Long before the tragedy: Joan and Peter Porco with their sons, Christopher on the left, in the 1980s A jury convicted Christopher, an academically derelict University of Rochester student from Bethlehem, New York, of attacking Joan and Peter Porco with an ax as they slept on November 15, 2004. Joan Porco, center, is escorted out of the New York State Court of Appeals chamber after the appeal of her son Christopher Porco's murder and attempted murder conviction, on Tuesday Sept. 13,. For example, Porco lied to obtain both a car and tuition payments. Finally, I looked around for the latest news on Christopher Porcos efforts to get out of jail via a new trial or overturned conviction. Police couldnt find any New York State ThruwayE-ZPass data on the yellow Jeep, but toll booth attendantsat the cash-only lanes said they thought they remembered seeing the carwith Christopher in the drivers seat. "Don't be a fool," Joan Porco wrote to him on Oct. 20, 2004. In the presence of Bowdish as well as paramedics on the scene, she nodded yes when asked whether it was her younger son. I feel bad for her that this whole thing is being brought back up.. she also initially claimed it was their son, then after getting out of coma, claimed it wasn't son who attacked them. Omg i can't imagine this, this is beyond sad. There, the Times Union reports that Peter was found dead while his wife, who was heavily injured, was still alive in their upstairs bedroom. In Peter's email, he noted that he was going to be "forced to file forgery affidavits" if Christopher pulled a stunt like this again. Seeing pics of her and him walking to the courtroom together after shes been fucked up by him and an ax is creepy. 01:18:45 - We hear almost daily about mothers and fathers killing their children, sometimes their entire family. What the hell are you doing? DANNEMORA, N.Y. ( NEWS10) A little more than seven years ago, I was sitting at a red . As the publication notes, nothing bad ever happened in Bethlehem; a crime like this was inconceivable. BLOG: Visit our Porco Trial blog for updates throughout the day. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. But jurors interviewed by 48 Hours Mystery said that they had dismissed the testimony about the nod for precisely that reason and had insteadrelied onthe prosecutions crime timeline as proof of guilt. "[10] Porco earned readmission to the University of Rochester with a forged transcript from Hudson Valley Community College. Christopher Porco is seen during his trial in the Orange County Courthouse in Goshen on July 20, 2006. [5], In late November 2004, outgoing Albany County District Attorney Paul Clyne convened a grand jury to hear testimony implicating Christopher Porco in the murder. The crimes were committed on November 15, 2004 at the home of Peter and Joan Porco in Delmar, New York. Heres a recap of the Forensic Files episode plus some additional facts about the Porco case drawn from Crime Library, 48 Hours, and Albanys Times Union newspaper. At one point, he reached out and straightened her necklace. We affirm. I'm calling Citibank this morning to find out what you have done and am going to tell them I'm not to be on it as a co-signer. I changed my toddlers diaper, got in bed. The movie got passing marks from reviewers, but the reader comment section was where thereally interestingcritiquing was going on. 15, 2004, when their son Christopher Porco decided to butcher them brutally with a firemans ax while at sleep. Bizarrely, after the father Peter was attacked, he went about his regular morning routine, unaware that he was dying. On November 15, Peter Porco, who worked at the Albany County courthouse, did not show up to work. The 21-year-old. Photos from the 2006 Christopher Porco murder Trial. Miraculously, she was clinging on to life when investigators and medics arrived at the crime scene hours later. The story is something of a middle-class version of the Menendez brothers saga. The only direct evidence at trial was testimony by government witnesses that Christopher's grievously injured mother, Joan Porco, several hours after the attack, and after police had fully secured the crime scene, and while suffering from untreated and profound wounds to her eyes, face, brain and head, nodded in response to police questions As she testified Monday at Christopher's murder trial, Joan Porco said the statement was out of character, but she was angry. Police had theorized that noneighbors heardBarrister bark that night because the killer was someone (presumably Christopher) that the Labrador retrieveralready knew. ABC News writes that someone broke into their home in Bethlehem, New York, and attacked them with an ax in their sleep. Eventually, Peter collapsed and died. Heres one: Benny1311: I was a year above Porco in