But it wasnt until the police linked Rorrer to the crime through a DNA match between her and a hair recovered from Joanns car that they finally had enough to arrest her. I dont think she was ever scared until we put the cuffs on her.. Now retired, he declined ForensicFilesNow.coms invitation to spar directly with Patricia via a podcast. You might think such a thing couldnt happen, but thats exactly what did happen in the Rorrer case. In 1994, a mother, Joann Katrinak, and her baby disappeared and their bodies were later found in Heidelberg Township. After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> <> Hair we go. ), And in another bombshell, Joanns good friend Karen Devine said Joann planned to leave Andrew after the holidays. Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. Why was no root noted on the hairs found in Joanns car until, Why does the FBIs own report state that the hairs found in Joanns car. Weak wages. Lehigh Valley: Patricia Rorrer Still A Convenient Suspect? 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. After eliminating Andrew as a suspect in the killings, detectives set their sights on Rorrer, charging her with two counts of murder and kidnapping. But none of those charges ever stuck. 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. !) and detractors (This is another bs attempt to free a psycho). If you have any information on this missing mystery, please contact the Cape Girardeau Police Department directly: 573-335-6621. More than 20 years after her conviction, Patricia Rorrer still has advocates working to exonerate her. In a million years, she wouldnt do anything to harm that.. She just stayed in touch with everybody, Kathy Barber said in her interview on NBCs Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports in 2017. 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. And James Pfeiffer and Jim Burke have remained on her side. For more information, visit: http://www.peacockproductions.tv/. "Reasonable Doubt" The Ex Files (TV Episode 2022) - IMDb A three-year investigation culminated in court on March 6, 1998, with Patricia being convicted on two counts of murder and two counts of kidnapping. Alexs cause of death has never been determined. Photo by: Harry Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Images, Harry Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Images. Then you listen to the other side, and its like, Wait a minute. This case will live with you for a while after you have seen the story, because it is one that has stuck with me., The show which debuts March 5 at both 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Superior Court states that all 6 seatback hairs AND the cigarette butt were nuclear DNA tested and matched to Rorrer. Murder victim Joann Katrinak. Most of all, Patricia said, she would like a rematch with prosecutor Michael McIntyre. 1 0 obj b-zl(c=v78s#^#C OMm:Dcm=gG?Ig]h}[2?LF| gy$)3{l;,/q-zB]/W#w OKwabn;__`0T=VIa".%ze(tIB\TnJH0 9E4=aZA Atlanta Is Building A Memorial To 29 Child Murder Victims Killed Between 1979 and 1981, True Crime News Roundup: Beauty Pageant Hopeful Vanishes After Flying To Las Vegas, Student Studying Abroad In Russia Found Dead After Sending Her Mother Troubling Text, Laundrie Family Attorney Says Remains Found In Florida Belong To Brian Laundrie, Inside The Tragic Hart Family Murder-Suicide Crash, The 1993 Unsolved Murder Of Holly Piirainen, True Crime News Roundup: Alabama Corrections Officer Vanishes With Her Inmate Boyfriend, Mother Who Claimed 7-Year-Old Daughter Was Sick Sentenced To Prison After Girl Dies, UPDATE: Fugitive Leticia Smith from In Pursuit With John Walsh Captured In Mexico, Remembering Georgia Lee Moses: The Search For Answers In The Little Girls 1997 Killing Continues, Lululemon Murder: Store Employee Suffered Over 300 Blows, Severed Spinal Cord In Fatal Attack. Does he think Rorrer is a killer or a victim of a miscarriage of justice? Sad discovery. More hairs there. Patricia Rorrer is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. Her alibi about going to the club, called Cowboys Nitelife, got fuzzy when investigators discovered she hadnt signed the guest book on that day. App of the Day: Poolsuite FM, What the Tech? Puny policy. He said, "Frankly, I was appalled at what I saw. In TV clips, Andrew didnt come off as anguished. Appeals - Patricia Rorrer Yet, everything changed when they lost their 3-month-old son to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Why would somebody tell you, theyre going to fry me, if they didnt do it? Jarrett told Wrong Man. Legal Expert Weighs In, Suspect Arrested in Killings of Four University of Idaho Students, Back to the '90s: ID Specials Reexamine Decade that Launched True Crime Craze. Im still on the fence, but boy do I ever want to find the answers!. After Patricia and Andrew broke up in 1990, she moved back to North Carolina but the two remained in touch through sporadic visits and phone calls. Patricia Rorrer sits in prison for murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby, but her supporters say she wasn't even in the same state at the time of the crime. Read more: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs. Patricia Lynne Rorrer. On Alexs diaper bag, police found strands of the same type of hair from the car. These are but a brief sampling of the many errors and inaccuracies contained in Superior Courts opinion. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. Tragedy also touched Patricias life. Rorrer has appealed her conviction several times and her supporters believe additional DNA evidence . ET features interviews with all the key players from the 1998 trial of Rorrer, who is currently behind bars. Why did they refuse to investigate a hair found in the victims right hand? 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. She beat Katrinak, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods in Heidelberg Township. No charmed life. The cause of death has not been determined, according to officials. Prosecutor pounds away. In April 1995, the family buried Joann and Alex in a single bronze casket after a funeral mass at a Bethlehem church. Shortly before Katrinak and Alex disappeared, Rorrer called the Katrinak house. 1:57. Rorrer and Andrew broke off their relationship in 1990, but they remained in regular contact even as Rorrer moved 800 miles away. Lieutenant Christopher Coble and Sergeant Suzanne Pearson would later testify that Patricia cried and apologized to 18-month-old Nicole, telling the baby, Im sorry for doing this to you and lamenting to the officers that she would never see little Nicole again. Then 31 years old, she had lived a rocky existence. She was sentenced to two life terms in prison without parole. STARZ - Uncover shocking new evidence in Patricia Rorrer's - Facebook Cancel Anytime. Although Rorrer would deny any involvement in the crime, the evidence against her seemed almost overwhelming. Convenient Suspect: A Wrongful Conviction In The Murder In Lehigh Valley? Joann answered and told Rorrer to leave her family alone before hanging up. Or is Patricia Rorrer still just a convenient suspect? After all, one of the key pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene and Joanns vehicle were dyed blonde hair strands. She asked to speak with Andrew, who was home during the call; Joann refused. Peacock Productions, a division of NBC News, is a nonfiction production company that combines the editorial expertise, technical resources, and seasoned talent of NBCUniversal to create series, events, and live specials for global audiences. Since that time, Rorrer has held out hope that Pennsylvania's Superior Court would grant her a hearing to examine the new evidence that has come to light in her case. She was a real estate agent, a salesperson, and an equestrian, but she also had a rap sheet that included a 12-month probation sentence for shoplifting from a North Carolina Walmart. Testimony from Walter Blalock contradicted Patricias claim that she never had a gun. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. endobj A five-year investigation of the case has uncovered compelling new evidence that they did not. So now, lets find out everything there is to know about her, shall we? Partly to mostly cloudy, brisk, and cool. 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. Gay Bars, 1 Suspect Still at Large, Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims. Six hairs recovered from Joanns car and two from the site where the bodies were discovered became the main evidence used against Patricia. Detective Barry Grube found it odd that Andrew fixed the severed phone line before police examined it in essence tampering with evidence. You have permission to edit this article. Superior Court states that Patricia Rorrer and Andy Katrinaks romantic relationship ended in May, 1993 only one year before the murders. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. . 728 views. Plus: Young boys body found in Nevada freezer; man accused of murdering, and Florida serial killer convicted of three murders. (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. Investigators initially keyed in on Katrinaks husband, Andrew, whod told police he thought someone broke into his house, cut the telephone line and abducted his wife and son. Thats my life.. Watch Wrong Man: Ep 203 - Patricia Rorrer: The Hang Up Online - STARZ But her reputation wasnt exactly sleek and shiny. Neely said once state police started to focus on Rorrer as a potential suspect, they went to North Carolina where she was living and they obtained a sample of her hair to compare to the ones found at the scene. Sundays special is the first of at least two Morrison is working on with Investigation Discovery, who he says have given me unlimited freedom to look into cases that interest me.. Jessie Morrison is beaten to death, police zero in on Vonda Smith. 8GNGn`s/daUnjx OgG^{|;\(l_K -^?g&"!#{ !]uH}tgx=qCB:xN_ bxxx>)MwG@&qG}S,JCWg4f4QU4tFcT*jNjMa/nR>3[i,?R|*Drx|`|Ov 1tsFIed?r?1 (RDFoy$yYIGpc u)O2g(A((g>Igl9H=hE;n&oA?dpXKQ0[_E/OYc[,}gQn-I/02Eis|(:.z\c;.3_|;*S}h ]~+1M Stable situation. 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. 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. Plus, two men, her babys father and his friend, testified they saw Patricia at the line-dancing club the night of the homicide. Charged with two counts of capital murder and two counts of kidnapping, Patricia Rorrer was quickly tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison without parole. A copy of an undated handout photo of Joann Marie Katrinak and 15-week-old Alex Martin Katrinak, both of Catasauqua, Pa. who were found dead in Dec. of 1994. Kenneth Clair, a homeless black man, is convicted and sentenced to death for the brutal murder of a babysitter in 1984. ", Neely said, "If there were no hair roots when this hair went to the FBI, where did a hair with a hair root come from?". They had a son, Alex Martin, in August of 1994. My husband passed away of a broken heart, Sarah OConnor said on the Montel Williams Show in 2001. After more than 20 years, questions are finally being raised about the many problems that plague this case, and the compelling evidence that points to the wrongful conviction of Patricia Rorrer. For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Why did they refuse to conduct DNA testing on a cigarette butt found with the bodies? One of our nations fastest growing cable networks, ID delivers the highest-quality programming to more than 85 million U.S. households and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD). WATCH: ID Examines 1994 Lehigh Valley Double-Murder - People Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the worlds #1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories. As we wait for the pending appeal, Rorrer shares her first-hand account and I talk with the prosecutor and law enforcement about the new allegations that have thrust this case back into the spotlight.. Authorities said a vehicle previously purchased in Lake Orion, Michigan is linked to this Cape Girardeau, Missouri mystery. 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. On Aug. 5, 1993, Holly Piirainen, 10, and her brother went to a neighbor's house to play with puppies. $Hm$5c&BRIb)iRsSI(*b|(:b|(*Plxt%|:J'i6. Peacock Productions reaches more than 300 million people worldwide every year across broadcast, cable, syndication, and emerging platforms with its award-winning specials and series. Lehigh County Deputies escort accused murderer Patricia Rorrer, as she arrives for the beginning of her trial at the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown, on Friday, Feb. 6, 1998. Walmart woe. Z6DGgYP5`T30V;B:HI `{N v,mQxtGxrFwLS` KxL*sc ;fY. And Patricia wasnt all edges. Sharon Scott is the President and General Manager. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her.Patricia Rorrer is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. Uncover shocking new evidence in Patricia Rorrer's case with a new episode of #WrongMan, now on the STARZ App. He would be alive today if it were not for Patricia Rorrer. The mild-mannered Sarah died in 2019 at the age of 83. 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. 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. Man Arrested In Connection With Disappearance Of Woman Last Seen At Seattle Mariners Game, The Search Continues For Minnesota Mother After Her Suspicious Disappearance, A Person Of Interest And Reward Established In Search For Missing Mother Heather Mae Kelley, Mystery Remains After 13-Year-Old Girl Vanished From A Minnesota Gas Station In 1989, Maybe Someday Someone Will Break: Alabama Mother Searches For Daughter Who Vanished In 2010, An Alabama Woman Disappeared After Her Boyfriend Dropped Her Off At Home, Have You Seen Semaj Goodwine? x\[s~L34j+Gv}P$D"UO] On closer inspection, he saw it was the body of a woman. . Smith will face charges for allegedly killing her husband, Antione Smith. Tammy Mal is a true-crime writer whos written for True Detective Magazine and Absolute Crime Publishing. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. 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. The person responsible, needs to be punished. It is similar to Making a Murderer it just makes you want to learn more.. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. Kidnapped and killed? Join us tonight for #ReasonableDoubt at 10/9c on ID. However, as profiled on IDs Deadly Women: Green-Eyed Monsters, Joanns husbands ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer, was eventually identified as their perpetrator. Patricia was wrongfully convicted and we will show you how! She was also accused of breaking into barns, stealing horses, and underfeeding the ones she owned. There was an error processing your request. The phone wire was located at the opposite end of the basement, which was dark. He wanted to move to Colorado and she was against it.. Men who murder are conventional, women are sensational, posits the Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these real people, real stories, the always revealing network challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created an age enhancement of what he may look like at age 23. : Local economists weigh in after 3rd bank failure in last 2 months, Baby alligator temporarily staying in the Poconos after being found at sewage plant in Allentown, LVHN offering 2nd dose of bivalent COVID-19 booster shot for people 65 and older, immunocompromised people, Work to replace busy bridge connecting Lehigh, Northampton counties is underway; there's some good news for commuters, Allentown Service Plaza to close at night during the week as crews do paving work, High Delaware River water levels lead to additional safety requirements at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area this week, Gov. Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. stream Another former boyfriend said she talked about Andrew frequently and liked to gaze at old photos of him. At 17, Patricia dropped out of high school and married landscaper Gary Gabard. And dance instructor William Jarrett couldnt remember whether she attended his dance class at the club the night of Joanns disappearance. Our investigators unravel the mysteries behind Vonda Smiths' possible wrongful conviction and Jessie Morrison's brutal murder. Great communicator. Shes extremely, extremely happy with the baby. How would an intruder find it? 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Book her. The media love the femme fatale., FBI lab blunder. Documentary, Drama 2020-2020. 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. Andrew described his existence with Joanne and Alex as a little Camelot., Ex-spouse off list. She is as effective at telling a story today as she was back then. 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?. The police considered the possibility that Joann ran away, a theory disputed by her family. Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. They theorize that Andrew Katrinak framed Patricia and that the hostile phone call between Patricia and Joann actually took place not on Dec. 12 as Andrew said but rather on Dec. 7. It showed her usually all-brown hair haphazardly highlighted blond. Patricia Rorrer - Wrongful Conviction, Innocent, Nonprofit More dry than wet overall, but still cool and unsettled. 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. Decades-old Lehigh Valley murder case back in national spotlight - WFMZ.com Two-Part Special Premieres Sunday, March 5 at 8/7c; Features Exclusive First-Ever Interview with Inmate Patricia Rorrer . American Catherine Serou sent her mother a text that read, I hope Im not being abducted.. Traupman died in 2016. <>>> As for an epilogue on ex-flame Andrew Katrinak, he has moved to Colorado and kept a low profile since the trial ended. If Patricia drove it back from the murder scene after she shot Joann and then beat her to death, luminal would have lit up the interior. While baby Alexs cause of death has never been determined, Joann had been severely beaten and shot. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. Judges Denial of Commonwealth's Motion (pdf) Download. The Ex Files: Directed by Rob Rosen. 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. Superior Court notes that Rorrers attorney, Craig Neely, is being paid at. The Free Patricia Rorrer page responds to comments from supporters (How is this even possible that this woman is still in jail?!? Until next time, cheers. Self - Retired Detective Sergeant Homicide Investigator Birmingham AL Police Dept. 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. In fifty years, this is the most complicated case Ive ever been involved in, an investigator says of the search for Andrea Knabel. I was able to email with Patricia via the PrisonConnect platform around Christmastime. Katrinak's husband's ex-girlfriend was convicted of the crime, but now there's a possibility the case could be reopened. In addition to the Facebook page, there are Reddit threads on her case. That's according to Craig Neely, who worked on the case for years as the defense attorney. Thats all for this post. 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. 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. For this week, I looked into the defenders reasoning as well as Patricias whereabouts today. Neely has filed a petition for post conviction relief for Rorrer because he says critical evidence in the case doesn't add up. Not gender neutral. Pick up PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases That Shocked America, on sale now, for the latest on Casey Anthony, JonBent Ramsey and more. Shortly before Joann and Alex disappeared, Patricia called the Katrinak house. Ever the neutral newsman, Morrison tells PEOPLE he came away from working on the Investigation Discovery special with more questions than answers. Rorrer and Andrew broke off their . (In an exclusive clip, Morrison questions the tactics of prosecutor Michael McIntyre.). Neely said, "One document of, which I have right in front of me here specifically states that the hairs from the seat back that were looked at by the FBI did not have a hair root.". Traupman claimed that when he reported the dispute, trooper Robert V. Egan III got mad and practically kicked him out of his office. Investigators in Nashville, Tennessee are looking for help identifying a young female found deceased in 2018. Moreover, Patricia had been accused of breaking into barns, stealing horses, and underfeeding the ones she cared for charges that never stuck. I was like OK, maybe she was tired, you know with a new baby. She had money put aside. Search is on. DNA testing showed that Patricia could not be excluded as the source of the hairs and according to the prosecution that, combined with circumstantial evidence, was enough to convict her. 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