I think it would really require comparison with his pediatric medical records to determine if the head circumference is relevant. Some recurring themes in Forensic Files facinate me. One she was at a private club. Patricias accusers theorized that she resented Joanns domestic bliss with the tall, athletic Andrew Katrinak. He was sentenced to death after being convicted of the brutal torture and murder of a young babysitter named Linda Rodgers in 1984 in Santa Ana, California. They released a list of cases affected by it. Patricia Lynne Rorrer made for a good suspect. He will never be able to speak if this case! But Patricia had moved from Pennsylvania years ago, and she'd started her own family in North Carolina. It was never tested. Patricia was convicted based on her head hairs being found in the victim's car. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. As a result, Salas, who did not have legal representation at the time of filming, was offered pro bono representation by a Washington State attorney, who believes in his innocence. 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Recall Jason Funk's role in Katie Froeschle's murder in Muffled Cries (s11e31) or the trail of evidence left by Earl Bramblett in Private Thoughts (s08e16). 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. It's not often there's a laundry list of clear signals, but it's fun to iterate them when there are so many. I watched the show the other night and watched some YouTube videos afterwards and there was interview footage of Joanns sister saying that Alex was a big healthy baby. TV-MA | Mar 1, 2020 | 53m. On December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son Alex disappeared without a trace from their home in Catasauqua, Pa. Patricia Rorrer, the ex-girlfriend of Katrinak's husband, was convicted of the murders and has maintained her innocence for 20 years while serving life behind bars. Murder in Lehigh Valley Keith Morrison Investigates (1x120) Patricias marriage fell apart, and she returned to Pennsylvania, where she fell in love with Andrew Andy Katrinak after meeting him at a restaurant. She was always looking for a fight, Gary Gabard told the Morning Call, which noted that he was a head shorter than Patricia. He recalls that Patty also had an alibi. Many of these are circumstantial, so investigators were grateful for their DNA match from the hair. Neely said the first officer on the scene didn't believe Rorrer committed the crime. 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. 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. In addition to her . The state of the bodies suggested the victims had likely been killed the day very they were abducted. Watch Wrong Man - S2:E204 Patricia Rorrer: Under the Microscope (2020 Trash-talking ex. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband . Until next time, cheers. Bio by: Karen Valentine This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. Four months later, when their bodies were found in a lonely patch of woods, the police would launch a three-year investigation leading to the arrest of Patricia Lynne Rorrera young mother who had never met either victimas the monster responsible. Police slowly built a case against Patricia. Rorrer was tried and convicted in 1994 for the brutal killing of Katrinak and her three-month-old son. 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. This is a list of notable female murderers whose name begins with the letter R. An early childhood introd It seems likely these bodies were dumped here months after initially thought, not killed the day they were kidnapped. MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.: FILED OCTOBER 26, 2017 Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals the PCRA court's dismissal of her . The couple moved into Andrews sturdy brick house at 740 Front Street in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. As for an epilogue on ex-flame Andrew Katrinak, he has moved to Colorado and kept a low profile since the trial ended. And yikes, he discovered someone had cut one of the houses phone lines and pried the hinge on the basement door. On closer inspection, he saw it was the body of a woman. To commit the murders, Rorrer took her victims out to a location that was familiar and significant. Patricia was wrongfully convicted and we will show you how! The prosecution alleged that Patricia called the Katrinaks house from a pay phone in Pennsylvania. 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. Her car was soon located in a parking lot within walking distance of their home. But based on his body/head size and the lack of decomposition of the bodies, it seems likely they had been alive for quite some time after being kidnapped. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. It's really terrifying that that was regarded as damning evidence, especially now that the rest of the case that might have appeared to give it context has been so undermined. It seems Patricia's own daughter and baby Alex Katrinak were very close in age. Watch Reasonable Doubt Online | Season 5 (2022) | TV Guide It's been more than 20 years since Patricia Rorrer was convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend . Morrison was 16 weeks pregnant when her lifeless body was found beaten beyond recognition and dumped along a remote country road, reads the statement. Patricia was arrested on June 24, 1997. . Irelands husband buried it in the yard because he didnt feel comfortable with a firearm inside, she said. Decades-old Lehigh Valley murder case back in national spotlight, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. ir.library.oregonstate.edu I was able to email with Patricia via the PrisonConnect platform around Christmastime. 