school. Police contended that eight months earlier, on November 28, 2002, Christopher staged a burglary at his parents' home in which he stole a Macintosh laptop computer and a Dell laptop computer. Porco, 23, is charged with the Nov. 15, 2004, attack that killed his father, law clerk Peter Porco, 52, and left Joan with disfigurement and partial blindness. During the. Part of the problem stemmed from complaints from consumers who reported that Christopher had taken money from them for computers or other products but never delivered the goods as promised. She accused police of spreading vicious rumors about Christopher and our family, and challenged assertions that she and her husband had a poor relationship with their younger son over finances. Joan Porco was soon discovered by police officers. Judge Berry was quoted as saying, "I fear very much what happened in the early morning hours of November 15 is something that could happen again. Her answers were mostly clear and lucid, although occasionally she lost her train of thought and asked attorneys to restate their questions. The lawyeralso noted that Peter Porco sometimes deactivated the burglar alarm whenletting the dog out at night and then forgot to turn it back on another challenge to the prosecutions assertionthat Christopher punched in the code the night of the murder and attempted murder. Wow, I've never heard of this case. I cleaned the medicine cup, placed it to dry. "[22], Defense attorney Terence Kindlon emphasized that the Bethlehem Police Department had no physical evidence linking Christopher Porco to the attack on his parents. My son was sick, so I gave him Motrin (dont even know how I measured this). [17] The police theory was that he drove more than three hours to Albany in early hours of November 15 to attack his parents. The video evidence came from the university. As a result of her poor eyesight, Shanks asked to read a series of e-mails to the jury that Joan had exchanged with her son in the 11 months preceding the attack. `You are not a doctor,` said . None of thathelped. Brendan Lyons can be reached at 454-5547 or by e-mail at blyons@timesunion.com. Peter Porco is laying on the landing to the stairway going upstairs. The owner of criminalmisconduct.blogspot.com will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. It had footage of the yellow Jeep leaving and returning to campus at an interval that fit a realistic timeline for commission of the crime: 10:30 p.m. Jeep left Rochester campus He spent some time at his bathroom sink, loaded the dishwasher, packed a lunch, and wrote a check before collapsing at the front door. [6], Police contended that Christopher Porco's behavior was consistent with a diagnosis of psychopathy or sociopathy, two similar though not identical disorders characterized by pathological deception, scamming and defrauding others, and lack of conscience or remorse. Apparently, I told my kids we should go take a nap together. After waking up, he carried out his morning routine before finally dying,[2] as he had written a check for Christopher, made a packed lunch and attempted to load the dishwasher in the kitchen during the time before his death. Change-of-venue requests are rarely granted but Terence L. Kindlon, who teamed with his wife, Laurie Shanks, to defend Porco, successfully convinced an appeals court that the trial needed to be moved from Albany County. According to All That's Interesting, Christopher was 21 and a student at the University of Rochester. [3], An axe belonging to the family, which was used in the attack, was found in the garage. It was updated on March 28, 2009. Later that day, Porco was found guilty of second degree murder and attempted murder. According to CBS News, Christopher Porco was charged with his father's murder and the attempted murder of his mother in November 2005. Hours later, a telephone line outside the Porco home was cut. Joan was lying in the bed with severe head and facial trauma. Peter once again wrote to his son, who had not answered his parents' phone calls in weeks: "I want you to know that if you abuse my credit again, I will be forced to file forgery affidavits in order to disclaim liability and that applies to the Citibank college loan if you attempt to reactivate it or use my credit to obtain any other loan. A familicide is a type of murder or murder-suicide in which one kills multiple close family members in quick succession, most often children, spouses, siblings, or parents. Why Horror Is So Much Scarier When Its Located In A BigCity, The Romantic Comedy You Should Watch This Valentines Day, Based On Your ZodiacSign, Valentines Day Streaming Guide: The Best Rom-Coms To Binge On Netflix, HBO Max, AndMore, Teen Wolf: The Movie Starts Streaming Thursday and (Almost) All Your Favorite