Patricia Rorrer is found guilty of the abduction and murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son, Alex. While the police are still investigating the murder of your wife and child? They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. You have permission to edit this article. Despite the new evidence and hypotheses, the courts have rejected all of Patricias bids for a new trial. At the very least, prosecutors got their story very wrong as they convicted Patricia. The authorities charged her with two counts of murder. 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. Leave a comment below, or contact us! (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. Based on body decomposition alone, it seems near impossible that they were kidnapped and killed in the same day or even within weeks. 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. Episode Info. Season 9 aired from August 7, 2015, to November 6, 2015. So now, lets find out everything there is to know about her, shall we? Here is the link https://www.amazon.com/Convenient-Suspect-Investigation-Railroading-Innocent/dp/B0777SGHL4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tammy%20mal&qid=1588982960&sr=8-1&fbclid=IwAR0xwJARGyijcn3BqdWAzXSX0l9C7kM-9UtBxQio4AsMv62neDLzggK1IrI. Plus, two men, her babys father and his friend, testified they saw Patricia at the line-dancing club the night of the homicide. Ive seen the forensics files episode a few times and Im shocked at how it could be so wrong! So I was convicted of 2 counts of first degree murder and 2 counts of kidnapping. 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. Plus, he had only a minimal life insurance policy on Joann and he passed polygraphs, according to The FBI Files: Family Secrets. Forensic Files didnt mention it, but the hairs were actually brown at the top and the rest dyed blond, according to the show Autopsy Six: A Fatal Attraction. Patricia demonstrated a habit of making almost daily, long-distance phone calls from her home in North Carolina. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. So much in this case, and every time she appeals with new evidence she is denied. 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. Patricia also pointed out that when author Tammy Mal started her research and speaking to me, she was not an advocate at all but she reversed and ended up advocating for Patricias innocence. However, a former boyfriend stated that she did own a .22 caliber chrome-plated semi-automatic weapon. Hair we go. The Irish-Italian girl had full, fluffy dark hair, olive skin, and a pretty face. Sounds like prosecutors made the right call based on this. 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. "I'm hoping this [show] will be very close to the truth," said Sandy Mizgerd. Success! Apr 5, 2016. Tapps lawyer saidWrong Mans in-depth investigation into the Tapp conviction helped free an innocent man.. Mal told Keith Morrison that Patricias dance teacher originally confirmed her alibi that she was in class on the day of the murder, then changed his mind. Of course she did--because all that was out there on me was fake news. The main one of course was committing murder of a young woman and her infant son over an argument. 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. Sad part is this could be your mother, father, kids, all love ones and friends! More hairs there. Those who knew Joann pointed out that she didnt like to drive in reverse and would have never parked that way. The police considered the possibility that Joann ran away, a theory disputed by her family. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . Joann was shot once, then the gun jammed. 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. Four months after Joanns disappearance, farmer Paul Kovalchik reported seeing what at first looked like a pile of clothes on his land in Heidelberg Township woods, about 15 miles from the Katrinaks house. Berlingers landmark HBO documentary Paradise Lost Trilogy helped lead to the release of the wrongfully convicted West Memphis Three after 18 years of incarceration. Man, this case was soooo shittily handled. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. . They would have been held alive. Thats all for this post. Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted of Murder. Hello guys! I would really recommend watching the Wrong Man 2-part episode. Patricia defaulted on her mortgage and then returned to North Carolina, where she eventually moved in with a boyfriend named Brian Ward. Shes extremely, extremely happy with the baby. "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. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve the legal counsel for Patricia. Some recurring themes in Forensic Files facinate me. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. Lehigh Cty.) 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? Wrong Man investigators interrogated a confidential informant, the main witness against Evaristo Salas, and he recanted his testimony. In June of 2016 Patricia Rorrer's petition for a new trial was been thrown out. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. The same source indicates Patricia Rorrer has repeatedly appealed for a retrial and exoneration, but each request has been denied. An exterior door to their basement had been wrenched open, the lock hasp's screws literally ripped from the wall. After Tapp served nearly 21 years of his sentence, the real killer was finally found through forensic genealogy, according to Time. It'd be plausible to reason some deniability in Patricia's role if there weren't so many indicators of her involvement. I know that if I get a fair trial, I will win and be freed. Season 1 had a tangible impact on all three cases that were examined. Rejection and betrayal are good enough reasons for these women to commit heinous crimes. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. But if Andrew wanted to find his wife and his son, why on Earth did he wait until 10:30pm before notifying authorities? . 6-10. 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. Probable cause of death: exposure. Later, they both worked 12-hour graveyard shifts at a textile factory. Angry that Joann hung up on her, she stalked her for three days, then broke into her basement and cut the phone line, put a gun to Joanns head as she was placing Alex in the car, and forced her to drive to the rural area. After the premiere episode, Wrong Man will air on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. 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. Rorrer was tried and convicted in 1994 for the brutal killing of Katrinak and her three-month-old son. 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. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. 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? Patricia Rorrer (right) is led to her hearing in Lehigh County Courthouse Wednesday morning, August 26, 1998 by a sheriff's deputy, at left. 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. McItyre said this is hearsay and the officer has refuted everything in an affidavit. During Patricias hours-long turn in the witness chair, Michael McIntyre grilled her relentlessly. 