NY - Christopher Porco - Another Menandez situation? - sentenced

[txsvicki]

It seems with each article lately we get a new piece of evidence. In the TU article it says that not only did Porco steal and forge his fathers info for his college tuition money, which we knew all along, but that he also forged his fathers info and bought the new jeep as well. Kindlon doesn't dispute any of these charges. So we now know that he robbed his parents of a computer and sold it on ebay and that he robbed his parents of 32 grand and bought a new jeep and college tuition. Clearly a criminal pattern developed, with a need for money

Just now found this thread and reading all the info it is clear that this guy killed his dad and intended to kill his mother.

 

[jannuncutt]

Chris sounds like a typical sociopath. I'm getting Scott Peterson vibes from him,calm demeanor during interogation,asking if his mother can talk,not really concerned for her well being,in debt,and making up grandiose stries. Same MO,different person,they are all alike!

Well put - I totally agree!!

 

[jannuncutt]

Chris Porco and his mother, Joan were in Albany County Court where a judged ruled this morning that pretrial hearings in the case against Christopher will be open to the public.

I posting the like below, just to make sure that we are all up-to-date.

http://www.timesunion.com/specialreports/porco

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

This is far and away one of the most despicable, heinous crimes of which I've ever heard. From what I've read here, I'm at least 99% sure that Christopher committed this crime. There is no punishment harsh enough for such a vicious animal that is capable of bludgeoning his own parents to death. This is completely nauseating. No death penalty in New York?

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Albany, N.Y.: Timesunion.com - Print Story

... Her husband, Peter, 52, also had been attacked in their bed. He rose sometime after the bludgeoning, slipping on a pair of trousers and stumbling through the home completing small chores, unaware that he was dying...

Over the next eight hours, town detectives peppered Porco with questions about his whereabouts over the weekend. He admitted coming home Friday night to visit a friend in Delmar but said he returned to school on Saturday, more than 24 hours before the attacks. But detectives accused him of taking an ax to his parents and at one point asked him what should happen to the person responsible, according to Porco's attorney.

According to someone who viewed a videotape of the interrogation, Porco responded that the suspect should receive a fair trial...

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Key Porco witness dies

... police detective Anthony Arduini was in extremely critical condition at Albany Medical Center. According to the defense attorney in the Porco murder case, the 53-year-old was one of the first investigators on the scene in November 2004 when law clerk Peter Porco was found dead and his wife, Joan Porco, severely beaten in their Bethlehem home.

Arduini suffered a major brain bleed outside his home on Tuesday...
Christopher Porco’s defense attorney, Terry Kindlon, believes the death of one of the key investigators in the case might delay next week's pre-trial hearings, but won't affect the prosecution otherwise.

“There are provisions in the criminal procedure law that lets the court utilize testimony from a deceased witness and I think that probably the DA can probably compensate in other ways, call other witnesses, can present documents, that sort of thing. So it certainly won’t cripple their case,” Kindlon said.

It’s a case the police department and the town maintains Arduini helped to build.

“He, as he always did, was dedicated, hard-working, professional and I’m sure his work product will continue to be a part of that case,” Egan said.

Kindlon says he might request a change of venue for Christopher Porco’s trial after jury selection...

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

WTEN, Albany, NY: Bethlehem Police Trying to Deal with Detectives Loss

May 15, 2006 -

For the second time in less than two months, Bethlehem Police are grieving over the death of a veteran detective. Both of the police officers had played key roles in the Porco murder investigation...

Egan says Arduini was still trying to deal with the death, six weeks ago, of Detective Sergeant John Cox, Arduini's boss and close friend.

"They really haven't healed from John, and now with Tony's loss and the suddenness of it, we are all feeling it," Egan said.

Both detectives investigated the brutal axe murder of law clerk Peter Porco, the mutilation of his wife, Joan, and the arrest of their younger son, Christopher. But Arduini was more deeply involved and likely would have been called as a witness.

Attorney Terry Kindlon, who represents Christopher, says, "cross examination of that witness may have resulted in our securing important information, but he's gone and it's a tragic loss for his family and for the department."

There are only eight detectives with the department, with two of them now gone.

... District Attorney David Soares says the detective's death will not harm his case against Christopher Porco, who goes on trial next month.

 

[hockeymom]

It is so weird to see he and his mother walking into court together! I still think he did it,especially since he admitted being in Albany that night.
I hope the whole Miranda thing doesn't screw up the prosecutions case!

 

[jannuncutt]

It is so weird to see he and his mother walking into court together! I still think he did it,especially since he admitted being in Albany that night.
I hope the whole Miranda thing doesn't screw up the prosecutions case!

