Patricia was convicted based on her head hairs being found in the victim's car. Share Memories & Support the Family. Patricia Rorrer was a cold woman. It was conceivable that Andrew believed they were still out. [1] The mitochondria, and thus mitochondrial DNA, are passed exclusively from mother to offspring through the egg cell. A second helping of justice will be served. Criminal Division at No (s): CP-39-CR-0002176-1997 BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., BOWES AND SHOGAN, J. On December 12, 1994, Joann answered a phone call from a woman shed never met, Patricia Rorrer, her husbands onetime girlfriend. Lawyer: New evidence in 1994 killings of woman, infant Joann Marie O'Connor Katrinak (1968-1994) - Find a Grave https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/fbi-overstated-forensic-hair-matches-in-nearly-all-criminal-trials-for-decades/2015/04/18/39c8d8c6-e515-11e4-b510-962fcfabc310_story.html, https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/convenient-suspect-a-wrongful-conviction-in-the-murder-in-lehigh-valley. Shes attracted the help of writer Tammy Mal (full name Tammy Malinowski OReilly), author of Convenient Suspect, a book about the case. The Irish-Italian girl had full, fluffy dark hair, olive skin, and a pretty face. "The issues that we are presenting are not speculative at all," Neely said. He would be alive today if it were not for Patricia Rorrer. The mild-mannered Sarah died in 2019 at the age of 83. 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. Where does one pick up flower petal in the dead of winter in PA.? But if Andrew wanted to find his wife and his son, why on Earth did he wait until 10:30pm before notifying authorities? And the kidnapping scenario became more plausible when you factor in the privacy of the alleyway behind the Katrinak house. Starz Renews WRONG MAN for a Second Season - BroadwayWorld Did investigators look for phone calls between Andrew and Patricia prior to December 11, 1994? 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. Andrew's involvement in the latter theory was dismissed when his alibi checked out. Movies/Documentaries Murder in Lehigh Valley Forensic Files: A Woman Scorned Deadly Women: Green-Eyed Monsters. His team includes renowned civil rights attorney Ron Kuby, former prosecutor Sue-Ann Robinson, retired NCIS investigator Joe Kennedy, and Ira Todd of Detroits elite Homicide Task Force. Rorrer v. Nicholas, Civil Action 19-cv-01398-GEKP - Casetext Detectives from the Davidson County sheriff's office took the witness stand to recall the morning of June 24, 1997, when they knocked on the door of Rorrer's Linwood, N.C., home and told her she . (QUIZ), RAW: FILE: CHRIS ROCK IS SET TO MAKE NETFLIX HISTORY, Outlast Forces Lone Wolf Contestants to Embrace Team Dynamics for Netflix Competition, Diego Luna: Andor Ending With Season 2 Is Really Important for My Mental Health. Right now she has no attorney and your generous donation will fund our mission. The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. Catherine Howard - Fifth Wife of Henry VIII Documentary A medical examiner said it was impossible for the two bodies to have been in that wooded area for 4 months (December to April when they were found). Many of these are circumstantial, so investigators were grateful for their DNA match from the hair. Regarding the gun, she claims to have said that she didn't have a gun at that time, not that she never had one. Since 2010, Tammy has been researching the 1994 Katrinak murders in Catasauqua. Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On. Rorrer claims the DNA . Its definitely getting rougher every day, Andrew told the Morning Call. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. I was convicted on the basis of a DNA match made to the root of one (1) hair found in Joann's car. McItyre said this is hearsay and the officer has refuted everything in an affidavit. The Ex Files: Directed by Rob Rosen. 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). Nailed? Mostly cloudy and drier, but a few scattered rain showers linger early, and perhaps a few snow showers at any point in the Poconos. This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. Reasonable Doubt: Season 5, Episode 7 - Rotten Tomatoes 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. Episode 7. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. Damning for Patricia was that this field was only a couple miles from a horse farm that she used to have access to. 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. 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. 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. It was never tested. Hair we go. Her husband Andrew's mother expected Joann to arrive quickly, since they only lived a few minutes away. Where are the missing 4 hairs? 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. You have permission to edit this article. Died along with his mother, Joann, as a victim of his father's jealous ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer. The person responsible, needs to be punished. Please watch the show Wrong Man which also found new evidence that supports my innocence. Nickelodeons Kids Choice Awards: What Is Slime, and Why Do We Love It? Family members found Joanns tan Toyota sitting vacant in the parking lot of McCartys, a nearby bar. A young mother and her infant son suddenly went missing just before Christmas in 1994. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. Thats all for this post. 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. I wasn't hung up on Andy, and I didn't want him back. Microsoft Apps Since then our team has proven that Patricia is innocent. 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. 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. He said she did own a firearm, with its serial numbers filed off. Those who knew Joann pointed out that she didnt like to drive in reverse and would have never parked that way. 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? After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. In 2015, the type of hair DNA science used was finally admitted to be junk by the FBI and incorrect in 96% of cases. Illustration of the location of mitochondrial DNA in human cells. Appeal from the PCRA Order May 26, 2016. So much in this case, and every time she appeals with new evidence she is denied. . Patricia demonstrated a habit of making almost daily, long-distance phone calls from her home in North Carolina. Inside the locked 1992 vehicle, police discovered some strands of blond hair stained with dried blood. Patricia's investigators are petitioning to DNA test the single strain of hair found in Joann's hand. The person responsible, needs to be punished. Rorrer is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution Muncy, a prison for women in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. We take wrongful convictions to heart. Meticulous primping. 