The missing items included Joann's purse, car, both her and Alex's winter jackets, and the diaper bag. Most of all, Patricia said, she would like a rematch with prosecutor Michael McIntyre. McIntyre didn't address that issue in his closing argument..Burke said soil in the woods didn't match soil in and on the car and questioned why there was no blood in the car if the killer drove the car back to Catasauqua where it was found..He also wondered how the victims could have been kidnapped at gunpoint from their home at 740 Front St. in the afternoon without anyone seeing anything..Prosecutors claim that Rorrer planned the killing and even might have been in the area before Dec. 15, 1994. Lisa had long flowing hair, pale skin, and a pretty face. Even though Joanne was supposed to take her mother-in-law for Christmas shopping, she never showed up. Her husband, Andrew, was surprised to not find his wife and child at home after arriving there after work. Strands of the accuseds dyed-blond hair at two crime scenes proved it. Four hours is a long time between Andrew getting home from work and calling the police. Lisa Manderach, two weeksshy of her 30th birthday, worked full time as a fork-lift operatorin a food warehouse and also had an entrepreneurial streak. But was Andrew in on this plan? There are myriad issues surrounding this case and conviction. She failed miserably to convince me, or anyone else who mattered, of her innocence. Of course anything is possible, but I have studied this case in great detail, and my gut instinct is that Patricia Rorrer never left North Carolina, just as shes always maintained. Its appalling where deliberate. Andrew described his existence with Joanne and Alex as a little Camelot., Ex-spouse off list. Three days before she vanished, Mrs. Katrinak had angrily told Ms. Rorrer to stop calling her husband. There were no love letters, cards, gifts, or any other indication that she still had a romantic interest in him. Charles Robert Gabard died of natural causes, according to the death certificate.Eggers said Rorrer's marriage to Charles Gabard ended soon afterward.Davidson County, N.C., Sheriff Gerald Hege describes Rorrer as a "brute of a woman," who seemed to taunt law enforcement officers as they built a case against her.Hege had seen Rorrer a few times over the past two years, and his department was watching her closely. So begins a case that features a m. We found out that he was a real pervert, all kinds of sexual devices and various perverted stuff, District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. told Forensic Files rather triumphantly. Cop defends accused. Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. Region. Last weeks post told of two nice people with the bad luck to cross paths with a personable married couple who were thrill killers looking for prey. Submit an open records request to the Catasauqua Police Department, the Pennsylvania State police, and the FBI. I agree with Rebecca, and am surprised this was reported: if it was legal, what does it matter? No one else from the club testified she was there. The states theory was that this was a fatal attraction/cant let go motivated killing. After relocating to Pennsylvania, Patricia met the 6-foot-2-inch Andrew in a restaurant. The fact she no longer has that gun "is almost as good as having the weapon," McIntyre said..To believe Rorrer's testimony, he said, jurors would have to reject testimony of 22 prosecution witnesses, whom she said were mistaken in their recollections of events.."Either she's guilty or she's the most unlucky person who's ever walked on this Earth," McIntyre said..The killer, he said, would have to have the same DNA as Rorrer, the same color and length of hair, the same gun, the same knowledge of the Katrinak home and the woods, and have a reason to kill Joann Katrinak. I think one cant read anything into Fairleys pastimes/hobbies: hes just evil. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Review. As usual, Rebecca at Forensic Files Now has a thoroughly researched article about the Patricia Rorrer case and events since her conviction. "A Fatal Attraction" when a wife and her baby disappear hair found . In March of 1998, a jury returned two guilty verdicts against Patricia Rorrer for murder, and two more for kidnapping. Oddly, the test results on the DNA from the cigarette butt was the deciding factor for me: thats when I KNEW the evidence had been compromised. But by all accounts, Rorrer only spoke to Andrew Katrinak once or twice a year. Convicted of murdering her ex-boyfriends wife and child because of a telephone impropriety. State police and the Philadelphia division of the FBI appealed to the public for leads. Andrew Katrinak - Forensic Files Now Forensic tests suggested the hair found in the car and at the murder scene came from Patricia. I dont have any reason to believe that Fairley might have been in the Catasauqua area in December of 1994. I was so excited that I called everyone, and Joanne picked up the phone and she said Andy is married, and I said I know, then she said we have a baby, and I said yea I know, then she said dont ever call here again. He wanted to move to Colorado and she was against it.. Police found her 1988 Firebird in the shopping plazas parking lot and located a witness who remembered seeing Lisa in Your Kidz & Mine. Again, this vital piece of evidence was never tested prior to trial. Andrew had a lady friend who lived less than 4 miles from those woods. Please research the Katrinak case a little when you have some time. "Testimony ended Monday with Pfeiffer taking Rorrer up to October 1994 when she came to Pennsylvania from North Carolina to try to sell four of her horses. Apparently it is universally agreed by courts that any hair testing before 2000 might had yieled an incorrect reading. 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. 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. 