That day I was at the Dunkin Donuts too. But if Rorrer was a genuine suspect, it's likely investigators would have attempted the mitochondrial DNA match on the hair anyway. As testimony continued on the seventh day of her double-murder trial, Patricia Rorrer cried for the first time.The North Carolina woman, who had shown no emotion while the families of the victims have wept openly and often, lost her composure Tuesday afternoon.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 was under arrest for the murders of Joann and Alex Katrinak.Rorrer, 34, was charged with kidnapping Joann Katrinak, 26, and Alex, 15 weeks, in December 1994 from their Catasauqua home, killing them and leaving their bodies in Heidelberg Township woods. AWoman And Her Baby Walkinto a Trap Autopsy examines how forensic examiners can help solve crimes. Then, not only is she foolish enough to leave the evidence right there with the bodies, shes also kind enough to insist the butt is tested for DNA evidence post-conviction. And their phone line had been cut someone had not wanted the Katrinaks to be able to call for help. (Disclaimer: Im not a big fan of eyewitnesses who come forward years after the fact, but its possible). Fantasy. 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. Another former boyfriend said she talked about Andrew frequently and liked to gaze at old photos of him. The couple had known each other since Lisa was 10 and Jimmy was friends with her brothers. Inside the locked 1992 vehicle, police discovered some strands of blond hair stained with dried blood. That same year, police arrested Calebs father, James Fairley, who owned a pharmacy in Phoenixville, for allegedly providing a customer with the painkiller Darvon illegally. Shouldn't Andrew have mentioned this suspicious, out-of-the-blue phone call from his ex-girlfriend sooner? State police and the Philadelphia division of the FBI appealed to the public for leads. Of course, Patricia denied this. 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. After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. 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. Christopher Coble and Sgt. In 1986, she met and began a relationship with Andrew Katrinak. But if Andrew wanted to find his wife and his son, why on Earth did he wait until 10:30pm before notifying authorities? You will also be advised that the transcripts consist of 6500 pages and the cost of copying it runs between $3.00 to $5.00 per pagemeaning you will have to fork over between $19,000 and $32,000 just to see the transcripts. as she was convinced it would exonerate her. Without wishing to be pedantic, it cant be said what was in her mind, as though you can see her truth. All one can say is she thought/hoped it might (without there being any realistic basis implied that it would or should). He had worked as a semi-pro boxer in Las Vegas in his youth and later settled . The authorities charged her with two counts of murder. Barry Grube, one of the few, if not only, police officers sympathetic to Patricias cause, noted that Andrew didnt seem particularly frantic while authorities searched desperately for his wife and son. Andrew Katrinak reported missing his wife, Joanne and 3.5-month-old son, Alex, in December 1994. Fortunately, investigators found glaring evidence of Fairleys guilt within days of the murder and built a case so solid that the attackerended up sentenced to two consecutivelife terms for two counts of second-degree murder. Suspicion initially fell on Joanns husband, Andy, when their bodies were found in woods in Apr 95. After Joann Katrinak, the wife of Patricia's former flame, turned up dead along with her infant son, prosecutors suspected Patricia. Frankly, Im astonished anyone would question her guilt (except those who can make money by writing books doing so)! Supposedly it was the relationship to this trail and Patricia's managing of the Silver Shadow Farms horse stable just a mile away that first brought Rorrer to detectives' attention. A year later, she started calling again. It is currently unknown if the Patricia's case was one of these. Joann grabbed her purse, the diaper bag, and their coats against the December chill in Pennsylvania. "She had a reputation of, `You don't mess with me,'" Fonda Kay Eggers told a reporter for the Dispatch of Lexington, N.C. Eggers, a Humane Society investigator and distant relative of Rorrer, filed animal cruelty charges against Rorrer in 1994 after checking on Rorrer's horses. Today, more than two years later, that woman awaited extradition from North Carolina to face charges she kidnapped and killed her ex-boyfriend's family in December 1994.Authorities said Tuesday it took two years to build a tight forensic case against Patricia L. Rorrer, 33, partly through blond hairs found in Mrs. Katrinak's car a day after she disappeared.``We wanted to make sure that the hairs found at the scene were also consistent with the hairs found at the car,'' said Lehigh County District Attorney Robert Steinberg. She had been beaten and shot in the face. By all accounts, Rorrer has never been a smoker. 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. With Marlene Sanders, Jeffrey J. Lewis, Michael Baden, Andrew Katrinak. Joann Katrinak, and her baby, had planned to go Christmas shopping with her mother-in-law but she never arrived to pick her up despite calling to say that she was on her way there. 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. . The Murders of Joann and Alex Katrinak: FF ep A Woman Scorned. In Dec 94 in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, disappeared. But considering that Joann was found with her jeans unzipped and unbuttoned, it stands to reason that her death was sexually motivated. Not gender neutral. Patricias phone bill showed no record of a call to Catasauqua that day, but police noticed she didnt make any calls at all from her house in North Carolina that day either suggesting she could have been out of state and used a pay phone to dial up the Katrinaks. Juries are imperfect: what is stretched circumstantial evidence for you (or me) was evidently not so for that jury. The township invested an additional $50,000 for new equipment for the playground in 2012. After one bullet didnt kill Joann, the gun locked up, so Patricia had to beat her to death, according to the prosecution. 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. As for the words exchanged on the call between the two big-haired women, Joann told Andrew that Patricia had used profanity; Patricia said it was the other way around. "She had a reputation of, `You don't mess with me,'" Fonda Kay Eggers told a reporter for the Dispatch of Lexington, N.C. Eggers, a Humane Society investigator and distant relative of Rorrer, filed animal cruelty charges against Rorrer in 1994 after checking on Rorrer's horses. Her attorney persuaded her to have the hair re-tested. Four months after Joanns disappearance, farmer Paul Kovalchik reported seeing what at first looked like a pile of clothes on his land in Heidelberg Township woods, about 15 miles from the Katrinaks house. Traupman claimed that when he reported the dispute, trooper Robert V. Egan III got mad and practically kicked him out of his office. But none of those charges ever stuck. Its about what Id expect from Pennsylvania. In general, I wouldnt be so hasty to assume a link between perverted, well, whatever it was he had in his possession, and criminality. There are myriad issues surrounding this case and conviction. But Patricia had moved from Pennsylvania years ago, and she'd started her own family in North Carolina. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to . Convicted of murdering her ex-boyfriends wife and child because of a telephone impropriety. Brad Jackson was able to describe what his daughter Valiree was wearing in incredible detail, down to the color of her socks. The mullet-wearing Fairleykilledboth Devon and Lisa via strangulation and most likelysexually assaulted Lisa. My husband passed away of a broken heart, Sarah OConnor said on the Montel Williams Show in 2001. Nailed? But there was only one day in question, so it feels like Patricia might have been overselling her story. The episode made a special point about locating the photograph of Patricia Rorrer with dyed blonde hair. She claimed to have been home during this period how did her defense team justify such a departure from Patricia's norm? But we just weren't making it as a couple. But her reputation wasnt exactly sleek and shiny. 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'm never going to see my daughter again. They had a son, Alex Martin, in August of 1994. Shes far from dumb, but shes not exactly educated, either. Dedication. Thats my life.. Marcus, dont you find it interesting that a hair inconsistent with both the victim and the accused was found clutched in the dead womans HAND, and was never tested? I hope her spouse and family find peace. Having read this recent appeal document (worth a perusal its not too long), which seems to address the fundamental issues at stake, I see no merit in the claim of wrongful conviction, but rather a clutching at straws in the hope that some (spurious) claim may just cast sufficient doubt on the conviction. At first, a broad-daylight abduction of a mother and her infant seemed unlikely. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Still, Shopping Spree,theForensic Filesepisode about the murders, left me curious about an epilogue for Fairley. She got 12 months of probation for shoplifting at a Walmart in Lexington, North Carolina. A newspaper account described Patricia as a soft-spoken, demure woman who had a sweet Southern accent and wore feminine clothes in court. From the start, the Rorrer murder case was plagued with allegations of inconsistent evidence collection and testing that eventually led a judge to hold hearings on whether she deserves a new trial.Her case shows how the present system in contrast to the dictates of the Coverdell Act actually contributes to scientific confusion and has almost no automatic audit on investigations when misconduct allegations are leveled.On Dec. 15, 1994, Andrew Katrinak told police he arrived home from his construction job to find his wife, Joann, and 4-month-old baby, Alex, missing from their Catasauqua, Pa., home. Most of all, Patricia said, she would like a rematch with prosecutor Michael McIntyre. The state police dropped him as a suspect. Unlike Mr. Criminals aren't always the smartest folks - this area highlights the common (and reoccurring) mistakes they make. ~~~~~~~POLICE ARREST WOMAN IN 3-YEAR-OLD CASE OF SLAIN MOTHER AND CHILDAssociated PressJun. Joann had been shot once and then bludgeoned in the head. 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. Police converged on the scene and soon realized it was not only the remains of Joann Katrinak, but sadly of Alex too. He had worked as a semi-pro boxer in Las Vegas in his youth and later settled . "Do you understand?" For this week, I looked into the defenders reasoning as well as Patricias whereabouts today. As of at least 2012, he was trying to have his convictions vacated and get a new trial following a Supreme Court decision that deemed life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders unconstitutional. Microscopic analyses, mitochondrial DNA testing and nuclear DNA testing showed hairs found at the crime scene and in Joann Katrinak's car matched Rorrer's hairs and DNA in her blood. The baby had been smothered or left to freeze to death. 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. A young mother and her infant son suddenly went missing just before Christmas in 1994. McIntyre didn't address that issue in his closing argument..Burke said soil in the woods didn't match soil in and on the car and questioned why there was no blood in the car if the killer drove the car back to Catasauqua where it was found..He also wondered how the victims could have been kidnapped at gunpoint from their home at 740 Front St. in the afternoon without anyone seeing anything..Prosecutors claim that Rorrer planned the killing and even might have been in the area before Dec. 15, 1994. The thing about Katrinak is that she was actually found with her jeans unzipped and unbuttoned, suggesting a possible sexual assault. Incriminating words. I agree with Rebecca, and am surprised this was reported: if it was legal, what does it matter? As for an update on Lisas widower, Jimmy Manderach, it appears he still lives in the same part of Pennsylvania. Patricia demonstrated a habit of making almost daily, long-distance phone calls from her home in North Carolina. were relatively and mercifully swift, mitigating their conscious pain and suffering.. She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. Murder Suspect Breaks Down As Detectives Tell Of Her Arrest: `I'm Sorry For Doing This To You,' Patricia Rorrer Allegedly Told Her Infant Daughter.February 18, 1998by DEBBIE GARLICKI The Morning Call. Joann Katrinak - 349. Andrew Katrinak, a former heavyweight boxer, quickly gathered his in-laws and said he suspected foul play. DNA TRAIL IN 2-YEAR-OLD SLAYINGS OF WOMAN, BABY LEAD TO ARREST. He disposed of the little girls body in Valley Forge National Park, where hikers soon discovered it. When Rorrer was granted the right to do post conviction DNA testing on the nail, it was discovered that the nail had been cleaned of the blood and tissue, rendering it essentially useless for further testing. Andrew's involvement in the latter theory was dismissed when his alibi checked out. TWELFTH DISTRICT. Of course, if this matter was related to the inflicting of (non-consensual) pain or worse, and/or minors, thats a different matter but thats not the impression given. But investigators conceded they had no solid evidence against Andrew. Police slowly built a case against Patricia. ", "Due to the fact that she sustained one gunshot wound to the face, and then approximately 19 blows to the head led us to believe that the gun probably had jammed. The 5-foot-9-inch-tall Patricia was physically strong, no match for 5-foot-4-inch Joann. Deal refused. . Further, an early FBI report said the hairs found in the car had no roots which contain the DNA suggesting an evidence switcheroo. The same source indicates Patricia Rorrer has repeatedly appealed for a retrial and exoneration, but each request has been denied. How would an intruder find it? The states theory was that this was a fatal attraction/cant let go motivated killing. Joseph Kocevar: Criminal Investigator, - Maj. Robert Werts: Homicide Investigator, Dr. Elizabeth Murray, Forensic Anthropologist, Brad Jackson was able to describe what his daughter Valiree was wearing, Jason Funk's role in Katie Froeschle's murder, Patricia Rorrer has repeatedly appealed for a retrial and exoneration, thoroughly researched article about the Patricia Rorrer case, Donald Ruby jailed for the murder of Edna Posey, Darryl Kuehl take over murder of Paul Gruber, Earl Bramblett murder of entire Hodges family, "the police actually said that, Oh, she probably ran away with someone. In a million years, Joann would never, never have run away. The father of her son is not known.In 1993, Rorrer called Katrinak, who told her he was married. "At one point, Katrinak stayed in North Carolina for several weeks to do a roofing job, and it looked as though they might get back together, Rorrer said. Stable situation. ; So after a stressful afternoon of kidnapping and murder, she decides to relax with a nice soothing cigarette right there at the crime scene. Overly cynical: you must know that more than a few perps have been caught this way stupid as it is. 