Casefile True Crime - Case 187: Peter & Joan Porco

Episode Date: September 4, 2021

In the early hours of Monday, November 15 2004, husband and wife Peter and Joan Porco were savagely attacked with an axe while they slept... --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-187-peter-joan-porco

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. It was still dark on the morning of Monday, November 15, 2004, when the alarm clock rang next to Peter Porco's bedside. The 52-year-old stirred, before leaning over to silence the alarm so it wouldn't wake his wife, Joan, who was sleeping beside him.

The chill greeted Peter as he lifted himself out of bed, so he pulled on a sweater before heading down the hallway to the main bathroom. Peter stood at the vanity and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes lowered to the sink in front of him, where he noticed several drops of blood. He collected a handful of tissues and attempted to clean the mess. The blood smeared across the porcelain, but didn't wipe away completely. Peter gave up and left the tissues in the sink. He then went downstairs to the kitchen to prepare for work.

Peter thumbed through some mail, unloaded the dishwasher, and took some food out of the fridge to make his lunch. As he went about his morning routine, Peter kept noticing drops of blood everywhere he went. Some he attempted to wipe up with tissues, others he left altogether. Peter then headed outside to collect the daily newspaper that had been delivered to his front porch. As he stepped out to grab it, the front door shut behind him and locked him out.

This wasn't a problem, as there was a spare key underneath a flower pot by the door. As Peter retrieved the key and used it to re-enter the house, large droplets of blood dotted the porch steps. He left the key in the lock and let the door close behind him, though it remained slightly ajar. Peter took a few steps back towards the kitchen, but was unable to stand upright any longer. He collapsed forward, landing at the foot of the staircase. Peter and Joan Porco lived a simple and happy life in Delmar, a suburb approximately 150

miles north of New York City. They took great pride in their cream and olive weatherboard home, which Joan kept spotless and organized. The Porcos treated their jobs with equal care and respect. Both were aged in their 50s and had worked in their respective fields for decades, Joan as a speech pathologist for a local elementary school, and Peter as a law clerk at the New York Supreme Court. Peter, who was known as Gentle Peter around the courthouse, had never missed a shift

without informing his colleagues. So on November 15, 2004, when he failed to show up for work without explanation, concerns grew. Calls were placed to the Porcos' family home, but there was no answer. Peter's workmate, Michael, headed to the residence to make sure everything was alright. Michael drove down the quiet and leafy broccoli drive and pulled up in front of the Porcos' two-story house. From the street, everything appeared to be in order.

Michael pulled out his cell phone and dialed the Porcos' home number twice, but nothing stirred within the house. Michael then called his boss, who encouraged him to go up and knock on the front door. Michael kept his boss on the line as he headed up the driveway, and immediately realized something was amiss. The front door was slightly ajar and a key had been left in the lock. Worse still, a large smear of blood was visible on the doorknob, and several droplets were splattered around the porch.

Michael could hear the Porcos' pet golden retriever barking from somewhere inside. He asked his boss whether he should go in and was told to enter with caution. Michael carefully peered into the foyer before informing his boss. This is a crime scene, call an ambulance. At the base of the stairs, Peter Porco was lying motionless on the tiled floor, his eyes open and glazed. Blood from a severe head injury had soaked his clothes and was smeared all around him, including along the walls and on some interior doors.

Someone had walked through the blood, leaving red footprints throughout the crime scene. Paramedic Kevin Robert was driving his ambulance in a nearby street when he received a call notifying him of the situation unfolding on Broccoli Drive. He reached the Porco house and was summoned to the first floor by a detective who had arrived minutes earlier. Kevin carefully stepped around Peter Porco's lifeless body, ascended the stairs and entered the main bedroom. Inside, Joan Porco was lying horizontally across a blood-soaked bed.

The walls above her were splattered in blood, as were the bedside tables. Joan's upper arms and hands had lacerations indicative of defensive wounds, but it was her head that had bore the brunt of the attack. One of her eyes was split in half and the side of her jaw was hanging from her face. Joan had been struck three times to her face and head while she was sleeping. The direction of the cast-off indicated only one assailant had carried out the violent assault. Lying at the foot of the bed was an axe covered in blood. The assailant had unleashed the same axe on Peter Porco a total of 16 times.