Really? He admitted to being in Albany that night? I missed that!!! I am going to sit in on that trial as often as I can.

 

[hockeymom]

That was news to me also. He said he was in Albany visiting a friend. That would be easy enough to find out don't you think?

 

[SheerLuck]

Porco never said he was in Albany or the area the night of the murder; but he did visit his girlfriend in Slingerlands just 2 night before the murder, which borders Delmar and Albany. The local Delmar newspaper; the Spotlight; had a lengthy article on the trial; including much of the long Bethlehem Police interrorgation, but I couldn't find an internet link. I had heard a year ago that Porco's girlfriend's dad was a Bethlehem cop, but didn't think it was appropriate to post, but the Spotlight article mentioned that his girlfriend was Detective Arduinni daughter and that on the day of the murder the detective rushed over to the BCHS high school to find his daughter. Sadly, Arduini died last week. I would imagine his daughter's relationship with Porco, put the Bethlehem Police in an unusal spot

 

[SheerLuck]

A Times Union story from today is very interesting; as the police have a toll ticket which matches Porco's DNA. It's from the Rochester toll booth, which was used from Rochester to Albany. I had heard that there was a one way EZ pass used, but this story seems to contradict it; as it implies Porco removed the ez pass windshield device before entering the highway. Also interesting is that Porco's jeep is seen leaving the Rochester campus at 10:30 p.m.; not at midnight or later. This means if Porco did the crime, he had 9 1/2 hours to do the crime and cover it up, which is much easier, than the 7 hour time frame, which had been assumed. Also, none of his fellow students saw him for the 9 1/2 hours. Driving time round trip is 6-7 hours depending on car speed, so 9 1/2 hours means he could have altered course and driven many miles to dump evidence. If he removed the ez pass before he left for Delmar; that's scary because it would mean he planned the murder; before he even entered Delmar. He didn't simply snap when he arrived at the house or as he was driving. So he might have planned the crime well in advance, which fits the mold of a psychopath. Winning a circumstantial case against an intelligient psycopath, with a good lawyer, is not easy. Jury selection begins June 15th. I hope they have more surprise evidence!

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=487905&category=REGIONOTHER&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=6/2/2006

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=487905&category=REGIONOTHER&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=6/2/2006

Wow, very interesting article. I'm worried, though, that the mitochondrial DNA won't be enough. I don't understand the DNA the way I'd like to but isn't mitochondrial DNA often challenged in court cases?

No matter what, I'd have a hard time not convicting Christopher based on the alarm being deactivated with a pass code. I just can't get past that.

 

[hockeymom]

Wow, all this new evidence coming to light just bolsters my feeling Chris did this. I figured that the police had to have something more concrete than just he mother's statement,because lets face it,any good defense atty could poke a hole in that,saying the injuries could have caused her to say irrational things,etc..Having driven the Thruway to Rochester many times,I just couldn't figure his timeline,but since it appears he lied about it and they can proove it... well,that makes sense and leaves plenty of time.
It is very scary to think that he could have been so cold as to plan ahead. It makes it even worse that his mother and other people can look at him and not wonder.
SheerLuck,how sad that his girlfriend is the daughter of that Detective.What a strange coincidence.
I'm surprised this case is not getting more National attention as it is pretty interesting.

 

[SheerLuck]

Wow, very interesting article. I'm worried, though, that the mitochondrial DNA won't be enough. I don't understand the DNA the way I'd like to but isn't mitochondrial DNA often challenged in court cases?

No matter what, I'd have a hard time not convicting Christopher based on the alarm being deactivated with a pass code. I just can't get past that.

Yep; most families keep security codes a family secret, so who else knew the code beside Chris and his brother and the parents? His brother was in the army in North Carolina, that night and has a 100% alibi that others were with him. As for the DNA; Porco's attorney; Kindlon, appeared rattled by this latest news, so judging from his comments; it's probably strong evidence. What I read is that with this particular DNA; only about 1 in every 100,000 people would match and Chris is a match. And if the time frame of the ticket is close to when his jeep is seen leaving the campus and when the toll booth attendant remembers a yellow jeep passing through; that's strong circumstantial evidence. Especially when the rest of the timeline is put together and also fits. On a sidenote about the jeep; there definitely is something that stands out about a yellow jeep, that could lead the neighbor to remember seeing it and the toll booth operator remember it too

 

[SheerLuck]

Wow, all this new evidence coming to light just bolsters my feeling Chris did this. I figured that the police had to have something more concrete than just he mother's statement,because lets face it,any good defense atty could poke a hole in that,saying the injuries could have caused her to say irrational things,etc..Having driven the Thruway to Rochester many times,I just couldn't figure his timeline,but since it appears he lied about it and they can proove it... well,that makes sense and leaves plenty of time.
It is very scary to think that he could have been so cold as to plan ahead. It makes it even worse that his mother and other people can look at him and not wonder.
SheerLuck,how sad that his girlfriend is the daughter of that Detective.What a strange coincidence.
I'm surprised this case is not getting more National attention as it is pretty interesting.

