Wrong Man season 2, episode 3 recap: The Hang Up

Episode 203 of Star’ Wrong Man examines the murder of Joann Katrinak and her baby. Were they murdered because she angrily hung the phone up on Patty Rorrer?

On April 9, 1995, the bodies of Joann Marie Katrinak and her 15-week-old son, Alex, were found in an isolated location. The two had disappeared 4 months earlier from their home in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. Joann was found beaten and also shot with a .22 Jennings revolver, with Alex left to die on her chest. The woman ultimately accused of the murders, Patricia Rorrer, had an alibi that was flimsy at best. She claimed she was at a dance class but didn’t sign in.

Also, hair found in Joann’s car matched with Patricia’s — or so said microscopic hair analysis during the trial. The problem is, as Wrong Man notes, microscopic hair analysis is now commonly considered junk science. That doesn’t mean anyone’s off the hook exactly, though. Apparently, some of Patricia’s DNA is said to have matched some hairs found in Joann’s car. Investigator Joe Kennedy thinks there should be fresh DNA analysis on the case, if possible.

Dec. 15, 1994

This was when Andy Katrinak reported his wife missing. He said he thought she was out Christmas shopping and possibly stuck in traffic. However, her shopping partner says she never showed up. It’s also said that Katrinak’s basement door was broken into and the phone lines were cut. He suspected she was abducted.

Joann’s car was found at 2:45 am at a nearby bar’s parking lot. It wasn’t long before Andy mentioned Patricia as a suspect. Why? His ex, Joann, had recently angrily hung up on Patricia. Wrong Man‘s Detective Ira Todd immediately questions the motive, wondering why Patty would drive 500 miles from North Carolina to kill Joann and her baby? In any case, there was no physical evidence linking Andy to the crime.

Further investigation

Wrong Man turns to Private Investigator Rod Devine to speak with Detective Barry Grube regarding Andy’s testimony. It’s noted that, indeed, the basement door was pried open and that Andy had already spliced the phone line back together. Grube also doesn’t understand the supposed “She hung up on me” motive for Joann.

To complicate things, though, it should be considered that a strange/unknown motive does not necessarily obliterate a case. Still, the episode grapples with another question: How’d the break-in artist know about the location of the phone line in the dark basement? Also, why the kidnapping instead of simply a murder?

Andy Katrinak agrees to an interview off-camera, but he consents to have his voice recorded. He claims Patty broke in through the cellar door, calling it “obvious” (though, in this particular instance, he doesn’t explain how it’s obvious). She then waited outside (why the break-in, then?).

Patty herself says the motive doesn’t make sense, but Andy insists. He adds that no one suspected him. Joe Kennedy and Ira Todd add that Andy was in a defensive posture at times, though it’s not shown on video.

Was Joann planning to leave Andy?

There are more twists in the story. Joann’s friend, Karen Devine, tells Ira that Joann was hiding money to get away from Andy. It’s implied that he was in some ways controlling and that she was against moving to Colorado with him.

Civil Rights Attorney Ron Kuby reminds us, however, that Andy had an alibi that no one’s really disputed. Also, this alleged disagreement between Andy and Joann doesn’t necessarily translate into murder, either for Andy as a suspect or anyone else.

Interestingly, the bodies were found not far from where Patty stabled her horses, according to Wrong Man. Still, why was Andy so quick to point law enforcement to Patricia Rorrer? Kathy Barber, Patricia’s friend, insists that Patty didn’t have a close relationship with Andy. However, it does turn out that Patty did own a gun.

North Carolina

Joe Kennedys talks to Michael Brinkle, Patricia Rorrer’s former neighbor who reaffirms that he had sold her a .22 Jennings handgun. He recalls that Patty also had an alibi. Wrong Man says she had normally signed in for her line dancing class but didn’t on the day Joann and Alex disappeared. There is another question, though: Can anyone say they saw Patty on the 500-mile trip or were there any gas station receipts (or anything like that)?

In any case, William Jarrett, a former dance instructor at “Cowboys,” claims that Patty called him on the phone, saying they’re going to “fry” her if the alibi doesn’t line up.

While Jarrett says “Cowboys” has a strict sign-in policy, a Private Investigator named Jim Rorie says they don’t. Also, why would anyone expect a dance class to be all that strict about its sign-in sheet anyway? Also, even though he may have his own bias, Patricia’s boyfriend, Brian Ward, had testified that she was at Cowboys that night. Could it be that, by sheer coincidence, she forgot to sign in on that night?

Stranger things have happened, but it doesn’t look good. Neither does her buying that particular weapon. Still, it’s noted that the hairs in Joann’s car were blonde, and Patricia’s hair normally doesn’t look so light (but, to complicate issues again, hair can change its apparent colors naturally).

Patricia was not arrested until two years after the murder, which adds its own complications which Wrong Man will look into even deeper as the season progresses.

What are your thoughts on Wrong Man and the Katrinak/Rorrer case? Let us know in the comments!