Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Detective Robert Werts stated Rorrer offered four or five alibis for the time of the incident. Phone records confirmed Patricia placed the earlier call from North Carolina, not Pennsylvania. Stable situation. Another witness, Walter Traupman, who never testified, had told state troopers that on the day of Joanns disappearance, he saw a couple who looked like Joann and Andrew arguing about the paternity of a baby. Its doors were locked, but the keys were inside the vehicle. Innocent nonprofit Wrongful Conviction. Did investigators look for phone calls between Andrew and Patricia prior to December 11, 1994? S5 E7: Patricia Rorrer sits in prison for brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. Pat Rorrer received a sentence of life imprisonment for her crime. Read More:Where is Jacqueline Crymble Now? Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image. Then, despite her multiple alibis, she has an inexplicable five-day gap in this pattern. Also she worked as a realtor so it's not that unreasonable for her to know which line to cut. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. We all need justice! They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. Strands of the accuseds dyed-blond hair at two crime scenes proved it. Forensic Files is an American documentary-style series which reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and even outbreaks of illness. A closer examination of the hairs showed traces of dried blood. 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. 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. She was always looking for a fight, Gary Gabard told the Morning Call, which noted that he was a head shorter than Patricia. Many of these are circumstantial, so investigators were grateful for their DNA match from the hair. Reasonable Doubt: Season 5, Episode 7 - Rotten Tomatoes The victim in this crime had a hair clutched in her right hand, and three pieces of fingernail found on her body, none of which has ever been tested. Starring Keith Morrison. Ex-boyfriend Walter Blalock said that Patricia wanted him to be more like Andrew. He is the TV Editor at Entertainment. I knew when Joann was pregnant and although surprised because Andy had once told me he didn't want children and wasn't sure he could have children, I was again happy for him. Everyone needs to wake up because this could be you, your wife, your husband, your mother, your father, your children! Plus, he had only a minimal life insurance policy on Joann and he passed polygraphs, according to The FBI Files: Family Secrets. . Rorrer claims the DNA evidence used to send her away is junk science., read more: Why Netflixs Ted Bundy Movie Avoids Violence, The third inmate whose case is under examination is Kenneth Clair. How would an intruder find it? Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband Andy but the ex-couple hadn't spoken for close to a year until they had a call one day in December, 1994. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. They allege that the North Carolina resident stealthily drove 500 miles to Pennsylvania and killed out of a sense of deadly indignation. As usual, Rebecca at Forensic Files Now has a thoroughly researched article about the Patricia Rorrer case and events since her conviction. Pulled hairs don't grow roots. 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. Wow this episode was featured on Forensic Files. Based on body decomposition alone, it seems near impossible that they were kidnapped and killed in the same day or even within weeks. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. Cancel Anytime. There is a 2-part episode on Wrong Man that just came out this year. I found it necessary to document each time an episode featured one of these. Rorrer claims the DNA . Catherine Howard - Fifth Wife of Henry VIII Documentary My kid has had 99th percentile head circumference since birth. I can't recall if the long distance calls were talked about in the show. Kidnapped and killed? Patricia supposedly still cared for Andrew Katrinak, but murdering his son contradicts this notion. 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. It'd be plausible to reason some deniability in Patricia's role if there weren't so many indicators of her involvement. They broke up in 1993. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. Starting at. And it certainly didn't make me mad enough to jump in my car, drive 500 miles one way and kill two people I'd never met--one an infant child. 1 talking about this. A hearing on the issue got heated Tuesday. SearchWorks catalog We need to know who killed them! Most convictions were procured through microscopic hair comparison which has been debunked as junk science today. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Patricia Rorrer was a cold woman. She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. The state made a case fueled by circumstantial evidence and public outrage over the deaths of a modern-day madonna and child. It's sad looking back at those Forensic Files episodes where the science was junk but they portray it as a solid case. 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. - 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 . DNA testing revealed the blood came from either Joann or her son. Culture Editor Tony Sokol cut his teeth on the wire services and also wrote and produced New York CitysVampyr Theatreand the rock operaAssassiNation: We Killed JFK. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. 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 been more than 20 years since Patricia Rorrer was convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend's wife, Joann Katrinak, and Katrinak's baby. 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 . Another case is Patricia Rorrer, who has been in prison since 1998, convicted of the murder of a young mother and her 16-week old son in Pennsylvania. Police identified the pair as Joann and Alex Katrinak. Movies/Documentaries Murder in Lehigh Valley Forensic Files: A Woman Scorned Deadly Women: Green-Eyed Monsters. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. His team includes renowned civil rights attorney Ron Kuby, former prosecutor Sue-Ann Robinson, retired NCIS investigator Joe Kennedy, and Ira Todd of Detroits elite Homicide Task Force. See Commonwealth v. Rorrer, CP-39- CR-0002176-1997 (C.C.P. No activity on her bank account or credit cards took place after the day she went missing, so investigators dismissed the theory that she took her child and bolted. 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. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes. Tapps lawyer saidWrong Mans in-depth investigation into the Tapp conviction helped free an innocent man.. WATCH: ID Examines 1994 Lehigh Valley Double-Murder - Peoplemag The episode indicated that Andrew Katrinak informed police that Patricia Rorrer had made the phone call to his home three days before Joann's disappearance. The media love the femme fatale., FBI lab blunder. Congratulations to all four of you, especially Rell and Phill, who are both co-founding members of R2R and CADBI. Traupman died in 2016. However, it seems this was only after the bodies of Joann and Alex were found on the remote horse trail. A local murder case that made national headlines will be back in the national spotlight Sunday night. No comments yet - start the conversation above. Convenient Suspect: A Double Murder, a Flawed Investigation, and the (180) 2017 13+. However, her name was not on the sign-in list. EPISODE 1. 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. New state, new man. But if that's the main evidence against her, it seems awfully weak. Patricia Rorrer is serving a life sentence, convicted of driving 500 miles to kill her ex-boyfriend's new wife and his baby. There is another question, though: Can anyone say . In 2015, I discovered an FBI report that states the hair used to convict me had "No Roots Attached." ir.library.oregonstate.edu [1] The mitochondria, and thus mitochondrial DNA, are passed exclusively from mother to offspring through the egg cell. Cop defends accused. He wanted to move to Colorado and she was against it.. In February 2008, Patricia Taylor Allanson, age 70, was arrested and charged with doctor shopping for thousands of pain pills over the past year. It would have to have been a different gun. Joann was fun, likable, beautiful, always happy, said her sister-in-law Cindy Wiard. The six-episode documentary series examines the cases of three different inmates who are serving life sentences on murder convictions but who claim innocence. Lehigh Cty.) This explosive case is back in the spotlight, reopening old wounds and creating new ones. Shouldn't Andrew have mentioned this suspicious, out-of-the-blue phone call from his ex-girlfriend sooner? 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. Of course, Patricia denied this. 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. So now, lets find out everything there is to know about her, shall we? Of course she did--because all that was out there on me was fake news. Patricia was arrested in North Carolina in June of 1997. He said that the gun had an unusual characteristic: the gun would jam after firing one shot. But Patricia had moved from Pennsylvania years ago, and she'd started her own family in North Carolina. Patricia Rorrer Obituary (1935 - 2021) - Lynchburg, VA - The News & Advance Testimony from Walter Blalock contradicted Patricias claim that she never had a gun. There was also a 2017 Dateline Keith Morrison episode which covered some of these facts. He would be alive today if it were not for Patricia Rorrer. The mild-mannered Sarah died in 2019 at the age of 83. After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. Now retired, he declined ForensicFilesNow.coms invitation to spar directly with Patricia via a podcast. Rorrer was tried and convicted in 1994 for the brutal killing of Katrinak and her three-month-old son. 