It certainly tugged at our heartstrings, you know, it brought a tear to my eye. He recalls that Patty also had an alibi. I cant lose them, he told the media. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Prosecutors at the time used this angry phone call as motive for Patricia to travel 500 miles to the Katrinak house, cut a phone line, break into the basement door, put them into Joann's car and march Joann and Alex to their eventual death - killing them in a field. An infant was lying face down on her stomach. She got 12 months of probation for shoplifting at a Walmart in Lexington, North Carolina. But the Wrong Man team brought in their own experts to review the detailed information on the corpses. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. And even prosecutor Michael McIntyre, who wrote the book Hair Trigger about the case, acknowledged to Keith Morrison that it was a little odd that the police found blood on the hairs in Joanns car but nowhere else in the vehicle. Knowing that they were not killed the day they were kidnapped, but instead held for potentially months, blows the fact that she didn't make a phone call for a few days out of the water. It's as if she had left with young Alex as planned but then somehow simply vanished. Mostly cloudy and drier, but a few scattered rain showers linger early, and perhaps a few snow showers at any point in the Poconos. Until WCJN has thought that the hair was planted but the FBI has just released a report detailing unscientific and fraudulent analysis of hair samples in criminal cases. By that time, we had both moved on and I had no romantic feelings for him. 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. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. I lived with Andrew Katrinak for approximately 5 years, and we ended our relationship as friends in 1989 when I moved to North Carolina.. We would speak 2 or 3 times a year. 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. Rorrer has filed a petition to get new evidence admissible that he said could set her free. Highly charged case. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband . Wow this episode was featured on Forensic Files. DNA testing revealed the blood came from either Joann or her son. 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. As is the alibi (signing into a dance class), one regular at the dance club said the sign-in sheet was not regularly used by many patrons. By the time they asked supposed witnesses, most had forgotten about that random dance class (there were many). In a million years, she wouldnt do anything to harm that.. In the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County. McIntyre said a conspiracy theory is preposterous and he's surprised Rorrer is making another attempt to get out of prison. I was convicted on the basis of a DNA match made to the root of one (1) hair found in Joann's car. !) and detractors (This is another bs attempt to free a psycho). Andrew languished for weeks and then months as investigators failed to suppl any explanation for his wife's and son's mysterious disappearance. Rorrer has appealed her conviction several times and her supporters believe additional DNA evidence . McIntyre said he was accused of being the mastermind of a conspiracy to frame Rorrer. . But investigators conceded they had no solid evidence against Andrew. Then 31 years old, she had lived a rocky existence. Sir I would not kill somebody and I definitely wouldnt kill somebody I never met, Rorrer said. An early childhood introd That hang-up, they said, was the last straw. She was born on July 27, 1942, in Henry County, Va., to Edward Rorrer and Susie Morrison Rorrer. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . Patricia demonstrated a habit of making almost daily, long-distance phone calls from her home in North Carolina. She had a lawyer who never tried a crimsoned case let alone a murder case, she believed that it would not be a problem because she was innocent. Died along with his mother, Joann, as a victim of his father's jealous ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer. Its doors were locked, but the keys were inside the vehicle. We all need justice! As for Joanns parents, her father died a year after the murder. She was also no stranger to law enforcement because she had a history of violence which included an arrest for getting into a bar brawl with another patron over a guy. Until next time, cheers. Patricia was convicted based on her head hairs being found in the victim's car. Supposedly it was the relationship to this trail and Patricia's managing of the Silver Shadow Farms horse stable just a mile away that first brought Rorrer to detectives' attention. I lived more than 500 miles away, was engaged to be married, was a new mother, and all of a sudden I'm arrested for murdering two people I'd never even met? I most definitely will not personally afford Patricia a platform, Michael said in an email to ForensicFilesNow.com She had her chance to answer my questions and tell her story in court over 20 years ago. Patricia is and has been fighting that she is innocent from the very beginning. But Patricia had moved from Pennsylvania years ago, and she'd started her own family in North Carolina. There is still an appeal coming up (I believe) but everything else has failed so far to get Patricia another trial. Mitochondrial DNA is the small circular chromosome found inside mitochondria. See Patricia Rorrer full list of movies and tv shows from their career. When Andrew was told of the location of his young family's remains, he offered investigators a lead. Her advocates say she wasn't even in the same state at the time of the crime. 