Disclaimer: Please remember this is a private home. The writer produced a memoir in 2009 called Behind the Staircase, and a sequel Beyond the Staircase. His guilty plea notwithstanding, Michael still asserts that he did not kill Kathleen Peterson. Where Is Cary Stayner from Hulu's Captive Audience Now? They wed in 1968 and had two boys together, Todd and Clayton. "They took care of each other." At the center of the story is Kathleen and Michaels sprawling Colonial home, located in Durhams tony Forest Hills neighborhood. Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in her home in similar circumstances to Kathleen Peterson. Before going AWOL, however, he changed his mind about his dads involvement in Kathleens death. The conclusion painted Michael as a murderer with a propensity for pushing his victims down staircases and no doubt contributed to his conviction. Usually when you're convicted of murder, you're sentenced to something like life, or close to it, in prison and that's essentially that. Still, in the same year, the North Carolina Human Resources Commission ruled that he should have merely been demoted from his position and that the SBI owed him 34 months of wages. Played by Vincent Vermignon, de Lestrade was already an Academy Award winner when he got involved with Michael Petersons case. Elizabeth Ratliffs death had a huge impact on her youngest daughter, Martha (Odessa Young). Colin Firth plays Michael Peterson in the latest retelling of Kathleen Petersons murder and Michaels attempts to prove his innocence. The home where Michael Peterson allegedly killed his wife, Kathleen, nearly two decades ago as documented in the docuseries "The Staircase" is now on the market for a pricey sum. The jury found the evidence sufficient to convict Michael of first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life. Currently, Rudolf is in occasional contact with Peterson since his 2017 release. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America. Rudolf said he agreed to participate in the documentary because the filmmakers had won an Academy Award in 2001 for Murder on a Sunday Morning, about a 15-year-old boy wrongfully accused of murder. As the first iteration of "The Staircase" detailed, Kathleen was found at the bottom of the titular staircase in the couple's Durham mansion in 2001, an incident which immediately raised the hackles of local law enforcement, who believed her death was the result of homicide on the part of her husband. Michael was resentenced to 86 weeks in prison but was let free since he had already served more than that time. As shown in the miniseries, Assistant District Attorney Freda Black (Parker Posey) quit law and started working as a cleaner in the decade following Michaels conviction. HBO Max's latest true crime series, The Staircase, chronicles the lengthy saga of Michael Peterson, an author who was convicted of killing his wife, Kathleen, who died on the stairs in their Durham, N.C. home in December 2001. Michael suggested that Kathleen fell down the stairs after drinking too much alcohol and Valium, but no fingerprints were detected on the wine bottle or glasses out in the kitchen. She also stood by Michael Peterson when suspicions were raised during his trial about the death of their friend Elizabeth Ratliff in 1985. They had a real story, which lasted until May 2017. I couldn't afford to live in Paris, and my children and grandchildren were in America." Ahead of Michael Petersons' trial, Ratliff's body was exhumed for a second autopsy in April 2003, where a Durham medical examiner concluded the cause of death as "homicide." In July 2020, the infamous five-story Cedar street mansion where Kathleen died was put up for sale. As The News & Observer noted, the former columnist's Alford plea was distinctly tied to the charge of manslaughter, which means that Peterson asserted his opinion of his innocence while simultaneously accepting charges (via Metro). Michael and Patricia later divorced, and not long after, he moved in with telecoms exec Kathleen Atwater before eventually tying the knot in 1997. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, 'Glaring error' left 'habitual liar' Alex Murdaugh 'boxed in' during trial, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life after disgraced lawyer guilty of murder, Murdaugh sentenced to LIFE in prison after being found guilty of double murder, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Michael Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Kathleen in 2003, A new HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase, will follow Peterson's murder trial. Above (L-R): Tim Guinee, Sophie Turner, Colin Firth, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger appear as the Peterson family in "The Staircase" on HBO Max. Michael Peterson had two sons, Clayton AND Todd, and Kathleen Peterson had a daughter, Caitlin, from her previous marriage to Fred Atwater. But she never let her own feelings affect the course of editing.". He said that when he previously prepared for a role, he liked to delve right in and get "to the heart" of the character. What Happened to Michael Peterson After Prison? In 2019, he self-published two books Behind the StaircaseandBeyond the Staircase that detail his side of the story. 2023 Dirt.com, LLC. Peterson's adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha, live in California . Alongside Pfeiffer, Rudolf is the owner of the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Oct. 10, 2003, the jury found Michael guilty of Kathleen's murder and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole. Whenever a movie or TV series based on real-life events comes out, viewers are plagued by two unavoidable questions: how much of what we saw is true and what happened to those characters after the cameras were turned off? They married in 1965 and moved to Durham, North Carolina. Like other members of her family, Margaret hasnt received a dime from HBO and claims to have been deceived by Campos, who allegedly told her he would be focusing more on the documentarists than on the Petersons. However, it might be his hopes of writing a new book that will give him a place in society once again. Though the kitchen island was moved (it was formerly attached to the kitchen counter, cutting across the room at a diagonal), the space still looks much as it did when Michael lived there. Firth told Deadline that he didnt meet Michael before playing him in HBOs The Staircase. Margaret was already interested in pursuing a career in film when her family was approached by Lestrade and his crew. "I've always believed he did not do this, and I always will.". On December 1, 2009, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their North Carolina home. Michael's late wife Kathleen will be played byToni Collette. At the time of Kathleens death, Deaver (portrayed by Myke Holmes in the show) worked as a blood spatter analyst for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). During a CrimeCon speech, Peterson's attorney, David Rudolf, shot down reports his client made bank from the Netflix series. The case that dominated such a large part of his life still haunted him, however. Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor . Flash-forward to the present day and true-crime enthusiasts want to know every possible detail about Peterson's life and personal relationshipslike, does he have a new wife? Currently, he resides in Durham, North Carolina but has since sold the house where Kathleen died. And, Rudolf gave a wry summary of a key feature of Petersons new living situation: Hes in a ground floor apartment with no stairs that was a really important accommodation.. Michael Peterson married Patricia Sue in 1968 and they later welcomed two boys: Todd and Clayton. The murder was after Kathleen allegedly discovered that he had over 1000 explicit images of men, a window into . A new HBO series, The Staircase, follows Peterson's murder trial after his wife, Kathleen, was found in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in the couple's home in 2001. Michael and Patty, along with their young boys, reportedly resided in Germany for quite a while around the 1980s, where they befriended their closeby neighbors, George and Elizabeth Ratliff. Created by Antonio Campos, the eight-episode long miniseries stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette as novelist Michael Peterson and his second wife, Nortel executive, Kathleen Peterson. Folks can sign up for HBO Max for a monthly rate of $14.99. He was sentenced to seven years and a month in prison, but got out right away having already served eight years after his first trial. Im innocent. Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. The documentary follows Michael Peterson from his wifes death in December 2001 to his release in 2017. The newlyweds were captured gloriously posing for photos on the homes staircase. No, not that staircase. The latest offering from the HBO crime series is The Staircase which takes an in-depth look into the saga of Michael Peterson, an author who was convicted of killing his wife, Kathleen Peterson. According to CBS News, Peterson now lives in a 1,200 square foot condo, a big change from the mansion he once shared with his late wife, but as he told the news outlet, it's a life he's happy. I'm too old. Kathleen Peterson's death became a national, long-standing mystery with the 2004 documentary The Staircase. They took care of each other.. Her name was Elizabeth Ratliff, and she was a family friend of Peterson and his first wife Patricia, who was also living in Germany at the time. Hes living in Durham Im not sure why hes living in Durham, but he is, Rudolf told the audience at CrimeCon. His cell was a far cry from the sprawling mansion he formerly called home, which was put on the market just 20 days later for $1.175 million. Since Michael cant profit from his crime, the proceeds from the books sales go to charity. In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the . Because of all of the twists and turns that developed in the case, from the death itself having multiple theories, to the news of another woman from petersons past dying in a similar fashion, The Staircase originally premiered on TV in 2004 with eight episodes detailing the case and trial. Featuring a library, game room, a whopping five fireplaces, fourteen-foot ceilings, hardwood flooring throughout, and a large master wing, theres no arguing that the couple and their children lived in style. It is a great deal for the district attorney.". HBO Max's new drama The Staircase reenacts the entire story, documentary included, in a star-studded limited series out now. Petersons wood-paneled office (which Aphrodite Jones describes as an imposing, ominous and intimidating space, saying It was understood that Michael Peterson didnt want people in there.) had a prominent role in the film and in a macabre foretelling was the site of a very bloody murder scene. In Michael Peterson's case, however . He lives in Durham in a house without a staircase by Chege Karomo - on May 06, 2022 in People Netflix Michael Peterson is the subject of one of Netflix's most riveting and polarizing true crime documentaries, The Staircase . He published his first memoir, Behind the Staircase, in 2019 and went on to write a follow-up, which was released that same year, titled Beyond the Staircase. Following an investigation and an ensuing murder trial, the latter of which became one of the longest of its kind in North Carolina history, Michael Peterson was eventually found guilty. Peterson's current financial state, while up for speculation, is most likely a shadow of what it was in 2001. Were it not for SBI analyst Duane Deavers corruption, Michael Peterson would probably still be in jail. Per The News & Observer, Petersons defense left him indigent. Peterson retreated to Durham, North Carolina, after his release. Despite actors playing the people involved, the limited series is very much a true story in which Peterson is still alive (and living freely) today. They took care of each other.". Skyler Caruso is the Editorial Assistant of PEOPLE Digital. He stated Kathleen Peterson was aware of his interest in men and his first wife, Patricia Sue, was also there to support Michael Peterson's bisexuality claims. A lawyer himself, Bill was the one that suggested Rudolf as a defense attorney and took care of most of the Petersons legal matters. In addition to losing the civil suit his step-daughter, Caitlin Atwater, brought against him, Peterson also lost out on Kathleen's $1.4 million life insurance policy, per WRAL, and the home that they shared was put on the market in 2020, per The Sun. The riches he had before his incarceration no longer exist. Despite not being an official member of