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. Share Memories & Support the Family. She has been incarcerated for 24+ years. . Since then, Patricia has appealed her case and fought for exoneration, only to always be denied. I can't recall if the long distance calls were talked about in the show. Most convictions were procured through microscopic hair comparison which has been debunked as junk science today. A medical examiner said it was impossible for the two bodies to have been in that wooded area for 4 months (December to April when they were found). Rorrer was convicted of killing them four years later. Brisk with west to northwest winds around 10-20mph gusting to 30mph.. Mostly cloudy with less wind and a few breaks in the clouds overnight. For one thing, her mother never asked Sandra Ireland to hide the gun, and she retrieved it on the way home the next day she worked as a bus driver and couldnt take it with her to school. MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.: Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals the PCRA court's dismissal of her fourth PCRA petition as untimely filed. Patricia's friends claimed that she was not "stalking" Andy and had fully moved on with her life (new boyfriend, new city, a long time ago etc.). For two decades, Patricia Rorrer has always maintained her innocence. I would really recommend watching the Wrong Man 2-part episode. She just stayed in touch with everybody, Kathy Barber said in her interview on NBCs Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports in 2017. Patricia was . Men who murder are conventional, women are sensational, posits the Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network. She claimed to be at a dance class in private club but her name was missing from the sign in sheet that night. ), And in another bombshell, Joanns good friend Karen Devine said Joann planned to leave Andrew after the holidays. In addition to the Facebook page, there are Reddit threads on her case. This was where Joann regularly parked her car and became an even more likely crime scene when the evidence of the basement break-in was discovered. Joann was fun, likable, beautiful, always happy, said her sister-in-law Cindy Wiard. The bodies of Joann Katrinak and her baby were found in a wooded area of Heidelberg Township in 1994. Book her. TV-14. 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. Patricia was arrested in North Carolina in June of 1997. The missing items included Joann's purse, car, both her and Alex's winter jackets, and the diaper bag. Microsoft Apps Watch Wrong Man Season 2: Stream Full Episodes on STARZ Keith Morrison investigates the horrific murders of Joann Katrinak and her infant son Alex, and the ongoing claims that Patricia Rorrer, the woman who has already served 19 years in prison for the murders, was wrongfully convicted. But "Wrong Man" investigators discover that there is . And Andrews explanation of how the intruder got in through the basement door seemed contrived, according to Grube, who gave an interview to Wrong Man, a 2020 true-crime docuseries from the Starz network, which produced two episodes called The Hang Up about the Rorrer case. Our team of volunteers are committed to helping Patricia. Detective Barry Grube found it odd that Andrew fixed the severed phone line before police examined it in essence tampering with evidence. After watching the latest Starz episode of Wrong Man (a great investigative show), I started thinking about the Patricia Rorrer case again. And even prosecutor Michael McIntyre, who wrote the book Hair Trigger about the case, acknowledged to Keith Morrison that it was a little odd that the police found blood on the hairs in Joanns car but nowhere else in the vehicle. Prosecutors at the time used this angry phone call as motive for Patricia to travel 500 miles to the Katrinak house, cut a phone line, break into the basement door, put them into Joann's car and march Joann and Alex to their eventual death - killing them in a field. What would a crime show be without them? Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. Convenient Suspect: A Double Murder, a Flawed Investigation, and the A hidden FBI report found a couple years ago showed that police were unsure if there were roots on the found hairs. Her book tells the truth and the real story of this case. Wrong Man investigators interrogated a confidential informant, the main witness against Evaristo Salas, and he recanted his testimony. In a million years, she wouldnt do anything to harm that.. . Patricia Rorrer's Story - RIGHT TO REDEMPTION "The DA threatened if he ever said that to anybody he would never work in law enforcement again," Neely said. Prosecutors said Rorrer beat Katrinak, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods in Heidelberg Township. Both were deceased. This state is corrupt as in every state! A young mother and her infant son suddenly went missing just before Christmas in 1994. God Bless each of you. New state, new man. During Patricias hours-long turn in the witness chair, Michael McIntyre grilled her relentlessly. 