As this was 13 more hits than his wife, it appeared as though Peter was the intended victim. Judging by the amount of blood trailed throughout the house, it was initially thought that Peter had tried to run from his attacker, who chased him and hit him repeatedly until he collapsed. But the bloody footprints throughout the house only belonged to Peter. He wasn't being pursued by anyone. A medical examiner was able to shed light on the bizarre scenario that took place in

the house that morning. An autopsy showed that Peter had sustained severe damage to part of the brain responsible for higher-order functions such as perception, decision-making and language. However, the part of the brain that controls primal instinct and well-formed habits was undamaged. What actually happened was that like his wife, Peter was set upon while in bed. The killer had fled after carrying out the attack, unaware that Peter was still alive. Shortly after, Peter awoke to the sound of his alarm clock.

The part of his brain that would otherwise perceive his injured state was too damaged to function properly. So even when he stared at his caved-in skull in the bathroom mirror and began cleaning up his own dripping blood, Peter was unable to comprehend that he was critically hurt and needed urgent medical attention. However, his brain was still functioning in some capacity, allowing him to carry out his morning routine on instinct alone until he succumbed to blood loss. This was not the first time that Detective Chris Boudish had attended the Porco House.

Almost two years prior, he was called to the address following reports of a burglary. Peter and Joan had been awaiting the detective on their front porch. They were stressed, having just discovered that two laptops had been stolen from their house. The offender had seemingly gained access via the garage window by opening its frame and cutting through its mesh screen in a semi-circular manner. Lack of evidence prevented any arrests for the break-in, but it did prompt Peter and Joan to bolt the window shut and install a home security system.

In a town with a low crime rate, the burglary had stuck in Detective Boudish's mind and when Peter and Joan were found brutally attacked, he suspected a link between the two incidents. In both cases, the mesh screen of a window leading to the garage had been cut in a similar semi-circular manner. But during the murders, the intruder had also cut the home's phone line. They also smashed the LCD screen of the security system in the foyer. Only a single foreign fingerprint was found at the crime scene. It was uncovered on the door leading to the basement, where the couple's dog had been

locked away. Not even the murder weapon contained any foreign DNA or prints. It was clear the killer had been cautious not to leave behind any evidence that could result in them being identified. But to assume this was a burglary gone wrong didn't quite add up. Everything in the house was in its usual place and nothing had been rummaged or rifled through. Joan's purse, complete with credit cards, was lying untouched in the kitchen. Aside from the bloodstains, the house was in pristine condition.

It appeared a far more sinister motive than robbery was at play this time. The intimacy of the crime, from the choice of murder weapon to the victim's wounds being centred around the head, indicated something more personal prompted the attack. Years earlier, Peter had been working as an appellate judge when he received a death threat from a man who was given an unfavourable ruling. Peter took the threat seriously and obtained a handgun for protection. He kept it by his bedside table, but as time passed and no action was taken against him, his worries dissipated.

Eventually, Peter stored the gun away in a closet. Following the murders, the man who had made the death threat was tracked down but cleared from the investigation after providing a solid alibi. Peter also had unlikely ties to the criminal underworld in that his great uncle, Frank Porco, was a known New York mobster. 30 years prior, Frank had arrived at Peter and Joan's wedding dripping in gold jewellery, flaunting large amounts of cash, and had a revolver strapped to his leg. There were rumours that Frank had snitched on his fellow mobsters, leading to the belief

that Peter and Joan could have been targeted in retribution. This theory was bolstered by the fact that the perpetrator had used a fireman's axe, which was symbolic, given that Frank Porco was known within criminal circles as Frankie the Fireman. However, further examination of the axe revealed that it was not a fireman's axe as initially believed, but a regular one taken from the Porco's garage that they had purchased at a local hardware store. Additionally, Frank Porco had children, so it didn't make sense that anyone wishing

to send him a cruel message would target his great nephew instead. Frank also had a history of refusing to cooperate with authorities, casting doubts that he was an informer. The theory that Frank Porco was in some way responsible for the attack on Peter and Joan just didn't add up. Then, a month after the axe attack, an envelope arrived at the headquarters of the Times Union newspaper in Albany, a city north of Delmar. As an employee handled it, a fine white powder poured out from one of the corners.

They immediately notified the police. Inside was a letter from someone claiming responsibility for Peter Porco's death and stating that he was a starting point. It read, Peter was not even a challenge. Once I got inside, I repeatedly hit him in the head and neck with a small axe. I ignored all his pleading screams. If you ever want to find me, you might want to stop going after easy suspects.

Show me some respect I deserve. Catch me if you can. Tests revealed that the white powder was a non-harmful substance. Analysis of the letter failed to uncover any fingerprints or other characteristics that could help identify its author. A police lieutenant told the media he wouldn't classify the letter as a break in the case, rather just another avenue they were investigating. What the lieutenant didn't disclose was that police had quickly ruled the letter out as

a hoax. They were already zeroing in on who they strongly suspected was responsible for the murders. A person who had been identified by Joan Porco herself. Detective Chris Boudish had been the first officer to arrive to the Porco's house following the discovery of the crime scene. He immediately carried out a rudimentary sweep of the downstairs rooms. While he didn't come across any intruders, he found the Porco's pet dog locked in the basement.

Boudish then headed up to the first floor to canvas the rooms there. He arrived at the main bedroom to find the badly beaten body of Joan Porco. Shockingly, Joan's hand weakly raised into the air. Not only was she still alive, but she was still conscious. She motioned for Boudish to enter. He asked if she could hear him. Although Joan was unable to speak due to her injuries, she was able to communicate by nodding and shaking her head.

Fearing Joan would pass away before paramedics arrived, Detective Boudish began asking her questions in a desperate bid to gather key evidence. He asked if a family member had done this to her. Joan nodded. He asked if it was Jonathan. Joan motioned with her hand. No. Detective Boudish then asked if her other younger son, Christopher, was responsible.

Joan nodded. Boudish repeated the question. Again, Joan signalled yes. At 2.45 that afternoon, a reporter for the Times Union newspaper placed a call to the University of Rochester in West New York State. 21-year-old Christopher Porco was enrolled to study biomedical engineering and economics there. When he answered the call, the reporter asked Chris if he had any comment to give in relation

to his parents being killed. It was the first Chris had been informed of the attack. He asked the reporter what she was talking about. She said she couldn't tell him anything and would call him back. Chris dropped the phone in shock. He sat around in his dorm room waiting to hear back, but the phone didn't ring. After composing himself, he phoned 911 for an explanation. While the operator tried to ascertain what had happened, Chris received a text from his

girlfriend. News had spread that his parents' house had been cordoned off with police tape and officials were swarming the area. Chris was completely unaware that police had issued an alert to be on the lookout for him, with the report urging officers to use caution as Chris might be armed. An uncle picked Chris up from campus and drove him to Delmar. The near four hour journey was a solemn one. Chris, dazed and visibly shaken, stared out the passenger window, barely speaking a word.

Paramedics fought hard to save Joan Porco, but had trouble placing an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose as they couldn't make out her facial features. Her blood pressure was almost non-existent and brain matter was visible through the wounds in her skull. She was rushed to hospital to undergo emergency surgery, but the situation was dire. Chris Porco arrived at the hospital while his mother was undergoing treatment. He was immediately swarmed and hugged by friends and relatives who had gathered in the waiting room awaiting news of Joan's state.

At one stage, a family friend broke the news to Chris that he was a suspect in the attack. Shocked, Chris asked how anyone could think he would hurt his parents. Peter and Joan Porco were a loving couple who made sure that their children never went without. By 2004, the Porcos were empty nesters, though remained close to both their sons, Jonathan and Christopher. Christopher had inherited his father's looks and magnetic sociable personality. Described as a popular and charming person who was always smiling, Chris was also intelligent,

scoring in the top 95% nationally following his high school graduation. A member of the local church youth group, his university swim team and a former vet technician, Chris was a hard worker with many interests. To friends, Chris had no discernible reason to murder his parents. He spoke positively of his affluent childhood and took his friends on driving tours of his old neighborhood to point out the mansion he'd grown up in. In fact, Chris was so well off that he'd let it slip that he had $2.8 million in a trust account held in the Cayman Islands.

He'd also purchased an impressive home in North Carolina. He happily shared his wealth, sharing his friends with gifts and shouting them drinks from a stockpile of cash he always kept on him. However, it hadn't always been smooth sailing for Chris Porco. In 2002, a prolonged bout of glandular fever caused him a temporary setback, but with the unwavering support and help of his parents, he was able to recover and return to his studies. Joan would make the seven-hour round trip to Rochester whenever she could to look after Chris during his recovery.

It was clear to all those who knew Peter and Joan Porco that they loved their children. When Chris saw the swollen and maimed state his mother was in following the axe attack, he burst into tears and fell to the floor. As Joan was taken into surgery, Chris was met by a detective and agreed to go to the police station for questioning. Throughout the interrogation, Chris was polite and cooperative. Although he returned to Del Mar periodically to visit his parents, he hadn't stayed with them for three weeks.

He denied involvement in the brutal attack and provided an alibi for the night in question. At 9.30pm, Chris went out to dinner with a friend in Rochester before returning to the on-campus dormitory where he lived. He exchanged online messages with his girlfriend, then settled into the dorm's common room to watch a movie. It went on into the early hours, during which Chris fell asleep on the sofa. He was still sleeping there when another student entered at 10am the following morning. Chris had nothing to hide.