Characters AreBack, Netflix Is Canceling 1899Here Are The Mystery TV Shows To WatchInstead, At-Home Ketamine Treatments May Be The Future Of PsychiatricCare. Mike Goodwin has been a stock broker, garbage man, and a house painter. At the sentencing, Orange County Judge Jeffrey G. Berry cast aside Porcos request for leniency and also his plea for police to find the real killers, telling Porco he had violated one of lifes most sacred bondsby attacking his parents with an ax as they slept in the bedroom of their suburban home. A camera reported missing from the burglary was recovered from the couple's front yard. Christopher is the youngest child and was 21 in 2004 when this happened. [18], On December 12, 2006, Judge Jeffrey Berry sentenced Porco to 50years to life on each count, totaling a minimum of 50years in prison. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. ABC News writes that someone broke into their home in Bethlehem, New York, and attacked them with an ax in their sleep. And its not like he was having a minor disagreement with his parents that disproportionately spiraled out of control. Earlier in the fall, he falsely told his parents that the University of Rochester was covering his tuition because a professor had misplaced his final exam from the previous fall semester. But the manhad agoodalibi. In fact, after Christophers 2005 indictment for second-degree murder and attempted murder, Joan had scraped together $250,000 for his bail. Christopher had not sent several customers the items they had paid for from his account. ATimes Union blog postinviting readers to weigh in on Christopher Porcos guilt or innocence yielded much praise for the jury and prosecutors who convicted him as well assome refutation ofclaims that Christopherwas well-liked. And the plot twist: The mother survived and was in total denial, believing her son was innocent of the charges despite the overwhelming evidence. This guy is a machine. Defense Attorney Laurie Shanks questioned Roberts' assessment of Joan Porco because of her poor physical condition at the time due to her injuries from the attack. She also answered in similar ways to other separate questions. The case was shown in an episode[25] of Forensic Files. I was trying to get Christopher to come clean with information that he kept from us.". By mid-September that year, Joan Porco pleaded with Christopher to give them the telephone number at his dorm room back at the University of Rochester. In November 2004, the unthinkable happened to Peter and Joan Porco. Christopher Porco's distinctive yellow Jeep was a crucial part of the prosecution's case. "Dishonesty is crumbling our relationship with you.". We were angry disappointed. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling 8: 4157 (2011) DOI: 10.1002/jip.128, Forensic Files, Season 13, Episode 25: "Family Ties. "[14] The email concluded: "We may be disappointed with you, but your mother and I still love you and care about your future. Anyway, after I fell and was knocked out, I woke up and vaguely recall obsessing over whether I should clean up the blood first or pick up the ladder first. He had re-enrolled there using forged transcripts from Hudson Valley college that showed he scored very high marks that spring. Perhaps a formerloan sharknamed Frank Frankie the Fireman Porco a great uncleof Peters had been consideringrattingout his mob associates, and they killed Peter as a warning not to. He was away at college, and had broken off contact with his family at a time when he was flunking out of school, drowning in debt and becoming exposed for a series of lies he'd told his parents. `You couldnt tell if she (Mrs. Porco) was asleep when injuries to her eye and skull took place, is that correct?` Shanks asked. The Disturbing Crime Scene Of Peter Porco. Apparent burglary. She has publicly supported her. So, apparently he did have at least some girlfriends but wasnt necessarily a full-onJFK (Jr. or Sr.) with the ladies. Long before the tragedy: Joan and Peter Porco with their sons, Christopher on the left, in the 1980s A jury convicted Christopher, an academically derelict University of Rochester student from Bethlehem, New York, of attacking Joan and Peter Porco with an ax as they slept on November 15, 2004. He's covered in blood, saturated in blood, and obviously suffered tremendous catastrophic injuries." Shortly after, the Porcos were attacked. Joan Porco survived and, like her son, shes said little publicly about the case. The Lifetime channel made a movie based on the crimes,Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story, in 2013. She has been her son's staunchest supporter, accusing police of bungling the investigation and charging the wrong person. "[19] No fingerprints were recovered from the ax (which had previously