Lillian Meegan given 18 years

Bill Gang

Thursday, Sept. 12, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Lillian Meegan was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for her role in the shaking death of her 10-month-old daughter, whose body was set ablaze in the Arizona desert to cover up the incident.

Lillian and James Meegan managed to keep the death a secret for five years but police were tipped off earlier this year. James Meegan was convicted last month of first-degree murder and faces the death sentence after next week's penalty hearing.

Lillian Meegan cut a deal with prosecutors in May to provide information about the death of Francine in exchange for the chance of probation after her guilty plea to felony child abuse and neglect.

But at her husband's trial, she testified that the baby's death may have been the result of an accidental drug overdose and the immolation of the body in an Arizona gully was because of her belief in cremation.

The jury in James Meegan's case didn't buy it, and District Judge Sally Loehrer used Lillian Meegan's tale as one reason for today's sentence that was only two years shy of the maximum.

"We have all tried to come to some understanding why this happened ... but I suppose only you and James know what happened on that tragic and fateful night," Loehrer said.

Although Lillian Meegan's plea bargain required that prosecutors not oppose probation, Loehrer said she "simply can't give probation."

"Society requires a higher standard," the judge said.

The Meegans' 17-year-old daughter, Maria, who testified that at age 11 she saw her parents giving CPR to Francine in a futile attempt to save her life, sobbed uncontrollably when the sentence was pronounced and her mother handcuffed.

Lillian Meegan declined to plead for probation, but her attorney, Paul Wommer, asked for leniency for the woman who has five children at home who will be without either parent for at least five years -- when Lillian is eligible for parole.

Wommer blamed James Meegan's dominance over the family and her devotion to him as reasons she testified the way she did.

Wommer noted that she has been "a responsible and dutiful parent" to the remaining children and is "their last remaining hope of a family."

Loehrer, however, disagreed, chastising Meegan for failing to get counseling for Maria, who had a history of family problems.

Although Deputy District Attorney John Lukens said "justice has been done," he lamented that "nobody wins in something like this."

Lukens said he wasn't surprised at the sentence and always anticipated a stiff sentence despite the plea bargain that he admits helped break open the case and identify the body in Arizona as that of Francine.

Just after the baby was born, she was adopted by a Southern California couple the Meegans knew in exchange for cash, a car and a down payment on a house.

But a few months later, the Meegans "repossessed" the infant when additional money was not forthcoming.

One of the Californians, Dennis Jensen, watched Lillian Meegan's sentencing and walked from the courtroom with tears in his eyes.

"I'm sad for Lillian's family," was all he said.