Tammy Mal

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.… (meer)

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.… (meer)

This is a pretty confusing book - which is not entirely the fault of the author, as it's a confusing case. In the mid-90s, Patricia Rorrer was convicted of the murder of her ex-boyfriend's wife and small son. Intending to write a book about how a woman could commit such a horrific crime, Mal instead found a bungled investigation, mishandled evidence, and indications that the Pennsylvania State Police had long been covering up any evidence of alternate suspects in order to cover for their own cavalier attitude toward the case. It's been far too long now to figure out what really happened, and the details of the evidence are messy (it's hard to tell, actually, what evidence really exists and what has just been talked about for so long that people make their own assumptions about it). Mal doesn't do an outstanding job presenting the case, but she does lay out a pretty good argument that Rorrer was railroaded and deserves a new trial.… (meer)