He let police take his fingerprints and blood for testing. When asked to lift his shirt so they could check for superficial injuries that might indicate his involvement in the attack, Chris was happy to do so. He also supplied the clothing he was wearing so it could undergo analysis. His car was also seized. Yet, neither his vehicle nor his clothes contained blood or hair from either one of his parents, as would be expected from such a violent crime. Despite his cooperation, Chris sensed the police were convinced he was guilty.

Peter and Jones' eldest son, 23-year-old Jonathan, was away on assignment with the US Navy at the time, so as far as police were concerned, there weren't any other viable suspects. For Chris, his interrogators seemed to be getting angrier and angrier as the hours passed. They accused him over and over, to the point that he became afraid of them. He continued to help investigators, but was rattled by their unwavering suspicion. He agreed to participate in a polygraph test, but refused to do so without an attorney present. This request, along with his right to legal counsel during his interrogation, was denied.

Chris wasn't even read his full Miranda rights. Instead, he was forced to sign a copy that he didn't have time to read. After six hours, Chris was finally permitted to leave the police station. He returned to the hospital to check on his mother. Against all odds, Joan Porco survived her 12-hour surgery and was placed into a medically induced coma, though doctors didn't expect her to recover. A priest read Joan her last rights in anticipation of her death. Three weeks later, Joan Porco miraculously awoke.

She had lost her left eye, part of her skull had been removed, and her face was permanently scarred. Damage to her throat left her with a quiet, whispering voice, but she had survived. The problem was, Joan had no memory of the attack. She remembered what she'd done in the days leading up, such as visiting the YMCA, working in the yard, and going to church, but recalled nothing of November 15. Most crucially, she couldn't recall identifying her youngest son as her attacker and denied ever doing so.

She knew in her heart that Chris was innocent. Joan did remember a strange incident that occurred two weeks prior. One night, the motion sensor lights outside the Porco's home went off. Joan went to investigate and noticed a shadowy figure loitering in the driveway. The police, including Detective Boudish, were informed of the incident, but didn't investigate the matter. Joan's instincts told her that there was more to this encounter than the police believed, yet they continued to try and convince her of Chris's guilt.

Joan remained steadfast. Chris was not responsible. She wrote a letter to the editor of The Times Union newspaper, which read, Thanks to wonderful doctors, numerous medical treatments, and surgeries, I have survived. I continue to improve, and even though I have suffered a grievous injury, both physical and emotional, I thank God for my life. Unfortunately, the horror and unbearable sadness I continue to feel as a result of the loss of Peter has been dramatically intensified by the trauma that our cherished son, Chris,

has been forced to endure. I want to say unequivocally that, although I have no memory whatsoever of the attack, either because I was asleep or because of my injuries, I am absolutely positive that my son was in no way involved in this heinous crime. He is an intelligent, compassionate, peaceful and loving person, and no one could ask for a better son. He, Peter, our older son Jonathan, and I, have always had a wonderful relationship, and Chris would never hurt any one of us.

I implore the police and the district attorney's office to leave my son alone, and to search for Peter's real killer or killers, so that he can rest in peace, and my sons and I can live in safety. Hi. My name is Chris Borgo. I was just called by the time the union was saying that my parents were found dead. I was wondering if you had any information. I'm at school in Rochester, New York.

Okay. Okay. Do you have a phone number there, Chris? Yeah. Sure do. Okay. Are you in? No.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

No. No. No. No. No, I don't understand Lee. parents are dead. She had been messaging Chris on and off throughout the day, aware that a situation was unraveling at his parents' place in Delmar.

He had messaged her earlier, telling her that he wasn't feeling well, and that, quote, he hadn't heard from his parents all morning, and that he was nervous. Chris didn't message his girlfriend again after revealing that his parents were deceased. His uncle John picked him up from campus and drove him straight to Delmar. As they neared their destination, John received a call from a family friend. He had something important to say, but it was imperative that he keep it from Chris. Chris was a suspect in his parents' attack. Chris cooperated with investigators, saying that he wanted to be as helpful as he could

so they could find the killer as quickly as possible. When asked if he committed the brutal assault, Chris replied, You know, I can't say enough, absolutely no. I would never do anything like that to anyone, let alone my parents, who I love dearly. Following Joan Porco's life-saving surgery, Chris stood vigil by her side. A youth minister comforted him and was struck by Chris's odd behavior. He didn't sense any grief from the young man. Just over 200 miles west, detectives were following up Chris's alibi at his dormitory

in Rochester. Chris maintained he was asleep on the common room sofa on the night of the attack. While another student recalled seeing him asleep on the sofa at 10am, no one could vouch for him being there overnight. Several other students claimed they had been in the common room until 3.30am and at no time was Chris present. It was only a small square room with a few couches and a television, so he would be impossible to miss.

