Defendant To Testify In Poki Roni Murder Trial

Travis Kirchner is expected to take the stand in his own murder trial, but it will have to wait.

The owner of the Poki Roni horse ranch in El Paso’s lower valley is accused of murdering his elderly mother, Patricia, in September of 2008.

Friday, a court coordinator told ABC-7 that the defendant is expected to testify in his own defense.

But when court reconvened following a lunch break, Judge Mary Anne Bramblett announced the trial would recess for the day to give the attorneys from both sides the chance to research a legal issue.

The jury, made up of eight women and four men, was then sent home for the weekend.

Prosecutors allege Kirchner, 58, plotted his mother’s death. Patricia Kirchner’s body was found in the garage of one of the ranch’s homes.

She died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

When he takes the stand, the defendant is expected to testify that he and his mother had a suicide pact.

Family friends testified that Mrs. Kirchner was devastated after the ranch found itself on the losing end of lawsuits.

One of the lawsuits involved peacocks at Poki Roni, according to one defense witness.

The family friend said the Kirchners were forced to kill the birds as the result of the court ruling and that Patricia was never the same after that.

Thursday, friend Charlene Applegate told the court, “I believe Mrs. Kirchner loved animals more than she loved people because they couldn’t steal from her, they couldn’t hurt her.”

Prosecutors presented a witness who testified she overheard Travis Kirchner saying he would be able to leave the ranch if his mother was dead.

Trial resumes 9 a.m. Monday.