[16] The trial was held in Orange County because of intense media coverage in the Albany area. It's a strategic gamble, prosecutors said later, to soften the effect of her testifying for the defense if they didn't call her to the stand first. In one case, authorities said, Christopher allegedly posed as Johnathan and told a purchaser that the sale could not be honored because his brother had died. Apparent burglary. The Jeep is pictured here outside an Orange County courthouse a couple of hours after Porco was convicted. I cleaned the medicine cup, placed it to dry. What the hell are you doing? You can contact us at 518.439.4949. In the case of the Porcos,there was only one bad son, Christopher, a 21-year-old University of Rochester student. He was sentenced to fifty years in prison. 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. "We were doing everything we could think of and we were overcome by him," she said. 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. 2022 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. Phone line cut (this was 2004, when land lines were relevant) But Frankie wasin jail specifically because he refusedto cooperate,so that theory evaporated. The trial recessed at the end of the day Thursday, and is scheduled to resume on Monday, July 10.. All the while, his wife Joan was bleeding from her own serious wounds on their bed. The police found Joan Porco, 54, in the bedroom. Peering inthe front-door window,Hart saw Peters body sprawled on the floor amid a huge amount of blood. [28], In 2023, WTEN reporter John Gray interviewed Christopher Porco in prison. "I think that we were thinking we were going to have to move in on Christopher. The corporate entity was filed on July 31, 2020 in the jurisdiction of Florida. Investigators discovered more-compelling evidence against Christopher Porco. 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. Public Domain Joan and Peter Porco were sleeping in their bed when their son bludgeoned them with an ax. No content to be reprinted without express permission.. Picture Window theme. She too suffered the same grievous injuries to her face and head that her husband had endured a. 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. 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. 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. Flights of fancy. She did break her silence briefly in a letter sent to the Times Union in August 2005. Christopher Porco's distinctive yellow Jeep was a crucial part of the prosecution's case. In 2005, Bethlehem Police detectives traveled to San Diego, California, to retrieve a laptop computer that Christopher Porco had stolen from his parents in a break-in on July 21, 2003. In addition, he had been red-flagged by eBay, an Internet auction site, which also flagged his brother Johnathan's account, because they shared the same home address. [3], An axe belonging to the family, which was used in the attack, was found in the garage. 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. [3] Christopher Porco was at the University of Rochester when his parents were discovered. Good Lord, the human body is capable of some amazing things with the assistance of adrenaline. 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. He spent some time at his bathroom sink, loaded the dishwasher, packed a lunch, and wrote a check before collapsing at the front door. Although she originally pointed out her son as the attacker, when Joan fully recovered from her injuries, she stood behind her son. [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. One morning in late 2004, Peter and Joan Porco were discovered in their quiet suburban home with massive head injuries inflicted by an axe. Porco Trial stories, photos, videos and documents from Spotlight Newspapers coverage. This is a carousel. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. I was trying to get Christopher to come clean with information that he kept from us.". What greed will do . 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. His father did not die immediately but rather livedfor a few hours after the assault, and his mothersurvived her wounds and is alive today. Christopher Porcos distinctive yellow Jeep was a crucial part of the prosecutions case. [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. Later that day, Porco was found guilty of second degree murder and attempted murder. She answered questions by both the prosecution and defense concerning her memory of the attacks and her relationship with Chris. Police investigate murder of former Redding resident. Blaming the community college's registrar, he wrote, "[B]ut obviously they are incorrectMy lowest grade that I got on anything was a B on a physics testDon't jump to conclusions, I'm fine. 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. TheU.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Christopherscase in 2012. She survived, though she lost one eye and parts of her skull, and was left with facial disfigurement. Spotlight News states that Peter was extensively maimed and had a deep cut from his skull to his brain. It's horrible, isn't it? ABC News writes that someone broke into their home in Bethlehem, New York, and attacked them with an ax in their sleep. 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 crimes were committed on November 15, 2004 at the home of Peter and Joan Porco in Delmar, New York. The Porcos believed the computer was stolen during a burglary at their Brockley Drive home, and Joan Porco did not learn the truth until last year. There, the Times Union reports that Peter was found dead while his wife, who was heavily injured, was still alive in their upstairs bedroom. He used eBay to sell computer equipmentstolen from his parents anda veterinary hospital where he worked part time. Like her husband, she had been hitwith an ax, but only three times. After the trial, jurors commented that this testimony helped to explain the fact that police did not find blood in Porco's vehicle after the attack. [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. 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. Bizarrely, after the father Peter was attacked, he went about his regular morning routine, unaware that he was dying. Christopher was in severe debt and he later forged documents to secure a loan in his father's name to pay for his tuition and for a yellow jeep. Joan Porco and her son, Christopher, arrive at Albany County Court House for a hearing on May 16, 2006. A way out. Then I finally quit breathing. His concerned coworkers sent a police officer to his home. My son was sick, so I gave him Motrin (dont even know how I measured this). 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. I avoid that task WITHOUT the excuse of a head injury. For almost six hours Monday, Joan Porco sat in a witness box only a few feet away from the son who stands accused of using an ax to try and kill her and of murdering his father. 