They released a list of cases affected by it. Combination locks. 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. Advocates for her innocence complain of hype surrounding the case. Shes just extremely happy with Andy, her brother, Michael OConnor, told the media. 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. Patricia was living back in North Carolina when the double murders occurred, yet investigators questioned her nonetheless. Any amount will deeply appreciated. It was a pretty big deal, and i was excited enough to call everyone I knew. Felix (Phil) Rosado and Terrell (Rell) Woolfolk-Carter, WELCOME HOME!!!!! 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. Irelands husband buried it in the yard because he didnt feel comfortable with a firearm inside, she said. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Joanns first husband, New Jersey construction worker Michael Jack, who had reportedly abused her during their marriage, also had a solid alibi. 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. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. In the Katrinak case, they did new (at the time) DNA testing to match the hairs found in the car to Patricia. 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. In TV clips, Andrew didnt come off as anguished. Did investigators look for phone calls between Andrew and Patricia prior to December 11, 1994? Docket at pp. During that call, Joann apparently grabbed the phone and told Patricia never to phone her husband again. Starting at. 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. 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. A photo at the time showed that Patricia had dyed her hair blonde, which matched the hair found. Until WCJN has thought that the hair was planted but the FBI has just released a report detailing unscientific and fraudulent analysis of hair samples in criminal cases. The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. Prosecutors said Rorrer beat Katrinak, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods in Heidelberg Township. 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. Pal stays true. The defense called into question both the motive and the shaky DNA hair evidence at the time. Patricia Rorrer was a cold woman. But other things Patricia did also seemed strange, especially according to prosecutor Michael McIntyre. Well, that really caught our attention of course.". 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. I was convicted on the basis of a DNA match made to the root of one (1) hair found in Joann's car. 99.99 or whatever it was. Murder victim. Cancel Anytime. Wrong Man says she had normally signed in for her line dancing class but didn't on the day Joann and Alex disappeared. '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. It seems likely these bodies were dumped here months after initially thought, not killed the day they were kidnapped. But if that's the main evidence against her, it seems awfully weak. She needs to be freed! Police identified the pair as Joann and Alex Katrinak. I wonder if any of Alex's pediatrician records still exist after all this time. Dial-a-problem. Louise Rorrer Bryant, age 79, of Fieldale, Va., passed away on May 15, 2022. Berlingers landmark HBO documentary Paradise Lost Trilogy helped lead to the release of the wrongfully convicted West Memphis Three after 18 years of incarceration. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. But defense lawyer Robert Pfeiffer said that plenty of evidence supported Patricias innocence. At the very least, prosecutors got their story very wrong as they convicted Patricia. Not gender neutral. Lehigh Cty.) It was later believed that his recollection was keen, since he'd been the one to dress her posthumously. They allege that the North Carolina resident stealthily drove 500 miles to Pennsylvania and killed out of a sense of deadly indignation. Please watch the show Wrong Man which also found new evidence that supports my innocence. 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. He was sentenced to life in prison. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. She was born on Jan. 24, 1964, in eastern Pennsylvania and moved back and forth between there and Davidson County, North Carolina. 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. Now retired, he declined ForensicFilesNow.coms invitation to spar directly with Patricia via a podcast. Wow this episode was featured on Forensic Files. 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). Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. She was the devoted wife of the late Alvin Haymon Rorrer. Many of these are circumstantial, so investigators were grateful for their DNA match from the hair. We affirm. Police converged on the scene and soon realized it was not only the remains of Joann Katrinak, but sadly of Alex too. 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. The phone wire was located at the opposite end of the basement, which was dark. We need to know who killed them! It showed her usually all-brown hair haphazardly highlighted blond. They also found a photo of Patricia taken 11 days before the homicide. Prosecutors offered Patricia a plea deal that would take the death penalty off the table, but she declined. I cant lose them, he told the media. In 2015, an outside source, through a freedom of information act request, received an FBI . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDGl9dMgHwY&fbclid=IwAR1nlAYf6AcIu_i8kN0fD_MCD3CnxJ6DG_oUgVFdqN3b2EJ4fcLO2ci3wWc. Where are the missing 4 hairs? She was always looking for a fight, Gary Gabard told the Morning Call, which noted that he was a head shorter than Patricia. "I'm hoping this [show] will be very close to the truth," said Sandy Mizgerd. Was this on unsolved mysteries too? (Disclaimer: Im not a big fan of eyewitnesses who come forward years after the fact, but its possible). What about Joann's best friend, who told the producer's of Wrong Man that Joann was saving up money and planning to leave Andy right after the holidays? I am humbly asking for your help to hire a lawyer and procure a fair trial. Most convictions were procured through microscopic hair comparison which has been debunked as junk science today. 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. And because of the gun jamming, the assailant had to resort to blunt object and beat her about the head. - 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 . Shouldn't Andrew have mentioned this suspicious, out-of-the-blue phone call from his ex-girlfriend sooner? Its definitely getting rougher every day, Andrew told the Morning Call. Season 1. 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 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. After all, one of the key pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene and Joanns vehicle were dyed blonde hair strands. I dont even know its Christmas.. The first, Vonda Smith, was convicted of murdering her grandchilds mother, 21-year-old Jessie Morrison. 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. The second season will continue to uncover new theories and reveal startling new evidence that could prove that three new inmates are, in fact, not guilty, according to Starzs press statement. Patricia was arrested in North Carolina in June of 1997. In 2015, I discovered an FBI report that states the hair used to convict me had "No Roots Attached." Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. 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 . 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. Patricia Rorrer is imprisoned for murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. 