This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. Starz Renews WRONG MAN for a Second Season - BroadwayWorld Sir I would not kill somebody and I definitely wouldnt kill somebody I never met, Rorrer said. Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates | Apple TV 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 either victimas the monster responsible. 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. 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 her innocence for 20 years while serving life behind bars. A Lehigh County jury spared convicted double murderer Patricia Rorrer's life Monday after hearing impassioned pleas for mercy from her lawyer and family, and being assured there is no parole from . Her husband Andrew's mother expected Joann to arrive quickly, since they only lived a few minutes away. Episode 204 of Starz' Wrong Man winds up its coverage of the Rorrer/Katrinak case, but it leaves us with far more questions than answers. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . Combine keywords and attributes to find specific items. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. One she was out buying feed for horses. Since then our team has proven that Patricia is innocent. "When I read that petition for the first time about 30 days ago, I couldn't believe it was written by a lawyer.". That hang-up, they said, was the last straw. I wasn't hung up on Andy, and I didn't want him back. 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. Somebody has to. Joann had been shot once and then beaten over the head (presumably because the gun used only shot once). 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. 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. Patricia Rorrer is found guilty of the abduction and murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son, Alex. Andrew languished for weeks and then months as investigators failed to suppl any explanation for his wife's and son's mysterious disappearance. They had a son, Alex Martin, in August of 1994. It would have to have been a different gun. The Morning Call 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. Wow this episode was featured on Forensic Files. Since then, Patricia has appealed her case and fought for exoneration, only to always be denied. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. Testimony from Walter Blalock contradicted Patricias claim that she never had a gun. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. They theorize that Andrew Katrinak framed Patricia and that the hostile phone call between Patricia and Joann actually took place not on Dec. 12 as Andrew said but rather on Dec. 7. Or identify other people in their lives who might have benefited from either the Katrinak's deaths or disappearance? Watch Reasonable Doubt Online | Season 5 (2022) | TV Guide Ex-boyfriend Walter Blalock said that Patricia wanted him to be more like Andrew. 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. He contributed to Altvariety, Chiseler, Smashpipe, and other magazines. It's shocking to think that Patricia Rorrer, being a mother, could end the life of an infant. The main one of course was committing murder of a young woman and her infant son over an argument. She just stayed in touch with everybody, Kathy Barber said in her interview on NBCs Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports in 2017. Patricias phone bill showed no record of a call to Catasauqua that day, but police noticed she didnt make any calls at all from her house in North Carolina that day either suggesting she could have been out of state and used a pay phone to dial up the Katrinaks. Patricia's investigators are petitioning to DNA test the single strain of hair found in Joann's hand. Convicted murderer seeks new DNA tests in '94 murder case And Patricia wasnt all edges. I watched the show the other night and watched some YouTube videos afterwards and there was interview footage of Joanns sister saying that Alex was a big healthy baby. The second season will continue to uncover new theories and reveal startling new evidence that could prove that three new inmates are, in fact, not guilty, according to Starzs press statement. E 204 Patricia Rorrer: Under the Microscope. Please walk thru her website and see for yourself how easy it is to be convicted of something you had nothing to do with. But other things Patricia did also seemed strange, especially according to prosecutor Michael McIntyre. Damning for Patricia was that this field was only a couple miles from a horse farm that she used to have access to. 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. Joann Marie O'Connor Katrinak (1968-1994) - Find a Grave The phone wire was located at the opposite end of the basement, which was dark. 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. Or was it? Another witness, Walter Traupman, who never testified, had told state troopers that on the day of Joanns disappearance, he saw a couple who looked like Joann and Andrew arguing about the paternity of a baby. Patricia Rorrer's home phone record did not show her call to the Katrinak house three days prior to the kidnapping because she'd already made the trip to Pennsylvania to see Andrew. 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. At first, a broad-daylight abduction of a mother and her infant seemed unlikely. Patricia Rorrer: Guilty Or Not?. The FBI declared the strongest piece Joann Katrinak and her infant son were brutally murdered. Commonwealth v. Rorrer, J-A14029-17 | Casetext Search + Citator Since 2010, Tammy has been researching the 1994 Katrinak murders in Catasauqua. She had money put aside. The FBI Files (Family Secrets) mentioned that Patty also lied about being at a tanning salon. Dateline NBC's Keith Morrison Explores Claims of a Wrongful Conviction Wrong Man season 2, episode 3 recap: The Hang Up - Show Snob -, Press J to jump to the feed. McItyre said this is hearsay and the officer has refuted everything in an affidavit. But based on his body/head size and the lack of decomposition of the bodies, it seems likely they had been alive for quite some time after being kidnapped. Mitochondrial DNA is the small circular chromosome found inside mitochondria. Joe Kennedys talks to Michael Brinkle, Patricia Rorrer's former neighbor who reaffirms that he had sold her a .22 Jennings handgun. Documentary Sep 20, 2022 42 min iTunes. Episode 7. Kidnapped and killed? Of course she did--because all that was out there on me was fake news. Louise Bryant Obituary (1942 - 2022) - Fieldale, VA - Martinsville Bulletin Joseph Kocevar: Criminal Investigator, - Maj. Robert Werts: Homicide Investigator, Dr. Elizabeth Murray, Forensic Anthropologist, Brad Jackson was able to describe what his daughter Valiree was wearing, Jason Funk's role in Katie Froeschle's murder, Patricia Rorrer has repeatedly appealed for a retrial and exoneration, thoroughly researched article about the Patricia Rorrer case, Earl Bramblett murder of entire Hodges family, Darryl Kuehl take over murder of Paul Gruber, "the police actually said that, Oh, she probably ran away with someone. In a million years, Joann would never, never have run away. 