And it certainly didn't make me mad enough to jump in my car, drive 500 miles one way and kill two people I'd never met--one an infant child. Convenient Suspect: A Wrongful Conviction In The Murder In Lehigh So much in this case, and every time she appeals with new evidence she is denied. 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. Brad Jackson was able to describe what his daughter Valiree was wearing in incredible detail, down to the color of her socks. There is another question, though: Can anyone say . 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. SearchWorks catalog Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. What would a crime show be without them? The Morning Call Murder victim. It would have to have been a different gun. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! For this week, I looked into the defenders reasoning as well as Patricias whereabouts today. Patricia Rorrer's Story - RIGHT TO REDEMPTION 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. We all need justice! 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. Plus, he had only a minimal life insurance policy on Joann and he passed polygraphs, according to The FBI Files: Family Secrets. Read More:Where is Jacqueline Crymble Now? This had been taken just 11 days before Joann's disappearance. Prosecutors also claimed DNA hair evidence found in the car matched Patricia's hair at the time (using what was considered valid DNA methods). Prosecutor pounds away. We take wrongful convictions to heart. The prosecution alleged that after the murder, Patricia drove Joanns car to McCartys parking lot and backed it into a parking space. Based on body decomposition alone, it seems near impossible that they were kidnapped and killed in the same day or even within weeks. See Commonwealth v. Rorrer, CP-39- CR-0002176-1997 (C.C.P. 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. 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. 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. Morrison was 16 weeks pregnant when her lifeless body was found beaten beyond recognition and dumped along a remote country road, reads the statement. Men who murder are conventional, women are sensational, posits the Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Prosecutor hiding something? Docket at pp. Very true - I can't remember if the show went through that. Movies/Documentaries Murder in Lehigh Valley Forensic Files: A Woman Scorned Deadly Women: Green-Eyed Monsters. [1] The mitochondria, and thus mitochondrial DNA, are passed exclusively from mother to offspring through the egg cell. Forensic Files is an American documentary-style series which reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and even outbreaks of illness. (Media sources vary as to whether she actually worked at the stable or just rented a stall there for her own horse.). In 2015, the type of hair DNA science used was finally admitted to be junk by the FBI and incorrect in 96% of cases. Rorrer has appealed her conviction several times and her supporters believe additional DNA evidence testing may be the key to proving her innocence. Crime 2017. . She has been incarcerated for 24+ years. $4.99/mo. 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. It was never tested. Sad part is this could be your mother, father, kids, all love ones and friends! But Patricia had moved from Pennsylvania years ago, and she'd started her own family in North Carolina. Andrew languished for weeks and then months as investigators failed to suppl any explanation for his wife's and son's mysterious disappearance. It's not often there's a laundry list of clear signals, but it's fun to iterate them when there are so many. Apr 5, 2016. Keith Morrison Explores Claims of Wrongful Conviction in Investigation Louise Rorrer Bryant, age 79, of Fieldale, Va., passed away on May 15, 2022. How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? Andrew had an ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer, who'd been familiar with the trail, and she'd previously managed a horse stable just a mile from the scene. As for the words exchanged on the call between the two big-haired women, Joann told Andrew that Patricia had used profanity; Patricia said it was the other way around. Her husband Andrew's mother expected Joann to arrive quickly, since they only lived a few minutes away. Further, an early FBI report said the hairs found in the car had no roots which contain the DNA suggesting an evidence switcheroo. Share Memories & Support the Family. The state made a case fueled by circumstantial evidence and public outrage over the deaths of a modern-day madonna and child. More than 20 years after her conviction, Patricia Rorrer still has advocates working to exonerate her. The victim in this crime had a hair clutched in her right hand, and three pieces of fingernail found on her body, none of which has ever been tested. Sounds like prosecutors made the right call based on this. She said that shes no fan of Forensic Files and that the show had many misrepresentations about her case and that shed heard ForensicFilesNow.com mixed up some facts as well. While the police are still investigating the murder of your wife and child? Phone records confirmed Patricia placed the earlier call from North Carolina, not Pennsylvania. One she was out buying feed for horses. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. Meticulous primping. If I knew I was going to get caught, I never would have brought you into this world, the arresting officers testified they heard her say to Nicole. Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On. "When I read that petition for the first time about 30 days ago, I couldn't believe it was written by a lawyer.". Keith Morrison investigates the horrific murders of Joann Katrinak and her infant son Alex, and the ongoing claims that Patricia Rorrer, the woman who has already served 19 years in prison for the murders, was wrongfully convicted. I was so excited that I called everyone, and Joanne picked up the phone and she said Andy is married, and I said I know, then she said we have a baby, and I said yea I know, then she said dont ever call here again. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband . Advocates for her innocence complain of hype surrounding the case. 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. Watch Wrong Man Season 2: Stream Full Episodes on STARZ It's as if she had left with young Alex as planned but then somehow simply vanished. We need to know who killed them! Murder victim. 1994 double-murder case returns to Lehigh County Court - Lehighvalleylive Local author finds possible new evidence in 20 year old murder case Wrong Man says she had normally signed in for her line dancing class but didn't on the day Joann and Alex disappeared. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. A hidden FBI report found a couple years ago showed that police were unsure if there were roots on the found hairs. Wake up people this could be you! They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. When they found Joann and Alex in a wooded area on April 9 1995. Com. v. Rorrer, P. :: 2017 :: Pennsylvania Superior Court Decisions And why was my defense not provided with the "No Roots Attached" report which is exculpatory evidence, at trial.? I was able to email with Patricia via the PrisonConnect platform around Christmastime. She had a suitcase packed, Devine said. I dont even know its Christmas.. Documentary, Drama 2020-2020. Rorrer claims the DNA evidence used to send . Watch Wrong Man - S2:E204 Patricia Rorrer: Under the Microscope (2020 (Disclaimer: Im not a big fan of eyewitnesses who come forward years after the fact, but its possible). Trash-talking ex. Patricia Rorrer Age: 51 Sex: FEMALE At the trial, prosecutor Michael McIntyre alleged that Patricia remained obsessed with Andrew Katrinak long after their breakup despite testimony that shed had many boyfriends and live-in lovers to occupy her bandwidth. I am humbly asking for your help to hire a lawyer and procure a fair trial. Hair we go. An early childhood introd When I gave samples of my hair, the doctor took a total of 39 hairs, but only 35 can be accounted for. Somebody has to. Although the prosecution used it as evidence that she was trying to create a false alibi, it actually sounded more like Patricia was simply trying to nail down the facts he had already asserted to her. Convicted murderer seeks new DNA tests in '94 murder case That hang-up, they said, was the last straw. Combine keywords and attributes to find specific items. The victim in this crime had a hair clutched in her right hand, and three pieces of fingernail found on her body, none of which has ever been tested. Flaw in reasoning. Patricia denied owning a .22 caliber pistol (the type of gun used to kill Joann). I knew when Andy got married and I was happy for him. In 2015, I discovered an FBI report that states the hair used to convict me had "No Roots Attached." She failed miserably to convince me, or anyone else who mattered, of her innocence. This was my thought (I'm behind and just caught the 2nd half yesterday). In TV clips, Andrew didnt come off as anguished. Tribute Archive But "Wrong Man" investigators discover that there is . I was convicted on microscopic hair comparison and DNA testing that rendered a "match" of 1 in 37,000. Free Patricia Rorrer - Facebook EPISODE 1. Patricia Rorrer: Under the Microscope: Patty Rorrer is convicted of the kidnapping and murder of her ex-boyfriend's wife and infant son, but "Wrong Man" investigators discover that the case is not so clear cut. 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. Of course she did--because all that was out there on me was fake news. Then, despite her multiple alibis, she has an inexplicable five-day gap in this pattern. ), And in another bombshell, Joanns good friend Karen Devine said Joann planned to leave Andrew after the holidays. For two decades, Patricia Rorrer has always maintained her innocence. 