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Convenient Suspect: A Double Murder, a Flawed Investigation, and the Railroading of an Innocent Woman
On Thursday, December 15, 1994, Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, went missing from their Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, home. 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 Rorrer—a young mother who had never met either victim—as the monster responsible. In Pennsylvania’s first use of mitochondrial DNA in a criminal case, Patricia Rorrer was quickly tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison without parole. But did the jury make the right decision? Is Patricia Rorrer truly guilty? As new evidence continues to surface, including allegations of evidence tampering, that question requires an answer even more.
With a subject matter and storytelling style reminiscent of the hit podcast Serial, Convenient Suspect will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The book reveals information never before made public—information gathered directly from more than 10,000 official documents, including Pennsylvania State Police reports, FBI files, forensic lab results, and the 6,500-page trial transcript. After four years of intensive research, countless interviews with those involved, and hundreds of letters, phone calls, and personal visits with Patricia Rorrer, the truth about the evidence used to convict her can finally be revealed.
With a subject matter and storytelling style reminiscent of the hit podcast Serial, Convenient Suspect will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The book reveals information never before made public—information gathered directly from more than 10,000 official documents, including Pennsylvania State Police reports, FBI files, forensic lab results, and the 6,500-page trial transcript. After four years of intensive research, countless interviews with those involved, and hundreds of letters, phone calls, and personal visits with Patricia Rorrer, the truth about the evidence used to convict her can finally be revealed.
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2017
34 people are currently reading
867 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 18, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this after only getting one side of the story for so long. After having seen a certain forensic show that has played endlessly on TV about this case I think many of us thought we all knew this case was pretty well, and it was a foregone conclusion. But after reading this book, I feel that are some very serious doubts and that they have been there all along. There was much that was kept hidden. I so enjoy when more facts are brought out that bring a fuller picture to light. The local cops were so focused on the husband that they never checked his ex-girlfriend's alibi for months, and by then memories were not fresh. By that time they didn't believe anything she said or her witnesses, of course. My thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. Thanks for reading.
June 21, 2019
RATING: 3.5 STARS
2017; Chicago Review Press
(Review Not on Blog)
UGH! This is the kind of story that keeps me awake at night. How can anyone, especially trained detectives, think that Patty (Patricia) could have killed Joann and her infant son? There is no motive to insinuate that Patty would want Joann dead. Yes, Patty dated Joann's husband (I forget his name) but it doesn't sound like Patty wanted to get back with him at all. He keeps popping up in her life and making her miserable. From the evidence and motive, I would wager it was the husband who murdered her and their son. Though Mal's writing is not very exciting, the evidence she lays out is very interesting and head-shaking. I really hope that Patty gets another shot at a trial and the truth does come out.
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
2017; Chicago Review Press
(Review Not on Blog)
UGH! This is the kind of story that keeps me awake at night. How can anyone, especially trained detectives, think that Patty (Patricia) could have killed Joann and her infant son? There is no motive to insinuate that Patty would want Joann dead. Yes, Patty dated Joann's husband (I forget his name) but it doesn't sound like Patty wanted to get back with him at all. He keeps popping up in her life and making her miserable. From the evidence and motive, I would wager it was the husband who murdered her and their son. Though Mal's writing is not very exciting, the evidence she lays out is very interesting and head-shaking. I really hope that Patty gets another shot at a trial and the truth does come out.
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
September 15, 2017
What a sad story! I am something of a true crime junkie (guilty pleasure) and was grateful to receive a copy of A Convenient Suspect from Chicago Review Press and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
As a true crime junkie and a podcast aficionado (and don’t even get me started on my favorite true crime podcasts!), I have increasingly become aware of the many outrageous examples of prosecutorial misconduct and evidence tampering that have been brought to light by journalists, investigators, and just plain folks looking for truth and justice. Well, this book is another example of what seems to a case of settling on a suspect then tailoring the actions of the police and prosecutors to fit.
