Kirchner Found Guilty Of Murdering His Mother

A jury has found the owner of the Poki Roni Ranch guilty of murdering his mother.

It took the jury of eight women and four men roughly half an hour to convict Travis Kirchner Wednesday morning.

81-year-old Patricia Kirchner was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage of her ranch home in September of 2008.

The defense claimed the mother and son had a suicide pact, and that Patricia wanted to die after devastating losses in a pair of lawsuits against Poki Roni.

One of those lawsuits concerned wild animals on the ranch, including peacocks. The other involved neighbors and a dispute over a road leading to the Poki Roni property.

“(Travis Kirchner) was just as depressed,” defense attorney Dolph Quijano said during closing arguments. “What does a good son do? He helps his mom.?

The defense also tried to convince jurors that Patricia’s health had faded to the point that she unable to hold a spoon.

Prosecutors took issue with that during their closing arguments, pointing to a note the defense claims was written by the victim some time before her death.

“This woman, who they say couldn?t hold a spoon, wrote a note?” Assistant District Attorney Rick Locke asked jurors. “If you believe that, I?ve got a bridge out in Brooklyn I?ll sell you.”

The prosecution also referred to the defendant as a “drunken angel of death.” Kirchner testified he got drunk on margaritas with a friend the night before his mother’s killing.

After Wednesday’s guilty verdict was read, Kirchner quietly emptied his pockets and removed his belt before being escorted out of the courtroom by the bailiff.

The punishment phase began Wednesday afternoon with more witnesses called to the stand by the prosecution.

Kirchner faces five to 99 years in prison.