Casefile True Crime - Case 189: JoAnne Chambers

Episode Date: September 18, 2021

When JoAnne Chambers was hired to teach at Coolbaugh Learning Centre in Pennsylvania she arrived with glowing reviews from her former school. So when an anonymous harasser began targeting the popular school teacher, she was left stunned... --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-189-joanne-chambers

From the biggest stadiums To the coziest holes in the wall From house parties to porch hangs to pride celebrations From your favorite fuss shop to your local Indian spot From noodle bars to sports bars to salsa bars There's a Molson with your name on it Canadian ultra XL

Molson Everyone in Must be legal drinking age Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any time you need support Please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support Please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website The Young students of the cool ball learning center in Pennsylvania were due to arrive any minute

Shortly beforehand a teacher entered the school's main entrance and stumbled across an odd scene Scattered on the ground by the front doors were multiple sealed envelopes addressed to the principal More were found throughout the school grounds haphazardly thrown on the lawn on the concrete paths and in bushes They were unstamped with no return details Each envelope contained a copy of the same type written letter Littered with grammatical errors and profanities. It was scathing of a member of staff and her teaching ability It also alleged that she brought cannabis onto school property quote Then showed it in the faculty room just like it was a big joke

The principal summoned the teacher at the center of the letters allegations Joanne chambers had been employed as a grade one teacher at cool ball elementary for four years She arrived in mid 1989 with glowing reviews from her previous school where she was praised for her professionalism and organizational skills Joanne was stunned by the letter Given its contents focused on her work It appeared as though it had been written by either a member of cool ball staff or someone connected to the school But as far as Joanne was concerned

She was embraced by the school community and had a good rapport with her colleagues Her somewhat unconventional methods of teaching involved dancing and singing making her popular with students and parents alike Other staff members seemingly embraced her playful nature In the warmer months Joanne would stage water balloon fights with the school administrators to the delight of her students Respected and well-regarded Joanne was nothing like the letters author depicted Joanne assumed that the letters had been sent by someone out of jealousy as a nasty prank She hoped the author would come forward so they could resolve the matter But whoever was responsible remained anonymous

No More letters started appearing around the school over the coming weeks and months Shaved into the teacher's mail slots in the faculty room was a letter accusing Joanne of being an alcoholic and drinking in the classroom On March 14 1994 Joanne opened the drawer to her classroom desk to find an empty bottle of whiskey inside While looking for anything else out of the ordinary she noticed the framed portrait of her and her son had been stolen from her desk Up until this point the harassment had been confined to the school grounds However, it wasn't long before Joanne started receiving hang-up phone calls and letters arriving on her doorstep at home The letters were becoming threatening

One read I Can get you in one try no one will ever prove it They may not think so, but I'm smarter than all of you you stupid bitch Another threatened to poison Joanne You really are a clueless bitch. I had four chances to drug your coffee this week or did I drug your coffee? Bitch you make me sick Joanne would not be intimidated by her unknown detractor and continued teaching at the cool ball learning center Exactly one month after finding the whiskey bottle in her desk drawer Joanne stood behind the same desk to begin teaching for the day

She was wearing a long dress and as she sat down in her chair Joanne smoothed the fabric out from under her thighs She then felt something unpleasant Feces had been smeared all over her seat Joanne complained to the cool boy township police department and chief Anthony flugel was assigned to the case Joanne relayed the past incidents including the one involving the photograph taken from her school desk A letter had also been sent to the school administrators parents and even taped to a local store door It depicted a pornographic image of three naked women in a bathtub Joanne's face had been cut from the photo on her desk and superimposed onto the face of one of the women

Written alongside it using a stencil were the words It's not over You die Chief flugel agreed that Joanne was likely being targeted by someone in the school system A hidden camera was placed in her classroom to try and catch the culprit red-handed The threatening letters were sent to an FBI lab in Virginia who were able to extract partial prints from some of the envelopes But not enough to make a match Joanne's fellow teachers were called to a meeting where it was explained that police were investigating the attacks against her