Here’s the situation: Shortly before Christmas in 1994, a young mother named Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, disappeared from their home in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. Their bodies weren’t found for four months, when they were found in nearby woods. The police investigated for three years before arresting another young mother named Patricia Rorrer. Although Patricia was the ex-girlfriend of Joann’s husband, she had never met either Joann or Alex.
The prosecution’s theory was that Patricia brutally beat Joann, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods, and Patricia Rorrer was quickly tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Fast-forward to Rorrer filing for FBI records under the Freedom of Information Act, and finding a document stating that hairs that were looked at by the FBI did not have a hair root. This was the critical piece of evidence used at Rorrer’s trial, and her attorney is working to re-examine what he sees as a totally flawed forensic investigation.
He is adamant that once state police started to focus on Rorrer as a potential suspect, they went to North Carolina where she was living and they obtained a sample of her hair to compare to the ones found at the scene. He asks a good question: "… whether the hairs that were actually tested were in fact hairs taken from the seatback or were they part of that general pile of hairs that were taken from Patricia Rorrer in North Carolina?"
In writing this book, Mal uses information that was not previously made public, gathered from more than 10,000 official documents, including Pennsylvania State Police reports, FBI Files, forensic lab results, and the 6,500-page trial transcript.
The case has been covered by the usual sources that have popularized true crimes, including People magazine, Dateline, and Investigation Discovery but none of them have the depth of this book. It was well done, and sufficiently provoked enough outrage in me to cause me to read further about this case. Yes, the deaths of Joann and Alex were very sad, but a thirst for resolution that results in a rushed conviction based on sloppy forensic work is not only sad, it’s unjust. The subtitle wraps it up nicely: A double murder, a flawed investigation, and the railroading of an innocent woman. I’m giving this one 5 stars -- for its genre, it’s OUTSTANDING.
As a true crime junkie and a podcast aficionado (and don’t even get me started on my favorite true crime podcasts!), I have increasingly become aware of the many outrageous examples of prosecutorial misconduct and evidence tampering that have been brought to light by journalists, investigators, and just plain folks looking for truth and justice. Well, this book is another example of what seems to a case of settling on a suspect then tailoring the actions of the police and prosecutors to fit.
Here’s the situation: Shortly before Christmas in 1994, a young mother named Joann Katrinak and her three-month-old son, Alex, disappeared from their home in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. Their bodies weren’t found for four months, when they were found in nearby woods. The police investigated for three years before arresting another young mother named Patricia Rorrer. Although Patricia was the ex-girlfriend of Joann’s husband, she had never met either Joann or Alex.
The prosecution’s theory was that Patricia brutally beat Joann, shot her and left her and her baby for dead in the woods, and Patricia Rorrer was quickly tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Fast-forward to Rorrer filing for FBI records under the Freedom of Information Act, and finding a document stating that hairs that were looked at by the FBI did not have a hair root. This was the critical piece of evidence used at Rorrer’s trial, and her attorney is working to re-examine what he sees as a totally flawed forensic investigation.
He is adamant that once state police started to focus on Rorrer as a potential suspect, they went to North Carolina where she was living and they obtained a sample of her hair to compare to the ones found at the scene. He asks a good question: "… whether the hairs that were actually tested were in fact hairs taken from the seatback or were they part of that general pile of hairs that were taken from Patricia Rorrer in North Carolina?"
In writing this book, Mal uses information that was not previously made public, gathered from more than 10,000 official documents, including Pennsylvania State Police reports, FBI Files, forensic lab results, and the 6,500-page trial transcript.
The case has been covered by the usual sources that have popularized true crimes, including People magazine, Dateline, and Investigation Discovery but none of them have the depth of this book. It was well done, and sufficiently provoked enough outrage in me to cause me to read further about this case. Yes, the deaths of Joann and Alex were very sad, but a thirst for resolution that results in a rushed conviction based on sloppy forensic work is not only sad, it’s unjust. The subtitle wraps it up nicely: A double murder, a flawed investigation, and the railroading of an innocent woman. I’m giving this one 5 stars -- for its genre, it’s OUTSTANDING.
