You have permission to edit this article. She had money put aside. Highly charged case. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. Green-Eyed Monsters: Directed by Kate Ryerson. 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. Patricia had won a prize at an out-of-state horse-riding competition less than two weeks before the murders, and she allowed herself to be photographed. His father confirmed his alibi that they were doing construction work together, putting an addition on the house of friends Tom and Kathy Holschwander, at the time of Joanns disappearance. When Andrew returned from work several hours later, Joann's car wasn't in its normal spot in the alley behind their house, but otherwise everything looked ordinary. No show. July 16, 1932 - September 10, 2020, Dr. Edward E. "Gene" Rorrer, Sr. passed away on September 10, 2020 in Abingdon, Virg. Why did the police not look into these things? Sad part is this could be your mother, father, kids, all love ones and friends! "Our position is that Patricia Rorrer's sample hairs were switched with crime scene hair, the hair taken from the seat back of Katrinak's vehicle," Neely said. S5 E7: Patricia Rorrer sits in prison for brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. One on one? More than 20 years after her conviction, Patricia Rorrer still has advocates working to exonerate her. They broke up in 1993. Both were deceased. Patty Rorrer is convicted of the kidnapping and murder of her ex-boyfriends wife and infant son, but Wrong Man investigators discover that the case is not so clear cut. . Does anyone see motive in this scenario? The same source indicates Patricia Rorrer has repeatedly appealed for a retrial and exoneration, but each request has been denied. 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. 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. I lived more than 500 miles away, was engaged to be married, was a new mother, and all of a sudden I'm arrested for murdering two people I'd never even met? The episode made a special point about locating the photograph of Patricia Rorrer with dyed blonde hair. It's possible he was just a big baby/growing faster than average, but if there's some indication that they were alive for some time after their abduction, then it would seem to be an entirely different kind of crime than was first thought. Her defense was essentially that she and Andrew Katrinak had remained friendly, so she wouldn't want to hurt him. 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. The premiere episode will air following the series finale of Power. 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. The bodies of Joann Katrinak and her baby were found in a wooded area of Heidelberg Township in 1994. 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. Hello guys! I have always maintained my innocence because I am innocent. The 26-year-old was recently married, and this would be four-month-old Alex's first Christmas. Somebody has to. No charmed life. What about Joann's best friend, who told the producer's of Wrong Man that Joann was saving up money and planning to leave Andy right after the holidays? There was at least one hair strand that contained enough skin tissue for a nuclear DNA match and it corroborated the mitochondrial match. The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. This was my thought (I'm behind and just caught the 2nd half yesterday). The defense called into question both the motive and the shaky DNA hair evidence at the time. Season 1 had a tangible impact on all three cases that were examined. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . Exactly one week after Joann and Alex went missing, the FBI interviewed me at my mother's house. Patricia supposedly still cared for Andrew Katrinak, but murdering his son contradicts this notion. Sad discovery. When I gave samples of my hair, the doctor took a total of 39 hairs, but only 35 can be accounted for. An infant was lying face down on her stomach. 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. Where are the missing 4 hairs? They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. At first, a broad-daylight abduction of a mother and her infant seemed unlikely. Joe Berlingers documentary series Wrong Man shows what long form documentary journalism can achieve. MEMORANDUM BY LAZARUS, J. I am humbly asking for your help to hire a lawyer and procure a fair trial. 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. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. After her arraignment, she had to walk past a crowd of dozens of locals screeching hang her! and baby killer! Patricia clung to a Polaroid picture showing her and her own little girl. Episode 204 of Starz' Wrong Man winds up its coverage of the Rorrer/Katrinak case, but it leaves us with far more questions than answers. A young mother and her infant son suddenly went missing just before Christmas in 1994. So much in this case, and every time she appeals with new evidence she is denied. McItyre said this is hearsay and the officer has refuted everything in an affidavit. Deal refused. One she was out buying feed for horses. But there was only one day in question, so it feels like Patricia might have been overselling her story. 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. An expert will be allowed to examine evidence from the 1994 . Copyright 2021 Patricia Rorrer - All Rights Reserved. By the time they asked supposed witnesses, most had forgotten about that random dance class (there were many). The killer was Patricia Rorrer, the jealous ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, Andrew. 