Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. [25], The Porco trial began on June 27, 2006. 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 suffered a major TBI some years ago after a major fall and spent a week in a coma, plus years regaining function. Spurgas is considered an expert witness for the prosecution because of the 7,000 surgeries he performed throughout his career, hundreds of them involving brain and spinal cord injuries. [4] He returned to Delmar that evening. Hisbrother, Jonathan, 23, was on a nuclear submarine at the time of the crime and notimplicated. 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". Christopher Porco is seen during his trial in the Orange County Courthouse in Goshen on July 20, 2006. Until next Thursday, cheers.RR, A College Kid Turns Homicidal 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. 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. 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. One morning in late 2004, Peter and Joan Porco were discovered in their quiet suburban home with massive head injuries inflicted by an axe. Thats all for this week. Christopher Porco is a greedy and lying little shit. None of thathelped. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. 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. 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. The two walked to court with their arms linked. No fingerprints were recovered from the ax (which had previously been stored in the Porco's garage) found at the scene of the crime. He spent some time at his bathroom sink, loaded the dishwasher, packed a lunch, and wrote a check before collapsing at the front door. [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. His wife Joan Porco (ne Balzano), a children's speech pathologist, was discovered lying in the couple's blood-drenched bed with severe head trauma; she survived with loss of one eye and part of her skull, and severe facial disfigurement. And the plot twist: The mother survived and was in total denial, believing her son was innocent of the charges despite the overwhelming evidence. On November 15, 2004, law clerk Peter Porco, 52, didntshow up for work, sohis colleagueMichael Hart stopped byhis house onBrockley Driveto check on him. The children were sent to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth. 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. After the discovery of Peters body, Joan was found and taken to a hospital. Porco is on trial for the murder of his father, Peter Porco, and attempted murder of his mother, Joan Porco. Nine of Christophersfraternity brothersrefuted his story that he was asleep in the lounge atRochester, and a neighbor driving by the Porcos house claimed he glimpsedthe Jeep in the driveway on the night of the attacks. Phone line cut (this was 2004, when land lines were relevant) Peter Porco was . 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. Christopher Porco, now 39, is pictured here in a prison mugshot taken at state prison in November 2009. According to CBS News, Christopher Porco was charged with his father's murder and the attempted murder of his mother in November 2005. On December 12, 2006, Cristopher Porco was sentenced to 50 years to life on each count totaling a minimum of 50 years in prison. "You shouldn't cry over spilled milk." [20], Christopher Porco is incarcerated at Clinton Correctional Facility. The darkest aspects of humanlifeandnature. An Albany County medical examiner would determine that Peter, 52, had sustained massive head injuries causing his death. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union) 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. "What are you hiding. Public Domain Joan and Peter Porco were sleeping in their bed when their son bludgeoned them with an ax. [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. The assaulthad broken her jaw, destroyed one of her eyes, and penetrated her skull deeplyenough to expose her brain. Joan was lying in the couple's blood-drenched bed with severe head and facial trauma. "[15], Porco's brother, Johnathan, testified at his trial. Peter Porco was murdered, his wife left for dead. He told his parents the school had agreed to cover his tuition because of the error. He suffered blows to the face, jaw, hands, arms, and forearms. ABC News writes that someone broke into their home in Bethlehem, New York, and attacked them with an ax in their sleep. Miraculously, she was clinging on to life when investigators and medics arrived at the crime scene hours later. His appeals have been exhausted. Joan Porco survived the attacks that murdered her husband, Peter, and for which her son, Christopher, 22, is now on trial. Therewas more: Christopherhad sought financialadviceshortly before the ax attack. In the presence of Bowdish as well as paramedics on the scene, she nodded yes when asked whether it was her younger son. 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 He was also doing tons of shit that he could have faced actual jail time over, including burglary, fraud, and forging his fathers signature on some major loans. As Forensic Files explained it, an injury can damage the brain's neocortex, which controls reasoning, . 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. 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. As a result, most of the kitchen, including dishes and the floor, was covered in Peter's blood (via ABC News). Then, during a lengthy cross-examination, Porco's defense attorney, Laurie Shanks, tried through her questions to dispel any perception raised by prosecutors that the relationship between mother and son was on the verge of collapse in the days preceding the attack. 