If the perpetrator was among them, it was hoped this information would scare them into stopping Chief Anthony flugel examined the footage taken from the hidden camera in Joanne's classroom At 8.18 one morning before the commencement of class the camera captured something peculiar Joanne could be seen talking to a fellow teacher After collecting a few items the pair left the classroom A few moments later the other teacher returned to the empty room She took something from Joanne's desk and walked out of the room with it It was fellow first grade teacher Paula Norocchi and she had taken Joanne's coffee cup

Described by colleagues as diplomatic, honest and peaceful Paula Norocchi had been a teacher in the Monroe County School District for 20 years Unlike Joanne who was outgoing and searched for fun and creative ways to teach her class Paula was quiet, favoured traditional teaching methods and followed procedures by the book The pair differed not only in personality but in appearance Joanne was tore with green eyes and blonde hair that she wore in loose locks to her shoulders While Paula was of a slight build with hazel eyes and short brown hair she styled into a perm Caring and professional Paula Norocchi was popular with parents and students

Like Joanne she received positive feedback from her superiors However other staff had commented that they thought Paula was jealous of Joanne's reputation as the fun teacher As reported in the newspaper The Times Tribune another incident also aroused suspicion amongst the teaching staff In one of the threatening letters sent to Joanne a reference was made regarding the school superintendent and his similarity to German commander Colonel Klink in the television series Hogan's Heroes An employee recalled a conversation with Paula Norocchi in which she made this exact comparison Paula denied any involvement in the attacks against Joanne Chambers With no evidence connecting her to the crimes she was allowed to continue teaching

However Paula was snubbed by fellow teachers who were convinced of her guilt and sent to work in a different building Joanne was transferred to another school for her own safety while the investigation was ongoing On May 6, 1994 Joanne and Paula were subjected to polygraph tests The purpose in testing Joanne was to rule out that she was embellishing any of the vile acts she had been subjected to Joanne's answers indicated that she was being truthful During Paula's polygraph test she was asked Were you involved with making or sending any of the threatening letters? Paula, who voluntarily submitted to the polygraph in the hopes it would clear her name, answered, No

The polygraph examiner concluded she was being deceitful Paula maintained her innocence. She told Chief Anthony Flugel I don't think I am doing it. If I am, I don't know it He informed Paula that she was a strong suspect and it would be in her best interests to come forward and stop the harassment Paula replied, You'll never prove it was me Even though Chief Flugel suspected Paula from the outset, a lack of proof left her free to leave A search of Paula's home was undertaken and a typewriter and various stationery supplies such as paper and envelopes were taken into evidence On May 27, 1994 Joanne was leaving work after a long day

As she went to open the driver's side door to her car, she recoiled Something sharp had cut her finger She discovered a razor blade affixed to the underside of the handle A few days later, Joanne received a letter that read, You're Sliced One day, a package was found at the front door of Joanne's new school It was a small box wrapped in pink paper Inside, was a Barbie doll It was wearing a blue dress similar to one Joanne often wore

The Barbie's blonde hair had been cut to shoulder length and style Into loose locks In the doll's neck was a razor blade Red paint surrounded the blade and dripped down the doll's chest A few months passed with no new threats In November 1994, Joanne was travelling along Interstate 380 It was daytime and a route that she travelled often As she drove, Joanne gazed up to her rear view mirror

A car behind her was gaining speed It pulled up alongside her and swerved suddenly, running Joanne off the road Almost like it was occurring in some places Joanne was able to brake and pull over to safety While simultaneously getting a glimpse of the driver who had risked both their lives staging the dangerous manoeuvre It was Paula Norrocke Joanne later described the incident in the series Medical Detectives Paula's looking right at her

I will never forget that look By January 1995, the Monroe County District Attorney's Office had enough evidence to arrest Paula Norrocke She was taken from her first grade class by police and charged with recklessly endangering the life of Joanne Chambers by trying to run her off the road She also faced 78 counts of stalking, 24 counts of making terroristic threats and 2 counts of assault Still maintaining her innocence, Paula was released on bail She and her husband hired a private detective, James Anderson to investigate the charges against her