been stored in the Porco's garage) found at the scene of the crime. ABC News goes on to say that Peter attempted to get ready for work and make breakfast. [8], Trial testimony showed that on November 15, 2004, the Porco family's security code was used to disable the alarm system at their home. In 2006, the Porco case was the subject of an hourlong episode of CBS's 48 Hours. A bloody axe left at the scene belonged to the family.". Theres evidence that Peter walked outside to get the newspaper and locked himself out of the house, but remembered the hidden key under the potted plant to get himself back in. Joan Porco, Voorheesville, appellant pro se. For one,someone had burglarized the Porcos house in 2002 and 2003, and Christopher was the No. [17], On the morning of August 10, 2006, the jury began deliberations. Peter Porco was found dead at the base of the stairs in his home after the attacks by Third Appellate Division Court Officer Michael Hart, who arrived first on the scene Monday, Nov. 15, when Peter Porco didnt report to work. The darkest aspects of humanlifeandnature. Blood evidence left at the scene showed that, despite having 16 major wounds to his face and head including a Horror History .net Horror History .net 21-year-old Christopher Porco killed his father, Peter, and badly injured his mother, Joan, on November 15, 2004 in Bethlehem, New York. `I asked her if she had memories, but never specifically of the attack,` said Spurgas. The trial was moved from Albany County to the Orange County town of Goshen. During the early morning hours of Nov. 15, 2004, Peter and Joan Porco were brutally attacked by an axe-wielding intruder in their bedroom. I took them upstairs. Despite receiving 16 hits to the skull and jaw, the Times Union explains that Peter was alive for a few hours after the attack. [11], Prior to the attack, there had been tension between Christopher Porco and his parents about money, including over loans Christopher had taken out to pay his tuition and to finance a new Jeep Wrangler. Defense Attorney Laurie Shanks was quick to point out that Spurgas is a neurosurgeon and not a neurologist, and cannot testify as an expert witness with respect to cognitive functions. Public Domain Joan and Peter Porco were sleeping in their bed when their son bludgeoned them with an ax. In 2011 the reboot series of Great Crimes and Trials made an episode about the case. According to ABC News, Peter Porco did not immediately die after being ambushed by the ax-wielding assailant. When he was readmitted the following year, he took out a loan for $31,000 to pay his expenses, forging his father's name as a cosignatory. There was also a theory involving organized crime. `She was under anesthesia when I saw her,` said Spurgas. [4] He returned to Delmar that evening. She survived, though she lost one eye and parts of her skull, and was left with facial disfigurement. Bowdish has maintained that when he asked her whether it had been her older son Johnathan, a Naval officer stationed in South Carolina, she shook her head to indicate "no". It starred Lolita Davidovich as Joan Porco and Eric McCormack as "Detective Sullivan" presumably a composite character representing police who worked on the case. Investigatorshad a few leads on other suspects. Joan Porco's alleged identification of her son Christopher may explain why Bethlehem Police pursued her son soon after the incident, rather than conducting a broader investigation of potential suspects. `I repaired the brain the best I could.`. Judge Berry refused to allow prosecutors to use the forged transcripts as evidence in their criminal case against Christopher Porco. Porco wielded an ax to carry out the attack that, years later, continues to draw the attention of true crime fans, podcasters and TV producers. (In fact, a number of reader comments posted to the aforementioned website articles blasted Terence Kindlon and Laurie Shanks for defending Christopher so vigorously in court.). TheU.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Christopherscase in 2012. Unbeknownst to his parents, Christopher was attempting to pay his fall 2004 tuition with the loan money. He got 50 years to life and is at theClinton Correction Facility inDannemora, New York. Up-and-coming actor Matt Barr played Christopher Porco in the Lifetime movie about the case. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. [7], Professor Frank Perri has argued that police interviews with Christopher Porco were seriously flawed because police questioning procedures seemingly failed to account for Porco's probable psychopathy. "What are you hiding. Wow, thanks for that detail! [25], The Porco trial began on June 27, 2006. ABC News explains that the Porcos discovered their son's actions. Mrs. Porco still lives here and shes so nice. [12] Also, University of Rochester students testified that they did not see Porco sleeping in a dormitory lounge on the night of the attack. Though he claimed he never left campus, surveillance video discredited this alibi as Christopher's yellow Jeep was seen driving in the direction of his parents' home hours before the murder. Joan survived, but continues to have severe facial disfigurement. [26] In 2013, Lifetime aired a movie entitled Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story;[27] Porco sued in an attempt to block the release of the movie. Shanks paused often, asking Joan Porco to describe her state of mind at the time she wrote certain e-mails. Joan Porco Identified Killer Then Recanted Brooke Makenna 281K subscribers Subscribe 4.5K 79K. He told police he was sleeping in the lounge of hisdormitory, Munro House, during the time of the attacks. Some thoughts with regard to Joan's brain injury: "I did not think that he was mentally ill," Joan Porco said, when asked about an e-mail she'd written to Christopher days before the attack questioning his mental stability. Porco had sold the laptop on eBay. Albert grows up thinking that his father died fighting for France in World War I. And he neglected to tell his parentsthat the universityhadsuspended him because of poor gradesand he had wasted his $30,000 in tuition money. [13], Porco's employer, veterinarian John Kearney, testified at trial that Porco had been trained in cleaning up after animal surgeries. As a result, most of the kitchen, including dishes and the floor, was covered in Peter's blood (via ABC News). [7] One month before the attack, both Christopher and Johnathan Porco had their eBay accounts frozen because they shared the same Delmar address. Bethlehem Police soon focused their investigation on Christopher Porco, the younger of the couple's two sons, who was a student at the University of Rochester 230 miles away. Although she originally pointed out her son as the attacker, when Joan fully recovered from her injuries, she stood behind her son. A ShowboatingAx Murderer After the attack, Porco was convicted in 2006 by an Albany jury during a highly publicized trial of both the murder of his father, Peter Porco, and the attempted murder of his mother, Joan Porco . Jonathan Porco, an officer in the U.S. Navy, said that his brotherwas one of a handful of people who knew the alarms four-digit deactivation code. Photo taken of Joan Porco after the attack Photo Source: Times Union (website) The amount of forensic and circumstantial evidence was over whelming. A jury quickly convicted Christopher on the strength of the timeline the prosecution constructed. When I woke up finally from the coma, I did not understand that just because I thought something didnt mean the nurses could hear me. TheForensic Filesand48 Hours Mysteryepisodes about the case didnt play up that angle. "Peter and Joan Porco are found after being bludgeoned with an axe as they sleep, Peter Porco was discovered dead from massive blunt head trauma at his front door. What greed will do . She underwent extensive surgery for facial wounds and brain injuries but survived a "miraculous recovery" according to accounts of the trial published in the Times Union, Albany's daily newspaper. - former mayor Andrew Young on unanswered questions in the case &quo All content provided on this "Criminal Misconduct" blog is for informational purposes only. An axe belonging to family, which was used in the attack, was found in the couple's bedroom. Peter's wife, Joan, was found on a bed that was completely covered in blood. An Albany County medical examiner would determine that Peter, 52, had sustained massive head injuries causing his death. November 15, 2004 Delmar, New York Peter and Joan Porco are found after being bludgeoned with an axe as they sleep Peter Porco was discovered dead from massive blunt head trauma at his front door. Thats all for this week. Porco Trial stories, photos, videos and documents from Spotlight Newspapers coverage. P.O Box. [22][23] He also appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear his case without opinion.