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. (We didnt get into the specifics.). These organelles, found in all eukaryotic cells, are the powerhouse of the cell. Great communicator. Other defense claims and recent updates include: Two separate witnesses claim to have seen an unhappy Joann with a man on the day of her disappearance. Rejection and betrayal are good enough reasons for these women to commit heinous crimes. ", "Everything is outrageous," he said. After the premiere episode, Wrong Man will air on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. She needs to be freed! They were hardly decomposed after a mild winter. They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. 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. Four hours is a long time between Andrew getting home from work and calling the police. Today, Patricia Lynne Rorrer resides in State Correctional Institute at Muncy, a medium and maximum security facility that has the highest rate of cancer of all prisons in Pennsylvania, according to a story from northcentralpa.com. 0. Shes extremely, extremely happy with the baby. In 1995 DNA testing was brand new. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. Cancel Anytime. In the Katrinak case, they did new (at the time) DNA testing to match the hairs found in the car to Patricia. When I gave samples of my hair, the doctor took a total of 39 hairs, but only 35 can be accounted for. At first, a broad-daylight abduction of a mother and her infant seemed unlikely. At 17, Patricia dropped out of high school and married landscaper Gary Gabard. Very true - I can't remember if the show went through that. Mizgerd said she acts as Patricia Rorrer's spiritual advisor and often visits her in prison. 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. Morrison was 16 weeks pregnant when her lifeless body was found beaten beyond recognition and dumped along a remote country road, reads the statement. When she stood trial that same year, she maintained her innocence and alleged that she and Andrew Katrinak had continued to stay in touch as good friends, so she wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Patricia knew her gun tended to jam, but she used it anyway. He said she did own a firearm, with its serial numbers filed off. Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol. Pal stays true. She failed miserably to convince me, or anyone else who mattered, of her innocence. How could I explain to my daughter years later that I took a plea for something I didnt do? she said. Or identify other people in their lives who might have benefited from either the Katrinak's deaths or disappearance? I found it necessary to document each time an episode featured one of these. S5 E7: Patricia Rorrer sits in prison for brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? With Chris Anderson, Fatima Silva. Another case is Patricia Rorrer, who has been in prison since 1998, convicted of the murder of a young mother and her 16-week old son in Pennsylvania. And Patricia wasnt all edges. Where does one pick up flower petal in the dead of winter in PA.? Patricia Rorrer was convicted of both deaths in the mid-90's and is serving a life sentence. New state, new man. I can't recall if the long distance calls were talked about in the show. More importantly, the 3 month old baby was the size of a 6 month old, including to have a cranial diameter bigger than 99.99% of all 3 month olds. Tribute Archive Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? A young mother and her infant son suddenly went missing just before Christmas in 1994. Four months later, when their bodies were found in a lonely patch of woods, the police would launch a three-year investigation leading to the arrest of Patricia Lynne Rorrera young mother who had never met . He gave an audio interview to the Wrong Man investigators when they made a surprise visit to his house, but he declined to appear on camera. During the interview, the FBI agents noted that I had no cuts, scratches, or bruising on my hand or face, as would be expected if I had been in a life and death struggle only a week earlier. MEMORANDUM BY LAZARUS, J. . Felix (Phil) Rosado and Terrell (Rell) Woolfolk-Carter, WELCOME HOME!!!!! Phone calls played a significant role in the case overall. A few eyewitnesses who didnt testify at her initial trial also back her statements of being in North Carolina on that fateful day, but nothing has been proven. When Andrew returned from work several hours later, Joann's car wasn't in its normal spot in the alley behind their house, but otherwise everything looked ordinary. Witness also recalled Rorrer's mom trying to hide a gun. 1 talking about this. ", "I can remember till this day, seeing that infant being lifted off the abdomen of his mother. Plus, two men, her babys father and his friend, testified they saw Patricia at the line-dancing club the night of the homicide. Patricia Rorrer Age: 51 Sex: FEMALE Jury Rejects Alibi, Finds Rorrer Guilty In Double Kidnapping-murder Case Woman found guilty in Lehigh Slayings Convicted murderer seeks new DNA tests in '94 murder case. I also communicated with Patricia via email to get her input on some matters. Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? Both sides agree Joann hung up on Patricia. However, prosecutors contended that Patricia attacked Joann and Alex because she wanted to reconcile with her ex, and his wife had hung up the phone on her when shed called in December 1994. For two decades, Patricia Rorrer has always maintained her innocence. I suspect I know. It is believed she may have received over 3,700 pills in less than a year. Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On. Lieutenant Christopher Coble and Sergeant Suzanne Pearson would later testify that Patricia cried and apologized to 18-month-old Nicole, telling the baby, Im sorry for doing this to you and lamenting to the officers that she would never see little Nicole again. I'm not sure to what extent it was brought up in the original trial. It's sad looking back at those Forensic Files episodes where the science was junk but they portray it as a solid case. Damning for Patricia was that this field was only a couple miles from a horse farm that she used to have access to. The Innocence Project has declined to take her case. However, it seems this was only after the bodies of Joann and Alex were found on the remote horse trail. 99.99 or whatever it was. Weak wages. There is another question, though: Can anyone say . Now retired, he declined ForensicFilesNow.coms invitation to spar directly with Patricia via a podcast. Dial-a-problem. Advocates for her innocence complain of hype surrounding the case. The couple moved into Andrews sturdy brick house at 740 Front Street in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. The same source indicates Patricia Rorrer has repeatedly appealed for a retrial and exoneration, but each request has been denied. Convicted killer Patricia Rorrer is asking for new DNA tests in the 13-year-old murder case of her former boyfriend's wife and child. If you subscribe to Hulu and upgrade to Starz (theres a free one-week trial offer), you can stream the Wrong Man episodes about Patricia Rorrer. To my knowledge these items have never been DNA tested but the prosecutor stipulated that the hair in Joann's hand does not belong to me, and Dr. Tom Jensen, the PSP forensic scientist noted that the fingernail is to large to belong to me.. Who does this evidence belong to? And in a piece of salacious testimony, Patricia Rorrers half sister, Sandra Ireland, said that in May 1995, about six months after the murder, their mother, Patricia Chambers, stopped by the house and asked her to hold onto or hide a gun, or both. Unseasonably warm weather in late December suggested that the victims were there since they were killed. The episode claimed the jury required just two hours to deliberate, but other sources indicate it took six. Posted: June 22, 2022 There is a 2-part episode on Wrong Man that just came out this year. Prosecutors said Rorrer beat Katrinak, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods in Heidelberg Township. And, I was quite angry with the police, that they accused Andy. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. Where to Watch. State police and the Philadelphia division of the FBI appealed to the public for leads. Barry Grube, one of the few, if not only, police officers sympathetic to Patricias cause, noted that Andrew didnt seem particularly frantic while authorities searched desperately for his wife and son. The team on Wrong Man tracked down the history of this gun and found that the police did so as well. Patricia was arrested on June 24, 1997. . I think you might have mistaken what's being mentioned in the Washington Post article; that is talking about microscopic hair analysis, which is when they compare two strands of hair for a match. I have always maintained my innocence because I am innocent. More hairs there. His film Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulgeruncovered law enforcement corruption at the highest levels. Wouldn't he have tried to call his mother recall it was with her Joann had planned to go Christmas