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. Mike McIntyre, the first assistant district attorney in Lehigh County during the case, said the petition is "crazy. 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. More importantly, the 3 month old baby was the size of a 6 month old, including to have a cranial diameter bigger than 99.99% of all 3 month olds. 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: Guilty Or Not?. The FBI declared the strongest piece No charmed life. This was my thought (I'm behind and just caught the 2nd half yesterday). I am humbly asking for your help to hire a lawyer and procure a fair trial. Rorrer and Andrew broke off their . And because of the gun jamming, the assailant had to resort to blunt object and beat her about the head. She did buy a .22 before. Convicted murderer seeks new DNA tests in '94 murder case Kidnapped and killed? 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, Earl Bramblett murder of entire Hodges family, Darryl Kuehl take over murder of Paul Gruber, "the police actually said that, Oh, she probably ran away with someone. In a million years, Joann would never, never have run away. Joann answered that night, told me that Andy was married and they had baby and not to call her house again .I honestly didn't think too much about it. She fought for her life and had defensive wounds including a broken nose and a broken finger. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. Joann Marie O'Connor Katrinak (1968-1994) - Find a Grave Other defense claims and recent updates include: Two separate witnesses claim to have seen an unhappy Joann with a man on the day of her disappearance. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Catherine Howard - Fifth Wife of Henry VIII Documentary Further, an early FBI report said the hairs found in the car had no roots which contain the DNA suggesting an evidence switcheroo. After watching the latest Starz episode of Wrong Man (a great investigative show), I started thinking about the Patricia Rorrer case again.. Rorrer was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Joann Katrinak and her 3-4 month old son Alex in 1994 by forcing them our of their home and driving them to a wooded area where they were shot and killed. If Rorrer used to live in the area, then I expect any place in the county was probably within a couple of miles of someplace she used to have access to. Sad discovery. 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. . At 17, Patricia dropped out of high school and married landscaper Gary Gabard. Forensic Files (season 5) - Wikipedia A second helping of justice will be served. By the time they asked supposed witnesses, most had forgotten about that random dance class (there were many). An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. PATRICIA RORRER OBITUARY. But other things Patricia did also seemed strange, especially according to prosecutor Michael McIntyre. 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. Wrong Man season 2, episode 3 recap: The Hang Up - Show Snob Murder victim. Chris and Fatima investigate the case of Patricia Rorrer, who is in prison for brutally murdering her former boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite; her lawyers claim that she was . For more on the Katrinak murder case, you can watch Autopsy Six: A Fatal Attraction for free on YouTube. On December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son Alex disappeared without a trace from . Brisk with west to northwest winds around 10-20mph gusting to 30mph.. Mostly cloudy with less wind and a few breaks in the clouds overnight. 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. (Disclaimer: Im not a big fan of eyewitnesses who come forward years after the fact, but its possible). 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). Most convictions were procured through microscopic hair comparison which has been debunked as junk science today. Over 200 people were convicted using this science ( https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/fbi-overstated-forensic-hair-matches-in-nearly-all-criminal-trials-for-decades/2015/04/18/39c8d8c6-e515-11e4-b510-962fcfabc310_story.html). Leave a comment below, or contact us! 1 hr 25 min Mar 5, 2017 TV-14. Joann and her 4-month-old son, Alex, were abducted from their home in Catasauqua, PA, and murdered in a rural wooded area near Germansville. The police considered the possibility that Joann ran away, a theory disputed by her family. . After the premiere episode, Wrong Man will air on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. She was the devoted wife of the late Alvin Haymon Rorrer. Patricia Rorrer | Worldwide Womens Criminal Justice Network - WCJN Patricia has been wrongfully convicted of murdering Joann and Alex Katrinak in 1994. Of course she did--because all that was out there on me was fake news. How about the phone line being cut? Lawyer: New evidence in 1994 killings of woman, infant, Patricia Rorrer serving life sentence for killing Joann Katrinak, 3-month-old son, Stormcenter - School / Business Application.