Although skeptical of her innocence, James agreed to take on the case Given that the letters sent to Joanne and the Cool Ball Learning Center formed a large part of the prosecution's case Paula suggested that the evidence be sent for DNA testing James warned her about proceeding, explaining that this could have an adverse effect on her case if her DNA was found on any of the letters Paula maintained she had nothing to hide She spent approximately $7,000 of her own money to have the testing done Carefully lifting three stamps off one of the envelopes, a DNA-typing expert was able to extract DNA from saliva on stamps affixed to the envelope It was not a match to Paula Norrocke

Paula was also able to extract DNA from the envelopes She was also able to extract DNA from the envelopes She was also able to extract DNA from the envelopes It was not a match to Paula Norrocke Acting on a hunch, private investigator James Anderson went to Joanne Chambers' home Under the cover of darkness, he rummaged through her garbage bins on the curbside for collection Finding a few tissues and a used ear swab, James took the items and replaced the lid on the bin He arranged for a DNA profile to be extracted from the discarded items

A male sample, presumably Joanne's husband or son, and a female sample were uncovered The female sample was determined to be that of Joanne Chambers It was compared to the DNA profile from the postage stamps It was a complete match Given this development, Paula's defense lawyer argued for the charges to be dropped against his client immediately His request was denied Joanne was nonchalant when confronted about her DNA being found on the stamps She voluntarily submitted to a blood test for further DNA testing to be done

Joanne did not deny it was her DNA and had an explanation as to how it had gotten there She explained that during the course of the investigation, she had been at the police station for questioning She had been left alone with a stack of the threatening letters on the table in front of her Joanne picked up an envelope to examine it Her handling caused the stamps to fall off Joanne admitted she tried to reaffix the stamps herself with saliva But when that failed, she stuck them back on with a glue stick she kept in her handbag The trial against Paula Norrocke began on January 15, 1996

After an early preliminary hearing determined there was enough evidence for her to stand trial Court proceedings had to be postponed several times due to blizzards and flood warnings On his way into court, Paula's defense lawyer joked to local police that she had been found Paula's defense lawyer joked to local newspaper The Morning Call We've encountered blizzards and floods and I hope that pestilence and locusts aren't far behind Court Room No. 4 was packed with journalists as well as members of the general public who were intrigued by the unusual case If found guilty, Paula Norrocke faced a maximum of five years jail time and a $10,000 fine for each count She listened attentively to testimony from those who examined the DNA evidence on the letters and envelopes

Another DNA sample was extracted from adhesive used to seal an envelope The sample wasn't strong enough to obtain a full profile as had been done with the postage stamps However, it was complete enough to rule out Paula Norrocke as the source Joanne Chambers could not be excluded Speaking calmly and concisely, Paula Norrocke testified that she believed Joanne was harassing herself in an attempt to frame her and to gain attention Paula had an explanation for retrieving the coffee cup from Joanne's desk She stated that Joanne had asked her to get it for her It was determined that Paula had been subjected to a different, more rigorous polygraph test than Joanne

Furthermore, her comment to Chief Anthony Flugel, you'll never prove it was me, had been taken entirely out of context then used against her The jury heard testimony from former employees who described Paula's exemplary behaviour and teaching ability Analysis of the stationary and typewriter found in Paula's home did not match the letters received by Joanne Joanne's typewriter was never examined A chemist discredited Joanne's allegation that she affixed the stamps back to the envelope with a glue stick as the adhesive would turn a bluish colour under UV light When he examined the stamps, this was not apparent Next, Joanne Chambers took the stand

Her demeanour, her behaviour, and her behaviour were not clear Mina, as she answered questions from the defence, did little to help her cause The morning call reported her testimony as uneven, with replies that ranged from subdued to testy to sarcastic She also rolled her eyes, and courtroom observers noticed that she seemed edgy Mid-trial, the principal of Joanne's former school provoked an audible gasp from the courtroom as he recounted an event from Joanne's earlier career In the early 80s, Joanne had approached him asking to go home early because she had sat in feces Private investigator James Anderson, hired by Paula Norrocke, had found witnesses who'd worked with Joanne Chambers at this point in her career One witness, Jane Padoe, told the court that she and the six other teachers at the school were summoned to the library for a meeting