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. Convenient Suspect on Apple Books The defense called into question both the motive and the shaky DNA hair evidence at the time. Error! The Irish-Italian girl had full, fluffy dark hair, olive skin, and a pretty face. Patricia defaulted on her mortgage and then returned to North Carolina, where she eventually moved in with a boyfriend named Brian Ward. ", "I can remember till this day, seeing that infant being lifted off the abdomen of his mother. Deal refused. I also communicated with Patricia via email to get her input on some matters. DNA from that and a cigarette butt linked Patricia to the offense. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. Four hours is a long time between Andrew getting home from work and calling the police. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband Andy but the ex-couple hadn't spoken for close to a year until they had a call one day in December, 1994. On closer inspection, he saw it was the body of a woman. ", "I think she gave us something like four or five alibis as to where she was at. He framed this woman who has been in prison 23 years! "The issues that we are presenting are not speculative at all," Neely said. She claimed to be at a dance class in private club but her name was missing from the sign in sheet that night. It's sad looking back at those Forensic Files episodes where the science was junk but they portray it as a solid case. Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. On Alexs diaper bag, police found strands of the same type of hair from the car. Mostly cloudy and drier, but a few scattered rain showers linger early, and perhaps a few snow showers at any point in the Poconos. Forensic Files didnt mention it, but the hairs were actually brown at the top and the rest dyed blond, according to the show Autopsy Six: A Fatal Attraction. Patricia Rorrer is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. One she was at a tanning salon. Joann Katrinak and her infant son were brutally murdered. As noted earlier, there was hair found in the victims hand, fingernail fragments found on her body, and also a cigarette butt. And dance instructor William Jarrett couldnt remember whether she attended his dance class at the club the night of Joanns disappearance. Any ideas why the fact that their bodies didnt appear to have been in the woods as long as previously thought wasnt brought up in court? Plus, two men, her babys father and his friend, testified they saw Patricia at the line-dancing club the night of the homicide. Patricia L. Rorrer was taken into custody from the Linwood home she shared with her boyfriend and 1-year-old daughter on June 24, 1997. S5 E7: Patricia Rorrer sits in prison for brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. ir.library.oregonstate.edu An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. 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. Still, no good leads materialized. Pfeiffer and Burke claimed that police Sgt. Mike McIntyre, the first assistant district attorney in Lehigh County during the case, said the petition is "crazy. 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). The killer was Patricia Rorrer, the jealous ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, Andrew. Joanns first husband, New Jersey construction worker Michael Jack, who had reportedly abused her during their marriage, also had a solid alibi. Posted: June 22, 2022 On a secret recording, Patricia asked Jarrett to vouch for her attendance or she might go to the electric char. PATRICIA RORRER OBITUARY. 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 wouldnt do anything to hurt him. 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. Now retired, he declined ForensicFilesNow.coms invitation to spar directly with Patricia via a podcast. 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). By the time they asked supposed witnesses, most had forgotten about that random dance class (there were many). Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? Wow this episode was featured on Forensic Files. And Andrews explanation of how the intruder got in through the basement door seemed contrived, according to Grube, who gave an interview to Wrong Man, a 2020 true-crime docuseries from the Starz network, which produced two episodes called The Hang Up about the Rorrer case. One of Patricia's alibis was that she was at a bar on the night of the abduction. Smith claims that she is innocent and that she loved the victim like a daughter., 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. TV-MA | Mar 1, 2020 | 53m. Wish me luck! . His film Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulgeruncovered law enforcement corruption at the highest levels. Patricia Taylor Allanson, the Deadly Magnolia, was released from prison in 1999. I wonder if any of Alex's pediatrician records still exist after all this time. 