patricia rorrer released
The couple moved into Andrews sturdy brick house at 740 Front Street in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. I was able to email with Patricia via the PrisonConnect platform around Christmastime. And the kidnapping scenario became more plausible when you factor in the privacy of the alleyway behind the Katrinak house. The 26-year-old was recently married, and this would be four-month-old Alex's first Christmas. When Joann failed to arrive, her mother-in-law tried calling, but there was no answer at the Katrinak's. Prosecutors also claimed DNA hair evidence found in the car matched Patricia's hair at the time (using what was considered valid DNA methods). 0. Any amount will deeply appreciated. Many of these are circumstantial, so investigators were grateful for their DNA match from the hair. Patricia and her husband broke up after the babys death. Or identify other people in their lives who might have benefited from either the Katrinak's deaths or disappearance? Apr 5, 2016. On December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son Alex disappeared without a trace from . Read More:Where is Jacqueline Crymble Now? Still, no good leads materialized. 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. 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. MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.: Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals the PCRA court's dismissal of her fourth PCRA petition as untimely filed. Why did the police not look into these things? 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. 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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. Patricia Rorrer (right) is led to her hearing in Lehigh County Courthouse Wednesday morning, August 26, 1998 by a sheriff's deputy, at left. After all, one of the key pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene and Joanns vehicle were dyed blonde hair strands. Kidnapped and killed? But the Wrong Man team brought in their own experts to review the detailed information on the corpses. Murder victim. 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. Prosecutors offered Patricia a plea deal that would take the death penalty off the table, but she declined. When O'Reilly started doing the research, she believed Patricia (Patty) had been . It'd be plausible to reason some deniability in Patricia's role if there weren't so many indicators of her involvement. 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. Three days later, Joann had plans to pick up her mother-in-law, Veronica Katrinak, to go Christmas shopping. Use quotation marks to search as a Wrong Man takes viewers on real-time investigations to uncover new evidence, track down key witnesses, consult forensic experts, and interrogate the incarcerated. Her book tells the truth and the real story of this case. And why was my defense not provided with the "No Roots Attached" report which is exculpatory evidence, at trial.? They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . In 2015, I discovered an FBI report that states the hair used to convict me had "No Roots Attached." Season 1 had a tangible impact on all three cases that were examined. Andrew had an ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer, who'd been familiar with the trail, and she'd previously managed a horse stable just a mile from the scene. It was never tested. My case in a nutshell is this: I was convicted on a DNA match made to the root of a hair found in the victim's car which was located 15 miles from the crime scene. 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. 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. 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. . $4.99/mo. Of course, Patricia denied this. Wouldn't he have tried to call his mother recall it was with her Joann had planned to go Christmas shopping. Dial-a-problem. 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. How could I explain to my daughter years later that I took a plea for something I didnt do? she said. Um why is that? Does anyone see motive in this scenario? This was part of Rorrer's defense strategy it seemed like an unrealistic motive to commit murder. Patricia was convicted based on her head hairs being found in the victim's car. Ive seen the forensics files episode a few times and Im shocked at how it could be so wrong! Nailed? In February 2008, Patricia Taylor Allanson, age 70, was arrested and charged with doctor shopping for thousands of pain pills over the past year. Some lawyers call microscopic hair analysis junk science that today wouldnt qualify as evidence in a trial like Rorrers. After Tapp served nearly 21 years of his sentence, the real killer was finally found through forensic genealogy, according to Time. Patricia Rorrer's Story. 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! Our Mission. The episode made a special point about locating the photograph of Patricia Rorrer with dyed blonde hair. But thats just some of the ammo on Team Patricias battleship. PATRICIA LYNNE RORRER Appellant No. Mike McIntyre, the first assistant district attorney in Lehigh County during the case, said the petition is "crazy. Rorrer was convicted of killing them four years later. But if that's the main evidence against her, it seems awfully weak. There is a 2-part episode on Wrong Man that just came out this year. For example, the weight of each organ was listed, it was clear they were not very decomposed. 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. Today, Rorrer's attorney says not only is his client innocent, but she was framed. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. Here was some other evidence mentioned in the Forensic Files episode: A forensic entomologist examined insect activity on the victims. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Rorrer was convicted at trial in March 1998 of kidnapping Joann Katrinak, 26, and her 3-month-old son, Alex, on Dec. 15, 1994, from their Catasauqua home . At 6 a.m. on June 24, 1997, police arrested Patricia at her modest house in Linwood, North Carolina, and took her back to Pennsylvania. (McIntyre said that Egan ignored Traupman because he was a nut who said that the man he saw arguing with the woman in a car was Hispanic but wearing a fake mustache and a toupee. More: https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/convenient-suspect-a-wrongful-conviction-in-the-murder-in-lehigh-valley. 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. 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. 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. When I gave samples of my hair, the doctor took a total of 39 hairs, but only 35 can be accounted for. 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? Rorrer is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution Muncy, a prison for women in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. 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. 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). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lo9AIFM_vc&fbclid=IwAR28Mf5rKuUyaq1N-vBqirZM_382D69Zy42uONlU3Qf0eNEnJ1w_kYRYKIM. Today, Patricia Lynne Rorrer resides in State Correctional Institute at Muncy, a medium and maximum security facility that has the highest rate of cancer of all prisons in Pennsylvania, according to a story from northcentralpa.com. One of Patricia's alibis was that she was at a bar on the night of the abduction. 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. Highly charged case. ", "An unusual feature about the gun, he [Rorrers ex-boyfriend] stated was the fact that you fire one shot out of the gun, and the gun would jam. 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. She got 12 months of probation for shoplifting at a Walmart in Lexington, North Carolina. Chapter 1. Season 1. And Patricia wasnt all edges. Tragedy also touched Patricias life. Two of the seasons three cases will feature female inmates. . As a result, Salas, who did not have legal representation at the time of filming, was offered pro bono representation by a Washington State attorney, who believes in his innocence. 99.99 or whatever it was. 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. Walmart woe. Please read her story. Patricias accusers theorized that she resented Joanns domestic bliss with the tall, athletic Andrew Katrinak. 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?. She was also no stranger to law enforcement because she had a history of violence which included an arrest for getting into a bar brawl with another patron over a guy. So, this pointed to a theory that Joann had either left on her own or encountered foul play within her home. 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. 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. Based on the activity, the victims were there since at least February. A newspaper account described Patricia as a soft-spoken, demure woman who had a sweet Southern accent and wore feminine clothes in court. FILED DECEMBER 13, 2013 Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals from the order entered in the . I wasn't hung up on Andy, and I didn't want him back. Once, when a gun-wielding farmer and his buddy caught Patricia and Gary riding motorcycles on his field, Patricia walked up and got in their faces and argued, Gary recalled to the Morning Call. Wish me luck! after the fact. She was also accused of breaking into barns, stealing horses, and underfeeding the ones she owned. It's shocking to think that Patricia Rorrer, being a mother, could end the life of an infant. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Patricias defenders also say Andrew Katrinak staged the scene at his house by prying the door and cutting the phone line. 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? "I'm very angry, very very very angry," McIntyre said. We work hard to help with things that can not be accomplished in prison. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. 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. 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. She just stayed in touch with everybody, Kathy Barber said in her interview on NBCs Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports in 2017. The case rocked Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley and resulted in the conviction of Patricia Rorrer, now 53, the ex-girlfriend of Katrinak's husband. Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? And who'd be heartless enough to kill an infant as well? There was at least one hair strand that contained enough skin tissue for a nuclear DNA match and it corroborated the mitochondrial match. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. 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. 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. Do any of the TV episodes suggest the possibility of their being held alive for some time? Not gender neutral. Thank you for reading, please use the links, and watch all the videos. 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). ), And in another bombshell, Joanns good friend Karen Devine said Joann planned to leave Andrew after the holidays. 