Naman Shrestha
The episode of ‘Seduced to Slay,’ titled ‘Murder on My Bingo Card,’ profiles the mysterious case of a house fire in a small town of Michigan that turned out to be a crime scene when the police investigated the place. The 27-year-old Ross Pokorski and his father are two victims of the family that met their demise inside the burning house. Portraying intricate details about the case by showcasing police investigation, crime scene photos, and interviews with the victim’s loved ones, today, the episode provides us with an informative glimpse into the case as we learn the identity of the perpetrator responsible for the tragedy.
How Did Ross Pokorski Die?
Ross Pokorski took birth into the world on May 11, 1990, in Royal Oak, Michigan, and was the only child of Patrick Pokorski and Karen Shriner. With an infectious smile, he used to light up the entire room with his presence and was loved by almost everyone who knew him. He supposedly completed his education with flying colors, after which he even worked as a firefighter in Presque Isle Township for a while, alongside his father. Later on, the Pokorski family moved from Royal Oak to an Alpena house.
Life was just beginning to take shape for him as he had so much to live for and look forward to. Unfortunately, none of it was meant to be, as on the fateful day of June 17, 2017, he got engulfed in the flames of the blazing house fire that took place in his Alpena house. When neighbors noticed smoke coming from the Pokorski house, they were quick to inform the authorities of the same. Upon the arrival of the fire department on the scene, they found the entire house on fire as one of the neighbors reportedly told them that Ross and Patrick Pokorski were seemingly still inside the house.
After the fire was extinguished, the fire department was disappointed to not be able to rescue anyone from the fire. However, they did recover two unidentified bodies, which were sent for further tests. When the results came in, it was discovered that the burned bodies were that of Ross and Patrick Pokorski. The autopsy results also brought to light the cause of Ross’ shocking death, which was not fire. Instead, he died of multiple stab wounds before the fire even started. They searched for any sharp objects or some kind of knife that might have been the murder weapon all over the burned-down house.
But as for Patrick, he reportedly died of smoke inhalation and had no hints of any wound on his body. Karen Pokorski, Ross’ mother, was fortunately not at home when the fire occurred, but when she arrived at the scene later, she reportedly suffered a health issue and was rushed into the Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. Moreover, as the investigators searched for more evidence at the crime scene, they discovered traces of an accelerant inside the property, which hinted that the fire was arson. The culprit possibly used the accelerant to spread the fire at a quicker rate and make it impossible for firefighters, or anyone for that matter, to save the two men left for dead in the blazing house.
Ross Pokorski’s Death Remains a Mystery
In order to learn more about the mysterious deaths of Ross and Patrick Pokorski, the police interrogated various family members and loved ones of the victims. When the investigators looked into the rap sheet of Patrick Pokorski, they found out that just a couple of days before the fire, on June 15, 2017, the state police had executed a search warrant on his Alpena home, during which they seized several computers and other potential pieces of evidence from the residence. He was the focus of a criminal sexual conduct investigation as he had allegedly approached a minor female for immoral purposes.
One of the investigators, Joel Jett, said that the investigation was still ongoing, even after the death of Patrick. He released a statement saying, “At this point, I would have to say it is still an open investigation. I want to make it perfectly clear though that Pat Pokorski was never charged with a crime. It is an investigation and it is still in an extremely early stage. I don’t want to speculate that it is the reason he may have started the fire.”
The primary suspect, Patrick Pokorski, was a former Presque Isle Township Supervisor and had experience working in the Presque Isle Fire Department. He also used to work as a bus driver for Alpena Public Schools. Even though the murder weapon was never to be found, the police claimed it to be a case of murder-suicide, with 62-year-old Patrick Pokorski stabbing his son Ross to death for unknown motives and staying inside the house after setting it on fire.
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