This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Patricia Rorrer was convicted of both deaths in the mid-90's and is serving a life sentence. There was also a 2017 Dateline Keith Morrison episode which covered some of these facts. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. I think it would really require comparison with his pediatric medical records to determine if the head circumference is relevant. Police couldnt determine whether the baby died of exposure or suffocation. She had a suitcase packed, Devine said. The second is Patricia Rorrer, who has been in prison since 1998 after being convicted of the horrific murder of a young mother, Joann Katrinak, and her 15-week old son in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? His film Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulgeruncovered law enforcement corruption at the highest levels. Four months after Joanns disappearance, farmer Paul Kovalchik reported seeing what at first looked like a pile of clothes on his land in Heidelberg Township woods, about 15 miles from the Katrinaks house. Exactly one week after Joann and Alex went missing, the FBI interviewed me at my mother's house. Murder victim. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Share Memories & Support the Family. Patricia Rorrer has been portrayed as a bully, petty thief, neglectful horse owner, and heartless killer or a sweet, caring friend railroaded by authorities desperate to solve a double-murder case that snagged worldwide interest. Both were deceased. I also communicated with Patricia via email to get her input on some matters. As noted earlier, there was hair found in the victims hand, fingernail fragments found on her body, and also a cigarette butt. When Joann failed to arrive, her mother-in-law tried calling, but there was no answer at the Katrinak's. After the premiere episode, Wrong Man will air on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. Joann Katrinaks Killer Still Has Innocence Advocates(A Woman Scorned, Forensic Files). Why was the jury never told that Patricia Rorrer was under surveillance in North Carolina at the time of the crime? The DNA presented at trial, the botching of hair evidence and the revelations in 2015 are thoroughly discussed. Together they had a baby girl, Nicole. Patricias marriage fell apart, and she returned to Pennsylvania, where she fell in love with Andrew Andy Katrinak after meeting him at a restaurant. Well, that really caught our attention of course.". By the mid-1990s, Patricia was known for being both warm and caring as well as aggressive and loud. But if Rorrer was a genuine suspect, it's likely investigators would have attempted the mitochondrial DNA match on the hair anyway. He recalls that Patty also had an alibi. Find a typo or issue with the details of this case? Image credit: Episode screen capture from, - Sarah OConnor: Joann Katrinaks Mother, - Det. . It seems strange that Patricia would just pick up and drive 500 miles to see and ex-boyfriend from years ago on a whim, leaving her own one-year-old daughter at home in North Carolina. Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? Four hours is a long time between Andrew getting home from work and calling the police. Patricia Rorrer has been in prison since 1998, convicted of the horrific murder of a young mother, Joann Katrinak, and her 16-week old son, in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. Patricia had of course not registered that night. He said that the gun had an unusual characteristic: the gun would jam after firing one shot. But Patricia had moved from Pennsylvania years ago, and she'd started her own family in North Carolina. Therefore, when Andrew revealed that his ex once worked in a barn near the site of his wife and sons bodies, she became a suspect. After the first season, the Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction of Curtis Flowers, who had been tried six times by nearly all-white juries; Christopher Tapp was exonerated from rape and murder charges after serving 20 years of a 30-year sentence; Evaristo Salas will go to into a new trial represented by a pro bono lawyer. How about the phone line being cut? Neely said the first officer on the scene didn't believe Rorrer committed the crime. One detail the cops noted was how many times Joann was beaten, something like 20 times, the husband was a boxer so it's doubtful he'd need that many. Why did the police not look into these things? She was thus sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole, plus an added 10-20 years for the kidnapping charges, to be served consecutively. I was able to email with Patricia via the PrisonConnect platform around Christmastime. By the time they asked supposed witnesses, most had forgotten about that random dance class (there were many). Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. It would have to have been a different gun. Sad part is this could be your mother, father, kids, all love ones and friends! My kid has had 99th percentile head circumference since birth. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. I can't recall if the long distance calls were talked about in the show. ", "I can remember till this day, seeing that infant being lifted off the abdomen of his mother. She intends to file a motion for a new trial. At the states request, the instructor wore a wire during a phone conversation with Patricia. (We didnt get into the specifics.). The Free Patricia Rorrer page points to a sliver of a fingernail found at the murder site that didnt come from either Patricia or Joann. Wrong Man takes viewers on real-time investigations to uncover new evidence, track down key witnesses, consult forensic experts, and interrogate the incarcerated. Ive seen the forensics files episode a few times and Im shocked at how it could be so wrong! Tribute Archive As for Joanns parents, her father died a year after the murder. Does anyone see motive in this scenario? One she was out buying feed for horses. The FBI waiting up to 6 months to question people in the class makes it near impossible for her to prove that she was actually there on a random Thursday night. He said she did own a firearm, with its serial numbers filed off. Joanns first husband, New Jersey construction worker Michael Jack, who had reportedly abused her during their marriage, also had a solid alibi. after the fact. [1] The mitochondria, and thus mitochondrial DNA, are passed exclusively from mother to offspring through the egg cell. Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. Investigation Discovery is profiling the murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son. Berlingers recently directed Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, and the feature film on the infamous serial killer, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, for Netflix. Her husband Andrew's mother expected Joann to arrive quickly, since they only lived a few minutes away. Here is the link https://www.amazon.com/Convenient-Suspect-Investigation-Railroading-Innocent/dp/B0777SGHL4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tammy%20mal&qid=1588982960&sr=8-1&fbclid=IwAR0xwJARGyijcn3BqdWAzXSX0l9C7kM-9UtBxQio4AsMv62neDLzggK1IrI. This proves that whatever hair root was DNA tested and matched to me could not have been one of the hairs taken from Joann's car. The Irish-Italian girl had full, fluffy dark hair, olive skin, and a pretty face. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. The state of the bodies suggested the victims had likely been killed the day very they were abducted. Back in March of 2017, Investigation Discovery ran Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates which questioned the conviction of . Joann answered that night, told me that Andy was married and they had baby and not to call her house again .I honestly didn't think too much about it. Do any of the TV episodes suggest the possibility of their being held alive for some time? Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files. Mike McIntyre, the first assistant district attorney in Lehigh County during the case, said the petition is "crazy. We all need justice! Deal refused. It's not often there's a laundry list of clear signals, but it's fun to iterate them when there are so many. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. And yikes, he discovered someone had cut one of the houses phone lines and pried the hinge on the basement door. Both sides agree Joann hung up on Patricia. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. There is still an appeal coming up (I believe) but everything else has failed so far to get Patricia another trial. (McIntyre said that Egan ignored Traupman because he was a nut who said that the man he saw arguing with the woman in a car was Hispanic but wearing a fake mustache and a toupee. Regarding the gun, she claims to have said that she didn't have a gun at that time, not that she never had one. (180) 2017 13+. Phil and Rell will be released on Monday, as well as Leroy Cotton and Jimmy Jackson. The woman (who owned the salon) stated that they were closed that day and that she and her husband were out of town celebrating his birthday. More hairs there. And because some of Patricias advocates have suggested Andrew Katrinak had a motive for murder, I checked into whether he had a life insurance payout to gain upon Joanns demise. It was later believed that his recollection was keen, since he'd been the one to dress her posthumously. These organelles, found in all eukaryotic cells, are the powerhouse of the cell. It was conceivable that Andrew believed they were still out. And who'd be heartless enough to kill an infant as well? I am innocent of these crimes, and I should not have lost the best years of my life in a prison cell. When I gave samples of my hair, the doctor took a total of 39 hairs, but only 35 can be accounted for. Mizgerd said Rorrer is aware the show is airing and is hopeful it may bring new attention to her case. Please watch the show Wrong Man which also found new evidence that supports my innocence. Police converged on the scene and soon realized it was not only the remains of Joann Katrinak, but sadly of Alex too. Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Suzanne Pearson fabricated quotes from Patricia including her claim that Patricia said, Im going to the electric chair upon her arrest because a conviction would boost Pearsons career. Rorrer has appealed her conviction several times and her supporters believe additional DNA evidence testing may be the key to proving her innocence. The investigation that led to her identification and then turned up enough evidence to arrest and convict Patricia Rorrer was interesting. The defense called into question both the motive and the shaky DNA hair evidence at the time. Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On. I wasn't hung up on Andy, and I didn't want him back. Brisk with west to northwest winds around 10-20mph gusting to 30mph.. Mostly cloudy with less wind and a few breaks in the clouds overnight. At 6 a.m. on June 24, 1997, police arrested Patricia at her modest house in Linwood, North Carolina, and took her back to Pennsylvania. When police traveled to North Carolina to interview Patricia about the murders of Joann and Alex, she said that on the day of the homicides, she had visited a feed store, a tanning salon, and a country music club. Media galore. Crime 2017. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. That hang-up, they said, was the last straw. She was always looking for a fight, Gary Gabard told the Morning Call, which noted that he was a head shorter than Patricia. Police treated Joann's car as a potential crime scene, and their investigation turned up several blonde hairs on the head rest. So I was convicted of 2 counts of first degree murder and 2 counts of kidnapping. Use quotation marks to search as a ), And in another bombshell, Joanns good friend Karen Devine said Joann planned to leave Andrew after the holidays. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. Darla Carrington, Brian Charles, Robert Pezzeca, Patricia Rorrer . That's absolutely ridiculous, yet that is the only motive ever given for why I supposedly committed this crime. Patricia demonstrated a habit of making almost daily, long-distance phone calls from her home in North Carolina. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Tips to help protect your smartphone from thieves, Godfather of soft rock David Lindley dead aged 78 after months of illness, Prince George set to play key role in King Charles coronation but only if hes back in school ASAP after!, Idris Elba: Its MY prerogative to stop labelling myself a black actor, Stephen tWitch Boss widow Allison Holker tells their kids they will find courage, Which Outer Banks Character Are You? Man, this case was soooo shittily handled. On December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son Alex disappeared without a trace from . She asked to speak with Andrew, who was home during the call; Joann refused. Tapps lawyer saidWrong Mans in-depth investigation into the Tapp conviction helped free an innocent man.. Patricia denied owning a .22 caliber pistol (the type of gun used to kill Joann). Green-Eyed Monsters: Directed by Kate Ryerson. 1 hr 25 min Mar 5, 2017 TV-14. Wrong Man investigators interrogated a confidential informant, the main witness against Evaristo Salas, and he recanted his testimony. A young mother and her infant son suddenly went missing just before Christmas in 1994. Joann grabbed her purse, the diaper bag, and their coats against the December chill in Pennsylvania. Patricia Rorrer is imprisoned for murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. The first, Vonda Smith, was convicted of murdering her grandchilds mother, 21-year-old Jessie Morrison. Whether she suffocated him or left him to die of exposure, there's a special place in hell for someone who's able to live with themselves after such a heinous crime. 1 talking about this. Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. Also Rorrer had a history of run-ins with the law, including being charged with breaking and entering. Rorrer was tried and convicted in 1994 for the brutal killing of Katrinak and her three-month-old son. It's as if she had left with young Alex as planned but then somehow simply vanished. After a successful first season, Starz has announced thatWrong Man season 2 will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 9:45 p.m. Tips to help protect your smartphone from thieves, Godfather of soft rock David Lindley dead aged 78 after months of illness, Prince George set to play key role in King Charles coronation but only if hes back in school ASAP after!, Idris Elba: Its MY prerogative to stop labelling myself a black actor, Stephen tWitch Boss widow Allison Holker tells their kids they will find courage, Which Outer Banks Character Are You? TV-14. I was convicted on the basis of a DNA match made to the root of one (1) hair found in Joann's car. After watching the latest Starz episode of Wrong Man (a great investigative show), I started thinking about the Patricia Rorrer case again.. Rorrer was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Joann Katrinak and her 3-4 month old son Alex in 1994 by forcing them our of their home and driving them to a wooded area where they were shot and killed. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . Um why is that? Joann had been shot once and then beaten over the head (presumably because the gun used only shot once). I was like OK, maybe she was tired, you know with a new baby. Culture Editor Tony Sokol cut his teeth on the wire services and also wrote and produced New York CitysVampyr Theatreand the rock operaAssassiNation: We Killed JFK. Patricia Rorrer, an ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, was found guilty of the crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors also claimed DNA hair evidence found in the car matched Patricia's hair at the time (using what was considered valid DNA methods). Pulled hairs don't grow roots. Rorrer offered her attendance at a private club in North Carolina as one of her alibies, but the club (per a state regulation) required members to sign in. Phone records confirmed Patricia placed the earlier call from North Carolina, not Pennsylvania. Patricia Rorrer is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. Patricia Rorrer was convicted of both deaths in the mid-90's and is serving a life sentence. They allege that the North Carolina resident stealthily drove 500 miles to Pennsylvania and killed out of a sense of deadly indignation. Oscar-nominated and Emmywinning director Berlinger (Paradise Lost, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes), a leading voice in non-fiction film and television for over two decades, returns to keep checks on the criminal justice system. In a million years, she wouldnt do anything to harm that.. Despite the new evidence and hypotheses, the courts have rejected all of Patricias bids for a new trial. The state police dropped him as a suspect. Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! It seems likely these bodies were dumped here months after initially thought, not killed the day they were kidnapped. 6-10. Why would somebody tell you, theyre going to fry me, if they didnt do it? Jarrett told Wrong Man. According to the LA Times, the United States Supreme Court struck down the conviction of death row inmate Curtis Flowers, who was prosecuted six times for the same crime of quadruple murder, and by the same prosecutor, in a case riddled with evidentiary problems and allegations of racial bias, according to the press statement. Fury of the Gods Brings Back the "Shazamily": Inside DC's New Superhero Adventure, Scream 6's Brutal NYC Trip: "You Can't Trust Anyone" This Time, Cocaine Bear Is Not Just About a Killer "Coked-Up" Bear, It's Also an "Underdog Story", How Marvel's Wastelanders Podcast Created an Exciting Story with No Visual Safety Net, Wrong Man Season 2 Release Date Confirmed (Exclusive). RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube, Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Joanne Chambers and Paula Nawrocki: Strange Lesson. - On December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son Alex disappeared without a trace from their home in Catasauqua, Pa. Patricia Rorrer, the ex-girlfriend of Katrinak's husband, was convicted of the murders and has maintained . Prosecutor hiding something? At the very least, prosecutors got their story very wrong as they convicted Patricia. They also found a photo of Patricia taken 11 days before the homicide. Andrew told investigators that the unpleasant phone call between Joann and Patricia happened just three days before his wifes disappearance. Patricia was convicted based on her head hairs being found in the victim's car. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. McItyre said this is hearsay and the officer has refuted everything in an affidavit. Patricia, who moved from PA to North Carolina, made long distance calls from her home practically every day, except for the time period between December 11 and 16. Based on body decomposition alone, it seems near impossible that they were kidnapped and killed in the same day or even within weeks. She claimed to be at a dance class in private club but her name was missing from the sign in sheet that night. MEMORANDUM BY LAZARUS, J. Copyright 2021 Patricia Rorrer - All Rights Reserved. Patricia Rorrer is found guilty of the abduction and murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son, Alex. However, it seems this was only after the bodies of Joann and Alex were found on the remote horse trail. She was born on Jan. 24, 1964, in eastern Pennsylvania and moved back and forth between there and Davidson County, North Carolina. One she was at a tanning salon. When Andrew was told of the location of his young family's remains, he offered investigators a lead. I knew when Joann was pregnant and although surprised because Andy had once told me he didn't want children and wasn't sure he could have children, I was again happy for him.
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