BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that 56-year-old Brian Scott Lorenzo, who was previously found guilty of murder in the death of Deborah Meindl in 1993, was sentenced to 37 ½ years to life in prison.
Investigators said that on February 17, 1993, Lorenzo entered a home on Franklin Street in the City of Tonawanda, and while inside, intentionally caused the death of 33-year-old Deborah Meindl. She was found dead in the dining room by her 10-year-old daughter as she arrived home from school. The DA said the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of death as homicide caused by ligature strangulation.
This marks the closing of a case that has been up in the air for years.
In 1994, Lorenzo was sentenced to 37 ½ years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of all counts in the indictment. A co-defendant, who was convicted in the same trial, received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. The DA said the case was the subject of numerous post-conviction motions, and in 2023, Justice Wojtaszek vacated the original jury verdict following a 440-motion hearing.
Then, an appeal was filed. After the Appellate Division upheld the judge’s decision to vacate the convictions, the DA's office pursued separate re-trials. The DA said the first re-trial of Lorenzo resulted in a mistrial in October 2025, and in early December 2025, a motion was filed to dismiss the indictment against the co-defendant, "in the interest of justice," with the consent of the victim’s family.
In April 2026, Lorenzo was tried for a third time, and a jury found him guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree burglary.
“The passage of time presents significant challenges in any prosecution, and this case was no exception. This outcome is a testament to the unwavering commitment of dedicated public servants tasked with the pursuit of justice. My thoughts remain with the family of Debbie Meindl, especially her youngest daughter Lisa and her sister Lynne who were present for every court appearance. I recognize that a trial, even more than three decades later, takes an emotional toll on every person involved from witnesses to investigators – but especially for a family who continues to grieve the loss of their loved one. Again, I thank the Meindl family for their strength and cooperation throughout this lengthy legal process."