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. The jury found Patricia guilty in just 6 hours in 1998, 4 years after the crime. Back in March of 2017, Investigation Discovery ran Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates which questioned the conviction of . TV-14 Information Genre Documentary Released 2022 Run Time 42 min Rated TV-14 Languages Original Audio English . Episode 7. Her advocates say she wasn't even in the same state at the time of the crime. - 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 . We affirm. Her alibi about going to the club, called Cowboys Nitelife, got fuzzy when investigators discovered she hadnt signed the guest book on that day. He wanted to move to Colorado and she was against it.. The state police dropped him as a suspect. Then 31 years old, she had lived a rocky existence. Probable cause of death: exposure. He would be alive today if it were not for Patricia Rorrer. The mild-mannered Sarah died in 2019 at the age of 83. Nickelodeons Kids Choice Awards: What Is Slime, and Why Do We Love It? The prosecution alleged that after the murder, Patricia drove Joanns car to McCartys parking lot and backed it into a parking space. 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. Patricia was wrongfully convicted and we will show you how! God Bless each of you. She fought for her life and had defensive wounds including a broken nose and a broken finger. Sir I would not kill somebody and I definitely wouldnt kill somebody I never met, Rorrer said. Error! Joann was shot once, then the gun jammed. Inside the locked 1992 vehicle, police discovered some strands of blond hair stained with dried blood. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. For more on the Katrinak murder case, you can watch Autopsy Six: A Fatal Attraction for free on YouTube. Great communicator. 1 talking about this. Theres also the matter of a woman who suddenly remembered she saw Joann with another man at a Food Mart store five days after the disappearance. Rorrer has appealed her conviction several times and her supporters believe additional DNA evidence testing may be the key to proving her innocence. 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. . That's absolutely ridiculous, yet that is the only motive ever given for why I supposedly committed this crime. Later, they both worked 12-hour graveyard shifts at a textile factory. Patricia's investigators are petitioning to DNA test the single strain of hair found in Joann's hand. Really? By: Robert S. In 1994, Joann Katrinak called her mother-in-law and made plans to go holiday shopping. After watching the latest Starz episode of Wrong Man (a great investigative show), I started thinking about the Patricia Rorrer case again. Decades-old Lehigh Valley murder case back in national spotlight, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. This is the hard part. Stable situation. 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. This is crazy. And James Pfeiffer and Jim Burke have remained on her side. Despite the troubling evidence from Joann's car, detectives considered whether or not Joann had taken baby Alex and simply left. 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. No one is safe if the justice system is broken and they are putting innocent people in prison. At first, a broad-daylight abduction of a mother and her infant seemed unlikely. Rorrer has filed a petition to get new evidence admissible that he said could set her free. This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. After the premiere episode, Wrong Man will air on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. 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. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. "The issues that we are presenting are not speculative at all," Neely said. I knew when Andy got married and I was happy for him. Wrong Man says she had normally signed in for her line dancing class but didn't on the day Joann and Alex disappeared. She asked to speak with Andrew, who was home during the call; Joann refused. Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! Was this on unsolved mysteries too? Watch Forensic Files: Season 5, Episode 3A Woman Scorned. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I would really recommend watching the Wrong Man 2-part episode. 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. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . During Patricias hours-long turn in the witness chair, Michael McIntyre grilled her relentlessly. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. Also Rorrer had a history of run-ins with the law, including being charged with breaking and entering. No comments yet - start the conversation above. Joanne and baby Alex Katrinak kidnapping and murder by Patricia Rorrer. Prosecutor hiding something? Neely said the first officer on the scene didn't believe Rorrer committed the crime. She failed miserably to convince me, or anyone else who mattered, of her innocence. (180) 2017 13+. 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. Sounds like prosecutors made the right call based on this. Documentary, Drama 2020-2020. The six-episode documentary series examines the cases of three different inmates who are serving life sentences on murder convictions but who claim innocence. Moreover, Patricia had been accused of breaking into barns, stealing horses, and underfeeding the ones she cared for charges that never stuck. Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes. These organelles, found in all eukaryotic cells, are the powerhouse of the cell. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband . Unseasonably warm weather in late December suggested that the victims were there since they were killed. No show. For two decades, Patricia Rorrer has always maintained her innocence. But was Andrew in on this plan? In March of 1998, a jury returned two guilty verdicts against Patricia Rorrer for murder, and two more for kidnapping. It was later believed that his recollection was keen, since he'd been the one to dress her posthumously. They theorized might've simply started a new life with another man, but this seemed absurd to everyone who knew Joann. This state is corrupt as in every state! Shes attracted the help of writer Tammy Mal (full name Tammy Malinowski OReilly), author of Convenient Suspect, a book about the case.