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. When it was only able to fire once, Rorrer had to resort to bludgeoning her victim. When I gave samples of my hair, the doctor took a total of 39 hairs, but only 35 can be accounted for. 'Wrong Man" is a six-episode series from acclaimed award-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost Trilogy) that examines cases of inmates who have been incarcerated for decades and claim they're innocent. She has been incarcerated for 24+ years. Patricia Rorrer Brutal Killing of Joanne Katrinak & Baby - FFF Its proximity to the stable she'd managed made an undeniable association to her. Decades-old Lehigh Valley murder case back in national spotlight, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. The farmer's remote field bordered an isolated horseback riding trail. Well, that really caught our attention of course.". The premiere episode will air following the series finale of Power. At the very least, prosecutors got their story very wrong as they convicted Patricia. Pulled hairs don't grow roots. They also found a photo of Patricia taken 11 days before the homicide. ", "I can remember till this day, seeing that infant being lifted off the abdomen of his mother. Based on body decomposition alone, it seems near impossible that they were kidnapped and killed in the same day or even within weeks. MEMORANDUM BY LAZARUS, J. These hairs being found in the otherwise cleaned car was also odd. We need to know who killed them! Joanne and baby Alex Katrinak kidnapping and murder by Patricia Rorrer. Patricia defaulted on her mortgage and then returned to North Carolina, where she eventually moved in with a boyfriend named Brian Ward. Over 200 people were convicted using this science ( https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/fbi-overstated-forensic-hair-matches-in-nearly-all-criminal-trials-for-decades/2015/04/18/39c8d8c6-e515-11e4-b510-962fcfabc310_story.html). 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. EPISODE 1. They would have been held alive. Cop defends accused. Irelands husband buried it in the yard because he didnt feel comfortable with a firearm inside, she said. After watching the latest Starz episode of Wrong Man (a great investigative show), I started thinking about the Patricia Rorrer case again. Find where to watch Patricia Rorrer's latest movies and tv shows Local author finds possible new evidence in 20 year old murder case 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. There is still an appeal coming up (I believe) but everything else has failed so far to get Patricia another trial. But the Wrong Man team brought in their own experts to review the detailed information on the corpses. Joann had been shot once and then beaten over the head (presumably because the gun used only shot once). Joann was shot once, then the gun jammed. In November 2005, she shoots Keith in the head while he . There are claims that the cigarette butt wasnt examined and that the hair strands had no roots (which contain the DNA), suggesting that nothing truly ties Patricia to the homicides. 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. For example, the weight of each organ was listed, it was clear they were not very decomposed. Previously on Wrong Man, we learned about the murder of Joann Katrinak and her baby.Were they murdered because Joann angrily hung the phone up on Patty Rorrer, the ex of Andy Katrinak? Patricia Rorrer, an ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, was found guilty of the crimes and sentenced to life in prison. She had money put aside. Of course, Patricia denied this. But thats just some of the ammo on Team Patricias battleship. The case rocked Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley and resulted in the conviction of Patricia Rorrer, now 53, the ex-girlfriend of Katrinak's husband. Wake up people this could be you! 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. 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. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. Shes extremely, extremely happy with the baby. I know that if I get a fair trial, I will win and be freed. The main one of course was committing murder of a young woman and her infant son over an argument. A newspaper account described Patricia as a soft-spoken, demure woman who had a sweet Southern accent and wore feminine clothes in court. Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! Convenient Suspect: A Double Murder, a Flawed Investigation, and the Today, Rorrer's attorney says not only is his client innocent, but she was framed. Wrong Man season 2, episode 3 recap: The Hang Up - Show Snob One she was at a tanning salon. Murder victim. 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. Patricia was living back in North Carolina when the double murders occurred, yet investigators questioned her nonetheless. She just stayed in touch with everybody, Kathy Barber said in her interview on NBCs Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports in 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDGl9dMgHwY&fbclid=IwAR1nlAYf6AcIu_i8kN0fD_MCD3CnxJ6DG_oUgVFdqN3b2EJ4fcLO2ci3wWc. Starz announces premiere date for Joe Berlinger's Wrong Man Season 2. Testimony from Walter Blalock contradicted Patricias claim that she never had a gun. 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. That's absolutely ridiculous, yet that is the only motive ever given for why I supposedly committed this crime. FILED DECEMBER 13, 2013 Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals from the order entered in the . My kid has had 99th percentile head circumference since birth. Regard a similar case where too much detail signaled investigators to look closer at their suspect in Bagging a Killer (s06e25). She seemed like quite an unlikely suspect at least at first. Watch Reasonable Doubt Online | Season 5 (2022) | TV Guide It all gave jurors a lot to think about but only for six hours. ", "I think she gave us something like four or five alibis as to where she was at. As for an epilogue on ex-flame Andrew Katrinak, he has moved to Colorado and kept a low profile since the trial ended. With Lynnanne Zager, Joann Katrinak, Alex Katrinak, Patricia Rorrer. 