One student assured, It's not like maybe he was there and we overlooked him. He wasn't there. It was approaching 11am on the night of November 14, 2004, marking the end of a long shift for toll collector John Fallon. John stood alone in a booth at the exit 46 tolls in the suburb of Henrietta, just off the New York State Thruway. Craving a cigarette, John discreetly lit one up while keeping an eye out in case his boss suddenly approached.

At 10.46pm, a bright yellow Jeep Wrangler caught John's attention. He'd been on the lookout for a new car for his son and had always loved Jeets. This one was a particularly nice model and John noted its wide tyres and black canvas top. It drove through John's toll lane and pulled up to the booth where he was waiting. The driver was a white man aged in his 20s wearing a baseball cap. He was travelling alone. Although cashless tolling was available to vehicles that had an electronic easy pass

tag installed, this driver didn't appear to have one. Instead, he opted to pay for the toll with cash. John handed him a ticket, which gave the Jeep access to the New York State Thruway, a system of controlled access highways spanning over 550 miles across the state. He then let the Jeep continue onwards before stubbing out his cigarette and finishing his shift. Just over three hours later, toll collector Karen Russell was preparing to go on her break. Her booth was located 230 miles west of Henrietta at exit 24 of Interstate 87 just outside the

suburb of Delmar. Karen was working the 10pm to 6am shift when at 1.51am she noticed a car speeding down her lane. It came to an abrupt stop at her booth. Karen eyed the driver that was a young man with brown hair. She collected a toll ticket from him and sent him on his way. He hit the accelerator and sped off into the darkness. Although Karen ticketed 24 more vehicles before she finally went on her break, she never forgot

this one. Given that the car was travelling so fast and dangerously, Karen remembered the yellow Jeep Wrangler vividly. Rockley Drive in Delmar was predictably dark and quiet at 4am on November 15, 2004 when local resident Marshall got in his car to head off for work. For a moment, his headlights swept over his neighbour's property. They illuminated a yellow Jeep Wrangler parked in the driveway. Marshall had seen the vehicle before speeding up and down the street with music glaring.

Although it had caught Marshall's attention as it sat stationary in front of the home belonging to Peter and Joan Porco, it wasn't an unusual sighting. He knew who owned the car. As such, he thought nothing of it and continued onwards. The sighting of the yellow Jeep in the Porco's driveway at the time of the attack was a crucial one for detectives. They were able to trace its movements through the toll booths which had been captured on CCTV footage.

While the footage wasn't clear enough for the Jeep's number plates to be visible, a video analyst was able to enhance the footage enough to notice some clues. On the passenger side door, a torn barcode sticker on the passenger side window, and an oval sticker on the spare tyre cover. There was little doubt at this stage who the car belonged to, but these small details confirmed it. The day after his parents were attacked, Chris Porco's yellow Jeep Wrangler was seized for forensic examination.

Photographs of the Jeep were compared to the vehicle caught traveling from Henrietta to Delmar the night of the attack. They were a match. Marshall, who had sighted the Jeep in the Porco's driveway, also identified it as Chris Porco's car. Henrietta was a suburb of the city of Rochester where Chris studied. In a fortunate break for detectives, new security cameras had been installed throughout the exterior of the campus, including the car parks.

They examined 880 hours of footage during which Chris's yellow Jeep Wrangler was filmed leaving the campus at 10.30pm on November 14, hours before the attack. This timing aligned with the 15 minutes it took the vehicle to travel to the Exit 46 toll booth where the Jeep was captured on camera and witnessed by toll collector John Fallon. It then drove near 3 hours east towards Delmar before Karen Russell at Exit 24 centred onwards from her toll booth. At 8.30am, Chris's Jeep was filmed pulling in to the University of Rochester car park. Shortly thereafter, Chris was sighted by another student wearing a baseball cap and slowly

jogging towards his dormitory. At 10am, a fellow resident saw him sleeping on the common room so far. An electronic easy pass tag was found on the floor of Chris's Jeep. This would have enabled him to drive through the toll booths without having to stop and pay cash. It was suspected he had removed it from its usual position on the windshield and opted for the manual ticketed toll system to avoid being digitally tracked. In another lucky break for investigators, the toll tickets collected on the night of