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. Our team of volunteers are committed to helping Patricia. We need to know who killed them! It's possible he was just a big baby/growing faster than average, but if there's some indication that they were alive for some time after their abduction, then it would seem to be an entirely different kind of crime than was first thought. It seems Patricia's own daughter and baby Alex Katrinak were very close in age. But Patricia had moved from Pennsylvania years ago, and she'd started her own family in North Carolina. July 16, 1932 - September 10, 2020, Dr. Edward E. "Gene" Rorrer, Sr. passed away on September 10, 2020 in Abingdon, Virg. It's been more than 20 years since Patricia Rorrer was convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend . 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. Joann was fun, likable, beautiful, always happy, said her sister-in-law Cindy Wiard. At 10:30 p.m., Andrew reported his wife missing. Tue, Sep 27, 2022 60 mins. 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 . Patricia Rorrer was convicted of both deaths in the mid-90's and is serving a life sentence. "When I read that petition for the first time about 30 days ago, I couldn't believe it was written by a lawyer.". PATRICIA RORRER OBITUARY. The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. Also Rorrer had a history of run-ins with the law, including being charged with breaking and entering. In the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County. Part 1. She has been incarcerated for 24+ years. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. And yikes, he discovered someone had cut one of the houses phone lines and pried the hinge on the basement door. The 5-foot-9-inch-tall Patricia was physically strong, no match for 5-foot-4-inch Joann. State law requires that patrons of the bar sign-in when they come to the bar. Here is the link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDGl9dMgHwY&fbclid=IwAR1nlAYf6AcIu_i8kN0fD_MCD3CnxJ6DG_oUgVFdqN3b2EJ4fcLO2ci3wWc, https://www.amazon.com/Convenient-Suspect-Investigation-Railroading-Innocent/dp/B0777SGHL4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tammy%20mal&qid=1588982960&sr=8-1&fbclid=IwAR0xwJARGyijcn3BqdWAzXSX0l9C7kM-9UtBxQio4AsMv62neDLzggK1IrI. 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. My husband passed away of a broken heart, Sarah OConnor said on the Montel Williams Show in 2001. The team on Wrong Man tracked down the history of this gun and found that the police did so as well. Her advocates say she wasn't even in the same state at the time of the crime. Um why is that? When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. After six hours of deliberations, in March 1998, a jury found Patricia guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of kidnapping. Nailed? Prosecutors offered Patricia a plea deal that would take the death penalty off the table, but she declined. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. But if Rorrer was a genuine suspect, it's likely investigators would have attempted the mitochondrial DNA match on the hair anyway. Most convictions were procured through microscopic hair comparison which has been debunked as junk science today. Not gender neutral. Nickelodeons Kids Choice Awards: What Is Slime, and Why Do We Love It? It was later believed that his recollection was keen, since he'd been the one to dress her posthumously. It is believed she may have received over 3,700 pills in less than a year. 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. The past two owners of the gun's yards were dug up and many casings of the .22 were discovered. Joann Katrinak and her infant son were brutally murdered. Artificial intelligence and machine learning education and literacy: teacher training for primary and secondary education teachers; Chapter 2. I think it would really require comparison with his pediatric medical records to determine if the head circumference is relevant. Innocent nonprofit Wrongful Conviction. For example, the weight of each organ was listed, it was clear they were not very decomposed. A young mother and her infant son suddenly went missing just before Christmas in 1994. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband . 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. Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. Tragedy also touched Patricias life. 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. How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? Episode 7. 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. 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. Ex-boyfriend Walter Blalock said that Patricia wanted him to be more like Andrew. 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 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. Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. Flaw in reasoning. 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. They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. 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?. I was like OK, maybe she was tired, you know with a new baby. No comments yet - start the conversation above. FILED DECEMBER 13, 2013 Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals from the order entered in the . Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! In 2015, I discovered an FBI report that states the hair used to convict me had "No Roots Attached." It was conceivable that Andrew believed they were still out. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. Louise Rorrer Bryant, age 79, of Fieldale, Va., passed away on May 15, 2022. His film Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulgeruncovered law enforcement corruption at the highest levels. In 1995 DNA testing was brand new. 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 . Patricia's investigators are petitioning to DNA test the single strain of hair found in Joann's hand. Select "match any" to find at least one field. She seemed like quite an unlikely suspect at least at first. 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. Or identify other people in their lives who might have benefited from either the Katrinak's deaths or disappearance? Posted: June 22, 2022 To commit the murders, Rorrer took her victims out to a location that was familiar and significant. The phone wire was located at the opposite end of the basement, which was dark. One on one? 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. ", "I think she gave us something like four or five alibis as to where she was at. Counsel for Patricia Rorrer, 52, . And because of the gun jamming, the assailant had to resort to blunt object and beat her about the head. Use quotation marks to search as a 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. I'm not sure to what extent it was brought up in the original trial. He said she did own a firearm, with its serial numbers filed off. There is still an appeal coming up (I believe) but everything else has failed so far to get Patricia another trial. 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. 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. '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. FBI didn't follow up on Patricia's alibi for months (6 months?) 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Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. Combination locks. 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. Docket at pp. We all need justice! And James Pfeiffer and Jim Burke have remained on her side. 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. It will show you that I have not committed these murders. 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.