Convenient Suspect

November 15, 2017

In December 1994, the town of Catasauqua, PA, was shocked by the disappearance of new mother Joann Katrinak and her baby son, whose bodies were found in a nearby wood four years later. A suggestion from the grieving husband that his jealous ex-girlfriend had worked in that area ultimately led to the arrest and conviction of Patricia Rorrer. With no good DNA source, the FBI relied on the new technique of matching mitochondrial DNA from Rorrer's hair to samples from Joann's car. Two decades later, reporter Mal (Little Girl Lost) tried to contact the participants in the trial for a book--but only Rorrer would speak to her. Assuming Rorrer was guilty, the author began a correspondence with her and got a chance to see the questionable detective work for herself. Now, she tells the story of the murder investigation, showing all the holes and the suspect evidence linking Rorrer to Joann, concluding that the real murderer of Joann and her baby is still walking free. VERDICT Mal makes a persuasive case that justice was not done in a book that will be of special interest to regional audiences as well as true crime fans.--Deirdre Bray Root, MidPointe Lib. Syst., OH

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2017
In December 1994, a woman and her baby son were murdered. Arrested and convicted for the crimes was Patricia Lynne Rorrer, who had dated the dead woman's husband before his marriage and who continues to assert her innocence. Over the years, evidence has suggested ever more strongly that Rorrer is not the killer, but she remains behind bars. True-crime author Mal bases her account of the case on interviews, court documents, trial records, and other primary sources. The author admits she believes Rorrer did not get a fair trial and was probably wrongfully convicted in this detailed and well-documented treatment, nicely balancing an analysis of the investigation with a study of the people involved. What makes Mal's account so interestingand deserving of shelf space alongside such similar true-crime works as those by Ann Ruleis the way the facts of the case don't point clearly to guilt or innocence. This is a case where the evidence can be interpreted either way and, the author argues, opens the door to misinterpretation. Readers are invited to make up their own minds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)