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. The organization purports that if there were awards for distorted reporting, the Morning Callwould win high honors.. They allege that the North Carolina resident stealthily drove 500 miles to Pennsylvania and killed out of a sense of deadly indignation. Although the prosecution used it as evidence that she was trying to create a false alibi, it actually sounded more like Patricia was simply trying to nail down the facts he had already asserted to her. 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 . . But none of those charges ever stuck. Along with Rorrer, Joann Katrinaks ex-husband, Michael Jack, and Andrew Katrinak were suspects for a time. Patricia Rorrer: Guilty Or Not? - Medium Shes a desperate woman wed all be desperate and should be expected to say anything, even if it backfires. Joann was fun, likable, beautiful, always happy, said her sister-in-law Cindy Wiard. Theyd fit well in a made-for-TV movie, wouldnt they? Chain of custodyScientists from the Pennsylvania StatePolice tried to perform mitochondrialDNA tests on the six hairs from the Toyota,which were immediately collectedand logged. Rorrer, who had a five-year relationship with Katrinak that ended in 1989, testified that she and Katrinak remained good friends after the breakup, writing letters occasionally and calling each other. It was conceivable that Andrew believed they were still out. Flaw in reasoning. From the start, the Rorrer murder case was plagued with allegations of inconsistent evidence collection and testing that eventually led a judge to hold hearings on whether she deserves a new trial. Dedication. ", "Due to the fact that she sustained one gunshot wound to the face, and then approximately 19 blows to the head led us to believe that the gun probably had jammed. Your email address will not be published. After Joann Katrinak, the wife of Patricia's former flame, turned up dead along with her infant son, prosecutors suspected Patricia. Black Label Episodes AND Ad-Free episodes are now available on our Black Label Podcasting channel on Apple Podcasts . The mullet-wearing Fairleykilledboth Devon and Lisa via strangulation and most likelysexually assaulted Lisa. They produced a photo of her with dyed hair, implicating her because the hairs found in the Toyota were dyed. Patricias professional life included short-lived gigs as a Century 21 real estate agent and an Oldsmobile salesperson. The episode made a special point about locating the photograph of Patricia Rorrer with dyed blonde hair. She claimed to have been home during this period how did her defense team justify such a departure from Patricia's norm? 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. If it could reasonably have affected the outcome a retrial is necessary. DNA tests In 13-year-old Murder Case Could Be Reexamined. 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. Are we to believe that Rorrer was still in such a rage 8 days later that she hopped into her van (with a bad universal joint), drove 500+ miles and killed a woman and baby she had never met, without anyone either seeing her in PA or missing her from NC? It's as if she had left with young Alex as planned but then somehow simply vanished. LONGTIME SUSPECT CHARGED IN MURDERS\ - Greensboro News and Record Her defense was essentially that she and Andrew Katrinak had remained friendly, so she wouldn't want to hurt him. Joann Marie O'Connor Katrinak (1968-1994) - Find a Grave Memorial He claims she was incensed in December 1994 when she called the Katrinak home at 740 Front St. and Joann Katrinak told her not to call anymore.In his opening statement, McIntyre told jurors he would prove several adages: "Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction" and "you can't always tell a book by its cover. Katrinak and Alex were the wife and child of Andrew Katrinak. 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. 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. . Of course, Patricia denied this. Great catch. Also, Rorrer was interviewed by police within a week of Joann and Alex going missing. Shes just extremely happy with Andy, her brother, Michael OConnor, told the media. Patricia Rorrer: An Update - Forensic Files Now Fairley has not found prison life agreeable. Traupman claimed that when he reported the dispute, trooper Robert V. Egan III got mad and practically kicked him out of his office. Deal refused. Tragedy also touched Patricias life. Both sides agree Joann hung up on Patricia. The Manderachsran a janitorial service on the side. Victims Joann Katrinak Alex - Bonnie's Blog of Crime | Facebook Sad discovery. They broke up in 1993. I see not significance in the point you make here. And if nothing more, it certainly galvanized the law enforcement community and got us moving in the right direction. the couple had moved in together, married, and become the proud parents of a new baby boy they named Alex. Meanwhile, the case of the missing mother and baby turned into colossal news across the U.S. and internationally. For more on the Katrinak murder case, you can watch Autopsy Six: A Fatal Attraction for free on YouTube. 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. Imake it a practice not to look too hard for up-to-date information about victims family members because, unless they show up onDr. PhilorDateline, theyre probably not looking for media attention. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. My guiding principle if I were administering criminal law is what is it reasonable to do to establish probative fact and what is it reasonable to believe of those facts (a matter for the jury)? DNA TRAIL IN 2-YEAR-OLD SLAYINGS OF WOMAN, BABY LEAD TO ARREST. 