Hockeymom, that's just it; the extra 2 hours or so makes all the difference; it gives Porco 9 1/2 hours where no one sees him(10:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.); as opposed to just 7 1/2 hours. 7 1/2 hours was cutting it close. As for the girlfriend; I had known her dad was a BP cop, but didn't thnk I should have posted that here; until I read it in the Spotlight. The Spotlight article was the best article on the case; so far, but there's no internet link. Here's a part of the article that's important. The Porco's lived just 1/10th of a mile from the high school and on the morning of the murder; according to the Spotlight; Detective Arduinni's first thoughts were to rush to the high school and find his daughter. So while he was doing that, Detective Chris Bowdish was questioning Mrs. Porco. According to the Spotlight, Bowdish did a very smart thing. He called in to BP police headquarters and got the names of both sons. He then first asked Mrs. Porco; if the older son; Jonathan had attacked her and she shook her head no. He asked again and again, she shook her head no. Then he asked if Chris attacked them and she shook her head yes. He asked a second time and again she nodded yes again. And the paramedics, who were there treating her; have all testified to being witnesses to this. After the questioning, the paramedics put her under with drugs and brought her to the hospital. And hey Hockeymom; I agree this should be a national news story and maybe it will be, but you know; it seems like now a days; if there isn't a young, beautiful lady involved; the media just isn't interested. I guarantee if the Porco's had a 20 year daughter who was a cheerleader and the suspect; this would be as big a story as the Scott and Laci Peterson story.

 

[hockeymom]

Don't know how to do links,but Porcos atty is asking for a change of venue already. I'm not sure thats necessary. I really think that when it comes down to it,jurors may have some sort of preconcieved ideas,but they make decisions based on court evidence.
He is quoted in the article I read as calling the DNA evidnce as "junk science".
In this day and age,I think its a given that DNA is pretty accurate. I wonder what Kindlon would say if the DNA eliminated him as a suspect? I'm sure it would be 100% accurate testing!!

SheerLuck,that Spotlite article was very detailed!! Interesting about the questioning of the mother. I wonder what led the police to even ask about either of the sons? Did they know there were family issues because of the girlfriend?
I agree about the national interest,no pretty girl involved. I would think this case would be interesting due to the fact that the mother is so supportive and even goes to court with the kid!! Totally eerie in my opinion.

 

[jojostar]

This is the first i heard of this case but what is really strange is, back in the 80s in North Carolina the same exact thing happened. The guys name was Chris Pritchard. He was a student at NC State. His mom hired and paid for his defense attorney after he almost killed her and killed the stepfather . Really hard to understand!!!

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

This is the first i heard of this case but what is really strange is, back in the 80s in North Carolina the same exact thing happened. The guys name was Chris Pritchard. He was a student at NC State. His mom hired and paid for his defense attorney after he almost killed her and killed the stepfather . Really hard to understand!!!

I remember this one. I believe it was Joe McGinnis that wrote a book about it. I couldn't think of the name but I knew that this case sounded familiar. Thanks for refreshing my memory.

 

[desertjade]

I remember this one. I believe it was Joe McGinnis that wrote a book about it. I couldn't think of the name but I knew that this case sounded familiar. Thanks for refreshing my memory.

I read McGinnis' book, "Cruel Doubt". Jerry Bledsoe also wrote about the case .
I think drugs enhance the psychopathic inclinations in some of these kids killing their parents .
In the Porco case-how can his mother NOT know it was him? I believe she knows- but it's like Scott Peterson's mom : no matter what her son did -it's not wrong ; or " not my son, he didn't do it ".This reminds me of something a nun once told our class in the 1950's . I don't know if this actually happened ..but supposedly , a man was in a courtroom after having just been sentenced to death .Testimony, pointed to a life of total permisive behavior ; and as a boy he was never disciplined or told right from wrong .When the judge asked if he had anything he wanted to say-he wanted a word with his mother. As he bent over to whisper in her ear-he bit off her ear. Did anyone ever hear of anything like this ? Some nuns were a little sadistic back then , so I don't know if she made this up..:sick: