The baby had been smothered or left to freeze to death. It was after that round of testing that Rorrer insisted the cigarette butt be tested for DNA, as she was convinced it would exonerate her. He wanted to move to Colorado and she was against it.. Her name is not on a Dec. 15, 1994, sign-in sheet for the private club..Police never found the murder weapon, a .22-caliber gun.."Where's the gun, Patty?" That barn is about two miles from where the bodies were discovered along a trail in the woods, where a prosecution witness said she rode horses with Rorrer. JUROR, DISCUSSING AFTER THE RORRER TRIAL THE FACTORS THAT LED TO HIS DECISION. Testimony from Walter Blalock contradicted Patricias claim that she never had a gun. During Rorrers 18-day trial in February1998, prosecutors pushed the circumstantialmotive of a fatal-attractionmurder. "I was happy he found somebody," said Rorrer, who sometimes turned in the witness chair to speak directly to the jury.Prosecutor Michael McIntyre contends that Rorrer isn't what she appears. Fortunately, investigators found glaring evidence of Fairleys guilt within days of the murder and built a case so solid that the attackerended up sentenced to two consecutivelife terms for two counts of second-degree murder. With Marlene Sanders, Jeffrey J. Lewis, Michael Baden, Andrew Katrinak. Of course, if this matter was related to the inflicting of (non-consensual) pain or worse, and/or minors, thats a different matter but thats not the impression given. She attended Point Park University as a graduate student from 2005-07 and still is working on her masters degree. The investigation that led to her identification and then turned up enough evidence to arrest and convict Patricia Rorrer was interesting. In March of 1998, a jury returned two guilty verdicts against Patricia Rorrer for murder, and two more for kidnapping. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. North America. Detective Barry Grube found it odd that Andrew fixed the severed phone line before police examined it in essence tampering with evidence. The boy died either from suffocation or exposure.Although by 1994 she was living in North Carolina, Ms. Rorrer phoned Katrinak occasionally. She said she did not give the hang up by Joann Katrinak a second thought. Its not clear whether Fairleys interest in vampires was part of D&D or a separate pastime. That does not ring true to me. They returned with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two life terms. were relatively and mercifully swift, mitigating their conscious pain and suffering.. Why would somebody tell you, theyre going to fry me, if they didnt do it? Jarrett told Wrong Man. Even though no gun wasever tied to the killing, a firearms experttestified that Joann Katrinaks injuriescould have come from such a weapon.Andrew Katrinak testified that he hadan amicable breakup with Rorrer, but healso told a jury she had knowledge of thelayout of his home. Fairley also killed Devon, thebaby daughter Lisa shared with husband James Manderach. Then her tone will change to icy and you will be informed that since its an old case, someone will have to take the time to search through the archives. The 26-year-old was recently married, and this would be four-month-old Alex's first Christmas. The autopsy indicated that Joann fought hard for her life. 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. Andrew's involvement in the latter theory was dismissed when his alibi checked out. Anyhow, all together this rather is not a cut and dry trial and a convinction. The circumstances of Lisa Manderachs murder, the subject of todays post, seem even more improbable. When Rorrer was granted the right to do post conviction DNA testing on the nail, it was discovered that the nail had been cleaned of the blood and tissue, rendering it essentially useless for further testing. (A good point. If it wasnt for the DNA, I would have had a hard time saying guilty, juror George James Gatanis, 42, of Salisbury Township told the Allentown Morning Call newspaper after the verdict. When Joann failed to arrive, her mother-in-law tried calling, but there was no answer at the Katrinak's. Hi Marcus, This was one of. Meanwhile, interest in Patricias plight continues on social media. Prosecutors offered Patricia a plea deal that would take the death penalty off the table, but she declined. Rorrer said she was almost 500 miles away in North Carolina on the day of the disappearance. Seven leaky buckets hold no more water than one: that several stratums of the evidence against her MIGHT be interpreted otherwise doesnt add up to sufficient doubt (that works the other way too, of course!) Viz Andrews newer wife, he likely, to me, believed absolutely that she could not possibly be the perp, as endorsed by the fact that he married her. I also communicated with Patricia via email to get her input on some matters. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes. Andrew Katrinak hugs a friend as he emerges from the courthouse after Patricia Rorrer, his former girlfriend, was sentenced to life in prison, March 9, 1998, for the murder of his wife and child 2 . Autopsy examines how forensic examiners can help solve crimes. There are myriad issues surrounding this case and conviction. She had a suitcase packed, Devine said. Christopher Coble and Sgt. Thats all for this post. Hair we go. There was a piece of a fingernail found attached to Joanns chest. Jaime: A single hair in a murder victims hand is likely to be from someone shes been in contact with, but not necessarily. 