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. He contributed to Altvariety, Chiseler, Smashpipe, and other magazines. God Bless each of you. Her book tells the truth and the real story of this case. In 1995 DNA testing was brand new. In 2015, the type of hair DNA science used was finally admitted to be junk by the FBI and incorrect in 96% of cases. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. Criminals aren't always the smartest folks - this area highlights the common (and reoccurring) mistakes they make. Wrong Man season 2, episode 3 recap: The Hang Up - Show Snob Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol. Two of the seasons three cases will feature female inmates. Patricia Taylor Allanson, the Deadly Magnolia, was released from prison in 1999. Aside from the hair, there was almost zero forensic evidence. It was later believed that his recollection was keen, since he'd been the one to dress her posthumously. (QUIZ), RAW: FILE: CHRIS ROCK IS SET TO MAKE NETFLIX HISTORY, Outlast Forces Lone Wolf Contestants to Embrace Team Dynamics for Netflix Competition, Diego Luna: Andor Ending With Season 2 Is Really Important for My Mental Health. I suspect I know. Conflicting versions. 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. Tips to help protect your smartphone from thieves, Godfather of soft rock David Lindley dead aged 78 after months of illness, Prince George set to play key role in King Charles coronation but only if hes back in school ASAP after!, Idris Elba: Its MY prerogative to stop labelling myself a black actor, Stephen tWitch Boss widow Allison Holker tells their kids they will find courage, Which Outer Banks Character Are You? Yet, everything changed when they lost their 3-month-old son to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Every time you take your infant to the Dr., they take measurements, so I'm wondering if records exist that show the baby was always in the higher percentile, or if he was say, 60-70th percentile, then suddenly BAM! The killer was Patricia Rorrer, the jealous ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, Andrew. Sir I would not kill somebody and I definitely wouldnt kill somebody I never met, Rorrer said. It showed her usually all-brown hair haphazardly highlighted blond. It is believed she may have received over 3,700 pills in less than a year. Her mother, Patricia Chambers, provided day care for their baby son, Charles. This was part of Rorrer's defense strategy it seemed like an unrealistic motive to commit murder. We work hard to help with things that can not be accomplished in prison. Based on the activity, the victims were there since at least February. Jury Rejects Alibi, Finds Rorrer Guilty In Double Kidnapping-murder Case Woman found guilty in Lehigh Slayings Convicted murderer seeks new DNA tests in '94 murder case. Keith Morrison investigates the horrific 1994 murders of Joann Katrinak and her infant son Alex, the tangled relationships surrounding the crime, and the ongoing claims that Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted. If you subscribe to Hulu and upgrade to Starz (theres a free one-week trial offer), you can stream the Wrong Man episodes about Patricia Rorrer. Decades-old Lehigh Valley murder case back in national spotlight, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Image credit: Episode screen capture from, - Sarah OConnor: Joann Katrinaks Mother, - Det. Her alibi about going to the club, called Cowboys Nitelife, got fuzzy when investigators discovered she hadnt signed the guest book on that day. Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. No show. Please read her story. July 16, 1932 - September 10, 2020, Dr. Edward E. "Gene" Rorrer, Sr. passed away on September 10, 2020 in Abingdon, Virg. "The DA threatened if he ever said that to anybody he would never work in law enforcement again," Neely said. They even lived together for about two years before parting ways for good. Any amount will deeply appreciated. Patricias defenders also say Andrew Katrinak staged the scene at his house by prying the door and cutting the phone line. The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. The victims vanished on December 15. Use quotation marks to search as a They never looked into Andy who failed several lie detector tests, tampered with evidence. Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Investigates Patricia Rorrer: An Update - Forensic Files Now 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. You have permission to edit this article. Morrison was 16 weeks pregnant when her lifeless body was found beaten beyond recognition and dumped along a remote country road, reads the statement.