the attack hadn't yet been destroyed. John contained mitochondrial DNA that undisputedly linked it to Chris. While the Porco's home security system had been smashed, its records revealed it had first been disarmed using the master code. Chris was one of only six people who knew the code. Police suspected that he smashed the system's screen to fool them into thinking that the intruder had disarmed the device this way. They also suspected he had worn a pair of scrubs obtained from his time working in the veterinary

clinic to avoid soiling his clothes with his parents' blood. His extensive work in cleaning up after veterinary procedures would have given him ample skills to clean up a bloody crime scene and any staining in his car. In a final blow to Chris's professions of innocence, the fingerprint on the basement door was matched to his own. Despite Joan Porco refuting that she had implicated her son in the immediate aftermath of her attack, Detective Boudish remained firm that Chris Porco was responsible. He recalled the time he visited the Porco residence years prior to investigate the matter

of the two stolen laptops. Although the house had all the hallmarks of a burglary, Boudish was certain the crime scene was staged. His suspicions only increased after the axe attack. Similar to the laptop robbery, a mesh window screen had been slashed in the garage, indicating the intruder's entry point. However, the garage window had since been bolted shut and was also covered in cobwebs. It was clear no one had come through there and that the mesh had been cut from the inside.

Shortly before his parents were attacked, Chris Porco attempted to sell a laptop he stole from a friend. Furthermore, just prior to the attack on Peter and Joan, the veterinary clinic Chris previously worked for reported some electronic devices and a cell phone had been stolen. The intruder had staged the scene at the veterinary clinic to look like a break-in by shattering a window. They had disarmed the alarm and reactivated it after stealing the goods. The clinic's cell phone was later found in the Porco family safe.

This was the beginning of an elaborate web of lies surrounding Chris Porco. His family were never wealthy like he boasted to friends and he didn't have over $2 million in an offshore bank account. According to the CBS 48 Hours documentary Memory of Murder, every time Chris's friends asked to see the mansion he claimed to have purchased in North Carolina, he came up with an excuse as to why he couldn't take them. When he took them on tours to view his lavish childhood homestead, they suspected he was pointing out a random house he'd never lived in.

They found Chris's stories exaggerated and hard to believe, but he did always seem to have cash on him and was, quote, such a lovely guy that they gave him the benefit of the doubt. These lies seemed relatively harmless and only served as a means for Chris to grandstand his otherwise ordinary life. However, there was one lie that hinted at a deeper problem Chris had with confronting the reality of his life decisions. According to his friends, rather than having a bout of glandular fever that set back his

studies, Chris often skipped classes due to partying and excessive drinking. After being asked to leave the University of Rochester due to poor performance, Chris enrolled in community college, but once again failed to attend. Not wanting his parents to find out, he lied to them, telling them he passed and had been accepted back into the University of Rochester. In reality, Chris forged a fake transcript, giving himself three A's and a B to get back into university. When he returned, Chris told his parents that he'd never failed any subjects in the first

place, but had mistakenly been asked to leave after a professor lost an exam he had taken. Chris told Peter and Joan that to make up for the mistake, the University offered to pay the tuition fees for a full semester. This was a complete lie. On October 7, 2004, six weeks before the attack, Chris asked his father for help to secure a $2,000 loan to pay for some school expenses. Peter agreed and sent personal information to Chris so he could become a co-signatory. Instead, Chris used this information to secure a $31,000 loan and forged his father's signature

on the application. Peter discovered this when a letter arrived at his house informing him that the loan had been approved. Peter rang the bank and cancelled the loan. He then rang the University of Rochester Finance Department, who assured Peter that the University was not paying for Chris's semester of tuition. As a result, Peter paid for the tuition himself. A few weeks later, Chris showed up to visit his parents in a brand new yellow Jeep Wrangler.

He told them it had been gifted to him in exchange for some used computers. In reality, Chris had forged his father's signature to obtain a loan for the amount of $16,450 to purchase the Jeep. In good faith, Peter agreed to remain co-signatory on the loan, allowing Chris to keep the car. However, Chris soon fell behind in the loan repayments. Ten days before the attack, Peter emailed Chris explaining that he needed to pay for the outstanding repayments to avoid their credit ratings being adversely affected. The email ended.

Mum's been trying to email you but you have not answered. You have a lot of explaining to do. It's time to stop the bullshit and call me right away. Shortly after, Peter sent another email explaining that he'd reluctantly paid the loan repayments for Chris. He wrote, I want you to know that if you abuse my credit again, I will be forced to file forgery after David's in order to disclaim liability.

