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.
Murder in Lehigh Valley Keith Morrison Investigates (1x120) 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). Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. The phone wire was located at the opposite end of the basement, which was dark. By the time they asked supposed witnesses, most had forgotten about that random dance class (there were many). Flaw in reasoning.
Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates Patricia was arrested in North Carolina in June of 1997. He recalls that Patty also had an alibi. These organelles, found in all eukaryotic cells, are the powerhouse of the cell.
Rorrer v. Nicholas, Civil Action 19-cv-01398-GEKP - Casetext Prosecutors said Rorrer beat Katrinak, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods in Heidelberg Township. She needs to be freed! Patricia Rorrer was a cold woman. By: Robert S. In 1994, Joann Katrinak called her mother-in-law and made plans to go holiday shopping. 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. Please watch the show Wrong Man which also found new evidence that supports my innocence. During that call, Joann apparently grabbed the phone and told Patricia never to phone her husband again. In March of 1998, a jury returned two guilty verdicts against Patricia Rorrer for murder, and two more for kidnapping. But when did he find the evidence of the break-in? after the fact. One she was at a tanning salon. Cop defends accused. Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol.
Keith Morrison Explores Claims of Wrongful Conviction in Investigation SearchWorks catalog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lo9AIFM_vc&fbclid=IwAR28Mf5rKuUyaq1N-vBqirZM_382D69Zy42uONlU3Qf0eNEnJ1w_kYRYKIM. This state is corrupt as in every state! Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted of Murder. PATRICIA RORRER OBITUARY.
Reasonable Doubt: Season 5, Episode 7 - Rotten Tomatoes When they found Joann and Alex in a wooded area on April 9 1995. It's really terrifying that that was regarded as damning evidence, especially now that the rest of the case that might have appeared to give it context has been so undermined. Error! A closer examination of the hairs showed traces of dried blood.
Starz Renews WRONG MAN for a Second Season - BroadwayWorld (We didnt get into the specifics.). They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. For one thing, her mother never asked Sandra Ireland to hide the gun, and she retrieved it on the way home the next day she worked as a bus driver and couldnt take it with her to school. 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. 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. In November 2005, she shoots Keith in the head while he . Joe Kennedys talks to Michael Brinkle, Patricia Rorrer's former neighbor who reaffirms that he had sold her a .22 Jennings handgun. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. Incriminating words. When it was only able to fire once, Rorrer had to resort to bludgeoning her victim. I know I did not commit these murders and they need to get justice for Joann and Alex too. 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.
Convenient Suspect on Apple Books The first, Vonda Smith, was convicted of murdering her grandchilds mother, 21-year-old Jessie Morrison. In 1995 DNA testing was brand new. Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. Advocates for her innocence complain of hype surrounding the case. 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. Clair is black, and no forensic evidence ties him to the crime scene.. "Our position is that Patricia Rorrer's sample hairs were switched with crime scene hair, the hair taken from the seat back of Katrinak's vehicle," Neely said. 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. Aside from the hair, there was almost zero forensic evidence. No show. The state police dropped him as a suspect. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Green-Eyed Monsters: Directed by Kate Ryerson. The prosecution asked for the death penalty, but the jury chose to sentence me to life in prison without parole which, actually, is just a slower death sentence. And dance instructor William Jarrett couldnt remember whether she attended his dance class at the club the night of Joanns disappearance. You have permission to edit this article. On December 12, 1994, Joann answered a phone call from a woman shed never met, Patricia Rorrer, her husbands onetime girlfriend. 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. Prosecutor hiding something? 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. Man, this case was soooo shittily handled. There was at least one hair strand that contained enough skin tissue for a nuclear DNA match and it corroborated the mitochondrial match. Police converged on the scene and soon realized it was not only the remains of Joann Katrinak, but sadly of Alex too. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . Movies/Documentaries Murder in Lehigh Valley Forensic Files: A Woman Scorned Deadly Women: Green-Eyed Monsters. Regard a similar case where too much detail signaled investigators to look closer at their suspect in Bagging a Killer (s06e25). I really never thought of it again.. The six-episode documentary series examines the cases of three different inmates who are serving life sentences on murder convictions but who claim innocence. Investigation Discovery is profiling the murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son. 1 hr 25 min Mar 5, 2017 TV-14. The episode made a special point about locating the photograph of Patricia Rorrer with dyed blonde hair. My husband passed away of a broken heart, Sarah OConnor said on the Montel Williams Show in 2001. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. If Patricia drove it back from the murder scene after she shot Joann and then beat her to death, luminal would have lit up the interior. This was part of Rorrer's defense strategy it seemed like an unrealistic motive to commit murder. She had a suitcase packed, Devine said. Brad Jackson was able to describe what his daughter Valiree was wearing in incredible detail, down to the color of her socks. State police and the Philadelphia division of the FBI appealed to the public for leads.