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?. Patricia was arrested in North Carolina in June of 1997. Freudian shrinks may agree theres a flotilla of repressed libido in both. I find THAT to be incredible. Theremaining three were sent to the FBI.A subsequent report states the FBIcould not test the hairs because they werecontaminated by someone who touchedthem during the collection process,rendering them scientifically worthless.Despite those reports, state police without recording the chain of custody inany record that has been revealed incourt said they sent all of the evidenceback to the FBI for more testing.While three of the six hairs weredestroyed in previous tests and twoearlier reports revealed no roots fortesting could be found in the others, nowa FBI analyst not only discovered roots totest on the hair samples, but also latermatched them to Rorrer.The new DNA tests, combined withwhat prosecutors said was evidence thatshe was trying to conjure up an alibi Rorrer said she was simply trying todocument her movements in NorthCarolina that day ended with her arrestin the double murder.It was the first time she would facecriminal charges. Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. Yet, Joanns husbands ex girlfriend, who lived 500 miles away and had never met the victims, was convicted of the crime on a flimsy theory and highly questionable hair evidence. Their bodies were found in April 1995.Pfeiffer earlier told jurors that the prosecution's theory on a motive makes no sense.Rorrer, who is charged with kidnapping and homicide, will continue testifying today and will be cross-examined by McIntyre, who has grilled some defense witnesses, firing question after question.Before Rorrer began testifying, she stood in front of the judge's bench as Pfeiffer put on the record that Rorrer was advised of her constitutional right not to testify and was told that if she chose to exercise it, it couldn't be used against her. Of course, I have no answer to the claim that this was a corruptly prosecuted case, but I would ask that if its as obviously flawed as you suggest, why have appeals failed? Some recurring themes in Forensic Files facinate me. Jaime: Thanks for your thoughts. And the fact that Patricia called Andrew even after he married someone else didnt mean she was still carrying a torch for him, according to one of her friends. It was conceivable that Andrew believed they were still out. 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. The investigation that led to her identification and then turned up enough evidence to arrest and convict Patricia Rorrer was interesting. Apparently it is universally agreed by courts that any hair testing before 2000 might had yieled an incorrect reading. Nothing Ive read by her supporters goes to the heart of the case against her unless perjury. But that shed never been known to smoke, I grant you (unless she placed it to suggest the perp was a smoker and knew she could claim she wasnt, and simply didnt know DNA could be extracted? By: Robert S. In 1994, Joann Katrinak called her mother-in-law and made plans to go holiday shopping. There was a piece of a fingernail found attached to Joanns chest. ", "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. Image credit: Episode screen capture from, - Sarah OConnor: Joann Katrinaks Mother, - Det. The prosecution alleged that after the murder, Patricia drove Joanns car to McCartys parking lot and backed it into a parking space. Why would somebody tell you, theyre going to fry me, if they didnt do it? Jarrett told Wrong Man. Finally, the evidence had been exposed to the elements for who knows how many months. they will get on the band wagon to the state convention in Hartford and root for David Fitzgerald of .New Haven for governor and Thomas J. Spellacy of Hartford, for United States Senato. He wanted to move to Colorado and she was against it.. Facebook gives people the power. The North Carolina woman accused of killing the wife and 15-week-old baby of her former boyfriend, Andrew Katrinak, calmly answered questions from one of her lawyers, James Pfeiffer. Joann was fun, likable, beautiful, always happy, said her sister-in-law Cindy Wiard. After his wife disappeared, she made no attempt to be with him or to see him. On Oct. 5, 2007, the District Attorney of Lehigh County agreed to allow the testing of the hair found in the Toyota at Orchid Cellmark Laboratories in Dallas. 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. One she was at a tanning salon. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes. Both sides agree Joann hung up on Patricia. Theyd fit well in a made-for-TV movie, wouldnt they? Her husband, Andrew, was surprised to not find his wife and child at home after arriving there . I absolutely accept that in some cases there has been proven prosecutorial misconduct to secure conviction; ditto junk science/incompetence. A closer examination of the hairs showed traces of dried blood. Rorrer said she had spoken once to Joann before she and Katrinak were married and that Joann seemed friendly when she put Katrinak on the phone.Rorrer said that years ago, she rented a barn in Washington Township for her horses. This was one of. Patricia Lynne Rorrer made for a good suspect. Patricia demonstrated a consistent habit of long-distance calls from home, then had an obvious gap while claiming she. It'd be plausible to reason some deniability in Patricia's role if there weren't so many indicators of her involvement. But its not implausible that Joann Katrinak may have been in Fairleys area during that time period. Despite previous testimony that said all of the hair was destroyed or untestable, the latest test results revealed a hair discovered on the drivers side seatback of the car matched Rorrer.The results are disappointing, Neely said. I most definitely will not personally