One week before the attack, Chris still hadn't contacted his parents. Joan sent him an email that read, Dad and I are very upset about your not communicating with us. We don't know if you are well or mentally stable. Dad is about to have a nervous breakdown. Do you understand that you are not behaving responsibly? For God's sakes, call. Detectives worked on the theory that these ongoing financial issues were what motivated

Chris to launch the brutal attack on his parents. On the morning of the crime, his bank accounts were overdrawn by $117, but just weeks prior, he had visited a financial advisor and said he was about to receive millions of dollars from a relative. He requested that a portfolio be drawn up. Detectives believed Chris didn't want to give up the lavish lifestyle he had falsely created for himself and would go to great lengths to maintain it, killing his parents for their life insurance policies.

On November 4, 2005, almost a year after Peter and Joan Porco were attacked, Chris Porco was formally arrested for the crime. A grand jury indicted him for the second degree murder of his father and attempted murder of his mother. He appeared calm and collected as he was led from the courtroom in handcuffs and taken into custody to await a bail hearing set for two weeks time. The upcoming trial presented an unusual problem for the prosecution. Joan Porco was aware of the mountain of evidence that implicated Chris.

Regardless, she was unwaveringly convinced of his innocence. She thought a financial motive was ludicrous and was unwilling to help the prosecution at all. District Attorney David Soares told reporters, Ultimately, the issue here is in order to get justice for Joan Porco. We have to find her son guilty. This was regardless of whether it came with Joan's blessing. Joan fully supported her son to be released on bail pending trial.

In a letter to the judge, she wrote, Even though I am still in the process of recovering from the attack, I have had many occasions to be with Chris. During all of those times, he has been the same loving person that Peter and I raised and continues to treat me with the same respect that he showed before the attack. I have no fear being in his presence. And friends managed to collect $250,000 cash to meet Chris's bail requirements. He walked from the courthouse, fushing a smile at reporters who asked how he was doing.

He replied, I feel pretty good actually, and I just want you to know, I'm innocent. Chris spent the following weekend at a hotel with his mother who was delighted to see him. While awaiting trial, he spent his time going to clubs in downtown Albany, where he had become somewhat of a celebrity due to the extensive local reporting on the case. Girls asked to have their photo taken with him, eager to show friends they had met the man accused of murder. On June 27, 2006, Chris Porco arrived at the Orange County Courthouse accompanied by his mother.

The venue had been changed from Albany after his attorneys successfully argued he wouldn't get a fair trial in his home county due to the extensive media interest in the case. Chris held an umbrella out for Joan as they walked into the courthouse arm in arm. Joan looked thin and frail next to her tall and strapping son. She wore large, dark sunglasses that hid the glass eye and some of the scarring to her face she had received from the attack. Despite her efforts to remain relatively inconspicuous, Joan was a major focus in her son's trial. The defense argued that she couldn't have identified Chris as her attacker as it was

too dark in the bedroom when the assault took place. They also argued that Joan's cognitive abilities should have been assessed before Detective Boudish questioned her in the bedroom to make sure she understood what was being asked. Even though Joan denied implicating her son, multiple paramedics were present in the bedroom when Boudish questioned her. They all verified his version of events. Joan had agreed Chris was her assailant. The defense also highlighted Joan's story of having seen a stranger in her driveway two

weeks before the attack. They were critical of the police for not investigating this incident at the time, suggesting Detective Boudish in particular was sloppy in his work. The prosecution called the defense's claim of shoddy police work preposterous, revealing that over 200 neighbors in the vicinity of the Porco House were interviewed after the crime. But the police were not entirely without fault. The trial judge established that the interview conducted with Chris on the day of the attack

was inadmissible, due to the errors made in not reading Chris his Miranda rights. Silence filled the courtroom as Peter and Joan's eldest son Jonathan Porco took the stand, avoiding eye contact with his brother. While he initially stood by Chris, Joan admitted that he and Chris had a strange relationship. He didn't elaborate any further. John also revealed that they were both aware they stood to inherit over $1 million in life insurance and benefits in the event of their parents' death. When photos of the critically injured Joan were flashed on a courtroom screen, Chris

Porco removed his glasses to wipe away tears. The photos were so graphic that the judge ordered them to be shown in black and white rather than color. During breaks Joan often went over to embrace Chris and the two were seen smiling together. After 85 witnesses and 450 pieces of evidence were presented, the defense team contended that the prosecution hadn't proved its case due to a circumstantial timeline of events and a lack of forensic evidence. They cited that no blood or DNA was found in the house to link Chris to the crimes.

