in 1971, victoria (erika slezak onward) announces her engagement to steve, which her father approves of; victor is, however, unhappy when he discovers his continually frail daughter meredith is seeking to conceive a child with larry. merrie is prescribed bedrest and later gives birth to victor's first onscreen grandchildren, twins (one which dies a childbirth and the other, a grandson named daniel). in the summer of 1973, in the midst of victor's search for his son, meredith is held hostage in the llanfair carriage house with brother-in-law vinny when burglars try to steal victor's prized art collection. a distressed victor pleads with the robbers to release meredith during hostage negotiations with llanview police department lt. ed hall (al freeman, jr.). meredith is viciously assaulted by the thieves, who are killed by the police, and later dies at llanview hospital. victor is devastated by her death, and he (graves) leaves llanview in 1974 in search for his heir-presumptive son.