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 At this point, I have little confidence that they will ever be caught.. 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. He is not eligible for parole until 2052 when hell be 69 years old. On December 12, 2006, Cristopher Porco was sentenced to 50 years to life on each count totaling a minimum of 50 years in prison. [22][23] He also appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear his case without opinion.[24]. "Your phone is temporarily suspended -- we can't get to you with important information and this SUCKS," Joan Porco wrote. He was not. 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 also doesnt believe her son did it to her and has stuck by him this whole time. The story is something of a middle-class version of the Menendez brothers saga. [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. Porco is on trial for the murder of his father, Peter Porco, and attempted murder of his mother, Joan Porco. During the early morning hours of Nov. 15, 2004, Peter and Joan Porco were brutally hacked by an ax-wielding intruder in their bedroom. Christopher Porco, who remained free on bail after his arrest, was taken into custody immediately after his conviction. "I was trying to get Christopher to come clean with information that he kept from us," she said on the stand. He is currently living at the home of Elaine LaForte and her family in Glenmont. Despite Joan telling first responders that her son Christopher was the one who attacked them,CBS News states that he denied all involvement and was asleep at the University of Rochester, 200 miles away at the time of the attack. . Christopher had not sent several customers the items they had paid for from his account. Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Christopher Porco was a 21-year-old student at the University of Rochester when he attacked his parents. In the presence of Bowdish as well as paramedics on the scene, she nodded yes when asked whether it was her younger son. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. A ShowboatingAx Murderer Peter Porco was murdered, his wife left for dead. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. The 21-year-old. Lindsay was taken to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth with broken bones in her back and ribcage - these injuries have left her paralyzed below the waist. He told police he was sleeping in the lounge of hisdormitory, Munro House, during the time of the attacks. Instead of working out a plan to repay his parents, he tried to avoid them, then decided to kill them. A True Crime Blog of People Behaving Badly. Police found that someonehad smashed the houses burglar alarm, snippedthe phone line, and opened a window and cut a hole in the screen. CARMODY CONSTRUCTION FL INC. (Corporate #P20000060210) is a Domestic Profit in Naples, Florida registered with Florida Department of State (DOS). 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 [25], The Porco trial began on June 27, 2006. According to the Albany Times Union, Johnathan's testimony influenced the jury; his demeanor toward his brother was "icy", and he described their relationship as "strained". But she was alive and conscious. Peter's wife, Joan, was found on a bed that was completely covered in blood. Surveillance cameras. Near the end of her testimony Monday, Joan Porco recounted that twice in the months preceding the attack she was scared by the presence of a stranger in the driveway, once at night and once in the day when she was outside gardening. [20], Christopher Porco is incarcerated at Clinton Correctional Facility. In fact, on the weekend of the murder, they had hoped he would be there to talk, she said. The children were sent to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth. AsForensic Filesexplained it, an injury can damagethe brains neocortex, which controls reasoning, but leave intact the underlying paleocortex, which guides second-nature habits. "[10] Porco earned readmission to the University of Rochester with a forged transcript from Hudson Valley Community College. According to All That's Interesting, Christopher was 21 and a student at the University of Rochester. The reality is that everybody knows about this case, and the fact is that everybodys been hearing about this case in Albany County for the past 20 months, Kindlon said. In the message, Joan and Peter complained to their son, "You just left and (we) can't believe (our) eyes as I look at your interim grade report. For one,someone had burglarized the Porcos house in 2002 and 2003, and Christopher was the No. 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. It was spring break, and Christopher Porco was touring Europe with some friends when his parents found out. Her answers were mostly clear and lucid, although occasionally she lost her train of thought and asked attorneys to restate their questions. [26], On August 2, 2006, the prosecution completed its case against Porco, and the defense's case, which was much briefer, began. His appeals have been exhausted. 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". His legs are dangling off the end of the landing. It starred Lolita Davidovich as Joan Porco and Eric McCormack as "Detective Sullivan" presumably a composite character representing police who worked on the case. Judge Berry refused to allow prosecutors to use the forged transcripts as evidence in their criminal case against Christopher Porco. `She was under anesthesia when I saw her,` said Spurgas. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. Rich kid with decent allowance kills super lenient parents for being a little strict or putting up boundaries. The episode was produced in 2009, toward the end of Forensic Filesrun, anddelves into theax attack on Joan and Peter Porco, a couple from Bethlehem, New York. 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. 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. The events started in the early morning hours of November. Joan was lying in the couple's blood-drenched bed with severe head and facial trauma. We can take the truth," she wrote. Brains are extremely weird. He alsocommitted a number of financial crimes against his parents. It's crazy a huge amount of crimes against other people don't be strangers but your own family. Photo taken of Joan Porco after the attack Photo Source: Times Union (website) The amount of forensic and circumstantial evidence was over whelming. In fact, after Christophers 2005 indictment for second-degree murder and attempted murder, Joan had scraped together $250,000 for his bail. . You would absolutely be familiar with Scott P I was always floored hearing this dude loaded a dishwasher after being bludgeoned with an axe. "[19] `There is no notation that ever indicated Joan Porco was given a mental status exam when she came to the emergency room,` Shanks said. 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.