Wrong Man season 2, episode 3 recap: The Hang Up - Show Snob Further, an early FBI report said the hairs found in the car had no roots which contain the DNA suggesting an evidence switcheroo. His favorite rattle, shaped like a phone, lay near the crime scene. Patricia Rorrer is found guilty of the abduction and murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son, Alex. Tragedy also touched Patricias life. 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. 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. Lehigh Cty.) Patricia demonstrated a consistent habit of long-distance calls from home, then had an obvious gap while claiming she. His film Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulgeruncovered law enforcement corruption at the highest levels. Therefore, when Andrew revealed that his ex once worked in a barn near the site of his wife and sons bodies, she became a suspect. 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. 3126 EDA 2012 Appeal from the PCRA Order October 11, 2012 In the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-39-CR-0002176-1997 BEFORE: BOWES, J., LAZARUS, J., and WECHT, J. She does not have a lawyer, her last lawyer was sued by the prosecutor. Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. And, I was quite angry with the police, that they accused Andy. Mostly cloudy and drier, but a few scattered rain showers linger early, and perhaps a few snow showers at any point in the Poconos. An expert will be allowed to examine evidence from the 1994 . Patricia was wrongfully convicted and we will show you how! Powered by WordPress.com VIP. They broke up in 1993. She just stayed in touch with everybody, Kathy Barber said in her interview on NBCs Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports in 2017. Thats my life.. In the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County. 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. The state made a case fueled by circumstantial evidence and public outrage over the deaths of a modern-day madonna and child. Tapps lawyer saidWrong Mans in-depth investigation into the Tapp conviction helped free an innocent man.. 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 . "When I read that petition for the first time about 30 days ago, I couldn't believe it was written by a lawyer.". Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. Most convictions were procured through microscopic hair comparison which has been debunked as junk science today. Patricia Rorrer is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. Shes just extremely happy with Andy, her brother, Michael OConnor, told the media. I'm sure that I'm missing a lot of details here (please add in the comments) but everything seems far too convenient and circumstantial. The police considered the possibility that Joann ran away, a theory disputed by her family. Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death.
Watch Reasonable Doubt Online | Season 5 (2022) | TV Guide In April 1995, the family buried Joann and Alex in a single bronze casket after a funeral mass at a Bethlehem church. Brisk with west to northwest winds around 10-20mph gusting to 30mph.. Mostly cloudy with less wind and a few breaks in the clouds overnight. Success! This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. Patricia Rorrer was convicted of both deaths in the mid-90's and is serving a life sentence. Was this on unsolved mysteries too? But if Andrew wanted to find his wife and his son, why on Earth did he wait until 10:30pm before notifying authorities? Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve the legal counsel for Patricia. 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. Joann was shot once, then the gun jammed. The case rocked Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley and resulted in the conviction of Patricia Rorrer, now 53, the ex-girlfriend of Katrinak's husband. Joann Katrinaks Killer Still Has Innocence Advocates(A Woman Scorned, Forensic Files). Very true - I can't remember if the show went through that. E 204 Patricia Rorrer: Under the Microscope. 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. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. Pat Rorrer received a sentence of life imprisonment for her crime. . A hearing on the issue got heated Tuesday. DNA testing revealed the blood came from either Joann or her son. No comments yet - start the conversation above. One of Patricia's alibis was that she was at a bar on the night of the abduction. The series was produced by Joe Berlinger, who made the Paradise Lost documentaries, which garnered actor Johnny Depps attention and ultimately helped free the West Memphis Three.
Patricia Rorrer | Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network - WCJN 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.
Rorrer Gets Life in Jail for Double Slaying * Jurors in The Katrinak And if nothing more, it certainly galvanized the law enforcement community and got us moving in the right direction. Patricia and her husband broke up after the babys death. 1919 EDA 2016 Appeal from the PCRA Order May 26, 2016 In the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-39-CR-0002176-1997 BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., BOWES AND SHOGAN, J. Patricia Rorrer's Story. Combine keywords and attributes to find specific items. Season 9 aired from August 7, 2015, to November 6, 2015. Use quotation marks to search as a 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. Patricia had of course not registered that night. The two-hour special, called Murder in the Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates, will premiere at 8 p.m. and air again at 11 p.m. Sunday night. For two decades, Patricia Rorrer has always maintained her innocence. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. Wouldn't he have tried to call his mother recall it was with her Joann had planned to go Christmas shopping.
Alex Martin Katrinak (1994-1994) - Find a Grave Memorial In addition to the Facebook page, there are Reddit threads on her case. Since 2010, Tammy has been researching the 1994 Katrinak murders in Catasauqua. Probable cause of death: exposure. "I'm hoping this [show] will be very close to the truth," said Sandy Mizgerd. With Chris Anderson, Fatima Silva.
Convenient Suspect - Alliance Digital Media Library - OverDrive Police couldnt determine whether the baby died of exposure or suffocation. 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. More hairs there. Kidnapped and killed? Also Rorrer had a history of run-ins with the law, including being charged with breaking and entering. According to a Morning Call account from March 5, 1998: McIntyre leaned forward conspiratorially like someone trying to persuade another to tell a secret, lowered his voice and said: Heres what I want to know: After you killed Joann Katrinak, did you kill that baby or just leave it to die?. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Shouldn't Andrew have mentioned this suspicious, out-of-the-blue phone call from his ex-girlfriend sooner? Please read her story. 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. 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. The authorities charged her with two counts of murder. They were hardly decomposed after a mild winter. 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. In the Katrinak case, they did new (at the time) DNA testing to match the hairs found in the car to Patricia. After all, one of the key pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene and Joanns vehicle were dyed blonde hair strands. 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 . She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. The Free Patricia Rorrer page responds to comments from supporters (How is this even possible that this woman is still in jail?!? He had worked as a semi-pro boxer in Las Vegas in his youth and later settled into his own construction business. As usual, Rebecca at Forensic Files Now has a thoroughly researched article about the Patricia Rorrer case and events since her conviction. Damning for Patricia was that this field was only a couple miles from a horse farm that she used to have access to. Men who murder are conventional, women are sensational, posits the Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network.
Psycho For Love: Patricia Rorrer killed her ex-boyfriend's new wife Any amount will deeply appreciated.
Convenient Suspect: A Double Murder, a Flawed Investigation, and the Yet, everything changed when they lost their 3-month-old son to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 1 talking about this. (Disclaimer: Im not a big fan of eyewitnesses who come forward years after the fact, but its possible). Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? It was conceivable that Andrew believed they were still out. They never looked into Andy who failed several lie detector tests, tampered with evidence.
'Dateline NBC' Correspondent Keith Morrison Explores Claims of a They had a son, Alex Martin, in August of 1994. Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files. Patricia was arrested on June 24, 1997. . No one is safe if the justice system is broken and they are putting innocent people in prison. We all need justice! The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. But the Wrong Man team brought in their own experts to review the detailed information on the corpses. 0. Image credit: Episode screen capture from, - Sarah OConnor: Joann Katrinaks Mother, - Det. Another thing never presented at trial was the fact that they found flower petals in the soles of Joann's shoes,. Exactly one week after Joann and Alex went missing, the FBI interviewed me at my mother's house.
