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Judge Cuts 90 Years From Gamble's Sentence

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI

esilvestrini@tampatrib.com

Published: November 25, 2008

TAMPA - Christopher Gamble, who told a judge he thought he deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison, will have his life sentence reduced to less than 16 years.

U.S. District Judge James Moody told attorneys Monday morning he would change Gamble's sentence from life plus 107 years to 15 years and five months because of Gamble's extensive cooperation in the prosecution of three others involved in the 1998 slaying of Haines City Police Department Officer Christopher Todd Horner.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Muench had filed a motion asking that Gamble's sentence be reduced to 24 years because without Gamble's help, authorities would have had no evidence to prove what happened to Horner. The officer was shot after he came upon Gamble and some friends in a cemetery celebrating a successful hotel robbery and planning a bank robbery.

Horner's daughter and mother both endorsed the prosecutor's motion, saying they were grateful to Gamble for unlocking the truth.

Last week, Gamble told Moody he deserved to spend his life behind bars for what he did. His attorney read a letter from Gamble saying he wished he killed the gunman instead of letting him kill Horner.

Monday morning, Moody convened a brief hearing with the attorneys, without Gamble present.

"I don't think you had a case until Mr. Gamble came forward," Moody told Muench in pronouncing the sentence.

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