I was like OK, maybe she was tired, you know with a new baby. When O'Reilly started doing the research, she believed Patricia (Patty) had been . Share Memories & Support the Family. 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. Probable cause of death: exposure. Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. According to the LA Times, the United States Supreme Court struck down the conviction of death row inmate Curtis Flowers, who was prosecuted six times for the same crime of quadruple murder, and by the same prosecutor, in a case riddled with evidentiary problems and allegations of racial bias, according to the press statement. Or identify other people in their lives who might have benefited from either the Katrinak's deaths or disappearance? She failed miserably to convince me, or anyone else who mattered, of her innocence. They DID NOT match the bullets that killed Joann and her son. And she would just call out of the blue., According to the Free Patricia Rorrer page on Facebook:I called him to let him know that I was going to the USA finals for a horse show. And their phone line had been cut someone had not wanted the Katrinaks to be able to call for help. Patricia was wrongfully convicted and we will show you how! 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. But the Wrong Man team brought in their own experts to review the detailed information on the corpses. Finally, prosecutors challenged Patricia's alibi. Police slowly built a case against Patricia. TV-14. Patricia Rorrer is imprisoned for murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife and baby out of spite. 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. (A good point. Here was some other evidence mentioned in the Forensic Files episode: A forensic entomologist examined insect activity on the victims. This was further disproved when her bank reported there'd been no activity on Joann's credit cards since her disappearance. Did investigators look for phone calls between Andrew and Patricia prior to December 11, 1994? It seems strange that Patricia would just pick up and drive 500 miles to see and ex-boyfriend from years ago on a whim, leaving her own one-year-old daughter at home in North Carolina. EPISODE 1. 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. She is sitting in Muncey Women's Correctional Facility for over 23 years now for something. Today, Patricia Lynne Rorrer resides in State Correctional Institute at Muncy, a medium and maximum security facility that has the highest rate of cancer of all prisons in Pennsylvania, according to a story from northcentralpa.com. A hearing on the issue got heated Tuesday. Then 31 years old, she had lived a rocky existence. Chapter 1. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. Patricia Taylor Allanson, the Deadly Magnolia, was released from prison in 1999. MEMORANDUM BY LAZARUS, J. Rorrer was the ex-girlfriend of Joann's husband . Very true - I can't remember if the show went through that. 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. She claimed to be at a dance class in private club but her name was missing from the sign in sheet that night. Felix (Phil) Rosado and Terrell (Rell) Woolfolk-Carter, WELCOME HOME!!!!! During Patricias hours-long turn in the witness chair, Michael McIntyre grilled her relentlessly. after the fact. Because when she did, she quickly began to realize that there was a lot more to the story than the public ever knew. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Mostly cloudy and drier, but a few scattered rain showers linger early, and perhaps a few snow showers at any point in the Poconos. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes. At 17, Patricia dropped out of high school and married landscaper Gary Gabard. 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. Patricia demonstrated a habit of making almost daily, long-distance phone calls from her home in North Carolina. 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. My kid has had 99th percentile head circumference since birth. Great catch. I have always maintained my innocence because I am innocent. Wow this episode was featured on Forensic Files. They moved into her house in Salisbury County, staying together for about two years. They never looked into Andy who failed several lie detector tests, tampered with evidence. But investigators conceded they had no solid evidence against Andrew. Wish me luck! . He wanted to move to Colorado and she was against it.. However, her name was not on the sign-in list. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.: FILED OCTOBER 26, 2017 Patricia Lynne Rorrer appeals the PCRA court's dismissal of her . They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had almond-shaped blue eyes, weighed 18 pounds, and was circumcised. Its doors were locked, but the keys were inside the vehicle. Any ideas why the fact that their bodies didnt appear to have been in the woods as long as previously thought wasnt brought up in court? On December 12, 1994, Joann answered a phone call from a woman shed never met, Patricia Rorrer, her husbands onetime girlfriend. It showed her usually all-brown hair haphazardly highlighted blond. The person responsible, needs to be punished. The state made a case fueled by circumstantial evidence and public outrage over the deaths of a modern-day madonna and child. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. Why did the police not look into these things? 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. To really understand this case, you need to sit down and read this book called Convenient Suspect written by Tammy Mal. The system is broken sending innocent people to prison! Patricia seemed like the girl next door but all of a sudden, something snapped, Katrinak later told Wrong Man investigators. The footage was quite old and filmed well before the show and theory so it caught my notice after the show stated his percentiles being nearly off the chart. She was also no stranger to law enforcement because she had a history of violence which included an arrest for getting into a bar brawl with another patron over a guy. Why was the jury never told that Patricia Rorrer was under surveillance in North Carolina at the time of the crime? She just stayed in touch with everybody, Kathy Barber said in her interview on NBCs Murder in Lehigh Valley: Keith Morrison Reports in 2017. 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. Here is the link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDGl9dMgHwY&fbclid=IwAR1nlAYf6AcIu_i8kN0fD_MCD3CnxJ6DG_oUgVFdqN3b2EJ4fcLO2ci3wWc, https://www.amazon.com/Convenient-Suspect-Investigation-Railroading-Innocent/dp/B0777SGHL4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tammy%20mal&qid=1588982960&sr=8-1&fbclid=IwAR0xwJARGyijcn3BqdWAzXSX0l9C7kM-9UtBxQio4AsMv62neDLzggK1IrI. Its definitely getting rougher every day, Andrew told the Morning Call. They theorized might've simply started a new life with another man, but this seemed absurd to everyone who knew Joann. It all gave jurors a lot to think about but only for six hours. Donna Fisher/Allentown Morning Call/TNS via Getty Image. Most prosecutors wouldn't even take such paltry evidence into court today. Mizgerd said she is convinced Rorrer is innocent. I was able to email with Patricia via the PrisonConnect platform around Christmastime. In November 2005, she shoots Keith in the head while he . Berlingers landmark HBO documentary Paradise Lost Trilogy helped lead to the release of the wrongfully convicted West Memphis Three after 18 years of incarceration. 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. 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). It will show you that I have not committed these murders. 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. I dont even know its Christmas.. Success! Patricia was living back in North Carolina when the double murders occurred, yet investigators questioned her nonetheless. Mostly cloudy and drier, but a few scattered rain showers linger early, and perhaps a few snow showers at any point in the Poconos. July 16, 1932 - September 10, 2020, Dr. Edward E. "Gene" Rorrer, Sr. passed away on September 10, 2020 in Abingdon, Virg. Her defense was essentially that she and Andrew Katrinak had remained friendly, so she wouldn't want to hurt him. To date, the PA courts refuse to let me test this evidence which will prove my innocence. Hello guys! The six-episode documentary series examines the cases of three different inmates who are serving life sentences on murder convictions but who claim innocence. This is crazy. Four hours is a long time between Andrew getting home from work and calling the police. Unbloody vehicle. She is a true crime writer who believed I was 100% guilty when she decided to write about my case. But if Rorrer was a genuine suspect, it's likely investigators would have attempted the mitochondrial DNA match on the hair anyway. The witness said he would sign in as Richard Nixon or not sign in at all quite often. Patricia Rorrer: Under the Microscope: Patty Rorrer is convicted of the kidnapping and murder of her ex-boyfriend's wife and infant son, but "Wrong Man" investigators discover that the case is not so clear cut. On closer inspection, he saw it was the body of a woman. There is still an appeal coming up (I believe) but everything else has failed so far to get Patricia another trial. Berlingers recently directed Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, and the feature film on the infamous serial killer, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, for Netflix. 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. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. Joann had been shot once and then beaten over the head (presumably because the gun used only shot once). Her friends say she was railroaded by the system and they want Chris and Fatima to join their fight to free her. The authorities charged her with two counts of murder. How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? 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. Thank God she decided to investigate these crimes on her own. 