[24]. He has been a journalist since 1995 and the Times Union has been his home since 2002. Long before the tragedy: Joan and Peter Porco with their sons, Christopher on the left, in the 1980s A jury convicted Christopher, an academically derelict University of Rochester student from Bethlehem, New York, of attacking Joan and Peter Porco with an ax as they slept on November 15, 2004. This week, Id like to focus on threeof the intriguing aspects of the case. Prosecutors asserted that Christopher Porco disabled the alarm and later cut the phone line to make the invasion of his parents' home appear to be a burglary. I was surprised to read thatRomeo Killerportrayed Christopher Porco as a charming ladies man with lots of friends. Currently Reading. [16] The trial was held in Orange County because of intense media coverage in the Albany area. Four months later, on July 22, Joan Porco wrote to Christopher again as debt notices for him were received at the Porcos' Delmar home. TruTV Crime Library Article on the Porco case, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Peter_Porco&oldid=1138228108, This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 16:59. The corporate entity was filed on July 31, 2020 in the jurisdiction of Florida. Many jurors sat stone-faced as they listened to Joan Porco's testimony, which included anecdotes about her boys' childhoods that made some jurors laugh, along with Christopher. The movie depicted those events along with the trial. Joan Porco could not communicate for a period of time after surgery because her jaw was wired shut and she was fed through a feeding tube. The two walked to court with their arms linked. He stumbled through the house before he collapsed in his foyer and died. Joan was lying in the bed with severe head and facial trauma. A jury convicted Christopher, an academically derelictUniversity of Rochesterstudent from Bethlehem, New York, of attacking Joan and Peter Porcowith an ax as they slept on November 15,2004. Her left eye, now a prosthetic, was completely destroyed in the attack and her right eye was so badly injured that she can only read with a large magnifying glass. "[13], The following day, Peter Porco was notified that Christopher had also obtained a line of credit from Citibank to finance the Jeep Wrangler, again using his father's name as a cosignatory. She too suffered the same grievous injuries to her face and head that her husband had endured - - a portion of her brain was actually exposed - - but she was conscious. She also touched her fingertips to her chin and lower lip often, an apparent residual habit from the numerous surgeries to her face, head, eyes and jaw. And I must say [she] along with most of his classmates, believe him to be guilty. Even so, Christopher Porco was convicted and handed a 50-year sentence, per All Spectrum News. On November 15, 2004, Peter Porco, a 52-year-old state Appellate Division court clerk, was found dead of massive head injuries in his home in Delmar, New York. You would absolutely be familiar with Scott P In half the cases, the killer lastly kills themselves in a murder-suicide. A way out. 8:30 a.m. Jeep returned to campus. He drove back to college in the hours after the attack. The neurosurgeon who operated on Joan Porcos skull fractures after the ax attack inside the Porco familys Brockley Drive home in November 2004, said her severe injuries could cause memory lapses following recovery. She answered questions by both the prosecution and defense concerning her memory of the attacks and her relationship with Chris. His frat brothers and male friends do not back him.. We can take the truth," she wrote. He stated (via ABC News), "And at the base of those stairs is the dead body of Peter Porco. In the yearsleading up to the assault on his mother and father, Christopher Porco had told his school friends tall tales about having a wealthyfamily with extensive real estate holdingsand vacationhomes. The police found Joan Porco, 54, in the bedroom. The was blood everywhere a medical examiner later determined that 52-year-old Peter sustained massive head injuries causing his death. The was blood everywhere - a medical examiner later determined that 52-year-old Peter sustained massive head injuries causing his death. Yeah seems like many cases on here. By September, the relationship was growing more troubled and she confronted him after learning he'd apparently used a Mobil gasoline credit card she'd given him for emergencies to buy snacks. `She would have died if injuries were left untreated,` said Spurgas under questioning by Albany County Assistant District Attorney and Chief Prosecutor Michael McDermott. She told the juryshe didnt recall implicatingChristopher the night of the attack and that her childwould never commit a heinous crime like the one that killed her husband and disfigured her. No content to be reprinted without express permission.. Picture Window theme. He was able to remember the location of the spare key and made it back inside. He was not. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. The registered office location is at 8464 Ibis Cove Cir, Naples, FL 34119. The neurosurgeon who operated on Joan Porco's skull fractures after the ax attack inside the Porco family's Brockley Drive home in November 2004, said her severe injuries could cause memory . The email's subject header was "Failing Grades-You did it again!
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