the defense team, Bill Peterson (Tim Guinee) played a huge role in getting his brother Michael out of jail. Peterson was charged with her murder, convicted at trial, and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. In 2018, AP reported that Michael Peterson now lives in a 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom condo in the same town, Durham, North Carolina. The dried blood atop her head was a clue that she'd been there for a while, and since Michael was the only person in the house at that time, he was the only suspect. Originally built in 1940 by architect George Watts Carr, Sr. for wealthy Durham businessman John Adams Buchanan, the lavish five-bedroom, six-bathroom property had plenty of room for Kathleen and Michaels large blended family, which included Michaels two sons with his first wife and his two adopted daughters, as well as Kathleens daughter from a previous marriage. The docu-series follows Petersons trial for the murder of his wife Kathleen. "But we parted ways because he had to go do an 'Indiana Jones.'" Michael Peterson listens as his defense attorney David Rudolf makes opening statements in Peterson's request for a new trial on December 6, 2011, in Durham, North Carolina Advertisement The original Staircase docuseries is largely told from Peterson's perspective, and there is an undeniable appeal to witnessing him in action. Following Elizabeths death, Margaret and her younger sister Martha (Odessa Young) were adopted by the Petersons. It sold the following year to medium Biond Fury (I shudder to think about the seances that took place there during his tenure! He was granted a new trial in 2011, after a judge determined that a key prosecution witness lied on the stand during the original trial. Much like Peterson and Brunet, he was also not happy with the fictional adaptation of his docuseries and claimed that Campos misinterpreted facts in a way that paints him as an unethical filmmaker. Currently, he resides in Durham, North Carolina but has since sold the house. And what about all the other characters that were so important to the story? The topic is also at the center of Rudolfs 2022 book, American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System. To boot, the couple was in severe credit card debt, to the tune of $100,000. The company had also begun massive layoffs at the same time and Kathleens job security seemed tenuous at best. Newsweek has everything you need to know about his relationship history: No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). While living together, Michael and Patricia became close with their neighbors-turned-friends George and Elizabeth Ratliff. "He released his archive to Campos, who then created a fictional account of events, most of which trashed me (which I really don't care about) and my children which I really do care about," Peterson told Variety. To recap the case, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her staircase in 2001. He also wasn't a fan of the portrayal of himself and his client regularly fighting, the implication Peterson kept important information secret from him, and the depiction of his relationship with reporter Sonya Pfeiffer. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. Ratliff died at the age of 43. Kathleen Peterson, ne Hunt, and Michael Peterson became acquainted when Kathleen Peterson moved to Durham and became one of Michael's neighbors. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! During Petersons trial, he testified that the blood spatters surrounding the spot in which Kathleen had died were consistent with a person being beaten to death. "Michael hasn't made a penny from the documentary," he insisted. The film, which examines the ethics of documentary filmmaking, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Juliette Binoche will star as Sophie Brunet, the editor of The Staircase documentary. At the time of her mother's death, Caitlin Atwater supported her stepfather and after his arrest told the press of his innocence. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. He tried to fight it, but his firing was upheld in court in 2014. They were companions, Clayton told News & Observer. In 2017, Michael submitted an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter. Three episodes in, the series-runners drop a major bombshell: Peterson was the last person to see another woman who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in Germany in 1985. ", It turns out Firth landed the role out of pure Hollywood happenstance. In a livestream that has since been uploaded to YouTube, he accuses Michael of murdering not only Kathleen, but also his mother, Patricia, and family friend Elizabeth. The North Carolina medical examiner performed an autopsy and concluded that she died from blunt force injuries and that it was the result of a homicide. He's in a ground-floor apartment with no stairs that was a really important accommodation," Rudolf shared. Peterson's lawyers took issue with the examiner's assessment. (The house was on the market for $1.9 million, according to ABC 11 News.). Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Her son, Todd, has accused Michael of waiting over three hours to call 911 after realizing that Patty was feeling sick. However, Rudolf is the one who finds the dramatization most egregious. In Lestrades docuseries, she speaks at length about her mental health issues. We want to hear from you! Simpson, Peterson wrote a book about the crime titled Behind the Staircase and his website claims its a best-seller! Peterson was placed on house arrest in 2011 before his retrial, then officially freed in 2017 after submitting an Alford Plea (he admitted the evidence against him could prove he was guilty, while proclaiming his innocence). This means that the person accused of murder can admit that there's enough evidence to convict them, but not admit guilty for committing the crime. The last person to see her alive was Michael Peterson. Michael had two sons - Todd and Clayton - from his first marriage. Throughout Michael Peterson's murder trial, his ex-wife was not only his emotional support but also his financial, and until her death, she believed him to be innocent. Currently living in Colorado, Martha works as a psychotherapist, helping people that suffer from the same problems that afflicted her.
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