The one thing placing Chris in the house, his fingerprint on the basement door, could be easily explained by his multiple visits to the home prior to the crime. On August 10, the jury left the courtroom to decide Chris Porco's fate. While they were deliberating, reporters asked Chris what he would tell the jury members if he had the chance. Chris urged them not to jump to conclusions, saying, Once you look at the whole picture, I think it's pretty clear that things just don't add up.

Joan was expected to be a long and drawn out process, but six hours in, the jury shocked everyone by returning to the courtroom with a verdict. Anticipating a lengthy deliberation, Joan Porco had retired to rest in her nearby hotel room and wasn't present when the verdict was announced. For the second degree murder of his father Peter and the attempted murder of his mother Joan, Chris Porco was found guilty. He remained calm as the verdict was read, but his nonchalant attitude was betrayed by his face, which turned bright red.

Despite winning a conviction, the chief assistant district attorney said there was no cause for celebration as, quote, the whole thing is a tragedy. Peter's sister Patty expressed the sense of relief, telling the media that their next challenge would be to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild as a family. Two months later, Chris appeared at the Albany County Courthouse for sentencing. While Joan asked for leniency towards her son, Patty read a victim impact statement that said, This act was the coldest, most barbaric act any human being can commit against another.

I am so angry that my future with my brother has been taken away, and especially that after giving years of his life for others, he did not get to live out his own dreams and potential. A letter from Peter's mother was also read out to the courtroom. In it, she said, I do not fully understand what happened to my grandson, and I hope and I pray that he can be cured. But unless that happens, he must not be allowed to kill again. Chris blamed the police for taking a minor dispute with his father out of context and

using it to incriminate him in his murder. He said, I was never able to say goodbye to my dad before he was taken from us. The idea that he was disappointed in me before he died will always haunt me. The judge turned to Chris to deliver his sentence, It is without a doubt your mother has no memory of the events which occurred in the early morning hours of November 2004. It's very understandable that she is upset with the system.

It is very understandable to me that she feels the police didn't do enough. That's because it would be the most difficult thing in the world for a parent to believe that their child, who she gave birth to and raised and took care of, would be capable of being the perpetrator of these violent heinous acts. In sentencing you today, I've got to explain to you and make you understand that the sentence that's being imposed upon you is because I fear very much that what happened is something that could happen again. Despite Jones' plea that Chris be freed within her lifetime, he was given the maximum sentence

of 50 years to life imprisonment. Chris went on to appeal his conviction twice, but was rejected both times on grounds of there being overwhelming evidence to support his conviction. He then appealed to the US Supreme Court, but in April 2012, it was announced the court wouldn't be hearing his case, putting an end to Chris' appeals process. In 2013, Chris attempted to sue the Lifetime Entertainment Network after they made a TV movie about the case titled Romeo Killer, the Chris Porco story. Chris tried to put a halt to the advertising and airing of the movie, claiming that the

film wrongfully used his name, likeness, and personality. While temporarily successful, the lawsuit was eventually tossed, and the film was marketed as, the movie Chris Porco doesn't want you to see. It aired in March 2013, to lukewarm reviews. Chris Porco still professes his innocence and has shown no remorse for the way he treated his parents. From his prison cell, he told 48 Hours, It's a tragedy, not really just for me, but, you know, for my family.

My mother's now gonna have to live alone, and that's very hard for me to stomach sitting in here. With good behaviour, Chris Porco will become eligible for parole in December 2052. Throughout the murder trial, messages of love for Peter Porco were shared by family, friends, and colleagues. When Joan testified, she told the court how hard her husband had worked as an attorney. He'd given up his high-profile career when his children were young, taking a job as a law clerk so he could spend more time with his family.

Although it came with a pay cut, Joan was pleased with the change as it brought a sense of closeness to the Porco household. Joan and Peter had celebrated their 30-year wedding anniversary just five months before the attack, during which Joan said her family had been as close as ever. It was a statement echoed by Jonathan Porco, who said, Dad was a hard-working, great guy. He loved the law. I think he was an excellent father.

In the crime scene at the Porco's home was first examined, an investigator came across a cashier's check Peter had signed for overdue parking fees accumulated by Chris. A smear of blood in one of the corners indicated that even after being viciously assaulted by Chris, Peter was still trying to help his son get out of trouble. Despite having been lied to time and time again and threatened with financial ruin, one of the last emails Peter sent to Chris was a testament to the type of father he truly was. It read, Things are obviously spinning out of control with you.

I think you should come home so we can talk. We may be disappointed in you, but your mother and I still love you, and care about your future.