Meier Found Guilty of Lesser Count in Matricide

Torran Lee Meier was found guilty Monday of voluntary manslaughter in the October strangulation death of his mother, who was depicted during the trial as verbally abusive and sexually provocative toward him.

The conviction carries a maximum penalty of 11 years in state prison, a far less severe sentence than the life term Meier, 17, originally faced in his trial in Van Nuys Superior Court.

The jury acquitted the teen-ager of several more-serious charges--including murder and conspiracy to commit murder--in partial verdicts announced last week.

After three weeks of deliberations, jurors still have not reached unanimous decisions on three other charges in the case. The panel will resume deliberations today.

Meier’s father, Dennis Meier of Reseda, who was divorced from the victim, said Monday that he had hoped for his son’s complete acquittal but was pleased that the conviction came on a lesser charge.

Charges in Brother’s Case

Torran Meier remains accused of attempted voluntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit voluntary manslaughter against his half brother, Rory Rizk, 8, who witnessed the slaying. The jury last week found Meier not guilty of attempted murder and not guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in the attack on Rory.

Meier also is charged with conspiracy to commit voluntary manslaughter against his mother, Shirley A. Rizk, 34, of Canoga Park. Jurors earlier had acquitted him of first- and second-degree murder and of conspiracy to commit murder against Shirley Rizk.

A conviction on any of the other remaining charges would add no more than one year to the teen-ager’s sentence, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Edward G. Feldman.

According to testimony during the seven-week trial, Meier, aided by two friends, killed Shirley Rizk in retaliation for a lifetime of abusive behavior toward him.

After Rory wandered in on the attack, Meier attempted to feed him a poisoned sandwich, witnesses testified. When that effort failed, Rory was placed next to his mother’s body in a burning car that was sent over a Malibu cliff, according to testimony. He escaped with no serious injuries.

Meier’s two alleged accomplices will be tried later.