Michael Iver Peterson (born October 23, 1943) is an American novelist who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, on December 9, 2001. "[Dr. Radisch, the state pathologist] moved her examination to the internal neck area, and discovered a bloodied fracture with haemorrhage on the small extension off of the left thyroid cartilage," the crime author wrote. A new trial which began on … Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. It tells the story of Michael Peterson, who was convicted in 2003 of killing his wife by beating her over the head. Instead, he was released with a sentence of time served. He was sentenced to time already served and freed. The Judge, Justice Drake described him as “evil, almost beyond belief”. De Lestrade on Peterson. He suggests multiple times throughout the docuseries that Kathleen was well aware of his sexual preferences throughout their marriage. He doesn’t admit guilt for the murder of his wife Kathleen Peterson, but it’s technically a guilty plea. But, as the prosecution pointed out in the trial, Kathleen was actually the sole owner of the house and the car. Todd was reportedly one of … You can read more in depth information about the owl theory here. Michael Peterson was a writer, and many said he has the kind of ego which craves the spotlight. "Without Kathleen's job and her pay check, he could not continue to support his two adult sons, he could not continue to maintain that home, he could not live the lifestyle he'd grown accustomed to. In 2004, he was also found financially liable for Kathleen's death in a wrongful death lawsuit brought against him by Kathleen's daughter, Caitlin Atwater. They argued Michael's plan to kill his wife revolved around the $1.4 million life insurance policy she had in place. An agent from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Raymond Young, assessed the couple’s finances and discovered that they had more than $142,000 in debt spread across 20 different accounts. There's a lot of information that wasn't shared about Michael and Kathleen's life in The Staircase. He was found guilty of First Degree Murder on October 10, 2003 and immediately sentenced to life in prison. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. We know she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at her home on 1810, Cedar Street, covered in blood, with seven lacerations to her head. "Poor Kathleen is undergoing the tortures of the damned at Nortel. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. "Michael Peterson knew that the amount of money he was bringing in through his writing had plummeted down to next to nothing," author of a book on Kathleen's death entitled Written In Blood, Diane Fanning, said on the Beyond Reasonable Doubt podcast. The staircase she was found dead at the bottom of was just one of many in the vast property, and the couple were thought to have been relaxing by the swimming pool in the garden prior to Kathleen's death. The 25-year-old boyfriend offered … The Petersons' neighbour, lawyer Larry Pollard came up with a theory that a barred owl, a breed that's native to the area, may have been responsible for Kathleen's death. “You were … One theory not used in the confounding 2003 murder trial was that an owl caused the death of Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead in 2001 at the bottom of a staircase … On February 24, 2017, after a lengthy legal battle, Peterson entered a guilty plea to mansluaghter. Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. The Staircase documentary mini-series … As mentioned above, Kathleen's high powered, high earning job meant she could afford to take out a hefty life insurance sum, which totalled $1.4 million. Despite living what looked like a lavish lifestyle from the outside, Michael and Kathleen Peterson were in a lot of debt. Pollard theorised that Kathleen could have been attacked outside by one of these owls, which would account for the seven unexplained lacerations to her head. ), While the case was being built, it came to light that Elizabeth Ratliff, the mother of Michael's two adopted children, had also died in an accidental fall down the stairs in 1985. Kathleen Peterson's life insurance was later split between her daughter, Caitlin Atwater, and her first husband Fred Atwater. loans were so high they had no money left to live on, Lisa Presley on Michael Jackson abuse allegations. Many believed the Petersons had a happy marriage, making it unclear why he would kill her. Many of those have been by and large created by and populated by people who merely watched the documentary The Staircase. THE OWL THEORY. He developed a relationship with Sophie Brunet, the editor of the documentary filming his case. In the last two episodes of The Staircase, filmed in 2016 as Michael Peterson's legal case finally drew to a close, you might have noticed the lawyers mentioning "strangulation" injuries discovered in Kathleen Peterson's autopsy. The Staircase follows the story of Michael Peterson whose wife Kathleen was found dead at the bottom of some stairs in their house in December 2001. Within six months of his wife’s death, Michael Peterson had collected $347,000 from his late wife's assets to fund his legal defence. We know she was married to Michael Peterson. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. The 48-year-old from Durham, North Carolina, … With Treat Williams, Kevin Pollak, Samaire Armstrong, Brandon Ray Olive. He was found guilty of the five killings and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. After calling 911 to report his wife's accident, successful novelist and aspiring politician, Michael Peterson, becomes the prime suspect in her alleged murder. The Staircase (French: Soupçons, lit. Michael Peterson, 74, believes he was able to walk free thanks to Netflix true crime docu-series, The Staircase - which documents his trial for the murder of his wife Kathleen in 2001. The Peterson killing, sometimes referred to as “The Staircase Murder, ... Alford plea, meaning that he didn’t admit he did it, but he conceded that a jury would likely result in finding him guilty. This week, we're discussing the case of The Staircase Murder. What seemed like a cut and dry accidental fall down the staircase turned out to be so much more. Life is really full of surprises," the director told French publication L’Express. In 1985, Liz Ratliff, a friend of Michael and his first wife, Patti, died in Germany from a cerebral hemorrhage. Following from de Lestrade's Oscar-winning Murder on a Sunday Morning, filming began soon after Peterson's indictment. Kathleen Peterson, a wealthy business executive, was found in a bloody heap at the bottom of the stairs at her home in … "It is simply not possible for me to discuss this with Kathleen.". Kind of obsessed, if you can’t tell. Information which may sway your opinion about how Kathleen Peterson died one way or another... Kathleen was Director of Information Services at the Canadian firm Nortel Networks Corporation when she died. The Staircase Murders is a 2007 Lifetime television film directed by Tom McLoughlin and starring Treat Williams, Samaire Armstrong, and Kevin Pollak.. Kathleen Peterson, a wealthy business executive, was found in a bloody heap at the bottom of the stairs at … You'd think this would have been a major point of evidence, but for some reason, up until then it had never been referenced in the docuseries. By Morgan Jeffery For Kelli Colgan, being a juror on the trial was an “intense” experience. Peterson said his wife had fallen, but he was tried for murder. Interestingly enough, the film followed a young man accused of and subsequently acquitted of a murder he did not commit. This video answers the questions: Can I analyze the mental health and personality characteristics at work in the staircase murder? "Throughout the weeks and weeks of testimony, Michael Peterson had taken extensive notes on legal pads," Aphrodite wrote, explaining that this was likely because of the book deal he had with Harper Collins. "It was an injury unlikely to occur in a fall. We know she lived at 1810 Cedar Street in a well to-do suburb of Durham, North Carolina. However the police, notably Detective Joe Castel, and D. A. Jim Hardin, holding a grudge for a column the author once … The Staircase is the latest true crime series to hit Netflix. Simpson said he "left a baby on his own" and felt "guilty", so lied about Jacob falling off the sofa because it would look like "bad parenting" to say he let him fall down the stairs. Michael Iver Peterson, an American novelist convicted in 2003 of murdering his second wife, Kathleen, sees his life go under the microscope in this award winning true crime series by Netflix. Michael's sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson, were also in severe debt. "The blood in the stairway, according to paramedics, was far too congealed to be from a fall that just happened," crime writer Dianne Fanning said. Kathleen was found dead at the bottom of her staircase … HOOT DONE IT? Like the fact the couple were in a lot of debt when Kathleen died. Since he had already served more time than any potential sentence, Peterson is now a free man, but he remains on the record as a convicted felon. I wanted to be very careful about that. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Meghan and Harry's loving tribute to Prince Philip. Who will get the Duke of Edinburgh title next? "This is one of the incredible things that happened during those 15 years. On October 10, 2003, the jury found Peterson guilty of the murder of his wife. When her body was found at the foot of the stairs in her home, many came to believe that her husband, Michael, was responsible. The plea deal allowed him to walk free even though he had previously been sentenced to life in prison. In January 2008 she was awarded $25million in damages. While Kathleen wasn't one of the employees to have been laid off, she reportedly told her sister Candace she was concerned that by the end of the year she wouldn't have a job. He gives off some seriously creepy vibes. The final three episodes of The Staircase catch up with Peterson in his life outside of prison before he entered an Alford plea in 2017. That description would fit with writer Aphrodite Jones' revelation in her book on the case, A Perfect Husband, that Michael Peterson had a book deal ready and raring to go after the trial - if he was found not guilty. Alex Rodda. "She's a survivor and in no trouble, but the stress is monumental there.". The Netflix series The Staircase, which debuts on June 8, takes another look at the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson. I just watched the entire series and have watched a couple other shorter documentaries on the story. So who really was she? With Diane Dimond, Diane Fanning, Tom Gasparoli, Jim Hardin. CNN reported that Young testified during the trial, revealing the Petersons had been spending $100,000 a year more than they made for three years before Kathleen Peterson's death. The Staircase (French: Soupçons, lit. After eight years, Peterson was granted a new trial after the judge ruled a critical prosecution witness gave misleading testimony. Per CNN, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her Durham, North Carolina home in 2001, and her husband Michael put on trial for her murder … The final three episodes of The Staircase catch up with Peterson in his life outside of prison before he entered an Alford plea in 2017. The Staircase investigation has left true crime buffs and attorneys alike scratching their heads for years. Even though de Lestrade was not in pursuit of the truth, he still feels that … T he story of The Staircase is a long and twisty one. There have been numerous threads about this case. In no way am I saying these are hard facts that prove his guilt, … Did Michael Peterson kill his wife Kathleen? He will be sentenced at a later date. Center of the drama: The Staircase is centered around Michael Peterson, who was accused of killing his wife Kathleen in 2001 and eventually found guilty of murder; he is pictured in 2011 "It would be a huge relief off my [shoulders] because I am worried sick about them," Michael's email read. The thing about The Staircase is that, although it centres around the death of Kathleen Peterson, there's actually very little focus on Kathleen herself throughout the 13-part Netflix documentary. Michael may have been a local newspaper columnist and author, but he wasn't a big earner - and he didn't own the 1810 Cedar Street property. According to CNN, Michael Peterson claimed that, on Dec. 9, 2001, he found his wife Kathleen Peterson dead at the bottom of the stairs in their home. Will the Duke of Edinburgh's Award change now? Following from de Lestrade's Oscar-winning Murder on a Sunday Morning, filming began soon after Peterson's indictment. The two similar "accidents" are extremely suspicious, and I don't buy that his wife was okay with his extramarital activities. 2021 Bustle Digital Group. What's happened to Michael Jackson's Neverland. Where are Michael & Kathleen Peterson's kids now? The Staircase director reveals what he wasn't allowed to film, and talks Michael Peterson's shock decision "It's been an obsession, and a curse," says Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. But when paramedics arrived on the scene 10 minutes later, Kathleen was dead - and it appeared to them that she had been dead for far longer than just a few minutes. The interest on the twenty-something boys' loans were so high they had no money left to live on, and their father was concerned. By now it's February 2017 and everyone looks and feels old. Kathleen suffered possible strangulation injuries. The DA wants the latter. We know she had one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, two adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, and two step-sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson. When Michael Iver Peterson, a successful novelist and aspiring politician in Durham, North Carolina, finds his wife Kathleen's body on the staircase, bloody but still breathing, he calls 911 in panic. Despite all of that, Michael endlessly denied that he was involved in Kathleen's death. However, ABC News reported Michael saying, "We lived together for 14 years, and we were happy every one of those years.". ''Suspicions''; also known as Death on the Staircase) is a 2004 French television miniseries by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade documenting the trial of Michael Peterson, convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson. i believe she was murdered.. there is just way too much blood. He maintains his innocence to this day. Peterson maintained his innocence, reportedly saying According to North Carolina's local news affiliate WRAL, Michael was indicted on charges of first-degree murder shortly after it was determined that foul play was involved in Kathleen's death. I’m listing out the reasons I've come across that point toward him being guilty. ", Philip's death falls on poignant day for Charles, Moving tributes pour in for Prince Philip, The Queen & Prince Philip's relationship timeline. The movie is set up like a a regular dramatization of events intermittent with fake documentary scenes. Michael was found guilty of first-degree murder, Kathleen's discovery of Michael's bisexuality, defendant pleads guilty while proclaiming their own innocence. One thing that absolutely wasn't mentioned in The Staircase is that Michael Peterson didn't remain single for all the years following his wife Kathleen's death. In 2003, he was sentenced to life in prison. He was found guilty of murder by a majority of jurors at Chester crown court on Thursday. Here’s the story of how novelist, Michael Peterson, was thrown in and subsequently released from jail. Usually it was the result of direct trauma to the bone and was common in strangulation or attempted strangulation," she noted. Michael Peterson was so worried, in fact, he emailed his first wife Patty eleven days before Kathleen's death to ask her to take a $30,000 home equity loan to help their sons out because he was unable to do so. Within this hair, microscopic feathers were found along with wood splinters and cedar needles. But she never let her own feelings affect the course of editing. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's documentary, "Death on the Staircase," didn't happen by accident. To add to that, in The Staircase, Michael is very open about his bisexuality. But those are just the basic facts. After a three-month long trial in 2003, Michael Peterson was found guilty of murdering his wife Kathleen. All of this raised further suspicions about Michael who insisted, according to ABC News, that he believed Ratliff had died a "perfectly natural death. In 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. T he story of The Staircase is a long and twisty one. Ratliff, too, had been found at the foot of the staircase with head injuries, the prosecution claimed that Peterson might have been involved in it too, considering that he was, reportedly, the last person to have seen her. The best evidence against the owl theory, of course, is that it sounds crazy. ", Though it was speculated that a weapon was used to strike Kathleen, nothing was found in the Peterson home that could have been the murder weapon. We know Kathleen Peterson was 48-years-old when she died. During Mike Peterson’s trial, Duane Deaver, blood-spatter expert, gave his testimony in which he explained that the blood present on the staircase wall and on Michael’s clothes, was evident that the accused was guilty of the first-degree murder charge of Kathleen Peterson. I’ve also been reading online a bit. This video answers the questions: Can I analyze the mental health and personality characteristics at work in the staircase murder? Her nanny found her in the morning, lying at the foot of the stairs leading to the second floor. Those bare facts are intriguing, but they are just a tiny part of why The Staircase is a … Photograph: Cheshire constabulary/PA. An Alford Plea, as explained by Legal Zoom, is when a defendant pleads guilty while proclaiming their own innocence; they admit that there is enough evidence to prove their guilt. Prosecutors theorized that Kathleen's discovery of Michael's bisexuality, as well as his plans to meet with a male sex worker, led to issues between the two of them. Michael Peterson echoed these fears in an email to a family friend six days before Kathleen's death. Peterson was found guilty in October 2003 after over 13 weeks on trial, one of the longest in North Carolina history, according to the Dispatch. In 2017, Michael entered an Alford Plea for manslaughter in the case of Kathleen's death. “He should not have been found guilty in the first trial, and the prosecution didn’t play by the rules. Newsreaders are wearing black for a special reason. innocent or guilty? Sixteen years after Kathleen Peterson died in her North Carolina home, “The Staircase” filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade still doesn’t know whether Kathleen’s husband, Michael Peterson, is … Diane Fanning explains the injuries in a little more detail in her book, Written In Blood. 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