didn’t fess up about the fatal stabbing, even after his arrest, Fox said.
“This is a made up self-defense,” Fox told jurors during closing arguments.
She added that there was no need for Koehl to defend himself, let alone kill Breen.
Freeze said Breen didn’t report the alleged sexual assault because he “blocked it out.”
Koehl was placed in custody without bail pending sentencing.
