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. Copyright 2021 Patricia Rorrer - All Rights Reserved. Where does one pick up flower petal in the dead of winter in PA.? Aside from the hair, there was almost zero forensic evidence. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. As for Joanns parents, her father died a year after the murder. Her mother, Patricia Chambers, provided day care for their baby son, Charles. The authorities charged her with two counts of murder. FILED DECEMBER 13, 2013 Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals from the order entered in the . I didn't see other potential suspects highlighted. Because when she did, she quickly began to realize that there was a lot more to the story than the public ever knew. A hidden FBI report found a couple years ago showed that police were unsure if there were roots on the found hairs. She asked to speak with Andrew, who was home during the call; Joann refused. Yet, everything changed when they lost their 3-month-old son to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Patricia had of course not registered that night. His film Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulgeruncovered law enforcement corruption at the highest levels. INMATE INFORMATION. Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. Our team of volunteers are committed to helping Patricia. State law requires that patrons of the bar sign-in when they come to the bar. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes. Its proximity to the stable she'd managed made an undeniable association to her. 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. They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. Wrong Man says she had normally signed in for her line dancing class but didn't on the day Joann and Alex disappeared. Both were deceased. Patricia had won a prize at an out-of-state horse-riding competition less than two weeks before the murders, and she allowed herself to be photographed. 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. The $60 Murder. Most prosecutors wouldn't even take such paltry evidence into court today. In North Carolina, she reportedly enjoyed some success as a horse trader, riding instructor, and rodeo competitor. for the sole purpose of building a stronger case against Andy, their main suspect at the time. These organelles, found in all eukaryotic cells, are the powerhouse of the cell. Men who murder are conventional, women are sensational, posits the Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network. The media love the femme fatale., FBI lab blunder. DNA from that and a cigarette butt linked Patricia to the offense. There was an error processing your request. Wrong Man investigators interrogated a confidential informant, the main witness against Evaristo Salas, and he recanted his testimony. This was my thought (I'm behind and just caught the 2nd half yesterday). Combination locks. And the kidnapping scenario became more plausible when you factor in the privacy of the alleyway behind the Katrinak house. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. I cant lose them, he told the media. Patricia Rorrer (right) is led to her hearing in Lehigh County Courthouse Wednesday morning, August 26, 1998 by a sheriff's deputy, at left. When Andrew was told of the location of his young family's remains, he offered investigators a lead. If you like our work please subscribe to our second channel The History Chronicles https://www.youtube.com/c/TheHistoryChroniclesFor early access. In TV clips, Andrew didnt come off as anguished. Success! 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 in another bombshell, Joanns good friend Karen Devine said Joann planned to leave Andrew after the holidays. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. In the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County. 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.). 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. The state made a case fueled by circumstantial evidence and public outrage over the deaths of a modern-day madonna and child. Louise Rorrer Bryant, age 79, of Fieldale, Va., passed away on May 15, 2022. Criminals aren't always the smartest folks - this area highlights the common (and reoccurring) mistakes they make. Mike McIntyre, the first assistant district attorney in Lehigh County during the case, said the petition is "crazy. (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. Tue, Sep 27, 2022 60 mins. We take wrongful convictions to heart. further reading: True Detective Season 3 and the West Memphis Three. My kid has had 99th percentile head circumference since birth. How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? 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. When they found Joann and Alex in a wooded area on April 9 1995. 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. Based on body decomposition alone, it seems near impossible that they were kidnapped and killed in the same day or even within weeks. He is the TV Editor at Entertainment. Season 9 aired from August 7, 2015, to November 6, 2015. Weak wages. One of Patricia's alibis was that she was at a bar on the night of the abduction. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? 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. I was convicted on the basis of a DNA match made to the root of one (1) hair found in Joann's car. 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. Patricia supposedly still cared for Andrew Katrinak, but murdering his son contradicts this notion. They also found a photo of Patricia taken 11 days before the homicide. The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. Joann and her 4-month-old son, Alex, were abducted from their home in Catasauqua, PA, and murdered in a rural wooded area near Germansville. Shes attracted the help of writer Tammy Mal (full name Tammy Malinowski OReilly), author of Convenient Suspect, a book about the case. Please take the time to read my story. In November 2005, she shoots Keith in the head while he . With 400 (and 6) episodes, this progress bar indicates my progress toward finishing all of them. Or did they? Patricia was arrested in North Carolina in June of 1997. 1 talking about this. With Lynnanne Zager, Joann Katrinak, Alex Katrinak, Patricia Rorrer. God Bless each of you. 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! Phone calls played a significant role in the case overall. For two decades, Patricia Rorrer has always maintained her innocence. 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. S5 E7: Patricia Rorrer sits in prison for brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. In 1995 DNA testing was brand new. Andrew's second look in and around their home revealed some disturbing clues. She was also accused of breaking into barns, stealing horses, and underfeeding the ones she owned. Patricia Rorrer Age: 51 Sex: FEMALE Patricia Lynne Rorrer made for a good suspect. However, as profiled on IDs Deadly Women: Green-Eyed Monsters, Joanns husbands ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer, was eventually identified as their perpetrator. But if that's the main evidence against her, it seems awfully weak. 