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. Patricia's investigators are petitioning to DNA test the single strain of hair found in Joann's hand. The only eyewitness to the murder a five-year-old child told police officers that a white man did it, reads the statement. She was bubbly and likable, not disgruntled, according to friend Kathy Barber, who visited her friend in jail. Andrew had an ex-girlfriend, Patricia Rorrer, who'd been familiar with the trail, and she'd previously managed a horse stable just a mile from the scene. As for the words exchanged on the call between the two big-haired women, Joann told Andrew that Patricia had used profanity; Patricia said it was the other way around. But her reputation wasnt exactly sleek and shiny. "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. Advocates for her innocence complain of hype surrounding the case. How could I explain to my daughter years later that I took a plea for something I didnt do? she said. Well, that really caught our attention of course.". The investigation that led to her identification and then turned up enough evidence to arrest and convict Patricia Rorrer was interesting. Rejection and betrayal are good enough reasons for these women to commit heinous crimes. Thank you for reading, please use the links, and watch all the videos. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. She does not have a lawyer, her last lawyer was sued by the prosecutor. It's sad looking back at those Forensic Files episodes where the science was junk but they portray it as a solid case. 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. And if nothing more, it certainly galvanized the law enforcement community and got us moving in the right direction. 6-10. Inside the locked 1992 vehicle, police discovered some strands of blond hair stained with dried blood. Theres also the matter of a woman who suddenly remembered she saw Joann with another man at a Food Mart store five days after the disappearance. All of us could be wrongfully convicted. Her mother, Patricia Chambers, provided day care for their baby son, Charles. Investigation Discovery is profiling the murder of Joann Katrinak and her infant son. I am innocent of these crimes, and I should not have lost the best years of my life in a prison cell. 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. They had a son, Alex Martin, in August of 1994. Success! Patricia supposedly still cared for Andrew Katrinak, but murdering his son contradicts this notion. The DNA presented at trial, the botching of hair evidence and the revelations in 2015 are thoroughly discussed. 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. She has been incarcerated for 24+ years. You couldnt fire a second shot. Joann had been shot in the face and badly beaten. I found it necessary to document each time an episode featured one of these. Value of cutting back on your screen time, What the Tech? Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On. Shes extremely, extremely happy with the baby. Two-Part Special Premieres Sunday, March 5 at 8/7c; Features Exclusive First-Ever Interview with Inmate Patricia Rorrer (Silver Spring, Md.) 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). Of course she did--because all that was out there on me was fake news. 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 . I cant lose them, he told the media. They were hardly decomposed after a mild winter. Is to get Patricia a fair trial that will prove her innocence, and give justice to Joann and Alex who died a horrific death. "I'm very angry, very very very angry," McIntyre said. An infant was lying face down on her stomach. Rorrer was tried and convicted in 1994 for the brutal killing of Katrinak and her three-month-old son. Starz announces premiere date for Joe Berlinger's Wrong Man Season 2. At 10:30 p.m., Andrew reported his wife missing. 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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. When it was only able to fire once, Rorrer had to resort to bludgeoning her victim. Neely said the first officer on the scene didn't believe Rorrer committed the crime. Now retired, he declined ForensicFilesNow.coms invitation to spar directly with Patricia via a podcast. They released a poster of Joann and Alex, noting that the baby had "almond-shaped blue eyes," weighed 18 . DNA testing revealed the blood came from either Joann or her son. They would have been held alive. Counsel for Patricia Rorrer, 52, . Patricia had of course not registered that night. We all need justice! She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. FBI didn't follow up on Patricia's alibi for months (6 months?) Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol. Patricia denied owning a .22 caliber pistol (the type of gun used to kill Joann). As noted earlier, there was hair found in the victims hand, fingernail fragments found on her body, and also a cigarette butt. In April 1995, the family buried Joann and Alex in a single bronze casket after a funeral mass at a Bethlehem church. Tue, Sep 27, 2022 60 mins. 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.