Christopher is the youngest child and was 21 in 2004 when this happened. In 2011 the reboot series of Great Crimes and Trials made an episode about the case. Wow, thanks for that detail! [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 case was shown in an episode[25] of Forensic Files. "Get your head out of the clouds and pay your bills.". CASE STUDY: The Flawed Interview of a Psychopathic Killer: What Went Wrong? Christopher Porco, who remained free on bail after his arrest, was taken into custody immediately after his conviction. [17] The police theory was that he drove more than three hours to Albany in early hours of November 15 to attack his parents. 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. We can take the truth," she wrote. 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. Porco's lawyer, in response, contended that the nod given by Joan Porco after the incident, which became a central component of the . Joan would lose her left eye and a portion of her skull. [4], During the course of their investigation, authorities determined that Porco had a history of anti-social behavior that included burglarizing his parents' home. ", "Christopher Porco, The College Student Who Chopped Up His Parents With An Ax After An Argument About Money", "Porco trial: Prosecutors point to unusual alarm logs", "Timeline, vet's words proved damning to Porco", "Timeline around murder includes text messaging, exit tolls", "EZ-Pass, forged transcripts focus of testimony", "Jurors see video of yellow Jeep leaving campus", "An unfamiliar face in a distant courtroom", "Former neighbor who saw Jeep testifies; prosecution rests", "Jury delivers quick verdict; Porco mom absent", "Christopher Porco gets maximum sentence; Convicted killer speaks for the first time", "Disabled mother of killer Christopher Porco loses pension case", Supreme Court will not hear Christopher Porco's appeal; Bethlehem man convicted of killing his father, assaulting his mother with an axe in '04, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh5SPILKVi8, "TV Review: 'Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story', "Christopher Porco wins minor court victory in TV movie case", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1iSCSRZrW8, Christopher Porco Murder Trial special report at timesunion.com. Later that day, Porco was found guilty of second degree murder and attempted murder. Like her husband, she had been hit with an ax, but only three times. She suffered disfiguring injuries to her head and face, including the loss of an eye, and slight damage to her brain. She supported her son throughout the trial. Investigators found surveillance video of ayellow Jeep that supported their contention that Christopher traveled 232 miles from Rochester to the Porcoshouse the night of the attack, assaultedhis mother and father with an ax, and high-tailed it back to Rochester. [7] One month before the attack, both Christopher and Johnathan Porco had their eBay accounts frozen because they shared the same Delmar address. 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. Christopher Porco - Forensic Tales Those who were reported to have testified in the closed-session hearing included Porco's friends from college, a university campus safety officer, and a former girlfriend. Oh and this murder which is where the worst repercussions of spoiling end up. She has been her son's staunchest supporter, accusing police of bungling the investigation and charging the wrong person. Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Probably not; probably, his mother lied to him. "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. Fraternity brothers, friends didn't see Porco asleep in lounge I grew up in the small town of Delmar, NY and the guy was a clown., Josh: I live [in]Delmar and go to Bethlehem High School [and] teachers who had him said he was insane. All That's Interesting reports that he tried to pack his lunch and wrote a check to his son, Christopher. Christopher Porco 2: The Explainable - Forensic Files Now Family Ties (Forensic Files). [28], In 2023, WTEN reporter John Gray interviewed Christopher Porco in prison. 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. The crimes were committed on November 15, 2004 at the home of Peter and Joan Porco in Delmar, New York. 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. `It is not uncommon for patients after neurosurgery to have changes or lapses in their memory,` Spurgas testified. On December 12, 2006, Cristopher Porco was sentenced to 50 years to life on each count totaling a minimum of 50 years in prison. The Porco murder: Did a college student take an ax to his parents? They had two children Christopher and Johnathan. Hell beeligible for parole in the year 2052. He is currently living at the home of Elaine LaForte and her family in Glenmont. His face is pointed up the stairs. The Murderous Assaults of Peter and Joan Porco - Blogger 358, P.C 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman. Peter Porco was murdered, his wife left for dead.. 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. The 21-year-old. Joan Porco Several days following Bowdish's testimony, Chris' mother took the stand. His appeals have been exhausted. Exclusive: Convicted murderer Christopher Porco sits down with John Gray to talk about new motion in case. He has been a journalist since 1995 and the Times Union has been his home since 2002. . He suffered blows to the face, jaw, hands, arms, and forearms. I think all of that means its possible Peter Porco had a little help from the reasoning part of his mind post-trauma, but the subsectionthat enables people to self-identify as injured and in need of help was destroyed. 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. Still, there were many other issues, including Christopher's unpaid bills, that caused the couple great concern in the months preceding the attack. A ShowboatingAx Murderer Joan lost her left eye, a portion of her skull and was disfigured. 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. [17], On the morning of August 10, 2006, the jury began deliberations. "[14] The email concluded: "We may be disappointed with you, but your mother and I still love you and care about your future. The police found Joan Porco, 54, in the bedroom. 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. "How could you lie to us like you did?" Rich kid with decent allowance kills super lenient parents for being a little strict or putting up boundaries. The registered office location is at 8464 Ibis Cove Cir, Naples, FL 34119. The current status is active. . 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. On the night of the murder, the couple's telephone line was deliberately cut just before 5 a.m. Christopher Porco is a greedy and lying little shit. 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. The was blood everywhere - a medical examiner later determined that 52-year-old Peter sustained massive head injuries causing his death. 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. Still, therewere noeyewitnesses placing Christopher directly at the crime scene inside the house. Kids Who Kill | The Bever, Porco, and Van Breda families The was blood everywhere a medical examiner later determined that 52-year-old Peter sustained massive head injuries causing his death. Porco has served his time in silence, offering little insight into what his life behind bars has been like. At this point, I have little confidence that they will ever be caught.. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. Shortly after, the Porcos were attacked. 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. A True Crime Blog of People Behaving Badly. Joan survived, but continues to have severe facial disfigurement. 8:30 a.m. Jeep returned to campus. He was able to remember the location of the spare key and made it back inside. In 2006, a jury in Goshen walked into an Orange County courtroom and convicted Christopher Porco of murdering his father, Peter, and attempting to kill his mother, Joan, in their Bethlehem home. I had some classes with him and knew one of his girlfriends well. Peter, per ABC News, was in a pool of his own blood near the home's entrance. Memory of Murder - CBS News Join the newsletter to get updates monthly straight to your email, and win one of 10 free books. "[10] Porco earned readmission to the University of Rochester with a forged transcript from Hudson Valley Community College. Porco has said little publicly in the years since his conviction, though he did an interview with the CBS News show 48 Hours Mystery shortly after his conviction. ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) - Friday marks 15 years since the infamous murder of a father and mutilation of a mother in Delmar by Christopher Porco, who attacked his parents with an axe. The assault had broken her jaw, destroyed one of her eyes, and penetrated her skull deeply enough to expose her brain. It was updated on March 28, 2009. She accompanied him to court and testified for the defense. The children were sent to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth. Joan Porco survived the attacks that murdered her husband, Peter, and for which her son, Christopher, 22, is now on trial. I implore the Bethlehem police and the District Attorneys Office to leave my son alone, and to search for Peters real killer or killers, so that he can rest in peace and my sons and I can live in safety, she wrote. 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. Memory of Murder - The Porco Case : r/TrueCrimeDiscussion - reddit Four months later, on July 22, Joan Porco wrote to Christopher again as debt notices for him were received at the Porcos' Delmar home. 1 suspect. Peter Porco was discovered dead from massive blunt head trauma at his front door.