September 24, 2017
Patricia Rorrer's conviction and continued imprisonment is a terrifying commentary on our judicial system, the veracity of those who are sworn to serve and protect us and the manipulation of evidence that defies belief! Tammy Mal writes in painstaking detail about the known events, the incredible trial inconsistencies and leaves you near breathless with wonder that Patricia Rorrer was brought to trial in the first place, let alone convicted. A brilliant read, a frightening outcome.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Chicago Review Press Incorporated for sharing this title pre-release.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Chicago Review Press Incorporated for sharing this title pre-release.
October 17, 2017
Some true crime authors try to write novels, some get far too bogged down in minute details - but Tammy Mal manages to deftly combine storytelling and factual analysis to tell the tale of the terrible murders of a young woman and her baby and to demonstrate that the woman convicted is almost certainly innocent. She set out to just tell the story and condemn the convicted but became alarmingly convinced very quickly that the convicted did not commit the murders. The investigation into the deaths was, in fact, not just bungled and mishandled but likely even deliberately manipulated in order to convict SOMEONE of these crimes and bring the illusion of justice to a small town thirsty for blood. But there are so many holes, so many questions, and so much evidence pointing to the fact that Patty Rorrer - the convicted woman, former girlfriend of the murdered woman's husband - did not have anything to do with the murder. This seems to be a strong case for actual innocence - but either gross negligence or deliberate sabotage of DNA evidence has kept her behind bars and without much hope for further appeals. I hope this book manages to bring attention to a case of wrongful conviction and, of course, to the fact that the investigation needs to be re-opened because the gruesome double murder has not ACTUALLY been solved. (Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review).
September 8, 2017
I recalled hearing about this case years ago, but never knew much about it until reading this book. I have to say, after reading this, I am inclined to agree with the author that there is definitely reason to doubt whether the accused is actually guilty. She wrote a compelling book, offering solid evidence--certainly enough to make anyone who reads this question whether they have the wrong person locked up.
This book is very thorough, and although I understand how important the hair evidence is to the overall theme of the book, I did think at times those parts were a bit boring to read through. I felt it could have been simplified a bit just for the cause of writing an interesting book. Still, this was very intriguing, and if you read it from the standpoint that this book is really about an unfortunate soul that took the blame for a crime she didn't commit, this is horrifying. No one wants to think this could happen to them, but reading this book will likely make you question everything you know about justice and how it is served.
If you like real life dramas and true crime, this is one that you want to have on your radar for November. You'd be sorry to miss it.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This book is very thorough, and although I understand how important the hair evidence is to the overall theme of the book, I did think at times those parts were a bit boring to read through. I felt it could have been simplified a bit just for the cause of writing an interesting book. Still, this was very intriguing, and if you read it from the standpoint that this book is really about an unfortunate soul that took the blame for a crime she didn't commit, this is horrifying. No one wants to think this could happen to them, but reading this book will likely make you question everything you know about justice and how it is served.
If you like real life dramas and true crime, this is one that you want to have on your radar for November. You'd be sorry to miss it.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
October 30, 2017
Thank you to Netgalley the publishing house and most of all, the author, for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.
This was a fantastic book, I hope the author writes more true crime novels. I loved the way she gave both side of the story, a story I have followed on the media a little. I feel like I really knew nothing about the story after I read this, what I had thought originally was completely turned around. This author told the story in such a straight forward way and it was so detailed and well done.
This is what a true crime book should be, not rumor and innuendo, but the true facts that show what the justice system does sometimes goes wrong and people do still get convicted of crimes they did not commit.
I will definitely be checking out this author again.
This was a fantastic book, I hope the author writes more true crime novels. I loved the way she gave both side of the story, a story I have followed on the media a little. I feel like I really knew nothing about the story after I read this, what I had thought originally was completely turned around. This author told the story in such a straight forward way and it was so detailed and well done.