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. Rorrer claims the DNA evidence used to send her away is junk science., read more: Why Netflixs Ted Bundy Movie Avoids Violence, The third inmate whose case is under examination is Kenneth Clair. Rorrer is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution Muncy, a prison for women in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. It all gave jurors a lot to think about but only for six hours. "The issues that we are presenting are not speculative at all," Neely said. 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. I would really recommend watching the Wrong Man 2-part episode. Part 1. One she was at a tanning salon. She was the devoted wife of the late Alvin Haymon Rorrer. After all, one of the key pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene and Joanns vehicle were dyed blonde hair strands. Patricia was living back in North Carolina when the double murders occurred, yet investigators questioned her nonetheless. She asked to speak with Andrew, who was home during the call; Joann refused. Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. But if Andrew wanted to find his wife and his son, why on Earth did he wait until 10:30pm before notifying authorities? How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? for the sole purpose of building a stronger case against Andy, their main suspect at the time. Despite the new evidence and hypotheses, the courts have rejected all of Patricias bids for a new trial. They released a list of cases affected by it. Rorrer v. Nicholas, Civil Action 19-cv-01398-GEKP - Casetext Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. Irelands husband buried it in the yard because he didnt feel comfortable with a firearm inside, she said. (Media sources vary as to whether she actually worked at the stable or just rented a stall there for her own horse.). Phone calls played a significant role in the case overall. Success! Use quotation marks to search as a Convenient Suspect on Apple Books A second helping of justice will be served. There was at least one hair strand that contained enough skin tissue for a nuclear DNA match and it corroborated the mitochondrial match. Police identified the pair as Joann and Alex Katrinak. And because of the gun jamming, the assailant had to resort to blunt object and beat her about the head. Moreover, Patricia had been accused of breaking into barns, stealing horses, and underfeeding the ones she cared for charges that never stuck. Patricia Rorrer, an ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, was found guilty of the crimes and sentenced to life in prison. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. Regard a similar case where too much detail signaled investigators to look closer at their suspect in Bagging a Killer (s06e25). After a successful first season, Starz has announced thatWrong Man season 2 will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 9:45 p.m. Well, that really caught our attention of course.". You have permission to edit this article. Free Patricia Rorrer - Facebook However, her name was not on the sign-in list. The organization purports that if there were awards for distorted reporting, the Morning Callwould win high honors.. Tribute Archive Patricia Rorrer is imprisoned for murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. Police couldnt determine whether the baby died of exposure or suffocation. She was born on July 27, 1942, in Henry County, Va., to Edward Rorrer and Susie Morrison Rorrer. Chris and Fatima investigate the case of Patricia Rorrer, who is in prison for brutally murdering her former boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite; her lawyers claim that she was . Her defense was essentially that she and Andrew Katrinak had remained friendly, so she wouldn't want to hurt him. Clair is black, and no forensic evidence ties him to the crime scene.. Cop defends accused. He will never be able to speak if this case! 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Senate vote, Reading Area Water Authority looking for leak on North Heidelberg Township line, Former Penn State Berks soccer player among dead in violent Monroe County crash, In Britain, warm hubs emerge to beat soaring energy costs, Biden expected to tighten rules on US investment in China, Paid express lanes grow more popular in once-reluctant South, Ukraine ally Kallas fights for reelection in Estonia vote, In Chicago, adapting electric buses to winters challenges, Pot vote has Oklahoma hungry to rake in green from Texas, Global race to boost electric vehicle range in cold weather, 6 Nigerian states drop suit to void presidential vote result, The implications of Walgreens' decision on abortion pills, What the Tech? Patricia Rorrer List of Movies and TV Shows - TV Guide Right now she has no attorney and your generous donation will fund our mission. 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. 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. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. It was a pretty big deal, and i was excited enough to call everyone I knew. Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! ", "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. It seems Patricia's own daughter and baby Alex Katrinak were very close in age. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. With 400 (and 6) episodes, this progress bar indicates my progress toward finishing all of them. Patricia Rorrer (right) is led to her hearing in Lehigh County Courthouse Wednesday morning, August 26, 1998 by a sheriff's deputy, at left. 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. Season 1. She intends to file a motion for a new trial. FILED DECEMBER 13, 2013 Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals from the order entered in the . A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. Exactly one week after Joann and Alex went missing, the FBI interviewed me at my mother's house. Why was the jury never told that Patricia Rorrer was under surveillance in North Carolina at the time of the crime? Learn more about our upcoming events, fundraisers, and more! . The first, Vonda Smith, was convicted of murdering her grandchilds mother, 21-year-old Jessie Morrison. I didn't see other potential suspects highlighted. Patricia Elgin Rorrer, 86, of Lynchburg, went to be with her Lord on Thursday, February 4, 2021. I was convicted on microscopic hair comparison and DNA testing that rendered a "match" of 1 in 37,000. I found it necessary to document each time an episode featured one of these. My husband passed away of a broken heart, Sarah OConnor said on the Montel Williams Show in 2001. Rorrer and Andrew broke off their . Where is Patricia Rorrer Now? - The Cinemaholic At 10:30 p.m., Andrew reported his wife missing. 