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. 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. Convenient Suspect: A Wrongful Conviction In The Murder In Lehigh <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Commonwealth's request for reconsideration (pdf) Download. All of STARZ blockbuster movies, epic originals, and addictive series. Sad discovery. Success! The Free Patricia Rorrer page responds to comments from supporters (How is this even possible that this woman is still in jail?!? Will There Finally Be Justice For Megan McDonald? Error! 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. Was it just a mistake that one of the highest courts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania got everything so wrong? You can read the court documents in their entirety here. How would an intruder find it? On December 14, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied Ms. Rorrer's petition for allowance of appeal, concluding her state appellate proceedings. Sharon Scott is the President and General Manager. After Joann Katrinak, the wife of Patricia's former flame, turned up dead along . 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. '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.more. In TV clips, Andrew didnt come off as anguished. She had no alibi for the time of the murders, had argued with Joann only days before she disappeared, and allegedly owned the same make and model of gun as that used in the crime. This is a despicable crime, prosecutor says of Kelly Renee Turner approving surgery after surgery for the child. 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.. Even though Joanne was supposed to take her mother-in-law for Christmas shopping, she never showed . Meanwhile, interest in Patricias plight continues on social media. The team explores whether Vonda may have been wrongfully convicted, based on a shoddy investigation and circumstantial evidence. Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates airs this Sunday, March 5 at 8pm on Investigation Discovery and is produced by NBC News Peacock Productions. ", 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?". It was love at first sight when Joann OConnor met Andy Katrinak in the spring of 1992. 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. 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. 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 state police dropped him as a suspect. Decades-old Lehigh Valley murder case back in national spotlight - WFMZ.com Jessie Morrison is beaten to death, police zero in on Vonda Smith. At 6 a.m. on June 24, 1997, police arrested Patricia at her modest house in Linwood, North Carolina, and took her back to Pennsylvania. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. The Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Networks website also points to a bombshell: In 2015, the Justice Department acknowledged that most of the team members from an FBI microscopic hair comparison unit gave prosecutors flawed data from 1980 to 2000 that could have unjustly contributed to a number convictions including Patricia Rorrers. 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. The case against Rorrer relied heavily on six hairs recovered from Joann Katrinaks car as well as two strands that were found where the bodies had been dumped. She was sentenced to two life terms in prison without parole. Detective Barry Grube found it odd that Andrew fixed the severed phone line before police examined it in essence tampering with evidence. Patricia Lynne Rorrer made for a good 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. Ever the neutral newsman, Morrison tells PEOPLE he came away from working on the Investigation Discovery special with more questions than answers. With Chris Anderson, Fatima Silva. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. 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. This is a genuine puzzler, Morrison tells PEOPLE about the case that inspired Sundays two-part special, Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates. 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). Book her. Inside the locked 1992 vehicle, police discovered some strands of blond hair stained with dried blood. Shes just extremely happy with Andy, her brother, Michael OConnor, told the media. Appeals - Patricia Rorrer Motion for Discovery (pdf) Download. %PDF-1.5 Powered by WordPress.com VIP. She just stayed in touch with everybody, Kathy Barber said in her interview on NBCs Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports in 2017. Photo by: Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image, Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image. But when Joann and Alex suddenly vanished from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home on December 15, 1994, suspicion immediately turned towards Andy. Our investigators unravel the mysteries behind Vonda Smiths' possible wrongful conviction and Jessie Morrison's brutal murder. 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. Free Patricia Rorrer - Facebook Patricias accusers theorized that she resented Joanns domestic bliss with the tall, athletic Andrew Katrinak. Im still on the fence, but boy do I ever want to find the answers!. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Neely has filed a petition for post conviction relief for Rorrer because he says critical evidence in the case doesn't add up. In fifty years, this is the most complicated case Ive ever been involved in, an investigator says of the search for Andrea Knabel. When Andy Katrinak comes home to find his wife and infant son gone, he summons the police and tells them he believes they have been abducted, and he suspects his ex-girlfriend Patty Rorrer might be involved.more. Rorrer was convicted of murdering Joann Katrinak and her 3 month old son. Patricia was living back in North Carolina when the double murders occurred, yet investigators questioned her nonetheless. Police slowly built a case against Patricia. (A good point. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. @!44` ^]5[a$iq`k7jKV&fU-Ru=$^ ), The Wrong Man investigators Ira Todd and Joe Kennedy have some theories of their own. DNA from that and a cigarette butt linked Patricia to the offense. 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. The prosecutor in this case is so vehemently determined she is guilty that at the end of the day, you are reeling. Phone records confirmed Patricia placed the earlier call from North Carolina, not Pennsylvania. Superior Court states that Patricia Rorrer and Andy Katrinaks romantic relationship ended in May, 1993 only one year before the murders. '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. Self - Retired Detective Sergeant Homicide Investigator Birmingham AL Police Dept. However, prosecutors contended that Patricia attacked Joann and Alex because she wanted to reconcile with her ex, and his wife had hung up the phone on her when shed called in December 1994. Why was the jury never told that Patricia Rorrer was under surveillance in North Carolina at the time of the crime? 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 is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. Those who knew Joann pointed out that she didnt like to drive in reverse and would have never parked that way. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. Joanns car was later found next door in the parking lot of a local tavern. It all gave jurors a lot to think about but only for six hours. She is as effective at telling a story today as she was back then. In 1994, a mother, Joann Katrinak, and her baby disappeared and their bodies were later found in Heidelberg Township. No charmed life. The series was produced by Joe Berlinger, who made the Paradise Lost documentaries, which garnered actor Johnny Depps attention and ultimately helped free the West Memphis Three. Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television. Just recently, however, that hope was dashed when the court denied her appeal. Hair we go. PATRICIA RORRER, : : Petitioner : v. : CIVIL ACTION NUMBER 19-01398 : WENDY K. NICHOLAS, : : Respondents : MOTION FOR DISCOVERY AND CONSOLIDATED MEMORANDUM OF LAW . Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted of Murder. That's according to Craig Neely, who worked on the case for years as the defense attorney. Michael Workmans son, Fredrick James Workman, disappeared at age 15 and may use the alias "Fred Shields.". But did the police arrest the right person? It is one of those completely addictive tales where theres so much that just points in both directions, Morrison tells PEOPLE. Uncover shocking new evidence in Patricia Rorrer's case with a new episode of #WrongMan, now on the STARZ App. At the states request, the instructor wore a wire during a phone conversation with Patricia. Flaw in reasoning. Patricia defaulted on her mortgage and then returned to North Carolina, where she eventually moved in with a boyfriend named Brian Ward. 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. 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. As for an epilogue on ex-flame Andrew Katrinak, he has moved to Colorado and kept a low profile since the trial ended. 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. Keeping a convicted killer in prison on the merits of a case is a good thing, but what about when the courts keep someone incarcerated on completely inaccurate information? They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. Joann Katrinaks Killer Still Has Innocence Advocates(A Woman Scorned, Forensic Files). The article also notes that most inmates earn around 19 cent an hour at their jobs and must pay $5 each time they need medical attention or medicine. After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. On December 12, 1994, Joann answered a phone call from a woman shed never met, Patricia Rorrer, her husbands onetime girlfriend. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Why did the police center all their attention on a hair found 15 miles from the crime scene, but ignore physical evidence left directly on the bodies? He would be alive today if it were not for Patricia Rorrer. The mild-mannered Sarah died in 2019 at the age of 83. Some lawyers call microscopic hair analysis junk science that today wouldnt qualify as evidence in a trial like Rorrers. She was a 23-year-old beauty just coming out of a bad marriage, and he a handsome and successful business owner 14 years her senior. b-zl(c=v78s#^#C OMm:Dcm=gG?Ig]h}[2?LF| gy$)3{l;,/q-zB]/W#w OKwabn;__`0T=VIa".%ze(tIB\TnJH0 9E4=aZA )J?VmVcU4/+xn!U^,lKk*MKKHiT66# On Aug. 5, 1993, Holly Piirainen, 10, and her brother went to a neighbor's house to play with puppies. She was born on Jan. 24, 1964, in eastern Pennsylvania and moved back and forth between there and Davidson County, North Carolina. Shortly before Katrinak and Alex disappeared, Rorrer called the Katrinak house. Authorities confirm former fugitive, Leticia Smith was extradited from Mexico to California. 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. Meticulous primping. How can someone fight it and correct the record? As for Joanns parents, her father died a year after the murder. RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube, Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports, 7 Unnerving Facts About the Lindberghs and the Kidnapping, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Daniel and Cynthia McDonnell: Good Cop, Bad Wife. 