This is what a true crime book should be, not rumor and innuendo, but the true facts that show what the justice system does sometimes goes wrong and people do still get convicted of crimes they did not commit.
I will definitely be checking out this author again.
December 3, 2021
Found it very biased and ended up reading Hair Triggers by the prosecutor. I usually enjoy Tammy Mal but it seemed she wrote the book as an advocate for Rorrer and made unsubstantiated accusations.
October 5, 2017
One of the reasons I was drawn to reading this book was that I recalled seeing an episode of “Forensic Files” years ago about the murder of Joann Katrinak and her son, Alex by Patricia Rorrer. I remember at the time that it was not one of their most compelling episodes and that the motive seemed very weak but ultimately Patricia had been proven guilty by the hair DNA evidence….or has she…..?
Tammy Mal’s well researched and well written book calls into question the hair evidence that was used to convict Patricia Rorrer and does it well although sometimes labours over it a bit too much and at the risk of losing the reader’s interest. I also feel the book would have benefited from the inclusion of photographs and maps showing the key people involved and key locations.
If Mal is correct about the hair evidence then it raises questions whether Rorrer was the victim of a police force under pressure to solve a truly dreadful crime or were active participants in ensuring she was found guilty of a crime she did not commit.
A must read for aficionados of true crime novels.
Tammy Mal’s well researched and well written book calls into question the hair evidence that was used to convict Patricia Rorrer and does it well although sometimes labours over it a bit too much and at the risk of losing the reader’s interest. I also feel the book would have benefited from the inclusion of photographs and maps showing the key people involved and key locations.
If Mal is correct about the hair evidence then it raises questions whether Rorrer was the victim of a police force under pressure to solve a truly dreadful crime or were active participants in ensuring she was found guilty of a crime she did not commit.
A must read for aficionados of true crime novels.
September 6, 2017
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I felt this was a very well written and a very well researched book on this very interesting case of a woman and her infant son being murdered. It seems that the police bungled the investigation from the beginning, evidence was mishandled, contaminated and switched. A woman who lived 500 miles away, Patricia Rorrer, an ex-girlfriend of the woman's husband was tried, convicted and sentenced to live without parole. The woman's husband, who was a suspect for a while, failed two polygraphs and had a third one but the results were not made known. I am convinced that Patricia Rorrer was wrongly convicted of a crime she did not commit. I just hope she gets a new trial.
June 3, 2018
True-crime. And spoiler alert - Patty was totally railroaded. No doubt in my mind that the husband did it. But I got bored with it. The author rambled on endlessly about hypothetical closing statements and the hair analysis. I just fast-forwarded through all the chapters after the verdict.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2018
Not the best true crime book you will ever read but certainly not the worst.
June 21, 2018
If reading this book does not make you profoundly angry, you need to go back and read it again.
I first learned about this case several years ago while watching an episode of Autopsy on HBO. Like I am sure many other true crime enthusiasts feel, when I see or hear Dr. Baden give an opinion, I take it very seriously. (Note: Baden never worked on this case and it is unlikely that he reviewed it... he narrated portions of the episode as he always did but I truly believe if he had taken the time to truly study this case, he would have come to a different conclusion than the one drawn by the show.) And though the motive given in the show seemed extreme and... quite frankly, ridiculous, I had to remind myself that there are a lot of sick people out there who have killed for less. The hair evidence is what convinced me and the show focused solely on that, not the fact that nothing placed Patricia in Pennsylvania at the time of the abduction nor the fact that Andy repeatedly lied about his home being broken into or when his wife and Patricia spoke on the phone for the final time.
