Kevin "Pancho" Gonsalves, 38, will be 65 years old when he finishes his prison sentence for the January 2004 Pali Golf Course murder case.

U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced Gonsalves yesterday to 27 1/2 years behind bars, citing "the horror of the crime" that left two men dead from gunshot wounds and another critically injured by a bullet to the head.

It was the same sentence that Mollway balked at imposing in February of this year, when she said she felt the law required a sentence of life in prison.

Two other men charged in the case, Rodney Joseph Jr., and Ethan "Malu" Motta, initially pleaded guilty with Gonsalves but withdrew those pleas after Mollway expressed her reservations about the fairness of their plea deals.

They're scheduled to go to trial Jan. 21, but Joseph's lawyer yesterday filed a motion for Mollway to disqualify herself from the trial.

The motion said that Mollway, by reviewing pre-sentence reports written after the three men had pleaded guilty, had prejudiced her ability to act impartially in the trial. Mollway also required Gonsalves' lawyer and prosecutors to file confidential documents with the court that justified the plea agreement.

"At this stage, though the Gonsalves matter has been resolved, Joseph is faced with the odd prospect of proceeding to trial with a judge who has acquired 'secret knowledge' of the proceedings from the government and a co-defendant," the motion said.

Mollway will hold a hearing on the motion Dec. 22.

The defendants were allegedly part of a racketeering conspiracy that involved illegal gambling operations on O'ahu.

Two groups arguing over who would provide security at illegal games met Jan. 7, 2004, at the Pali Golf Course parking lot, purportedly to work out their differences.

But Joseph, Motta and Gonsalves allegedly opened fire on men from the other group, killing Romilius Corpuz and Lepo Utu Taliese and seriously wounding Tinoimalu Sao.

In the earlier plea agreement, Joseph and Gonsalves admitted killing Corpuz and Motta admitted killing Taliese and shooting Sao.

In passing sentence on Gonsalves, Mollway said, "You appear to have had more of a soldier's role in the organization than Mr. Motta or Mr. Joseph."

She said the victims were "lured" to the parking lot and then "gunned down."

"There is no evidence they did anything to initiate or provoke the confrontation," said Mollway.

Gonsalves addressed the judge briefly.

"I'm very sorry," he said. "I wish the (Corpuz) family was here so I could address them. I'm taking responsibility for what I did."