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. 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. During breaks in the trial Monday, and after the jury had cleared from the courtroom, Joan Porco walked over to her son at the defense table. Brendan Lyons can be reached at 454-5547 or by e-mail at blyons@timesunion.com. Bowdish said that when he asked Joan if a family member had committed the crime, Joan used her head to indicate "yes". READ MORE: Pick up a copy of tomorrow's Times Union for full coverage of today's Porco trial testimony. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. Police believe Christopher cut the hole in the window to make it look like a burglary. Case 187: Peter & Joan Porco 21,138 views Sep 4, 2021 505 Dislike Share Save Casefile Presents 54.3K subscribers DESCRIPTION In the early hours of Monday, November 15 2004, husband and wife Peter. According to ABC News, Peter Porco did not immediately die after being ambushed by the ax-wielding assailant. The defense believes that, combined with Joan Porcos mental state immediately after the injuries when paramedics began treatment, make it impossible for her to know who committed the crime. The trial recessed at the end of the day Thursday, and is scheduled to resume on Monday, July 10.. 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. Eventually, his deception caught up to him. [12], Two weeks before his murder, Peter Porco had confronted his son about his dishonesty in an email: "Did you forge my signature as a co-signer? It's horrible, isn't it? They came inside to find 52-year-old Appellate Division court clerk, Peter Porco, in a pile of his own blood, dead from massive head injuries. This guy is a machine. [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. Mike Goodwin has been a stock broker, garbage man, and a house painter. [16] The trial was held in Orange County because of intense media coverage in the Albany area. Christopher Porcos distinctive yellow Jeep was a crucial part of the prosecutions case. 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. He is not eligible for parole until 2052 when hell be 69 years old. She has been her son's staunchest supporter, accusing police of bungling the investigation and charging the wrong person. There, the Times Union reports that Peter was found dead while his wife, who was heavily injured, was still alive in their upstairs bedroom. The ax that was used on the Porcos was discovered nearby. Investigators theorized he wore scrubs from the veterinary office during the assault and then destroyed or hidthem. 4:59 a.m. 1 suspect. Porco Trial stories, photos, videos and documents from Spotlight Newspapers coverage. Even so, Christopher Porco was convicted and handed a 50-year sentence, per All Spectrum News. It's crazy a huge amount of crimes against other people don't be strangers but your own family. Porcos trial ended up in Orange County after an appeals court ruled pretrial publicity in Albany had been intensive, localized, continuing and prejudicial.. I cleaned the medicine cup, placed it to dry. Christopher Porco is charged with murder and attempted murder and is free on bail. He needed another $30,000 once Rochester let him back in. Build a custom email digest by following topics, people, and firms published on JD Supra. . Update: Read Part 2of the Christopher Porco story. He was not. Some thoughts with regard to Joan's brain injury: 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. what size nails for roof felt news Uncategorized joan porco injuries Investigators discovered more-compelling evidence against Christopher Porco. The neocortex is especially vulnerable to external injury, according to theHandbook of Affective Sciences(Oxford University Press, 2003). She also doesnt believe her son did it to her and has stuck by him this whole time. Joan Porco wrote to her son, who received the e-mail on his cellphone. 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. An axe belonging to family, which was used in the attack, was found in the couple's bedroom. Peter Porco was murdered with an ax on Nov. 15, 2004, and Joan Porco survived severe . 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. Apparent burglary. A key piece of evidence in the prosecutions case against Christopher Porco is that police and paramedics at the scene of the crime on Nov. 15, 2004 testified later that Joan Porco nodded `yes` when asked whether her son Christopher had attacked her. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Fixed: Release in which this issue/RFE has been fixed.The release containing this fix may be available for download as an Early Access Release or a General Availability Release. 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. He has been a journalist since 1995 and the Times Union has been his home since 2002. You can contact us at 518.439.4949. Join the newsletter to get updates monthly straight to your email, and win one of 10 free books. 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. [28], In 2023, WTEN reporter John Gray interviewed Christopher Porco in prison. The registered office location is at 8464 Ibis Cove Cir, Naples, FL 34119. Subscribe Subscribe; e-Edition The Disturbing Crime Scene Of Peter 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. The movie got passing marks from reviewers, but the reader comment section was where thereally interestingcritiquing was going on. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Peter Porco was murdered, his wife left for dead.. Peter - a New York State Appellate Division court clerk - died later that day. The Lifetime channel made a movie based on the crimes,Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story, in 2013. A bloody axe left at the scene belonged to the family.". Police found that someonehad smashed the houses burglar alarm, snippedthe phone line, and opened a window and cut a hole in the screen. ABC News explains that the Porcos discovered their son's actions. He stumbled through the house before he collapsed in his foyer and died. The Jeep is pictured here outside an Orange County courthouse a couple of hours after Porco was convicted. Upstairs in the master bedroom, Joan Porco, then 54, a beloved speech therapist in the Schalmont school district, remained motionless in bed. All the while, his wife Joan was bleeding from her own serious wounds on their bed. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union) Christopher Porco escorts his mother Joan Porco from the Orange County Courthouse in Goshen at lunch during the third day of jury selection on Wednesday June 28, 2006. 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. The behavior of the Porcos dog, which the prosecution had used as evidence, was also disputed in the appeal. Hours later, a telephone line outside the Porco home was cut. 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. Strange functionality. Heres the heart-breaking aspect of the trial: Joan Porco stood by her son througheverything. She was lying in the couple's blood-drenched bed and had suffered severe head and facial trauma. He was sentenced to fifty years in prison. He later said he learned of the attack from a reporter. 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. 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. - former mayor Andrew Young on unanswered questions in the case &quo All content provided on this "Criminal Misconduct" blog is for informational purposes only. But Frankie wasin jail specifically because he refusedto cooperate,so that theory evaporated. He drove back to college in the hours after the attack. His frat brothers and male friends do not back him.. Surveillance cameras. Police investigate murder of former Redding resident. 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. 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 Buddies no help. And I must say [she] along with most of his classmates, believe him to be guilty. All That's Interesting reports that he tried to pack his lunch and wrote a check to his son, Christopher. Joan would lose her left eye and a portion of her skull. Defense Attorneys Shanks and Terence Kindlon are trying to poke holes in that theory. The corporate entity was filed on July 31, 2020 in the jurisdiction of Florida. 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. Albert grows up thinking that his father died fighting for France in World War I. [5], While away on a trip to England in March 2004, Christopher received an email from Joan Porco's account admonishing him for failing classes at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. Hell beeligible for parole in the year 2052. `She would have died if injuries were left untreated,` said Spurgas under questioning by Albany County Assistant District Attorney and Chief Prosecutor Michael McDermott. 8:30 a.m. Jeep returned to campus. [16] He also lied to fellow students to make it appear that he came from a wealthy family with oceanfront homes. `You couldnt tell if she (Mrs. Porco) was asleep when injuries to her eye and skull took place, is that correct?` Shanks asked. 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. 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. Before paramedics took her to the hospital, Detective Christopher Bowdish questioned her about the attacker. And he neglected to tell his parentsthat the universityhadsuspended him because of poor gradesand he had wasted his $30,000 in tuition money. She answered questions by both the prosecution and defense concerning her memory of the attacks and her relationship with Chris. [17], On the morning of August 10, 2006, the jury began deliberations. Her answers were mostly clear and lucid, although occasionally she lost her train of thought and asked attorneys to restate their questions. [20] She also answered in similar ways to other separate questions. She did break her silence briefly in a letter sent to the Times Union in August 2005. [18], On December 12, 2006, Judge Jeffrey Berry sentenced Porco to 50years to life on each count, totaling a minimum of 50years in prison. I was always floored hearing this dude loaded a dishwasher after being bludgeoned with an axe. Oh and this murder which is where the worst repercussions of spoiling end up. There is no doubt in my mind, Porco told correspondent Peter Van Sant in an Albany County jail interview conducted after Porcos August conviction. 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. It was spring break, and Christopher Porco was touring Europe with some friends when his parents found out. The movie depicted those events along with the trial. 01:18:45 - We hear almost daily about mothers and fathers killing their children, sometimes their entire family. Shanks noted that Frank Porco's nickname with the mob was "The Fireman," which could have had something to do with the type of murder weapon found (an axe that he and his wife had dubbed a "fire axe"). 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. "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. Four months later, on July 22, Joan Porco wrote to Christopher again as debt notices for him were received at the Porcos' Delmar home. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Surveillance cameras captured the Jeep leaving a Rochester college the night of his father's murder.