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. Many of these are circumstantial, so investigators were grateful for their DNA match from the hair. Trash-talking ex. We work hard to help with things that can not be accomplished in prison. 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. Sad discovery. Still, no good leads materialized. An expert will be allowed to examine evidence from the 1994 . 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. I know I did not commit these murders and they need to get justice for Joann and Alex too. PATRICIA RORRER OBITUARY. Shes just extremely happy with Andy, her brother, Michael OConnor, told the media. Rejection and betrayal are good enough reasons for these women to commit heinous crimes. Cop defends accused. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. Died along with his mother, Joann, as a victim of his father's jealous ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer. So, this pointed to a theory that Joann had either left on her own or encountered foul play within her home. The first, Vonda Smith, was convicted of murdering her grandchilds mother, 21-year-old Jessie Morrison. The premiere episode will air following the series finale of Power. Its definitely getting rougher every day, Andrew told the Morning Call. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. Media galore. I would really recommend watching the Wrong Man 2-part episode. When she stood trial that same year, she maintained her innocence and alleged that she and Andrew Katrinak had continued to stay in touch as good friends, so she wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Joann Katrinaks Killer Still Has Innocence Advocates(A Woman Scorned, Forensic Files). And, I was quite angry with the police, that they accused Andy. Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. In the Katrinak case, they did new (at the time) DNA testing to match the hairs found in the car to Patricia. Docket at pp. Patricia defaulted on her mortgage and then returned to North Carolina, where she eventually moved in with a boyfriend named Brian Ward. As for the murder weapon, police didnt find a .22 caliber pistol on Patricias property, but an ex-boyfriend claimed that she owned one and it would always jam after one shot. Appeal from the PCRA Order May 26, 2016. But defense lawyer Robert Pfeiffer said that plenty of evidence supported Patricias innocence. Share Memories & Support the Family. She fought for her life and had defensive wounds including a broken nose and a broken finger. After watching the latest Starz episode of Wrong Man (a great investigative show), I started thinking about the Patricia Rorrer case again. I suspect I know. Patricia and her husband broke up after the babys death. Prosecutor hiding something? Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. . Rorrer's attorney, Craig Neely, said after a report by 69 News in December that a police officer contacted him and claimed the first officer on the scene was convinced to lie about the case by the district attorney's office or he would lose his job, but the commonwealth said the first officer on the scene took back those words. Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted of Murder. But thats just some of the ammo on Team Patricias battleship. More hairs there. Episode 7. But "Wrong Man" investigators discover that there is . After all, one of the key pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene and Joanns vehicle were dyed blonde hair strands. No activity on her bank account or credit cards took place after the day she went missing, so investigators dismissed the theory that she took her child and bolted. At 17, Patricia dropped out of high school and married landscaper Gary Gabard. (Media sources vary as to whether she actually worked at the stable or just rented a stall there for her own horse.). This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. She seemed like quite an unlikely suspect at least at first. 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 . Of course she did--because all that was out there on me was fake news. Police identified the pair as Joann and Alex Katrinak. The main one of course was committing murder of a young woman and her infant son over an argument. 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. Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. But there was only one day in question, so it feels like Patricia might have been overselling her story. And because of the gun jamming, the assailant had to resort to blunt object and beat her about the head. She was bubbly and likable, not disgruntled, according to friend Kathy Barber, who visited her friend in jail. Illustration of the location of mitochondrial DNA in human cells. The witness said he would sign in as Richard Nixon or not sign in at all quite often. Berlingers recently directed Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, and the feature film on the infamous serial killer, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, for Netflix. 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. Its doors were locked, but the keys were inside the vehicle. after the fact. An early childhood introd Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. She was born on July 27, 1942, in Henry County, Va., to Edward Rorrer and Susie Morrison Rorrer. Most prosecutors wouldn't even take such paltry evidence into court today. You have permission to edit this article. Patricia has been wrongfully convicted of murdering Joann and Alex Katrinak in 1994. I think it would really require comparison with his pediatric medical records to determine if the head circumference is relevant. 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? 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. During these 4 years, many in the Lehigh Valley, PA community developed opinions on the case. The victims vanished on December 15. See Patricia Rorrer full list of movies and tv shows from their career. Green-Eyed Monsters: Directed by Kate Ryerson. And their phone line had been cut someone had not wanted the Katrinaks to be able to call for help. So now, lets find out everything there is to know about her, shall we? In addition to her . By the mid-1990s, Patricia was known for being both warm and caring as well as aggressive and loud. Artificial intelligence and machine learning education and literacy: teacher training for primary and secondary education teachers; Chapter 2. 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. Bio by: Karen Valentine 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. 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). Pat Rorrer received a sentence of life imprisonment for her crime. McIntyre said a conspiracy theory is preposterous and he's surprised Rorrer is making another attempt to get out of prison. But if Rorrer was a genuine suspect, it's likely investigators would have attempted the mitochondrial DNA match on the hair anyway. 