7 Unnerving Facts About the Lindberghs and the Kidnapping, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Daniel and Cynthia McDonnell: Good Cop, Bad Wife. "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. Freudian shrinks may agree theres a flotilla of repressed libido in both. http://articles.mcall.com/1998-03-06/news/3183202_1_mcintyre-defense-lawyer-killed/2, Unreliable Chain: Questionable Hair Evidence Condemns Woman to Prison, FBI admits flaws in hair analysis over decades - The Washington Post. Next thing you know, a muscle bound nerd does something dreadful. She is a tough one, Sheriff Gerald Hege would later tell the Morning Call in a June 29, 1997 interview. The circumstances of Lisa Manderachs murder, the subject of todays post, seem even more improbable. DNA TRAIL IN 2-YEAR-OLD SLAYINGS OF WOMAN, BABY LEAD TO ARRESTAssociated PressJun. When Andrew Katrinak arrived home from work shortly after 6 p.m. on Dec. 15, 1994, he noticed two unusual things. Its proximity to the stable she'd managed made an undeniable association to her. "I'm not worried about my clothes," Rorrer said. DNA tests In 13-year-old Murder Case Could Be ReexaminedMar 21, 2007. Jaime: A single hair in a murder victims hand is likely to be from someone shes been in contact with, but not necessarily. The nail was not consistent with Joann or Rorrer with regard to size and grooming. 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. Andrew Katrinak reported missing his wife, Joanne and 3.5-month-old son, Alex, in December 1994. 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. Patricias accusers theorized that she resented Joanns domestic bliss with the tall, athletic Andrew Katrinak. She also did volunteer work for Meals on Wheels. A year later, she started calling again. It seems Patricia's own daughter and baby Alex Katrinak were very close in age. Thanks for writing in its the first Ive heard about another mother and child murdered in that area. They moved into her house in Salisbury County, staying together for about two years. That is to say, I see nothing contradictory in the evidence against her that must entail perjury. . Andrew Katrinak Obituary (2015) - Bethlehem, PA - Morning Call - Legacy.com But fortunately the murder createdplenty of forensic evidence that made for a stronger case against Fairley. It wasnt until post-conviction DNA testing that those hairs suddenly, inexplicably had roots. Tests show the hairs are definitely a woman's..Rorrer is a cunning woman who almost committed the perfect crime and thought she had outsmarted police, McIntyre said. One she was out buying feed for horses. Entirely random thrill-kills, as this would have to be for Fairley, are relatively rare. The missing items included Joann's purse, car, both her and Alex's winter jackets, and the diaper bag. Police treated Joann's car as a potential crime scene, and their investigation turned up several blonde hairs on the head rest. Her husband, Andrew, was surprised to not find his wife and child at home after arriving there . View the profiles of people named Andrew Katrinak. Patricia was convicted based on her head hairs being found in the victim's car. USA. "Investigators allege Rorrer "in a fit of irrational rage" drove from Linwood, N.C., to Catasauqua, to abduct Joann Katrinak and her baby, Alex, at gunpoint. But that shed never been known to smoke, I grant you (unless she placed it to suggest the perp was a smoker and knew she could claim she wasnt, and simply didnt know DNA could be extracted? Its about what Id expect from Pennsylvania. Patricia supposedly still cared for Andrew Katrinak, but murdering his son contradicts this notion. 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. 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. . Advertisement. Pfeiffer and Burke claimed that police Sgt. Then 31 years old, she had lived a rocky existence. Rorrer was a slim, auburn-haired, 30-year-old photographer and horse enthusiast.Before he called police, family members canvassed nearby neighborhoods, driving around the suburban community of about 7,000 people near Allentown, Pa. Around midnight, Joann Katrinaks father found his daughters Toyota Corolla near a tavern down the street. It certainly tugged at our heartstrings, you know, it brought a tear to my eye. During the investigation, police took hair samples from several individuals, including Andrew Katrinak, but none matched the headrest hairs. She currently resides in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where she works as a daily reporter covering the crime beat for the Southeast Missourian newspaper. In 1986, she met and began a relationship with Andrew Katrinak. Then, not only is she foolish enough to leave the evidence right there with the bodies, shes also kind enough to insist the butt is tested for DNA evidence post-conviction. When police traveled to North Carolina to interview Patricia about the murders of Joann and Alex, she said that on the day of the homicides, she had visited a feed store, a tanning salon, and a country music club. Andrew's annual salary is . Try sending something like that to a lab for paternity testing and see how far you get. Lisa Manderach's Murder - Forensic Files Now MAC: Thanks. No disagreements, but maybe D and D and health club membership arent so far apart. She said she did not give the hang up by Joann Katrinak a second thought. She wasn't aware she had left behind small clues in the woods and in the car, which police believe was used to take the victims to the woods, the prosecutor said..Burke highlighted the prosecution's failure to test another hair -- one found in Joann Katrinak's hand. Veronica Barbara Panik Katrinak (1929-2011) - Find a Grave I lived in this area at the time of the sadly disgusting Murder in Collegeville. Here in UK juries are now being instructed to be satisfied that they are sure of guilt, with surety not being as high as certainty. Friends and family began looking for Joann and Alex. I wish someone would look into the possibility that Caleb Fairley may have murdered Joann Katrinak and her infant son Alex in Catasauqua, PA, in December of 1994. 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. . 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. Patricia and her husband broke up after the babys death. Jury Now Must Decide Whose Argument Does.March 06, 1998by DEBBIE GARLICKI, The Morning Call. FROM THE ARCHIVES: Jury rejects alibi, finds Rorrer guilty in double Police identified the pair as Joann and Alex Katrinak. . But by all accounts, Rorrer only spoke to Andrew Katrinak once or twice a year. 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.
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