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? God Bless each of you. On closer inspection, he saw it was the body of a woman. 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. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband Andy but the ex-couple hadn't spoken for close to a year until they had a call one day in December, 1994. Part 1. Morrison was 16 weeks pregnant when her lifeless body was found beaten beyond recognition and dumped along a remote country road, reads the statement. After retracing the prosecutor's claim of Patricia breaking into the basement door, private investigators found it highly unlikely someone like Patricia would have all the tools and know-how to unscrew all the bolts and then navigate through a very long, confusing dark basement to cut a phone line. She did buy a .22 before. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. 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 either victimas the monster responsible. Joe Berlingers documentary series Wrong Man shows what long form documentary journalism can achieve. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. The prosecution alleged that Patricia called the Katrinaks house from a pay phone in Pennsylvania. We take wrongful convictions to heart. Patricia Rorrer Age: 51 Sex: FEMALE 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. A local murder case that made national headlines will be back in the national spotlight Sunday night. 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. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. Highly charged case. The person responsible, needs to be punished. You have permission to edit this article. But none of those charges ever stuck. Um why is that? Everyone needs to wake up because this could be you, your wife, your husband, your mother, your father, your children! Error! And dance instructor William Jarrett couldnt remember whether she attended his dance class at the club the night of Joanns disappearance. If you like our work please subscribe to our second channel The History Chronicles https://www.youtube.com/c/TheHistoryChroniclesFor early access. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Artificial intelligence and machine learning education and literacy: teacher training for primary and secondary education teachers; Chapter 2. She has been incarcerated for 24+ years. Our Mission. Kidnapped and killed? After Joann Katrinak, the wife of Patricias former flame, turned up dead along with her infant son, prosecutors suspected Patricia. The authorities charged her with two counts of murder. By that time, we had both moved on and I had no romantic feelings for him. Man, this case was soooo shittily handled. Starz announces premiere date for Joe Berlinger's Wrong Man Season 2. Why would somebody tell you, theyre going to fry me, if they didnt do it? Jarrett told Wrong Man. 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. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . I wasn't hung up on Andy, and I didn't want him back. 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. Friends and family began looking for Joann and Alex. The prosecution alleged that after the murder, Patricia drove Joanns car to McCartys parking lot and backed it into a parking space. McIntyre said he was accused of being the mastermind of a conspiracy to frame Rorrer. Damning for Patricia was that this field was only a couple miles from a horse farm that she used to have access to. She got 12 months of probation for shoplifting at a Walmart in Lexington, North Carolina. Here was some other evidence mentioned in the Forensic Files episode: A forensic entomologist examined insect activity on the victims. Although the prosecution used it as evidence that she was trying to create a false alibi, it actually sounded more like Patricia was simply trying to nail down the facts he had already asserted to her. One she was at a tanning salon. Patricia Taylor Allanson, the Deadly Magnolia, was released from prison in 1999. Plus, two men, her babys father and his friend, testified they saw Patricia at the line-dancing club the night of the homicide. One on one? A second helping of justice will be served. This had been taken just 11 days before Joann's disappearance. In November 2005, she shoots Keith in the head while he . The team on Wrong Man tracked down the history of this gun and found that the police did so as well. He is the TV Editor at Entertainment. Where to Watch. McIntyre said a conspiracy theory is preposterous and he's surprised Rorrer is making another attempt to get out of prison. 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. During Patricias hours-long turn in the witness chair, Michael McIntyre grilled her relentlessly. No comments yet - start the conversation above. The only eyewitness to the murder a five-year-old child told police officers that a white man did it, reads the statement. Does anyone see motive in this scenario? . The victims vanished on December 15. The Ex Files: Directed by Rob Rosen. Mostly cloudy and drier, but a few scattered rain showers linger early, and perhaps a few snow showers at any point in the Poconos. 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. The killer was Patricia Rorrer, the jealous ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, Andrew. . Men who murder are conventional, women are sensational, posits the Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network. 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. 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. Murder victim. She had dropped out of school at the age of 17 to marry her partner and subsequently worked long graveyard shifts at a textile factory to provide for their family. !) and detractors (This is another bs attempt to free a psycho). Andrew told investigators that the unpleasant phone call between Joann and Patricia happened just three days before his wifes disappearance. I knew when Andy got married and I was happy for him. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. He will never be able to speak if this case! She was born on July 27, 1942, in Henry County, Va., to Edward Rorrer and Susie Morrison Rorrer. -, Press J to jump to the feed. 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. 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. Appeal from the PCRA Order May 26, 2016. The judge didn't make a decision on the findings on Tuesday. 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. But thats just some of the ammo on Team Patricias battleship. Prosecutor hiding something? 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 . Thats my life.. By: Robert S. In 1994, Joann Katrinak called her mother-in-law and made plans to go holiday shopping. Most prosecutors wouldn't even take such paltry evidence into court today. 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. Book her. But investigators conceded they had no solid evidence against Andrew. ", "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. Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol. Read More:Where is Jacqueline Crymble Now? Patricia was arrested on June 24, 1997. . 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. It's shocking to think that Patricia Rorrer, being a mother, could end the life of an infant. Select "match any" to find at least one field. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. She claimed to have been home during this period how did her defense team justify such a departure from Patricia's norm? Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted of Murder. 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. Rorrer has filed a petition to get new evidence admissible that he said could set her free.