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. The episode indicated that Andrew Katrinak informed police that Patricia Rorrer had made the phone call to his home three days before Joann's disappearance. This was part of Rorrer's defense strategy it seemed like an unrealistic motive to commit murder. Patricia Rorrer (PA) SCI Muncy OE2170 Life Without Parole DOB: January 24,1964. 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. Crime 2017. 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. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. 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. 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. . Patricia was convicted based on her head hairs being found in the victim's car. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . 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. It's shocking to think that Patricia Rorrer, being a mother, could end the life of an infant. A young mother and her infant son suddenly went missing just before Christmas in 1994. (We didnt get into the specifics.). One was a convenience store clerk, who said Joann, her baby and the man were in her store for up to 20 minutes, buying a couple hundred dollars worth of supplies in this small convenience store. In a million years, she wouldnt do anything to harm that.. Lehigh Cty.) I really never thought of it again.. State police and the Philadelphia division of the FBI appealed to the public for leads. 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. Joe Kennedys talks to Michael Brinkle, Patricia Rorrer's former neighbor who reaffirms that he had sold her a .22 Jennings handgun. - 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 . I am humbly asking for your help to hire a lawyer and procure a fair trial. Why was the jury never told that Patricia Rorrer was under surveillance in North Carolina at the time of the crime? Do any of the TV episodes suggest the possibility of their being held alive for some time? Detective Robert Werts stated Rorrer offered four or five alibis for the time of the incident. And if nothing more, it certainly galvanized the law enforcement community and got us moving in the right direction. No one is safe if the justice system is broken and they are putting innocent people in prison. They noted houses near the murder scene would have heard a gunshot in December, when no farm equipment is making noise, and question why the murderer didnt just kill Joann inside her house instead of risking being seen in public in her car. . In March of 1998, a jury returned two guilty verdicts against Patricia Rorrer for murder, and two more for kidnapping. Rorrer is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution Muncy, a prison for women in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. For example, the weight of each organ was listed, it was clear they were not very decomposed. However, her name was not on the sign-in list. Counsel for Patricia Rorrer, 52, . He had worked as a semi-pro boxer in Las Vegas in his youth and later settled into his own construction business. 1 hr 25 min Mar 5, 2017 TV-14. The article also notes that most inmates earn around 19 cent an hour at their jobs and must pay $5 each time they need medical attention or medicine. 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. 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. Since 2010, Tammy has been researching the 1994 Katrinak murders in Catasauqua. 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. The Irish-Italian girl had full, fluffy dark hair, olive skin, and a pretty face. 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 . Charles Robert, the 3-month-old son she had with Gary Gabard, died of sudden infant death syndrome; Patricia found him blue in his crib. His favorite rattle, shaped like a phone, lay near the crime scene. She was always looking for a fight, Gary Gabard told the Morning Call, which noted that he was a head shorter than Patricia. No comments yet - start the conversation above. After one bullet didnt kill Joann, the gun locked up, so Patricia had to beat her to death, according to the prosecution. 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. These hairs being found in the otherwise cleaned car was also odd. Did investigators look for phone calls between Andrew and Patricia prior to December 11, 1994? Another thing never presented at trial was the fact that they found flower petals in the soles of Joann's shoes,. It seems likely these bodies were dumped here months after initially thought, not killed the day they were kidnapped. The missing items included Joann's purse, car, both her and Alex's winter jackets, and the diaper bag. 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. In April 1995, the family buried Joann and Alex in a single bronze casket after a funeral mass at a Bethlehem church. Some lawyers call microscopic hair analysis junk science that today wouldnt qualify as evidence in a trial like Rorrers. In February 2008, Patricia Taylor Allanson, age 70, was arrested and charged with doctor shopping for thousands of pain pills over the past year. 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? The jury found Patricia guilty in just 6 hours in 1998, 4 years after the crime. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. 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. 99.99 or whatever it was. Morrison was 16 weeks pregnant when her lifeless body was found beaten beyond recognition and dumped along a remote country road, reads the statement. Those who knew Joann pointed out that she didnt like to drive in reverse and would have never parked that way. Thats all for this post. She had a suitcase packed, Devine said. When O'Reilly started doing the research, she believed Patricia (Patty) had been . I dont even know its Christmas.. Tribute Archive I wasn't hung up on Andy, and I didn't want him back. Ex-boyfriend Walter Blalock said that Patricia wanted him to be more like Andrew. However, it seems this was only after the bodies of Joann and Alex were found on the remote horse trail. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Puny policy. 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. Prosecutor pounds away. Season 1. A local murder case that made national headlines will be back in the national spotlight Sunday night. Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? Patricia Rorrer was convicted of both deaths in the mid-90's and is serving a life sentence. Where to Watch. 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? Wouldn't he have tried to call his mother recall it was with her Joann had planned to go Christmas shopping. Advocates for her innocence complain of hype surrounding the case. Two of the seasons three cases will feature female inmates.
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