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. Lehigh Valley: Patricia Rorrer Still A Convenient Suspect? In March of 1998, a jury returned two guilty verdicts against Patricia Rorrer for murder, and two more for kidnapping. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . 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. Andrew described his existence with Joanne and Alex as a little Camelot., Ex-spouse off list. Rorrer has appealed her conviction several times and her supporters believe additional DNA evidence testing may be the key to proving her innocence. And if nothing more, it certainly galvanized the law enforcement community and got us moving in the right direction. Of course, Patricia denied this. Patricia Taylor Allanson, the Deadly Magnolia, was released from prison in 1999. 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. In 1995 DNA testing was brand new. Christopher Tapp, who was convicted of the 1996 sexual assault and murder of an 18-year-old girl in Idaho, was coerced into confessing to the crime after an estimated 150 hours of interrogations. So, this pointed to a theory that Joann had either left on her own or encountered foul play within her home. Her book tells the truth and the real story of this case. Every time you take your infant to the Dr., they take measurements, so I'm wondering if records exist that show the baby was always in the higher percentile, or if he was say, 60-70th percentile, then suddenly BAM! Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. 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). How would an intruder find it? Criminal Division at No (s): CP-39-CR-0002176-1997 BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., BOWES AND SHOGAN, J. 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. Keith Morrison Explores Claims of Wrongful Conviction in Investigation Andrew mentioned to police that his former live-in girlfriend Patricia Rorrer once managed a horse stable two miles from the bodies location and would have been familiar with the riding trails close to the murder scene. And their phone line had been cut someone had not wanted the Katrinaks to be able to call for help. On December 7, 1994 I called Andy to let him know that me and my team had won the National Championship at a team penning competition in Oklahoma. Patricia was wrongfully convicted and we will show you how! His favorite rattle, shaped like a phone, lay near the crime scene. . Patricia knew her gun tended to jam, but she used it anyway. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband . 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. Not gender neutral. An ex-boyfriend of Patricia knew she owned a distinct .22 caliber pistol and knew of its tendency to jam, but Rorrer could only deny owning such a weapon. Died along with his mother, Joann, as a victim of his father's jealous ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer. Patricia and her husband broke up after the babys death. 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. She seemed like quite an unlikely suspect at least at first. An early childhood introd MEMORANDUM BY LAZARUS, J. She needs to be freed! Tue, Sep 27, 2022 60 mins. 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. He recalls that Patty also had an alibi. We all need justice! This was my thought (I'm behind and just caught the 2nd half yesterday). Back in March of 2017, Investigation Discovery ran Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates which questioned the conviction of . Some lawyers call microscopic hair analysis junk science that today wouldnt qualify as evidence in a trial like Rorrers. S5 E7: Patricia Rorrer sits in prison for brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. Convenient Suspect - Alliance Digital Media Library - OverDrive But was Andrew in on this plan? 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. Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On. . The investigation that led to her identification and then turned up enough evidence to arrest and convict Patricia Rorrer was interesting. 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. 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. But defense lawyer Robert Pfeiffer said that plenty of evidence supported Patricias innocence. Image credit: Episode screen capture from, - Sarah OConnor: Joann Katrinaks Mother, - Det. It will show you that I have not committed these murders. Walmart woe. Please take the time to read my story. Leave a comment below, or contact us! after the fact. Patricia Rorrer | Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network - WCJN Its proximity to the stable she'd managed made an undeniable association to her. When O'Reilly started doing the research, she believed Patricia (Patty) had been . The killer was Patricia Rorrer, the jealous ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, Andrew. Select "match all" to require all fields. Patricias defenders also say Andrew Katrinak staged the scene at his house by prying the door and cutting the phone line. Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? 0. The Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Networks website also points to a bombshell: In 2015, the Justice Department acknowledged that most of the team members from an FBI microscopic hair comparison unit gave prosecutors flawed data from 1980 to 2000 that could have unjustly contributed to a number convictions including Patricia Rorrers. She got 12 months of probation for shoplifting at a Walmart in Lexington, North Carolina. He was sentenced to life in prison. Media galore. As a result, Salas, who did not have legal representation at the time of filming, was offered pro bono representation by a Washington State attorney, who believes in his innocence. Bio by: Karen Valentine 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? Rorrer has appealed her conviction several times and her supporters believe additional DNA evidence . 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. On a secret recording, Patricia asked Jarrett to vouch for her attendance or she might go to the electric char. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. Most convictions were procured through microscopic hair comparison which has been debunked as junk science today. Two of the seasons three cases will feature female inmates.

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