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. further reading: True Detective Season 3 and the West Memphis Three. Episode Info. Patricia Rorrer was tried and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of kidnapping in March 1998, in Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, for the murder of Joanne Katrinak and her infant son. Mitochondrial DNA is the small circular chromosome found inside mitochondria. Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates In June of 2016 Patricia Rorrer's petition for a new trial was been thrown out. Highly charged case. Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports is also available on YouTube, but it costs $1.99 to view (Keith comes off as an advocate for Patricias innocence on the episode). In April 1995, the family buried Joann and Alex in a single bronze casket after a funeral mass at a Bethlehem church. This is a list of notable female murderers whose name begins with the letter R. Some who still believe in Patricia Rorrer's innocence say it was long enough for him to stage the scene. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. 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. 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. 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. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. Patricia denied owning a .22 caliber pistol (the type of gun used to kill Joann). Posted: June 22, 2022 Men who murder are conventional, women are sensational, posits the Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network. The investigation that led to her identification and then turned up enough evidence to arrest and convict Patricia Rorrer was interesting. The system is broken sending innocent people to prison! So lets get going on the recap of the Forensic Files episode A Woman Scorned, along with extra information drawn from internet research: Joann Marie OConnor was born on Oct. 11, 1968, the youngest of Sarah and David OConnors four children. 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. A local murder case that made national headlines will be back in the national spotlight Sunday night. for the sole purpose of building a stronger case against Andy, their main suspect at the time. Joann had been shot in the face and badly beaten. Patricia is and has been fighting that she is innocent from the very beginning. Everyone needs to wake up because this could be you, your wife, your husband, your mother, your father, your children! On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. They allege that the North Carolina resident stealthily drove 500 miles to Pennsylvania and killed out of a sense of deadly indignation. Someone had shot Joann in the face with a .22-caliber pistol, then beaten her about the head hitting her 19 times in all with a blunt object. A hearing on the issue got heated Tuesday. Psycho For Love: Patricia Rorrer killed her ex-boyfriend's new wife Wish me luck! 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. Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. Breaking News - "Dateline NBC" Correspondent Keith Morrison Explores An exterior door to their basement had been wrenched open, the lock hasp's screws literally ripped from the wall. It addresses each of these issues (better than I can do, certainly). 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. Counsel for Patricia Rorrer, 52, . Neely said the first officer on the scene didn't believe Rorrer committed the crime. Nickelodeons Kids Choice Awards: What Is Slime, and Why Do We Love It? Very true - I can't remember if the show went through that. 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. It's shocking to think that Patricia Rorrer, being a mother, could end the life of an infant. In addition to the Facebook page, there are Reddit threads on her case. Patricia Rorrer: Guilty Or Not?. The FBI declared the strongest piece And she would just call out of the blue., According to the Free Patricia Rorrer page on Facebook:I called him to let him know that I was going to the USA finals for a horse show. I am humbly asking for your help to hire a lawyer and procure a fair trial. 6-10. Tue, Sep 27, 2022 60 mins. TV-MA | Mar 1, 2020 | 53m. Two-Part Special Premieres Sunday, March 5 at 8/7c; Features Exclusive First-Ever Interview with Inmate Patricia Rorrer (Silver Spring, Md.) Rorrer and Andrew broke off their . Um why is that? Detective Barry Grube found it odd that Andrew fixed the severed phone line before police examined it in essence tampering with evidence. Learn more about our upcoming events, fundraisers, and more! Since then, Patricia has appealed her case and fought for exoneration, only to always be denied. The footage was quite old and filmed well before the show and theory so it caught my notice after the show stated his percentiles being nearly off the chart. Patricias marriage fell apart, and she returned to Pennsylvania, where she fell in love with Andrew Andy Katrinak after meeting him at a restaurant. Media galore. ), The Wrong Man investigators Ira Todd and Joe Kennedy have some theories of their own. . Green-Eyed Monsters: Directed by Kate Ryerson. After a very early failed marriage, the 24-year-old Joann scored a new husband in Andrew Katrinak, 38, whom she met at a club. Joann grabbed her purse, the diaper bag, and their coats against the December chill in Pennsylvania. Other loyal friends and associates attested to Patricias kindness toward horses and devotion to her daughter, whom she took along as she worked in stables. In the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County. after the fact. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. 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. Sad part is this could be your mother, father, kids, all love ones and friends! She did buy a .22 before. 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. Felix (Phil) Rosado and Terrell (Rell) Woolfolk-Carter, WELCOME HOME!!!!! 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. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. During these 4 years, many in the Lehigh Valley, PA community developed opinions on the case. It's not often there's a laundry list of clear signals, but it's fun to iterate them when there are so many. Her book tells the truth and the real story of this case. Aside from the hair, there was almost zero forensic evidence.
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