Convenient Suspect: A Wrongful Conviction In The Murder In Lehigh In 2015, I discovered an FBI report that states the hair used to convict me had "No Roots Attached." . Mitochondrial DNA is the small circular chromosome found inside mitochondria. There is still an appeal coming up (I believe) but everything else has failed so far to get Patricia another trial. Congratulations to all four of you, especially Rell and Phill, who are both co-founding members of R2R and CADBI. It's as if she had left with young Alex as planned but then somehow simply vanished. Rorrer has appealed her conviction several times and her supporters believe additional DNA evidence . Shes attracted the help of writer Tammy Mal (full name Tammy Malinowski OReilly), author of Convenient Suspect, a book about the case. Patricia's investigators are petitioning to DNA test the single strain of hair found in Joann's hand. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. 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. 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.
Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates | Apple TV Read and download theDen of Geek Lost in Space Special Edition Magazineright here! Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! 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. 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. Or identify other people in their lives who might have benefited from either the Katrinak's deaths or disappearance? Thank you for reading, please use the links, and watch all the videos.
Dateline NBC's Keith Morrison Explores Claims of a Wrongful Conviction Patricia's friends claimed that she was not "stalking" Andy and had fully moved on with her life (new boyfriend, new city, a long time ago etc.). He will never be able to speak if this case! 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. After Joann Katrinak, the wife of Patricias former flame, turned up dead along with her infant son, prosecutors suspected Patricia. 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. TV-14 Information Genre Documentary Released 2022 Run Time 42 min Rated TV-14 Languages Original Audio English . Strands of the accuseds dyed-blond hair at two crime scenes proved it. Meanwhile, interest in Patricias plight continues on social media. The FBI Files (Family Secrets) mentioned that Patty also lied about being at a tanning salon. The jury found Patricia guilty in just 6 hours in 1998, 4 years after the crime. Ive seen the forensics files episode a few times and Im shocked at how it could be so wrong! Neely said the first officer on the scene didn't believe Rorrer committed the crime. I was convicted on the basis of a DNA match made to the root of one (1) hair found in Joann's car. Patricia Rorrer being escorted by the police | Photo Credits: People Magazine. She fought for her life and had defensive wounds including a broken nose and a broken finger. State law requires that patrons of the bar sign-in when they come to the bar. 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. Joann Katrinak and her infant son were brutally murdered. Andy also failed at least 2 lie detector tests, and before an arrest was made in the murders, moved almost all the way across the country without telling the police. 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.
Joann and Alex Katrinak: Still No Justice (Update) Mitochondrial DNA - Wikipedia Do any of the TV episodes suggest the possibility of their being held alive for some time? The past two owners of the gun's yards were dug up and many casings of the .22 were discovered. Tips to help protect your smartphone from thieves, Godfather of soft rock David Lindley dead aged 78 after months of illness, Prince George set to play key role in King Charles coronation but only if hes back in school ASAP after!, Idris Elba: Its MY prerogative to stop labelling myself a black actor, Stephen tWitch Boss widow Allison Holker tells their kids they will find courage, Which Outer Banks Character Are You? 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. I dont even know its Christmas.. Criminal Division at No (s): CP-39-CR-0002176-1997 BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., BOWES AND SHOGAN, J. Select "match any" to find at least one field. Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On. Around April 1995, the cold and badly decomposed remains of 26-year-old Joann Katrinak and her 3.5-month-old toddler Alex Katrinak were recovered from the woods in Heidelberg Township, Pennsylvania. The killer was Patricia Rorrer, the jealous ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, Andrew. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. PATRICIA LYNNE RORRER Appellant No. This is for them also and freeing an innocent woman! On a secret recording, Patricia asked Jarrett to vouch for her attendance or she might go to the electric char. Her book tells the truth and the real story of this case. On Instagram, I found a post for a two-part Win at All Costs podcast featuring journalism professor Bill Mousheys interviews with Patricia Rorrer from prison in December 2019. 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. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . Police identified the pair as Joann and Alex Katrinak. Learn more about our upcoming events, fundraisers, and more! Copyright 2021 Patricia Rorrer - All Rights Reserved. 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.
Dr. Edward E. "Gene" Rorrer, Sr. Obituary 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.