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. After retracing the prosecutor's claim of Patricia breaking into the basement door, private investigators found it highly unlikely someone like Patricia would have all the tools and know-how to unscrew all the bolts and then navigate through a very long, confusing dark basement to cut a phone line. EPISODE 1. So I was convicted of 2 counts of first degree murder and 2 counts of kidnapping. Murder victim. . This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. In 2015, I discovered an FBI report that states the hair used to convict me had "No Roots Attached." Her mother, Patricia Chambers, provided day care for their baby son, Charles. Why would someone want to kidnap and murder the young mother? Also she worked as a realtor so it's not that unreasonable for her to know which line to cut. Season 9 aired from August 7, 2015, to November 6, 2015. . During Patricias hours-long turn in the witness chair, Michael McIntyre grilled her relentlessly. Most prosecutors wouldn't even take such paltry evidence into court today. Therefore, today, in her late 50s, Patricia is imprisoned at the maximum-security State Correctional Institution Muncy in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. . Murder victim. Criminals aren't always the smartest folks - this area highlights the common (and reoccurring) mistakes they make. Phone calls played a significant role in the case overall. The prosecution alleged that after the murder, Patricia drove Joanns car to McCartys parking lot and backed it into a parking space. Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On. Very true - I can't remember if the show went through that. On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. Andrew described his existence with Joanne and Alex as a little Camelot., Ex-spouse off list. For two decades, Patricia Rorrer has always maintained her innocence. With 400 (and 6) episodes, this progress bar indicates my progress toward finishing all of them. Patricia Rorrer was wrongfully convicted of Murder. Together they had a baby girl, Nicole. Or identify other people in their lives who might have benefited from either the Katrinak's deaths or disappearance? And who'd be heartless enough to kill an infant as well? - 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 . More hairs there. PATRICIA RORRER OBITUARY. 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. 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. Patricia denied owning a .22 caliber pistol (the type of gun used to kill Joann). Murder victim. Starring Keith Morrison. Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image. 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. Her book tells the truth and the real story of this case. 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. Patricia Rorrer, an ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband, was found guilty of the crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutor hiding something? A photo at the time showed that Patricia had dyed her hair blonde, which matched the hair found. Pulled hairs don't grow roots. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. Weak wages. Joann had been shot in the face and badly beaten. 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. There is a 2-part episode on Wrong Man that just came out this year. But "Wrong Man" investigators discover that there is . She did buy a .22 before. In June of 2016 Patricia Rorrer's petition for a new trial was been thrown out. Her alibi about going to the club, called Cowboys Nitelife, got fuzzy when investigators discovered she hadnt signed the guest book on that day. Finally, four months after that dreadful day in December, a farmer plowing his fields found what at first seemed to be a pile of discarded clothing. Prosecutors also claimed DNA hair evidence found in the car matched Patricia's hair at the time (using what was considered valid DNA methods). It's been more than 20 years since Patricia Rorrer was convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend . Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files. 0. 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. Right now she has no attorney and your generous donation will fund our mission. Image Title Airdate Season Episode Series Episode "Sleeping with the Enemy" August 7, 2015: 1: 120 Texan Darlene Gentry is a self-centered former beauty queen who enjoys the party girl lifestyle and whose marriage to husband Keith is collapsing under the debt she has incurred. Her car was soon located in a parking lot within walking distance of their home. Startling new allegations surround one of Lehigh County's most notorious murder cases. Thats my life.. 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. Ex-boyfriend Walter Blalock said that Patricia wanted him to be more like Andrew. A local murder case that made national headlines will be back in the national spotlight Sunday night. Incriminating words. It will show you that I have not committed these murders. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. His film Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulgeruncovered law enforcement corruption at the highest levels. after the fact. (A good point. Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. Wow this episode was featured on Forensic Files. Sir I would not kill somebody and I definitely wouldnt kill somebody I never met, Rorrer said. She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. It'd be plausible to reason some deniability in Patricia's role if there weren't so many indicators of her involvement. I am innocent of these crimes, and I should not have lost the best years of my life in a prison cell. On a secret recording, Patricia asked Jarrett to vouch for her attendance or she might go to the electric char. Kidnapped and killed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lo9AIFM_vc&fbclid=IwAR28Mf5rKuUyaq1N-vBqirZM_382D69Zy42uONlU3Qf0eNEnJ1w_kYRYKIM. I also communicated with Patricia via email to get her input on some matters. Success! Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? To my knowledge these items have never been DNA tested but the prosecutor stipulated that the hair in Joann's hand does not belong to me, and Dr. Tom Jensen, the PSP forensic scientist noted that the fingernail is to large to belong to me.. Who does this evidence belong to? Patricias professional life included short-lived gigs as a Century 21 real estate agent and an Oldsmobile salesperson. TV-14 Information Genre Documentary Released 2022 Run Time 42 min Rated TV-14 Languages Original Audio English . Ive seen the forensics files episode a few times and Im shocked at how it could be so wrong! Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. 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). Mizgerd said Rorrer is aware the show is airing and is hopeful it may bring new attention to her case. Joann Katrinaks Killer Still Has Innocence Advocates(A Woman Scorned, Forensic Files). 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.