Kirchner Sentenced To 29 Years For Mother’s Murder

A jury sentenced Poki Roni Ranch owner Travis Kirchner to 29 years in prison Friday morning for the murder of his 81-year-old mother Patricia.

Kirchner was also ordered to a pay the maximum fine of $10,000. According to court records, he will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence.

The jury spent the night sequestered at a local hotel after they could not reach a sentencing decision Thursday afternoon.

It took the same jury just 30 minutes to find Kirchner guilty on Wednesday.

Patricia Kirchner was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning inside the garage of her home at the Poki Roni ranch in September of 2008.

The mother and son owned the property together.

During Thursday’s sentencing phase closing arguments, prosecutors called Kirchner a “frightening and unpredictable guy.”

Defense attorney Dolph Quijano told jurors that state’s pointed words for the defendant were meant to “distract” them and “misdirect” them from the truth.

The defense has always maintained that Patricia Kirchner’s death was part of a mother-son suicide pact that went wrong.

After Friday’s sentencing, Quijano said he was not surprised by the verdict or the sentence, calling the jury “prosecution-oriented.”

“You could kinda tell that they already made up their mind before going back in to deliberate,” he said.

Prosecutor Kevin Schultz told ABC-7 he was pleased with the verdict.

?It was undisputed that the defendant was the one who turned on the vehicle which caused the death,” he said. “That is undisputed by any side.?