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. 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. Joan was lying in the couple's blood-drenched bed with severe head and facial trauma. Peter Porco was discovered dead from massive blunt head trauma at his front door. "Don't be a fool," Joan Porco wrote to him on Oct. 20, 2004. The neocortex is especially vulnerable to external injury, according to theHandbook of Affective Sciences(Oxford University Press, 2003). McDermott asked if she could recall anything about the attack, and about her last memory before waking up in a hospital after she'd spent several days in a coma. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. This is a carousel. One, an unhappy litigant in a custody case, had vowed revenge against Peter. Porco has served his time in silence, offering little insight into what his life behind bars has been like. [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. "[24], Kindlon's co-counsel and wife Laurie Shanks maintained that police had overlooked the possibility that Peter Porco's death was the result of retaliation against his uncle Frank Porco, a captain in the Bonanno crime family in New York City (despite the fact that they had, indeed, followed that lead - Frank Porco had served two years in prison for loansharking and extortion, although Shanks incorrectly told jurors that he had been indicted for his involvement in a murder). [23], In statements to the press and criminal proceedings, Kindlon suggested that the Bethlehem Police Department had made Christopher Porco's guilt a foregone conclusion. Back home in Delmar, Joan and Peter Porco kept receiving notices from credit agencies indicating Christopher was not paying his bills, and a notice came from the school saying his tuition had not been paid. Wow, thanks for that detail! His frat brothers and male friends do not back him.. 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. For one,someone had burglarized the Porcos house in 2002 and 2003, and Christopher was the No. But the manhad agoodalibi. I was surprised to read thatRomeo Killerportrayed Christopher Porco as a charming ladies man with lots of friends. It is their belief it was too dark to see the assailant in the middle of the night, and both Joan and Peter Porco could have been asleep before the attack occurred. An axe belonging to family, which was used in the attack, was found in the couple's bedroom. 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. Afterbeing struck 16 times with an ax and lying unconscious ashis son sneaked away from the suburban charnel house, Peter Porco arose from bed, put on clothing, ambled downstairs to get breakfast, went outside to retrieve the newspaper, realized hed locked himself out, found aspare key in its hiding place, let himselfback inside, and died of blood loss. 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. She remains steadfast in the belief her son is innocent. In fact, he even got out of bed and went about his morning routine in a macabre daze. A bloody axe left at the scene belonged to the family.". . Brendan Lyons can be reached at 454-5547 or by e-mail at blyons@timesunion.com. [16] The trial was held in Orange County because of intense media coverage in the Albany area. It starred Lolita Davidovich as Joan Porco and Eric McCormack as "Detective Sullivan" presumably a composite character representing police who worked on the case. As the publication notes, nothing bad ever happened in Bethlehem; a crime like this was inconceivable. The story is something of a middle-class version of the Menendez brothers saga. Joan was lying in the bed with severe head and facial trauma. Kindlon, however, argued that Barrister was known for not barking at visitors, whether friends or strangers. The email's subject header was "Failing Grades-You did it again! Following the fall 2003 semester, University of Rochester officials had forced Christopher Porco to withdraw because of poor grades. 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. I avoid that task WITHOUT the excuse of a head injury. It was a cold November night in 2004 when police responded to a disturbance at a suburban home in Delmar, New York. He spent some time at his bathroom sink, loaded the dishwasher, packed a lunch, and wrote a check before collapsing at the front door. In fact, on the weekend of the murder, they had hoped he would be there to talk, she said. Upstairs in the master bedroom, Joan Porco, then 54, a beloved speech therapist in the Schalmont school district, remained motionless in bed. Investigatorshad a few leads on other suspects. Porco Murder In November 2004, someone with an ax walked into the bedroom where Peter Porco and his wife, Joan, were sleeping, expressly to kill them. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. [25], The Porco trial began on June 27, 2006. Peter - a New York State Appellate Division court clerk - died later that day. CASE STUDY: The Flawed Interview of a Psychopathic Killer: What Went Wrong? And its not like he was having a minor disagreement with his parents that disproportionately spiraled out of control. 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 You know what they say, 'Three strikes and you're out.' `There is no notation that ever indicated Joan Porco was given a mental status exam when she came to the emergency room,` Shanks said. Later that day, Porco was found guilty of second degree murder and attempted murder. [9] A New York State Thruway toll collector outside Rochester said a yellow Jeep Wrangler with large tires passed through his station at about 10:45p.m. on November 14, and a collector in Albany recalled the "excessive speed" of a yellow Jeep Wrangler approaching the toll plaza shortly before 2a.m. on November 15. 