Every time I have watched that episode, I roll my eyes when the detective describes the scene of the crime, "It's almost as if the killer were trying to place Alex back into his mother's womb". I'm sure he thinks that sounds very poignant and moving but to me, it came across as a statement designed to do nothing more than pull at heartstrings. How in the hell would he know if the killer had intended that? And doesn't he realize that this very statement alone could cast doubt on the outcome of the investigation? If Patty had killed because of the baby, then placing the baby back into the womb would not have come into her mind. I'm sorry, that's really dumb. But a husband who doubts the child is his? Hmm...
I never liked Andrew. He came across as extremely cavalier in interviews and almost unconcerned. Dead wife and child? Why aren't you crying, you jerk? After reading this book, my feelings about him have been given more justification.
I dove into this expecting to come to the same conclusion that I started with: how do you dispute DNA testing and hair evidence? Well, in this case, it's pretty damn easy to dispute it. And Patty herself comes across as the most likable individual involved in this ordeal and I found myself feeling terribly sorry for her, and not simply because I am now afraid this is an innocent woman and she may never be released. She is an individual whose life was never easy, who faced many challenges, but somehow always managed to remain positive. Even now, she is hopeful.
If anyone knows her contact information in prison, I would love to have it.
I first learned about this case several years ago while watching an episode of Autopsy on HBO. Like I am sure many other true crime enthusiasts feel, when I see or hear Dr. Baden give an opinion, I take it very seriously. (Note: Baden never worked on this case and it is unlikely that he reviewed it... he narrated portions of the episode as he always did but I truly believe if he had taken the time to truly study this case, he would have come to a different conclusion than the one drawn by the show.) And though the motive given in the show seemed extreme and... quite frankly, ridiculous, I had to remind myself that there are a lot of sick people out there who have killed for less. The hair evidence is what convinced me and the show focused solely on that, not the fact that nothing placed Patricia in Pennsylvania at the time of the abduction nor the fact that Andy repeatedly lied about his home being broken into or when his wife and Patricia spoke on the phone for the final time.
Every time I have watched that episode, I roll my eyes when the detective describes the scene of the crime, "It's almost as if the killer were trying to place Alex back into his mother's womb". I'm sure he thinks that sounds very poignant and moving but to me, it came across as a statement designed to do nothing more than pull at heartstrings. How in the hell would he know if the killer had intended that? And doesn't he realize that this very statement alone could cast doubt on the outcome of the investigation? If Patty had killed because of the baby, then placing the baby back into the womb would not have come into her mind. I'm sorry, that's really dumb. But a husband who doubts the child is his? Hmm...
I never liked Andrew. He came across as extremely cavalier in interviews and almost unconcerned. Dead wife and child? Why aren't you crying, you jerk? After reading this book, my feelings about him have been given more justification.
I dove into this expecting to come to the same conclusion that I started with: how do you dispute DNA testing and hair evidence? Well, in this case, it's pretty damn easy to dispute it. And Patty herself comes across as the most likable individual involved in this ordeal and I found myself feeling terribly sorry for her, and not simply because I am now afraid this is an innocent woman and she may never be released. She is an individual whose life was never easy, who faced many challenges, but somehow always managed to remain positive. Even now, she is hopeful.
If anyone knows her contact information in prison, I would love to have it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2018
I listened to the audiobook and I have two chapters left of the audiobook to go but I felt compelled to write a review. If you like true crime podcasts (which I love), this is the weekend read for you. The only way to describe the entire police force and prosecution team is that their cornbread is soft in the middle. I am not shocked that this occurred and in today's climate I'm not shocked that these people performed their jobs so horribly yet kept their gigs. This is a must read/listen. The storytelling held me captive from the start (though the family tree telling got a little long) (as my PawPaw would say, "went all around to Houston to get to Dallas). Kudos to the author & narrator. 5 freaking stars!
November 12, 2017
Convenient Suspect
An amazing expose extremely well written, researched and logically presented. There can be no doubt what so ever of Patricia Rorrer's innocence after reading this completely factual tome. So well presented, the author could very well be a criminal trial attorney and one will wish she was and that this book will free Patty. This book will shake the reader's belief in the criminal justice system and make one wonder how many more incarcerated inmates are innocent?