afford Patricia a platform, Michael said in an email to ForensicFilesNow.com She had her chance to answer my questions and tell her story in court over 20 years ago. 24, 1997. The episode claimed the jury required just two hours to deliberate, but other sources indicate it took six. No disagreements, but maybe D and D and health club membership arent so far apart. The forensic reports indicate that there was a significant amount of blood and tissue clinging to this fingernail, which would have been an excellent source of nuclear DNA testing. Perhaps police couldn't get a warrant for a sample of Patricia's hair, the color being inconsistent with the latent hairs found in the car and at the murder scene. She said she did not give the hang up by Joann Katrinak a second thought. "I would never of dreamed it in a million years," said Joy Deal, manager of the dealership.After leaving the car dealership, Rorrer worked sparingly as a photographer and lived with her mother and 1-1/2-year-old son in a remote home outside of Linwood. While the newly discovered evidence was included in her appeal, it has always focused on the contradictory hair tests and wide gaps in paperwork on the chain of custody in hair evidence. Flaw in reasoning. I find these claims incredible. But its small argument on her side. During Rorrers 18-day trial in February1998, prosecutors pushed the circumstantialmotive of a fatal-attractionmurder. Police got a search warrant for Fairleyshome and discovereda great deal of pornography. She turned a flushed face and red nose away from the visitors' section.Her demeanor during testimony about her baby, who turned 2 last month, was far different from that during the rest of the Lehigh County trial.Earlier, she was dry-eyed as witnesses described the numerous wounds to Joann Katrinak, who had been shot and beaten, and the baby's death from exposure to cold or suffocation. Shes extremely, extremely happy with the baby. Rorrer, who had a five-year relationship with Katrinak that ended in 1989, testified that she and Katrinak remained good friends after the breakup, writing letters occasionally and calling each other. It's as if she had left with young Alex as planned but then somehow simply vanished. He had worked as a semi-pro boxer in Las Vegas in his youth and later settled . Along with Rorrer, Joann Katrinaks ex-husband, Michael Jack, and Andrew Katrinak were suspects for a time. "We got along fine. New evidence doesnt, and shouldnt, entail retrial: only if theres a reasonable possibility it could make a difference. The victims were the wife and son of Rorrer's ex-boyfriend, Andrew Katrinak.Lt. Black Label Episodes AND Ad-Free episodes are now available on our Black Label Podcasting channel on Apple Podcasts . Next thing you know, a muscle bound nerd does something dreadful. As usual, Rebecca at Forensic Files Now has a thoroughly researched article about the Patricia Rorrer case and events since her conviction. I would say that its only since the advent of forensic porn that wholly circumstantial cases are disparaged. There are more questions than answers in this case. Fairly, I can keep things like that to myself and act normal. 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. DNA tests In 13-year-old Murder Case Could Be ReexaminedMar 21, 2007. But were it not for Rorrer, yes, Id look at Fairley. She and Andrew Katrinak shared a house in Salisbury Township in the mid-1980s, when he was a self-employed contractor and she was a real-estate agent. According to court papers from Patricia 2017 appeal, DNA on the cigarette butt found near the two bodies belonged to Appellant. (Prosecutor Michael McIntyre, however, told ForensicFilesNow.com that that the cigarette butt was never actually tested). An ex-boyfriend of Patricia knew she owned a distinct .22 caliber pistol and knew of its tendency to jam, but Rorrer could only deny owning such a weapon. Reconsidering Andrew Katrinak's potential role. But lets say for arguments sake that she was a closet smoker and no one knew. Patricia Rorrer has been portrayed as a bully, petty thief, neglectful horse owner, and heartless killer or a sweet, caring friend railroaded by authorities desperate to solve a double-murder case that snagged worldwide interest. Prosecutors offered Patricia a plea deal that would take the death penalty off the table, but she declined. I dont even know its Christmas.. . Trash-talking ex. She walked into a kids clothing store where a young man working the cash register just happened to be a fantasy-gamesuperfan seething with thoughts of criminal perversion. They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. My two cents, just as the heavily stretched circumstantial evidence convicted Rorrer, new uncovered circumstantial and direct evidence should give Rorrer benefit of a doubt and allowed for a new hearing and trial. This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. Her husband Andrew's mother expected Joann to arrive quickly, since they only lived a few minutes away. They moved into her house in Salisbury County, staying together for about two years. Jimmy had reported Lisa missing when she failed to return home from shopping by dinner time.
Hernandez V Experian Settlement Check Valid,
Silver Bengal Cattery,
Alder Creek Trail To Sespe Hot Springs,
Covid Test Results With Qr Code Near Me,
Did Patrick Star Die In Real Life,
Articles A