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 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. Bizarrely, after the father Peter was attacked, he went about his regular morning routine, unaware that he was dying. Son Guilty In Parents' Death Over $31k Loan Forgery Given 50 Years In Prison. Rich kid with decent allowance kills super lenient parents for being a little strict or putting up boundaries. During the early morning hours of Nov. 15, 2004, Peter and Joan Porco were brutally attacked by an axe-wielding intruder in their bedroom. He told police he was sleeping in the lounge of hisdormitory, Munro House, during the time of the attacks. Where is henow? She also doesnt believe her son did it to her and has stuck by him this whole time. He was not. Joan Porco Several days following Bowdish's testimony, Chris' mother took the stand. Join the newsletter to get updates monthly straight to your email, and win one of 10 free books. 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. "[22], Defense attorney Terence Kindlon emphasized that the Bethlehem Police Department had no physical evidence linking Christopher Porco to the attack on his parents. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling 8: 4157 (2011) DOI: 10.1002/jip.128, Forensic Files, Season 13, Episode 25: "Family Ties. 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. So, apparently he did have at least some girlfriends but wasnt necessarily a full-onJFK (Jr. or Sr.) with the ladies. 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. The movie depicted those events along with the trial. `You certainly didnt ask Mrs. Porco any questions,` continued Shanks. Joan argued that she was unable to remember what happened the night of the attack but knew that her son could have never killed her husband. `She was sedated before coming to the emergency room, and could not respond with a tube in her throat,` said Spurgas. - former mayor Andrew Young on unanswered questions in the case &quo All content provided on this "Criminal Misconduct" blog is for informational purposes only. In fact, after Christophers 2005 indictment for second-degree murder and attempted murder, Joan had scraped together $250,000 for his bail. The segment was expected to air on Thursday, Jan. 12. [20], Christopher Porco is incarcerated at Clinton Correctional Facility. Last weeks post recapped Family Ties, theForensic Filesepisode about Christopher Porco, whose flights of fancy and financial misdeeds compelled him to plot the murders of his parents. Union leaders say New York state workforce could see mass exodus, Vincent Riggi suit seeks $27.1 million from brother's estate, Tour of Utica-area restaurants feels like trip around the world, Glenville Police ID pedestrian struck and killed Wednesday, DEC finds 14-foot python in New York suburb, Churchill: Antonio Brown partnership is a massive risk, Samantha Humphrey case being treated as homicide, It's weekends in jail for ex-guard who sexually abused prisoner, Ex-teacher in Schenectady gets prison for exploiting student. And it's so poignant that the dad wrote out a check for his parking tickets as he was dying from the axe wound to the head. All That's Interesting reports that he tried to pack his lunch and wrote a check to his son, Christopher. A camera reported missing from the burglary was recovered from the couple's front yard. In a 2010 appellants brief to the New York State Court of Appeals, lawyer Terence Kindlon seemed to make some reasonable points in defense of Christopher. In 2006, the Porco case was the subject of an hourlong episode of CBS's 48 Hours. Christopher Porco is seen during his trial in the Orange County Courthouse in Goshen on July 20, 2006. Peter's wife, Joan, was found on a bed that was completely covered in blood. "[19] And I must say [she] along with most of his classmates, believe him to be guilty. "Dishonesty is crumbling our relationship with you.". 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 stumbled through the house before he collapsed in his foyer and died. They found Joan in the blood drenched bedroom, lying in bed and, remarkably, still alive. Peering inthe front-door window,Hart saw Peters body sprawled on the floor amid a huge amount of blood. 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. She accompanied him to court and testified for the defense. The trial took place in July of 2006withChief Assistant District Attorney Michael P. McDermott leading the prosecution and lawyers Terence Kindlon and Laurie Shanksdefending the accused. Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Joan was lying in the bed with severe head and facial trauma. From left, Christopher Porco, John Polster, Attorney and close friend to Joan Porco, Joan Porco, and Defense Attorney Terence Kindlon on July 31, 2006, at the courthouse in Goshen. 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. She also said that the telephone line at their home was cut in September 2004, about a month after service was lost when a tree fell on the line. Instead of working out a plan to repay his parents, he tried to avoid them, then decided to kill them. Peter Porco was . Family Ties (Forensic Files). 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. All the while, his wife Joan was bleeding from her own serious wounds on their bed. In 2006, Christopher Porco of Bethlehem, New York was convicted of murdering his father with a fireman's axe and attempting to murder his mother in the same manner. 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. 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 supported her son throughout the trial. Strange functionality. Mob link. The assault had broken her jaw, destroyed one of her eyes, and penetrated her skull deeply enough to expose her brain. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union) Prosecutors contend Christopher Porco deactivated the alarm, committed the attack and then cut the telephone line in an attempt to make it look like a break-in. 