An amazing expose extremely well written, researched and logically presented. There can be no doubt what so ever of Patricia Rorrer's innocence after reading this completely factual tome. So well presented, the author could very well be a criminal trial attorney and one will wish she was and that this book will free Patty. This book will shake the reader's belief in the criminal justice system and make one wonder how many more incarcerated inmates are innocent?
January 7, 2018
I have seen this story on a few crime shows and always wanted to know more about the case. I was very happy when NetGalley and the publisher allowed me to read this book. I found the book to be well written, and it cleared up some thoughts/questions I previously had. It also outlines things that were not presented in the crime shows. Could the cops had did a bit more? Maybe. But overall,this was a good read and I enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
March 3, 2018
I was torn between giving the book a "three" or "four" star rating. I settled on a "three." The book was very well researched and very well written. The trial portion was a bit tedious , for me it moved slow and a bit boring. If I heard anything more about "hairs" I think I would have lost it ! On the other hand, I guess the author needed all of that description to make her point. OK , OK, I'm going to change my rating from a "three" to a "four."
I would recommend this book.
I would recommend this book.
September 25, 2017
I love reading fiction and non-fiction, if it holds my interest. This book exceeded my expectations. I was hooked from the first few pages. I hoped for a better ending, but not the authors fault.
I could comment on the crappy job of the justice system, but this review is to be about the actual writing of the book. Job well done!
I could comment on the crappy job of the justice system, but this review is to be about the actual writing of the book. Job well done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2019
Just as others have said, I had my mind made up prior to reading this book about Rorrer. It didn’t take long to realize the multiple TV shows that have told this story left out significant details and embellished certain evidence. Tammy Mal does a great job of exploring many of these issues and laying out the fact. An enlightening read.
September 28, 2020
Guilty until proven innocent
I absolutely loved this book. When I saw the dat
I absolutely love this book. When I saw show I new Party Ritter was innocent. Too many holes in this case and I hope and pray she get to test new evidence and get allowed a new trial. This is a MUST read.
I absolutely loved this book. When I saw the dat
I absolutely love this book. When I saw show I new Party Ritter was innocent. Too many holes in this case and I hope and pray she get to test new evidence and get allowed a new trial. This is a MUST read.
October 23, 2023
This book is an alarming look at the justice system and how police and prosecutors are able to craft a case. It is shocking how dependent we are on good lawyers and how necessary it is to have one with experience in criminal law. Thank goodness for truth seekers, but once the initial verdict is in, is it too late?
May 27, 2024
God, it’s equally sad and infuriating to see how badly this case was bungled, evidence was contaminated or just conveniently ignored or disposed of, and from what I’ve seen online, there still has not been any progress in finding out the whole truth. There’s so much that just doesn’t add up or make sense.
January 21, 2018
Excellent
I loved the authors style and it was very obvious that she was very emotionally invested in this story. It is sickening to me that such an obvious injustice has been allowed to go on this long. Without a doubt she is innocent. Don't give up!
I loved the authors style and it was very obvious that she was very emotionally invested in this story. It is sickening to me that such an obvious injustice has been allowed to go on this long. Without a doubt she is innocent. Don't give up!
March 20, 2019
Amazing insight into judicial & police procedure & how the potential for someone to actually be convicted of something they aren’t responsible for! Gives readers new ways of looking at crime & what the real story is
October 8, 2018
Review to come (at behest of publisher)
November 30, 2017
A different take on the Patricia Rorrer murder investigation in Pennsylvania.
May 5, 2018
This is an incredibly disturbing case, and Mal does a great job of analyzing the investigation and case against Patricia Rorrer.
December 26, 2018
Anger. Frustration. Disbelief. Disappointment. Fury. How can our justice system fail someone so horrifically and how is it tolerated? Well written, fantastically detailed read.
June 29, 2019
Never speak to the police. Always get a lawyer. Especially if you are innocent.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews