patricia rorrer now 2020

But when Joann and Alex suddenly vanished from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home on December 15, 1994, suspicion immediately turned towards Andy. He said, "Frankly, I was appalled at what I saw. On December 14, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied Ms. Rorrer's petition for allowance of appeal, concluding her state appellate proceedings. '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. Patricias marriage fell apart, and she returned to Pennsylvania, where she fell in love with Andrew Andy Katrinak after meeting him at a restaurant. 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?. Both sides agree Joann hung up on Patricia. Superior Court states that Patricia Rorrer and Andy Katrinaks romantic relationship ended in May, 1993 only one year before the murders. He had worked as a semi-pro boxer in Las Vegas in his youth and later settled into his own construction business. After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. ET features interviews with all the key players from the 1998 trial of Rorrer, who is currently behind bars. <>>> Two-Part Special Premieres Sunday, March 5 at 8/7c; Features Exclusive First-Ever Interview with Inmate Patricia Rorrer (Silver Spring, Md.) Irelands husband buried it in the yard because he didnt feel comfortable with a firearm inside, she said. Error! 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. Three days later, Joann had plans to pick up her mother-in-law, Veronica Katrinak, to go Christmas shopping. Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports is also available on YouTube, but it costs $1.99 to view (Keith comes off as an advocate for Patricias innocence on the episode). Deal refused. 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. Morrison did speak with Rorrer about the case, but cameras were barred from the prison. It was love at first sight when Joann OConnor met Andy Katrinak in the spring of 1992. 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. Since then, Patricia has appealed her case and fought for exoneration, only to always be denied. Neely said this new information could reopen the case and set Rorrer free. 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. A five-year investigation of the case has uncovered compelling new evidence that they did not. 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). MURDER IN LEHIGH VALLEY: KEITH MORRISON INVESTIGATES is produced for Investigation Discovery by NBC News Peacock Productions with executive producers Elizabeth Fischer and Knute Walker, senior producer Kimberley Ferdinando and the president and general manager of Peacock Productions, Sharon Scott. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. Our investigators unravel the mysteries behind Vonda Smiths' possible wrongful conviction and Jessie Morrison's brutal murder. 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. Patricias defenders also say Andrew Katrinak staged the scene at his house by prying the door and cutting the phone line. 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. And dance instructor William Jarrett couldnt remember whether she attended his dance class at the club the night of Joanns disappearance. 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. DNA testing showed that Rorrer could not be excluded as the source of the hairs. WATCH: ID Examines 1994 Lehigh Valley Double-Murder - People 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. All rights reserved. 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. <> Most of all, Patricia said, she would like a rematch with prosecutor Michael McIntyre. Why did they refuse to conduct DNA testing on a cigarette butt found with the bodies? x\[s~L34j+Gv}P$D"UO] 1 talking about this. If you have any information on this missing mystery, please contact the Cape Girardeau Police Department directly: 573-335-6621. At the trial, prosecutor Michael McIntyre alleged that Patricia remained obsessed with Andrew Katrinak long after their breakup despite testimony that shed had many boyfriends and live-in lovers to occupy her bandwidth. If you know anything about their case, please call or text the "In Pursuit with John Walsh" hotline: 833-378-7783 (3-PURSUE). Police couldnt determine whether the baby died of exposure or suffocation. Photo by: Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image, Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. A newspaper account described Patricia as a soft-spoken, demure woman who had a sweet Southern accent and wore feminine clothes in court. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Ch Patricia Rorrer is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. Search is on. She was also accused of breaking into barns, stealing horses, and underfeeding the ones she owned. 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. 2023 Warner Bros. The person responsible, needs to be punished. Back in March of 2017, Investigation Discovery ran Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates which questioned the conviction of Patricia Rorrer for the brutal double murders of Joann Katrinak and her infant son, Alex. 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. $8.99/mo. Join us tonight for #ReasonableDoubt at 10/9c on ID. The Free Patricia Rorrer page responds to comments from supporters (How is this even possible that this woman is still in jail?!? 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.. 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. 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. 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. Tragedy also touched Patricias life. His favorite rattle, shaped like a phone, lay near the crime scene. 1 0 obj She was bubbly and likable, not disgruntled, according to friend Kathy Barber, who visited her friend in jail. The 5-foot-9-inch-tall Patricia was physically strong, no match for 5-foot-4-inch Joann. Weak wages. Patricia's Most Recent Federal Appeals. The state made a case fueled by circumstantial evidence and public outrage over the deaths of a modern-day madonna and child. You might think such a thing couldnt happen, but thats exactly what did happen in the Rorrer case. Those who knew Joann pointed out that she didnt like to drive in reverse and would have never parked that way. The Ex Files: Directed by Rob Rosen. 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. This all started because Rorrer filed under the Freedom of Information Act for records from the FBI. : 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. Both bodies were found four months later along a rural trail close to where Rorrer used to ride horses. On December 12, 1994, Joann answered a phone call from a woman shed never met, Patricia Rorrer, her husbands onetime girlfriend. Joann Katrinaks car was later found next door in the parking lot of a local tavern. Meanwhile, interest in Patricias plight continues on social media. Patricia Rorrer (right) is led to her hearing in Lehigh County Courthouse Wednesday morning, August 26, 1998 by a sheriffs deputy, at left. 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. Superior Court states that all 6 seatback hairs AND the cigarette butt were nuclear DNA tested and matched to Rorrer. 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. Someone had shot Joann in the face with a .22-caliber pistol, then beaten her about the head hitting her 19 times in all with a blunt object. Or is Patricia Rorrer still just a convenient suspect? Police identified the pair as Joann and Alex Katrinak. In April 1995, the family buried Joann and Alex in a single bronze casket after a funeral mass at a Bethlehem church. Once, when a gun-wielding farmer and his buddy caught Patricia and Gary riding motorcycles on his field, Patricia walked up and got in their faces and argued, Gary recalled to the Morning Call. That's according to Craig Neely, who worked on the case for years as the defense attorney. Katrinak's husband's ex-girlfriend was convicted of the crime, but now there's a possibility the case could be reopened. This is an incendiary case that continues to provoke passion on both sides, said Morrison. 2023 Warner Bros. 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.. However, as profiled on IDs Deadly Women: Green-Eyed Monsters, Joanns husbands ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer, was eventually identified as their perpetrator. Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand Up, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. I was able to email with Patricia via the PrisonConnect platform around Christmastime. Kidnapped and killed? 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. Rorrer and Andrew broke off their relationship in 1990, but they remained in regular contact even as Rorrer moved 800 miles away. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. In 1994, a mother, Joann Katrinak, and her baby disappeared and their bodies were later found in Heidelberg Township. Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. At 17, Patricia dropped out of high school and married landscaper Gary Gabard. For this week, I looked into the defenders reasoning as well as Patricias whereabouts today. Gabby Petitos fianc and person of interest in her fatal strangulation disappeared in mid-September after saying he was going for a hike. But thats just some of the ammo on Team Patricias battleship. That hang-up, they said, was the last straw. Years later, conviction in Katrinak murder still raises questions, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. DNA testing revealed the blood came from either Joann or her son. Neely said, "A very substantial question as to whether the hairs that were actually tested were in fact hairs taken from the seatback or were they part of that general pile of hairs that were taken from Patricia Rorrer in North Carolina?". Tillman disappeared in from New York City when he was only 14 years old. For more information, visit: http://www.peacockproductions.tv/. 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. Sad discovery. Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. Produced by NBC News Emmy Award-winning production arm Peacock Productions, the two-part special airs Sunday, March 5 with back-to-back premieres at 8/7c and 9/8c, and features an exclusive phone interview in which Rorrer speaks out from prison for the first time ever. See production, box office & company info. )J?VmVcU4/+xn!U^,lKk*MKKHiT66# Cancel Anytime. They also found a photo of Patricia taken 11 days before the homicide. Born on January 24, 1964, in eastern Pennsylvania, Patricia Rorrer spent most of her life going back and forth between the Keystone State and North Carolina. 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. Then 31 years old, she had lived a rocky existence. She beat Katrinak, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods in Heidelberg Township. Plus: Dead Louisiana woman found fused to sofa; JonBent Ramseys father seeks governors help with DNA testing; Australian man incarcerated for killing gay American in 1988; and Pennsylvania mother shoots her two boys in the head. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. After one bullet didnt kill Joann, the gun locked up, so Patricia had to beat her to death, according to the prosecution. 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. Patricia Lynne Rorrer made for a good suspect. After Joann Katrinak, the wife of Patricia's former flame, turned up dead along . 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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. Media galore. At 17, Patricia dropped out of high school and married landscaper Gary Gabard. One on one? Patricia seemed like the girl next door but all of a sudden, something snapped, Katrinak later told Wrong Man investigators. 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. Shes just extremely happy with Andy, her brother, Michael OConnor, told the media. The entire forensics examination from beginning to end was just awful.". 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 <> The couple moved into Andrews sturdy brick house at 740 Front Street in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. Superior Court states that the 3 mounted car hairs were sent to the FBI in July 1995, and Rorrers hair samples were taken in November 1995, therefore, since the FBI had possession of the mounted hairs before the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) took Rorrers samples, it is impossible for those hairs to have been switched. After all, one of the key pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene and Joanns vehicle were dyed blonde hair strands. The prosecution alleged that Patricia called the Katrinaks house from a pay phone in Pennsylvania. Prosecutors offered Patricia a plea deal that would take the death penalty off the table, but she declined. Years later, conviction in Katrinak murder still raises questions endobj 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. Sir I would not kill somebody and I definitely wouldnt kill somebody I never met, Rorrer said. Joanns first husband, New Jersey construction worker Michael Jack, who had reportedly abused her during their marriage, also had a solid alibi. Detective Barry Grube found it odd that Andrew fixed the severed phone line before police examined it in essence tampering with evidence. She was always looking for a fight, Gary Gabard told the Morning Call, which noted that he was a head shorter than Patricia. The phone wire was located at the opposite end of the basement, which was dark. Patricia and her husband broke up after the babys death. (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. Shortly before Katrinak and Alex disappeared, Rorrer called the Katrinak house. Dance defense. The police considered the possibility that Joann ran away, a theory disputed by her family. Patricias professional life included short-lived gigs as a Century 21 real estate agent and an Oldsmobile salesperson. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Or did they? Although police initially focused on Andrew as a suspect, they ruled him out and suspicion turned toward his ex-girlfriend Patricia Rorrer four months later, when Joann and Alexs bodies were discovered on a rural trail near where Patricia used to ride horses. - 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 . Patricia L. Rorrer was taken into custody from the Linwood home she shared with her boyfriend and 1-year-old daughter on June 24, 1997. All of STARZ blockbuster movies, epic originals, and addictive series. STARZ - Uncover shocking new evidence in Patricia Rorrer's - Facebook . 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. @!44` ^]5[a$iq`k7jKV&fU-Ru=$^ Z6DGgYP5`T30V;B:HI `{N v,mQxtGxrFwLS` KxL*sc ;fY. Why did the police focus on a young mother from another state, who had never met either victim and had not had a romantic relationship with Andy Katrinak in more than five years? She has been telling the same story for over 20 years, Morrison explains. Self - Retired Detective Sergeant Homicide Investigator Birmingham AL Police Dept. 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. Lehigh Valley: Patricia Rorrer Still A Convenient Suspect? Superior Court states that evidence was taken from Joanns. 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. 728 views. But did the police arrest the right person? Have You Seen Missing Colorado Man Jance Wesly Varela? Gay Bars, 1 Suspect Still at Large, Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims. Starting at. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. For every fact that is presented, there are two interpretations to give.. She was thus sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole, plus an added 10-20 years for the kidnapping charges, to be served consecutively. Family members found Joanns tan Toyota sitting vacant in the parking lot of McCartys, a nearby bar. All of STARZ blockbuster movies, epic originals, and addictive series. 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 a very early failed marriage, the 24-year-old Joann scored a new husband in Andrew Katrinak, 38, whom she met at a club. Traupman died in 2016. This is a genuine puzzler, Morrison tells PEOPLE about the case that inspired Sundays two-part special, Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates. Our Mission. How could I explain to my daughter years later that I took a plea for something I didnt do? she said. Will There Finally Be Justice For Megan McDonald? Inside the Alex Murdaugh Double Murder Trial: Could He Go Free? The state police dropped him as a suspect. This is a despicable crime, prosecutor says of Kelly Renee Turner approving surgery after surgery for the child. 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. Since that time, Rorrer has held out hope that Pennsylvanias Superior Court would grant her a hearing to examine the new evidence that has come to light in her case. And yikes, he discovered someone had cut one of the houses phone lines and pried the hinge on the basement door. You have permission to edit this article. Investigators theorized that this action angered Patricia into a jealous rage that ended with abduction and murder. According to the prosecution it was enough to convict. 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. Trash-talking ex. Investigation Discovery on Twitter: "Patricia Rorrer sits in prison for Phone records confirmed Patricia placed the earlier call from North Carolina, not Pennsylvania. endobj Joann answered and told Rorrer to leave her family alone before hanging up. PDF In the United States District Court for The Eastern District of Why would somebody tell you, theyre going to fry me, if they didnt do it? Jarrett told Wrong Man. Advocates for her innocence complain of hype surrounding the case. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. Authorities confirm former fugitive, Leticia Smith was extradited from Mexico to California. And because some of Patricias advocates have suggested Andrew Katrinak had a motive for murder, I checked into whether he had a life insurance payout to gain upon Joanns demise. 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. Katrinak's husband's ex-girlfriend was convicted of the crime, but now there's a possibility the case could be reopened.
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