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. Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. 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. -, Press J to jump to the feed. ACLU says it could take legal action over Saucon Valley School District rescinding approval for After School Satan Club, 'He was a very humble guy': Reading High soccer coach remembers player killed in Route 33 crash, Big rig crashes from I-81 bridge onto street below in Schuylkill, Eat, Sip, Shop: Refresh your ride at new Lehigh County store, selling high-quality car detailing products, Fire broke out in a Lower Macungie apartment building, Champions of Magic's Alex McAleer gives an exciting look at the upcoming live show, Pet of the Month: Nina from Ruff Life Rescue, Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor needs volunteers, Allentown Public Library celebrates Dr. Seuss's birthday with children's activities, Kindness Project teams up with Flavor Nation to give away free tacos, History's Headlines: The Lehigh Valley's music man, Berks County Parks invites people to their Winter Wellness Walk, Royals host "kids takeover" game where kids get a taste of the sports business, Wilson School students raise $83k to fight childhood cancer, Berks County Intermediate Unit receives $3.18 million in grants for Head Start programs, 'First in the nation' bill to provide free screenings for breast cancer to receive full Pa. Senate vote, Reading Area Water Authority looking for leak on North Heidelberg Township line, Former Penn State Berks soccer player among dead in violent Monroe County crash, In Britain, warm hubs emerge to beat soaring energy costs, Biden expected to tighten rules on US investment in China, Paid express lanes grow more popular in once-reluctant South, Ukraine ally Kallas fights for reelection in Estonia vote, In Chicago, adapting electric buses to winters challenges, Pot vote has Oklahoma hungry to rake in green from Texas, Global race to boost electric vehicle range in cold weather, 6 Nigerian states drop suit to void presidential vote result, The implications of Walgreens' decision on abortion pills, What the Tech? She is sitting in Muncey Women's Correctional Facility for over 23 years now for something. Based on body decomposition alone, it seems near impossible that they were kidnapped and killed in the same day or even within weeks. And, I was quite angry with the police, that they accused Andy. Police treated Joann's car as a potential crime scene, and their investigation turned up several blonde hairs on the head rest. This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. It was conceivable that Andrew believed they were still out. ACLU says it could take legal action over Saucon Valley School District rescinding approval for After School Satan Club, 'He was a very humble guy': Reading High soccer coach remembers player killed in Route 33 crash, Big rig crashes from I-81 bridge onto street below in Schuylkill, Eat, Sip, Shop: Refresh your ride at new Lehigh County store, selling high-quality car detailing products, Fire broke out in a Lower Macungie apartment building, Champions of Magic's Alex McAleer gives an exciting look at the upcoming live show, Pet of the Month: Nina from Ruff Life Rescue, Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor needs volunteers, Allentown Public Library celebrates Dr. Seuss's birthday with children's activities, Kindness Project teams up with Flavor Nation to give away free tacos, History's Headlines: The Lehigh Valley's music man, Berks County Parks invites people to their Winter Wellness Walk, Royals host "kids takeover" game where kids get a taste of the sports business, Wilson School students raise $83k to fight childhood cancer, Berks County Intermediate Unit receives $3.18 million in grants for Head Start programs, 'First in the nation' bill to provide free screenings for breast cancer to receive full Pa. Senate vote, Reading Area Water Authority looking for leak on North Heidelberg Township line, Former Penn State Berks soccer player among dead in violent Monroe County crash, In Britain, warm hubs emerge to beat soaring energy costs, Biden expected to tighten rules on US investment in China, Paid express lanes grow more popular in once-reluctant South, Ukraine ally Kallas fights for reelection in Estonia vote, In Chicago, adapting electric buses to winters challenges, Pot vote has Oklahoma hungry to rake in green from Texas, Global race to boost electric vehicle range in cold weather, 6 Nigerian states drop suit to void presidential vote result, The implications of Walgreens' decision on abortion pills, What the Tech? The 26-year-old was recently married, and this would be four-month-old Alex's first Christmas. Right now she has no attorney and your generous donation will fund our mission. You couldnt fire a second shot. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. On Alexs diaper bag, police found strands of the same type of hair from the car. 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. How could I explain to my daughter years later that I took a plea for something I didnt do? she said. It was a pretty big deal, and i was excited enough to call everyone I knew. ", "I can remember till this day, seeing that infant being lifted off the abdomen of his mother. Patricia demonstrated a habit of making almost daily, long-distance phone calls from her home in North Carolina. Most convictions were procured through microscopic hair comparison which has been debunked as junk science today. Walmart woe. However, her name was not on the sign-in list. The defense called into question both the motive and the shaky DNA hair evidence at the time. Pal stays true. Obviously her husband Andy would be the main suspect (and his smirking after Patricia was found guilty was galling) but the Wrong Man team spoke to him and seem convinced that he was being truthful. 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. Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve the legal counsel for Patricia. Please walk thru her website and see for yourself how easy it is to be convicted of something you had nothing to do with. And Patricia wasnt all edges. !) and detractors (This is another bs attempt to free a psycho). Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image. On December 7, 1994 I called Andy to let him know that me and my team had won the National Championship at a team penning competition in Oklahoma. Because when she did, she quickly began to realize that there was a lot more to the story than the public ever knew. Did investigators look for phone calls between Andrew and Patricia prior to December 11, 1994? Andrew languished for weeks and then months as investigators failed to suppl any explanation for his wife's and son's mysterious disappearance. And yikes, he discovered someone had cut one of the houses phone lines and pried the hinge on the basement door. But Patricia had moved from Pennsylvania years ago, and she'd started her own family in North Carolina. The jury found Patricia guilty in just 6 hours in 1998, 4 years after the crime. Hello guys! Counsel for Patricia Rorrer, 52, . Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. That's absolutely ridiculous, yet that is the only motive ever given for why I supposedly committed this crime. Those who knew Joann pointed out that she didnt like to drive in reverse and would have never parked that way. New state, new man. In 2015, an outside source, through a freedom of information act request, received an FBI . She was the devoted wife of the late Alvin Haymon Rorrer. Then, despite her multiple alibis, she has an inexplicable five-day gap in this pattern. I am innocent of these crimes, and I should not have lost the best years of my life in a prison cell. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. An early childhood introd I would really recommend watching the Wrong Man 2-part episode. They theorized might've simply started a new life with another man, but this seemed absurd to everyone who knew Joann. 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. 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. By the mid-1990s, Patricia was known for being both warm and caring as well as aggressive and loud. His father confirmed his alibi that they were doing construction work together, putting an addition on the house of friends Tom and Kathy Holschwander, at the time of Joanns disappearance. In his dissenting opinion, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas acknowledged the case might not have even been heard by the Supreme Court had it not been for the media that reinvestigated it. Detective Robert Werts stated Rorrer offered four or five alibis for the time of the incident. Joanns first husband, New Jersey construction worker Michael Jack, who had reportedly abused her during their marriage, also had a solid alibi. Not gender neutral. Jury Rejects Alibi, Finds Rorrer Guilty In Double Kidnapping-murder Case Woman found guilty in Lehigh Slayings Convicted murderer seeks new DNA tests in '94 murder case. E 204 Patricia Rorrer: Under the Microscope. Morrison was 16 weeks pregnant when her lifeless body was found beaten beyond recognition and dumped along a remote country road, reads the statement. 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. Read More:Where is Jacqueline Crymble Now? Tribute Archive Meticulous primping. McIntyre said a conspiracy theory is preposterous and he's surprised Rorrer is making another attempt to get out of prison. The investigation that led to her identification and then turned up enough evidence to arrest and convict Patricia Rorrer was interesting. Previously on Wrong Man, we learned about the murder of Joann Katrinak and her baby.Were they murdered because Joann angrily hung the phone up on Patty Rorrer, the ex of Andy Katrinak? By that time, we had both moved on and I had no romantic feelings for him. 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. And it certainly didn't make me mad enough to jump in my car, drive 500 miles one way and kill two people I'd never met--one an infant child. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. 0. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. Crime 2017. This is the hard part. 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. Rorrer claims the DNA . A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. The killer was Patricia Rorrer, the jealous ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, Andrew. Also she worked as a realtor so it's not that unreasonable for her to know which line to cut. 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. 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. She needs to be freed! After the premiere episode, Wrong Man will air on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. The judge didn't make a decision on the findings on Tuesday. The state made a case fueled by circumstantial evidence and public outrage over the deaths of a modern-day madonna and child. (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. DNA testing revealed the blood came from either Joann or her son. 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. Highly charged case. It is believed she may have received over 3,700 pills in less than a year. When they found Joann and Alex in a wooded area on April 9 1995. TV-14 Information Genre Documentary Released 2022 Run Time 42 min Rated TV-14 Languages Original Audio English . PATRICIA LYNNE RORRER Appellant No. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! "The issues that we are presenting are not speculative at all," Neely said. There was also a 2017 Dateline Keith Morrison episode which covered some of these facts. Later, they both worked 12-hour graveyard shifts at a textile factory. 1 talking about this. 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. Based on the activity, the victims were there since at least February. further reading: True Detective Season 3 and the West Memphis Three. . Tapps lawyer saidWrong Mans in-depth investigation into the Tapp conviction helped free an innocent man.. Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports is also available on YouTube, but it costs $1.99 to view (Keith comes off as an advocate for Patricias innocence on the episode). Incriminating words. Murder victim. 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. Find where to watch Patricia Rorrer's latest movies and tv shows Part 1. The first, Vonda Smith, was convicted of murdering her grandchilds mother, 21-year-old Jessie Morrison. This is for them also and freeing an innocent woman! Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. So much in this case, and every time she appeals with new evidence she is denied. TV-MA | Mar 1, 2020 | 53m. Sounds like prosecutors made the right call based on this. She was always looking for a fight, Gary Gabard told the Morning Call, which noted that he was a head shorter than Patricia. Prosecutors said Rorrer beat Katrinak, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods in Heidelberg Township. Use quotation marks to search as a . Her mother, Patricia Chambers, provided day care for their baby son, Charles. McItyre said this is hearsay and the officer has refuted everything in an affidavit. Very true - I can't remember if the show went through that. Weak wages. ), And in another bombshell, Joanns good friend Karen Devine said Joann planned to leave Andrew after the holidays. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. In addition to her . Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. 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. 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. However, a former boyfriend stated that she did own a .22 caliber chrome-plated semi-automatic weapon. She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. At first, a broad-daylight abduction of a mother and her infant seemed unlikely. 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. I have always maintained my innocence because I am innocent. Suzanne Pearson fabricated quotes from Patricia including her claim that Patricia said, Im going to the electric chair upon her arrest because a conviction would boost Pearsons career. Plus, he had only a minimal life insurance policy on Joann and he passed polygraphs, according to The FBI Files: Family Secrets. Testimony from Walter Blalock contradicted Patricias claim that she never had a gun. But when did he find the evidence of the break-in? I was like OK, maybe she was tired, you know with a new baby. The Ex Files: Directed by Rob Rosen. Joe Berlingers documentary series Wrong Man shows what long form documentary journalism can achieve. He was sentenced to life in prison. The state police dropped him as a suspect. She said that shes no fan of Forensic Files and that the show had many misrepresentations about her case and that shed heard ForensicFilesNow.com mixed up some facts as well. 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. Um why is that? 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. Regarding the gun, she claims to have said that she didn't have a gun at that time, not that she never had one. There is another question, though: Can anyone say . After the first season, the Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction of Curtis Flowers, who had been tried six times by nearly all-white juries; Christopher Tapp was exonerated from rape and murder charges after serving 20 years of a 30-year sentence; Evaristo Salas will go to into a new trial represented by a pro bono lawyer. Where does one pick up flower petal in the dead of winter in PA.? A hidden FBI report found a couple years ago showed that police were unsure if there were roots on the found hairs. EPISODE 1. Some who still believe in Patricia Rorrer's innocence say it was long enough for him to stage the scene. 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? Rorrer claims the DNA evidence used to send . They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . I am humbly asking for your help to hire a lawyer and procure a fair trial. Here was some other evidence mentioned in the Forensic Files episode: A forensic entomologist examined insect activity on the victims. They had a son, Alex Martin, in August of 1994. 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. Yet, everything changed when they lost their 3-month-old son to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Or was it? They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. It was later believed that his recollection was keen, since he'd been the one to dress her posthumously. 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. Patricia, who moved from PA to North Carolina, made long distance calls from her home practically every day, except for the time period between December 11 and 16. Stable situation. Please take the time to read my story. They moved into her house in Salisbury County, staying together for about two years. The missing items included Joann's purse, car, both her and Alex's winter jackets, and the diaper bag. I can't recall if the long distance calls were talked about in the show. The premiere episode will air following the series finale of Power. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. 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. By: Robert S. In 1994, Joann Katrinak called her mother-in-law and made plans to go holiday shopping. 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. Hair we go. 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. On a secret recording, Patricia asked Jarrett to vouch for her attendance or she might go to the electric char. There was an error processing your request. MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.: FILED OCTOBER 26, 2017 Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals the PCRA court's dismissal of her . 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?. (A good point. It was never tested. Conflicting versions. She does not have a lawyer, her last lawyer was sued by the prosecutor. 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? She claimed to be at a dance class in private club but her name was missing from the sign in sheet that night. In addition to the Facebook page, there are Reddit threads on her case. Dial-a-problem. More hairs there. Finally, prosecutors challenged Patricia's alibi. It addresses each of these issues (better than I can do, certainly). 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. On December 12, 1994, Joann answered a phone call from a woman shed never met, Patricia Rorrer, her husbands onetime girlfriend. But investigators conceded they had no solid evidence against Andrew. 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 was arrested on June 24, 1997. . 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. Patricia Rorrer was a cold woman. Error! This proves that whatever hair root was DNA tested and matched to me could not have been one of the hairs taken from Joann's car. The episode made a special point about locating the photograph of Patricia Rorrer with dyed blonde hair. 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. Patricia Rorrer was tried and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of kidnapping in March 1998, in Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, for the murder of Joanne Katrinak and her infant son. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. There was an error processing your request. The phone wire was located at the opposite end of the basement, which was dark. When it was only able to fire once, Rorrer had to resort to bludgeoning her victim. Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7: Finale Release Time and Season Recap, Tiger King Earned 34 Million Viewers in First 10 Days, Shazam! How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? He would be alive today if it were not for Patricia Rorrer. The mild-mannered Sarah died in 2019 at the age of 83. Her newest book, Convenient Suspect, is scheduled for release in the fall of 2017 and recounts the murders of Joann and Alex Katrinak and the potential wrongful conviction of Patricia Rorrer. They also found a photo of Patricia taken 11 days before the homicide. McIntyre said he was accused of being the mastermind of a conspiracy to frame Rorrer.