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. She suffered disfiguring injuries to her head and face, including the loss of an eye, and slight damage to her brain. 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. Joan testified that she had no memory of the attacks or that she ever accused her some of harming her. The Disturbing Crime Scene Of Peter Porco. 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. Christopher Porco, who remained free on bail after his arrest, was taken into custody immediately after his conviction. As a result, most of the kitchen, including dishes and the floor, was covered in Peter's blood (via ABC News). He was also a troubled young man with a pension for burglarizing and lying. The Jeep is pictured here outside an Orange County courthouse a couple of hours after Porco was convicted. According to ABC News, Peter Porco did not immediately die after being ambushed by the ax-wielding assailant. But prosecutors said outside court they intend to call a telephone company official to the stand to refute the assertion that they had visited the house in September or that the line had been mysteriously cut then. We were angry disappointed. 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 . Explain yourself." The two walked to court with their arms linked. He used ill-gotten loans to pay for a $16,450 yellowJeep Wrangler and whatever other accoutrementsoneneeds to impersonateascion of landed gentry. inviting readers to weigh in on Christopher Porcos guilt or innocence, brief to the New York State Court of Appeals, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Joanne Chambers and Paula Nawrocki: Strange Lesson. [22][23] He also appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear his case without opinion.[24]. Photo taken of Joan Porco after the attack Photo Source: Times Union (website) The amount of forensic and circumstantial evidence was over whelming. [2] Despite Peter's catastrophic injuries, he survived for several hours after the attack. "[15], Porco's brother, Johnathan, testified at his trial. Christopher Porcos been in prison for 16 years: Heres what to know about the case, Union leaders say New York state workforce could see mass exodus, Vincent Riggi suit seeks $27.1 million from brother's estate, Tour of Utica-area restaurants feels like trip around the world, Glenville Police ID pedestrian struck and killed Wednesday, DEC finds 14-foot python in New York suburb, Churchill: Antonio Brown partnership is a massive risk, Samantha Humphrey case being treated as homicide, It's weekends in jail for ex-guard who sexually abused prisoner, Ex-teacher in Schenectady gets prison for exploiting student, was a crucial part of the prosecutions case, accused police of spreading vicious rumors. Four months later, on July 22, Joan Porco wrote to Christopher again as debt notices for him were received at the Porcos' Delmar home. In this July 10, 2006 file photo, Christopher Porco, right, and his attorneys Terence Kindlon, left, and Laurie Shanks, center, are shown during his trial in the Orange County Courthouse in Goshen, N.Y. 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. P E N N S Y L V A N I A b 1 A i t L i ;>VCAI; BOX T601 N.'S?A?R ROOM H A R R I S B U R G , PA. 17126 Junior, Senior High Home Room Schedules in Today's Allegheny Magazine WE 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. Police investigate murder of former Redding resident. 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. On August 10, 2006, Christopher Porco (born July 9, 1983) was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder in connection with the murder of his father, Peter Porco, and the severe wounding and disfigurement of his mother, Joan Porco. The tall, nice-looking21-year-oldhad hoped to bail himself out of his financial problemsand cadge some disposable income via his mother and fathers life insurance payout. 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. This week, its back to Forensic Files, withFamily Ties (no relation to the 1980s sitcom of the same name). After the vicious attack of 16 heavy blows to head with an ax that penetrated his skull and took off his jaw, Peter Porto starts his day like nothing ever happened. The Lifetime channel made a movie based on the crimes,Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story, in 2013. Joan and Peter Porco believed that Christopher had been accepted back at the University of Rochester because a professor had lost one of his exams the year before. The Porco family were from Delmar, NY - Peter Porco was 52 at the time of the murder (he worked as a court clerk) and he lived with his wife Joan, who was a speech pathologist. CARMODY CONSTRUCTION FL INC. (Corporate #P20000060210) is a Domestic Profit in Naples, Florida registered with Florida Department of State (DOS). At one point, he reached out and straightened her necklace. Joan Porco nodded "yes." The mother suffered brain damage and other major injuries, but has strongly supported her son and attested to his innocence. That means he was standing in front of a mirror and his brain still couldn't process something was wrong. Build a custom email digest by following topics, people, and firms published on JD Supra. `I asked her if she had memories, but never specifically of the attack,` said Spurgas. [1] His wife Joan Porco (ne Balzano), a children's speech pathologist,[1] was discovered lying in the couple's blood-drenched bed with severe head trauma; she survived the attack, but lost one eye and part of her skull and suffered severe facial disfigurement. 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. Despite the shrill tone of many of the e-mails, Joan Porco said she and her husband, who died from his injuries, believed they would be able to straighten out the issues once Christopher came home and talked to them.
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