'Dateline NBC' Correspondent Keith Morrison Explores Claims of a Great communicator. Yet, everything changed when they lost their 3-month-old son to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Patricia Lynne Rorrer made for a good suspect. After her arraignment, she had to walk past a crowd of dozens of locals screeching hang her! and baby killer! Patricia clung to a Polaroid picture showing her and her own little girl. Find a typo or issue with the details of this case? This was where Joann regularly parked her car and became an even more likely crime scene when the evidence of the basement break-in was discovered. Conflicting versions. Did investigators look for phone calls between Andrew and Patricia prior to December 11, 1994? Patricia was living back in North Carolina when the double murders occurred, yet investigators questioned her nonetheless. No comments yet - start the conversation above. Murder in Lehigh Valley Keith Morrison Investigates (1x120) Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted of Murder. Our Mission. 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. Some who still believe in Patricia Rorrer's innocence say it was long enough for him to stage the scene. Since then our team has proven that Patricia is innocent. Finally, four months after that dreadful day in December, a farmer plowing his fields found what at first seemed to be a pile of discarded clothing. The police report misspells his name (Troutman) and doesnt include his address, suggesting authorities didnt want anyone to track him down, according to Patricias side. In his dissenting opinion, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas acknowledged the case might not have even been heard by the Supreme Court had it not been for the media that reinvestigated it. The first, Vonda Smith, was convicted of murdering her grandchilds mother, 21-year-old Jessie Morrison. 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. The premiere episode will air following the series finale of Power. But if that's the main evidence against her, it seems awfully weak. Keith Morrison investigates the horrific murders of Joann Katrinak and her infant son Alex, and the ongoing claims that Patricia Rorrer, the woman who has already served 19 years in prison for the murders, was wrongfully convicted. WATCH: ID Examines 1994 Lehigh Valley Double-Murder - Peoplemag Episode 7. Stable situation. Select "match any" to find at least one field. Rorrer was convicted at trial in March 1998 of kidnapping Joann Katrinak, 26, and her 3-month-old son, Alex, on Dec. 15, 1994, from their Catasauqua home . ", "Due to the fact that she sustained one gunshot wound to the face, and then approximately 19 blows to the head led us to believe that the gun probably had jammed. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. Thats all for this post. She was a real estate agent, a salesperson, and an equestrian, but she also had a rap sheet that included a 12-month probation sentence for shoplifting from a North Carolina Walmart. Patricia Rorrer - Wrongful Conviction, Innocent, Nonprofit Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. A hearing on the issue got heated Tuesday. Ex-boyfriend Walter Blalock said that Patricia wanted him to be more like Andrew. Innocent nonprofit Wrongful Conviction. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. 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. Patricia has been wrongfully convicted of murdering Joann and Alex Katrinak in 1994. Patricia was arrested in North Carolina in June of 1997. Investigation Discovery is profiling the murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son. She asked to speak with Andrew, who was home during the call; Joann refused. Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files. Despite the new evidence and hypotheses, the courts have rejected all of Patricias bids for a new trial. When Andrew was told of the location of his young family's remains, he offered investigators a lead. Mizgerd said she is convinced Rorrer is innocent. ", "Everything is outrageous," he said. But if Andrew wanted to find his wife and his son, why on Earth did he wait until 10:30pm before notifying authorities? To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes. The past two owners of the gun's yards were dug up and many casings of the .22 were discovered. Shes attracted the help of writer Tammy Mal (full name Tammy Malinowski OReilly), author of Convenient Suspect, a book about the case. Together they had a baby girl, Nicole. PATRICIA LYNNE RORRER Appellant No. And the fact that Patricia called Andrew even after he married someone else didnt mean she was still carrying a torch for him, according to one of her friends. Later, they both worked 12-hour graveyard shifts at a textile factory. Patricia Rorrer is found guilty of the abduction and murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son, Alex. Obviously her husband Andy would be the main suspect (and his smirking after Patricia was found guilty was galling) but the Wrong Man team spoke to him and seem convinced that he was being truthful. As for Joanns parents, her father died a year after the murder. Find where to watch Patricia Rorrer's latest movies and tv shows By: Robert S. In 1994, Joann Katrinak called her mother-in-law and made plans to go holiday shopping. There was an error processing your request. Darla Carrington, Brian Charles, Robert Pezzeca, Patricia Rorrer . Illustration of the location of mitochondrial DNA in human cells. Decades-old Lehigh Valley murder case back in national spotlight - WFMZ.com

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