shopping. It showed her usually all-brown hair haphazardly highlighted blond. Patty Rorrer is convicted of the kidnapping and murder of her ex-boyfriends wife and infant son, but Wrong Man investigators discover that the case is not so clear cut. For more on the Katrinak murder case, you can watch Autopsy Six: A Fatal Attraction for free on YouTube. Born on January 24, 1964, in eastern Pennsylvania, Patricia Rorrer spent most of her life going back and forth between the Keystone State and North Carolina. "I'm hoping this [show] will be very close to the truth," said Sandy Mizgerd. (Media sources vary as to whether she actually worked at the stable or just rented a stall there for her own horse.). Wrong Man says she had normally signed in for her line dancing class but didn't on the day Joann and Alex disappeared. Why would somebody tell you, theyre going to fry me, if they didnt do it? Jarrett told Wrong Man. The authorities charged her with two counts of murder. "The issues that we are presenting are not speculative at all," Neely said. She does not have a lawyer, her last lawyer was sued by the prosecutor. Combination locks. 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. And who'd be heartless enough to kill an infant as well? Exactly one week after Joann and Alex went missing, the FBI interviewed me at my mother's house. Well, that really caught our attention of course.". Joe Berlingers documentary series Wrong Man shows what long form documentary journalism can achieve. Andrew's second look in and around their home revealed some disturbing clues. Starting at. After a successful first season, Starz has announced thatWrong Man season 2 will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 9:45 p.m. In April 1995, the family buried Joann and Alex in a single bronze casket after a funeral mass at a Bethlehem church. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! This was my thought (I'm behind and just caught the 2nd half yesterday). Keith Morrison investigates the horrific 1994 murders of Joann Katrinak and her infant son Alex, the tangled relationships surrounding the crime, and the ongoing claims that Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted. Search is on. The show is broadcast on truTV, narrated by Peter Thomas, and produced by Medstar Television, in association with truTV Original Productions.It has broadcast 406 episodes since its debut on TLC in 1996 as Medical Detectives. . If Rorrer used to live in the area, then I expect any place in the county was probably within a couple of miles of someplace she used to have access to. Movies/Documentaries Murder in Lehigh Valley Forensic Files: A Woman Scorned Deadly Women: Green-Eyed Monsters. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. Joann had been shot once and then bludgeoned in the head. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. On December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son Alex disappeared without a trace from . Three days later, Joann had plans to pick up her mother-in-law, Veronica Katrinak, to go Christmas shopping. They initially thought Joann's husband Andy may have committed this crime, so they didn't check into Patricia's story of being in a dance class during the time of the kidnapping. Keith Morrison investigates the horrific 1994 murders of Joann Katrinak and her infant son Alex, the tangled relationships surrounding the crime, and the ongoing claims that Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted. Joann grabbed her purse, the diaper bag, and their coats against the December chill in Pennsylvania. Please read her story. He will never be able to speak if this case! 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. Recall Jason Funk's role in Katie Froeschle's murder in Muffled Cries (s11e31) or the trail of evidence left by Earl Bramblett in Private Thoughts (s08e16). Starring Keith Morrison. Image Title Airdate Season Episode Series Episode "Sleeping with the Enemy" August 7, 2015: 1: 120 Texan Darlene Gentry is a self-centered former beauty queen who enjoys the party girl lifestyle and whose marriage to husband Keith is collapsing under the debt she has incurred. His favorite rattle, shaped like a phone, lay near the crime scene. The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. Together they had a baby girl, Nicole. As for the murder weapon, police didnt find a .22 caliber pistol on Patricias property, but an ex-boyfriend claimed that she owned one and it would always jam after one shot. Does anyone see motive in this scenario? Rorrer was tried and convicted in 1994 for the brutal killing of Katrinak and her three-month-old son. Rorrer claims the DNA . She claimed that shed spent that fateful day at a tanning salon and a country music club, but suspicion mounted when the guest book for the latter didnt have her name and a photo shed taken 11 days prior showed her naturally brown hair dyed blonde.
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