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. My sister will get her justice, insists the 12-year-old murder victims younger sibling. Both were deceased. Andrew Katrinak reported missing his wife, Joanne and 3.5-month-old son, Alex, in December 1994. 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. Now retired, he declined ForensicFilesNow.coms invitation to spar directly with Patricia via a podcast. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. Irelands husband buried it in the yard because he didnt feel comfortable with a firearm inside, she said. Jennifer and Sarah Hart killed themselves and murdered their six adopted children in 2018 by driving their SUV off a cliff in California. 2023 Warner Bros. Chris and Fatima investigate the case in search of the truth. On January 11, 2021, One on one? This is an incendiary case that continues to provoke passion on both sides, said Morrison. 'Dateline NBC' Correspondent Keith Morrison Explores Claims of a Other loyal friends and associates attested to Patricias kindness toward horses and devotion to her daughter, whom she took along as she worked in stables. The person responsible, needs to be punished. 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. Andrew told investigators that the unpleasant phone call between Joann and Patricia happened just three days before his wifes disappearance. In April 1995, the family buried Joann and Alex in a single bronze casket after a funeral mass at a Bethlehem church. As the husband and father, he seemed the logical suspect, and the police worked hard to build a case against him. When police traveled to North Carolina to interview Patricia about the murders of Joann and Alex, she said that on the day of the homicides, she had visited a feed store, a tanning salon, and a country music club. He wanted to move to Colorado and she was against it.. Indigenous Student Ashley Loring HeavyRunner Still Missing, Toddlers Orrin and Orson West Still Missing From California, Woman Who Helped Find Missing People Disappears, Family Still Hopeful, Edmond Tillman: Police Still Searching For Teen Missing Since 2005, Young Unidentified Female Wearing Vanderbilt University Apparel Still Not Identified, An Unsolved July 4th Child Murder Still Haunts Southeast Texas, Family Still Looking For Answers In 1965 Disappearance Of Elizabeth Gill, Iowa Father Still Searching For Answers 8 Years After Sons Disappearance, Still Shrouded In Mystery: Florida Woman Fatally Shot At Sheriff Deputys Home, An Indiana Family Still Wants Answers In A Young Mans Mysterious Death, An Upstate New York Child Is Still Missing With No Arrests In The Case. Media galore. In North Carolina, she reportedly enjoyed some success as a horse trader, riding instructor, and rodeo competitor. Authorities said a vehicle previously purchased in Lake Orion, Michigan is linked to this Cape Girardeau, Missouri mystery. 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. 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. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. Investigators suspect this action triggered Rorrers jealous rage, driving her to kill. <> Walmart woe. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. Joann answered and told Rorrer to leave her family alone before hanging up. Then, they explore who might actually have done t Spider-Man: No Way Home (Extended Version), TV-MA | 6 SEASONS | DRAMA, LITERARY/BOOK BASED, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. State police and the Philadelphia division of the FBI appealed to the public for leads. <> She has never deviated. Most of all, Patricia said, she would like a rematch with prosecutor Michael McIntyre. Cancel Anytime. Starting at. Declaration of DNA Expert on Rorrer's Behalf (pdf) Download. These are but a brief sampling of the many errors and inaccuracies contained in Superior Courts opinion. New state, new man. Where is Patricia Rorrer Now? - The Cinemaholic Read more: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs. Patricia Lynne Rorrer. Thats all for this post. He said, "Frankly, I was appalled at what I saw. Tillman disappeared in from New York City when he was only 14 years old. After Joann Katrinak, the wife of Patricias former flame, turned up dead along with her infant son, prosecutors suspected Patricia. Or did they? A five-year investigation of the case has uncovered compelling new evidence that they did not. Plus, two men, her babys father and his friend, testified they saw Patricia at the line-dancing club the night of the homicide. Everything from compromised crime scenes and contaminated evidence, to suspects who were never cleared, witness statements that were withheld from the defense, and crucial evidence that was simply dismissed and ignored has cast doubt on Rorrers guilt and led to a number of unanswered questions. Patricia Rorrer is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. How to make sure your tax refund, other mail doesn't get stolen, Cher splits from rumoured fianc Alexander AE Edwards, Ed Sheeran tells how he was comforted by Stormzy the day Jamal Edwards died, Noel Gallagher splits with rumoured new girlfriend Dorothea Gundtoft, Katy Perry to be replaced by big time stars on American Idol while she performs at King Charles coronation, Anna Wintour appears to confirm rumoured romance with Bill Nighy at Met Gala, CT: RESTAURANT PREPS FOR KING'S CORONATION, RAW: NY: MET GALA RED CARPET ARRIVALS (MORE), American Idol Top 8 Decided in Twist After Judges Song Contest (RECAP), NY: MET GALA KARL LAGERFELD COSTUME INSTITUTE, RAW: GALA: SERENA WILLIAMS/KARLIE KLOSS ANNOUNCE PREGNANCIES. But none of those charges ever stuck. 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.

Escambia County Schools Closed, How To Answer What Does This Award Mean To You?, How Should We Remember Toussaint L'ouverture Quizlet, Evali Recovery Time, Articles P