They were told that Joanne had received harassing phone calls and threats that her house would be burned down Jane said of Joanne She carried tales that weren't true to the superintendent, and she tried to get us in trouble Jane added that she wanted to stay as far away from Joanne Chambers as possible Witness Lois Render, a former teacher, described Chambers as someone who told tall tales One involved Joanne studying to be a nun She said she'd broken her leg after jumping out a window to escape the nuns who were trying to force her to stay at the convent Also remembering that Joanne tried to get other teachers into trouble, Lois described her school as a harmonious place until Chambers came along

Private investigator James Anderson listed 16 occasions where Joanne complained to authorities about anonymous threats prior to the incidents with Paula Norrocke Paula's defense lawyer suggested that Joanne had placed the evidence herself to frame Paula because she hadn't catered to Joanne as other teachers had done Additionally, there were no witnesses who observed Joanne being run off the road by Paula Norrocke Joanne's testimony was the only thing implicating Paula in this event On January 22, 1996, the six men and six women of the jury retired to deliberate They returned to the courtroom less than two hours later Paula Norrocke was found not guilty of all charges The jurors hugged Paula after the trial

One told her, Our hearts are with you Joanne Chambers slipped from the courtroom quietly, largely ignored by those in attendance Although she was found to not guilty on all charges, Paula Norrocke was still required to attend a school board hearing to determine whether or not she could keep her job Held over a series of nights in early 1997, the hearing was to address charges of immorality, neglect and other school code violations in relation to the case Unlike the criminal trial that required a unanimous verdict, only six of the appointed eight school directors had to find that Paula Norrocke acted immorally and in their election of duty for her to lose her job Mike Eleven, acting as prosecutor on behalf of the school board, opened by saying This case is a most unusual, most tragic case You will hear about 41 profane, threatening, disgusting letters

You will hear about blood, you will hear about feces, you will hear about razor blades, you will hear about a Barbie doll, you will hear about nude photographs Everyone involved in the case agrees that the stalking incidents happened and that the person responsible should be fired The point of the disagreements with this case is, who did it? Who is responsible for these acts? The hearing largely repeated the information presented at the criminal trial On April 2, 1997, Paula Norrocke was acquitted of the charges against her and permitted to keep her teaching job When the verdict was read, the packed auditorium, opened to the public, cheered for Paula Jeering could be heard at the mention of Joanne Chambers' name But, with no evidence proving she was the cause of the harassment, Joanne was also allowed to keep teaching

In November 2000, Paula Norrocke received a $600,000 settlement from the school district She was also awarded a $25,000 settlement from Joanne Chambers, after seeking compensation for out-of-pocket costs and punitive damages in the course of the trial Paula also sought compensation for defamation from lead detective, Chief Anthony Flugel She alleged he maliciously prosecuted her without probable cause Flugel, who was by this time a lieutenant, refused to settle out of court A federal damage trial commenced in December 2000 Flugel testified that he acted under the direction of the Monroe County District Attorney's Office And there was probable cause at the time to arrest Paula Norrocke

Paula's defense argued that the arrest and subsequent trial proceeded despite a mountain of growing evidence implicating Joanne Chambers as her own tormentor In a case described by Paula's defense attorney as the strangest he had ever been involved in, Flugel was acquitted of the charge of defamation on December 12, 2000 Both women continued teaching at different schools and had successful careers Paula Norrocke had suffered the fallout of being in the public eye, telling the court at the federal trial that Some people still avoid me But by 2001 Paula was teaching the third grade and it was reported in the morning call that her life had largely returned to normal In 2014, after a celebrated career, Joanne Chambers retired from teaching She obtained the status of a national board certified teacher and had helped hundreds of students learn to read as a specialist teacher for children with dyslexia

Although it was never determined who was responsible for the harassment of Joanne Chambers, the assaults ceased following the trial Hugh Hutchinson, who represented Chief Anthony Flugel at the federal trial for defamation, told the courtroom Somebody was very clever and very careful Whoever it was You