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. They were married 62 years. She also did volunteer work for Meals on Wheels. I have the same profile but had no children. Deal refused. Katrinak, Andrew J.Andrew Joseph Katrinak, 88, of Bethlehem, died on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at Blough Healthcare Center in Bethlehem. The Free Patricia Rorrer page responds to comments from supporters (How is this even possible that this woman is still in jail?!? She walked into a kids clothing store where a young man working the cash register just happened to be a fantasy-gamesuperfan seething with thoughts of criminal perversion. It showed her usually all-brown hair haphazardly highlighted blond. ~~~~~~~POLICE ARREST WOMAN IN 3-YEAR-OLD CASE OF SLAIN MOTHER AND CHILDAssociated PressJun. Her alibi about going to the club, called Cowboys Nitelife, got fuzzy when investigators discovered she hadnt signed the guest book on that day. Burke said the prosecution brought no one from North Carolina to testify that Rorrer wasn't home for several days..McIntyre said Rorrer tried to conceal her guilt by concocting phony alibis, which shows consciousness of guilt. Even though Joanne was supposed to take her mother-in-law for Christmas shopping, she never showed up. I find these claims incredible. Unlike Mr. Perusing the claims made by her supporters, I find many are Aunt Sallies: points that claimants suggest are probative of innocence but are no such thing. The voice on the phone will be warm and friendly right up until you tell her which transcripts you want. Lieutenant Christopher Coble and Sergeant Suzanne Pearson would later testify that Patricia cried and apologized to 18-month-old Nicole, telling the baby, Im sorry for doing this to you and lamenting to the officers that she would never see little Nicole again. Last but not least, Patricia Rorrer was not the only person in Andrew Katrinaks life who had a connection to the spot where the bodies were found. I really never thought of it again.. He had worked as a semi-pro boxer in Las Vegas in his youth and later settled . For more on the Katrinak murder case, you can watch Autopsy Six: A Fatal Attraction for free on YouTube. She made an effort to look perfectly groomed even when she took out the trash, according to her mother, who appeared on Forensic Files. The couple moved into Andrews sturdy brick house at 740 Front Street in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. But fortunately the murder createdplenty of forensic evidence that made for a stronger case against Fairley. Not sure if i shopped here ever. The final call in December 1994 ended with Joann Katrinak angrily telling her to stop calling, according to police. Strands of the accuseds dyed-blond hair at two crime scenes proved it. But by all accounts, Rorrer only spoke to Andrew Katrinak once or twice a year. Andrew Katrinak was suspected because he failed two polygraph tests when asked if he had lied to police and hid evidence.If it wasnt for the DNA, I wouldhave had a hard time saying guilty. GEORGE JAMES GATANISJUROR, DISCUSSING AFTER THE RORRER TRIAL THE FACTORS THAT LED TO HIS DECISION.27During the investigation, police took hair samples from several individuals, including Andrew Katrinak, but none matched the headrest hairs. "Rorrer was born in Phillipsburg. By all accounts, Rorrer has never been a smoker. Its about what Id expect from Pennsylvania. That is to say, I see nothing contradictory in the evidence against her that must entail perjury. Microscopic analyses, mitochondrial DNA testing and nuclear DNA testing showed hairs found at the crime scene and in Joann Katrinak's car matched Rorrer's hairs and DNA in her blood. Joann Katrinaks Killer Still Has Innocence Advocates(A Woman Scorned, Forensic Files). 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. he asked her. 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). As usual, Rebecca at Forensic Files Now has a thoroughly researched article about the Patricia Rorrer case and events since her conviction. Whether she suffocated him or left him to die of exposure, there's a special place in hell for someone who's able to live with themselves after such a heinous crime. Joann Katrinak. Murder Suspect Breaks Down As Detectives Tell Of Her Arrest: Monday, giving jurors a Cliff Notes version of her life up until the time a Catasauqua woman and her baby disappeared in 1994. wife, because she knew no one else in the area. "I'm not worried about my clothes," Rorrer said. Until WCJN has thought that the hair was planted but the FBI has just released a report detailing unscientific and fraudulent analysis of hair samples in criminal cases. Patricia Lynne Rorrer made for a good suspect. When their bodies were found four months later, police sought the clues to find their killer. I lived in this area at the time of the sadly disgusting Murder in Collegeville. Inside the locked 1992 vehicle, police discovered some strands of blond hair stained with dried blood. So begins a case that features a missing wife, a missing baby, and the husband who gave news interviews repeatedly asking for the return of his wife and son. The episode made a special point about locating the photograph of Patricia Rorrer with dyed blonde hair. 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. Joann grabbed her purse, the diaper bag, and their coats against the December chill in Pennsylvania.