Joanne and baby Alex Katrinak kidnapping and murder by Patricia Rorrer

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

The investigation that led to her identification and then turned up enough evidence to arrest and convict Patricia Rorrer was interesting. At first, a broad-daylight abduction of a mother and her infant seemed unlikely. So, this pointed to a theory that Joann had either left on her own or encountered foul play within her home. Andrew's involvement in the latter theory was dismissed when his alibi checked out. And the kidnapping scenario became more plausible when you factor in the privacy of the alleyway behind the Katrinak house. 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.

Reconsidering Andrew Katrinak's potential role

But if Andrew wanted to find his wife and his son, why on Earth did he wait until 10:30pm before notifying authorities? The missing items included Joann's purse, car, both her and Alex's winter jackets, and the diaper bag. It was conceivable that Andrew believed they were still out. But when did he find the evidence of the break-in? How about the phone line being cut? Wouldn't he have tried to call his mother – recall it was with her Joann had planned to go Christmas shopping. Four hours is a long time between Andrew getting home from work and calling the police. Some who still believe in Patricia Rorrer's innocence say it was long enough for him to stage the scene.

The indications of Patricia's involvement in Joann's and young Alex's disappearance were numerous. Detective Robert Werts stated Rorrer offered four or five alibis for the time of the incident. But there was only one day in question, so it feels like Patricia might have been overselling her story. Regard a similar case where too much detail signaled investigators to look closer at their suspect in Bagging a Killer (s06e25). Brad Jackson was able to describe what his daughter Valiree was wearing in incredible detail, down to the color of her socks. It was later believed that his recollection was keen, since he'd been the one to dress her – posthumously.

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

Patricia Rorrer's home phone record did not show her call to the Katrinak house three days prior to the kidnapping because she'd already made the trip to Pennsylvania to see Andrew. But was Andrew in on this plan? 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. But other things Patricia did also seemed strange, especially according to prosecutor Michael McIntyre. The main one of course was committing murder of a young woman and her infant son over an argument. This was part of Rorrer's defense strategy – it seemed like an unrealistic motive to commit murder.

The episode made a special point about locating the photograph of Patricia Rorrer with dyed blonde hair. This had been taken just 11 days before Joann's disappearance. But if Rorrer was a genuine suspect, it's likely investigators would have attempted the mitochondrial DNA match on the hair anyway. Perhaps police couldn't get a warrant for a sample of Patricia's hair, the color being inconsistent with the latent hairs found in the car and at the murder scene.

Lingering questions about Patricia Rorrer

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

It seems Patricia's own daughter and baby Alex Katrinak were very close in age. It's shocking to think that Patricia Rorrer, being a mother, could end the life of an infant. 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. Patricia supposedly still cared for Andrew Katrinak, but murdering his son contradicts this notion.

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. Of course, Patricia denied this. However, it seems this was only after the bodies of Joann and Alex were found on the remote horse trail. 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. Shouldn't Andrew have mentioned this suspicious, out-of-the-blue phone call from his ex-girlfriend sooner?

Phone calls played a significant role in the case overall. Patricia demonstrated a habit of making almost daily, long-distance phone calls from her home in North Carolina. Then, despite her multiple alibis, she has an inexplicable five-day gap in this pattern. She claimed to have been home during this period – how did her defense team justify such a departure from Patricia's norm?

Clues pointing to Patricia Rorrer

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

It'd be plausible to reason some deniability in Patricia's role if there weren't so many indicators of her involvement. It's not often there's a laundry list of clear signals, but it's fun to iterate them when there are so many. 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). Many of these are circumstantial, so investigators were grateful for their DNA match from the hair.

• To commit the murders, Rorrer took her victims out to a location that was familiar and significant. Its proximity to the stable she'd managed made an undeniable association to her.
• Patricia demonstrated a consistent habit of long-distance calls from home, then had an obvious gap while claiming she wasn't out of town.
• Rorrer offered her attendance at a private club in North Carolina as one of her alibies, but the club (per a state regulation) required members to sign in. Patricia had of course not registered that night.
• An ex-boyfriend of Patricia knew she owned a distinct .22 caliber pistol and knew of its tendency to jam, but Rorrer could only deny owning such a weapon.
• Patricia knew her gun tended to jam, but she used it anyway. When it was only able to fire once, Rorrer had to resort to bludgeoning her victim.
• 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. Her hair color in the picture matched hairs found at two of the crime scenes.

Where is Patricia Rorrer now in 2024?

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

Patricia was arrested in North Carolina in June of 1997. Her defense was essentially that she and Andrew Katrinak had remained friendly, so she wouldn't want to hurt him. In March of 1998, a jury returned two guilty verdicts against Patricia Rorrer for murder, and two more for kidnapping. The episode claimed the jury required just two hours to deliberate, but other sources indicate it took six. The same source indicates Patricia Rorrer has repeatedly appealed for a retrial and exoneration, but each request has been denied. Rorrer is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution Muncy, a prison for women in Clinton Township, Pennsylvania. As usual, Rebecca at Forensic Files Now has a thoroughly researched article about the Patricia Rorrer case and events since her conviction.