In Michael Peterson's murder trial, the prosecution's case focussed on money - or the couple's lack of it - as a motive. You can see from recent drone video that the house still has the swimming pool where Michael Peterson said he was sitting alone the night Kathleen died. Michael Peterson and David Rudolf in court in 2017. 'The Staircase' has put Kathleen Peterson in the spotlight. The Cedar Street colonial was purchased by a local couple, one of whom was Jason Balius, a former co-owner of the Mad Hatter Bakeshop in Durham, for $640,000 in 2004, per WRAL News. Forensic expert Henry Lee gave a live in-court splatter demonstration to refute some of the blood evidence against Michael. Forensic Files produced "A Novel Idea" back in 2006, but any murder story that includes well-educated mansion owners plus a cheerful male escort on the witness stand is sure to be revisited many times.. Pop-culture phenom. While he'd been outside smoking his pipe, his wife of 14 years had taken a fall down the stairs. According to Bustle, Peterson's son Clayton now lives in Maryland with his two children. Regardless of the truth, the similarities between Kathleen and Ratliff's deaths didn't help Michael's case. But perhaps the most shocking element of the trial revolved around the mother of Michael Peterson's two adopted children. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Stacy Peterson went missing in 2007 and her bloated piss bag of a husband Drew Peterson probably had everything to do with it. The defense challenged this version of events. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. his wifes accidental fall down the stairs, used for the construction of the original. Case Notes: On December 9th 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found by her husband, Michael Peterson, at the bottom of the stairs in the home that they shared in Durham. In 2003, Peterson was found guilty in the initial trial. Peterson entered an Alford plea while awaiting a new trial in 2017, allowing him to plead guilty to manslaughter while maintaining his innocence. Michael Petersons attorney, David Rudolf, told the court, Show me one piece of evidence, one person who says that Kathleen was upset because Mike was bisexual. We want it. But those are just the basic facts. Both Zillow and Redfin show the house was sold on Aug. 8, 2020 for $1.6 million dollars. Peterson is now serving a life term. But in spite of Kathleen's lucrative salary, the Peterson family had reportedly gotten itself into dire straits, with the matriarch fearing redundancy at her workplace. And a 2009 forensic analysis detailed traces of wood splinters and cedar needles in her hair, along with microscopic bits of feather. Peterson is now serving a life term. Psychic Norbert will provide details . Perhaps he was trying to delete some files. During the trial, evidence suggested she was hit with a fire poker after a heated argument about Michael Petersons closeted sexuality. The Staircase. Three small feathers were found in the hair strands in Kathleens hand, and Pollard said the lacerations on her scalp were consistent with owl talons. Following the show's airing, though, some want to learn more about the real details of . Peterson, then 58, was a successful writer; Kathleen, then 48, a telecommunications executive. Shortly afterwards, Peterson, then still Kathleen Atwater, moved to Durham, North Carolina, and met Michael Peterson, a local novelist and occasional columnist for The Durham Herald-Sun who had served in Vietnam with the Marines. While Michael was a novelist and newspaper columnist of varying success, Kathleen was an executive at communications firm Nortel, earning around $150,000 per year, via NBC News. Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson was a Greensboro, NC, native who grew up in Lancaster, Pa., and graduated with bachelors and masters degrees in engineering from Duke University. There was a bloody shoe print found on the back of her sweatpants, which was a match to Petersons shoe. There is even a scene filmed on the back staircase where Kathleen Peterson died. Hes a SHU-in. The Staircase, starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette as Michael and Kathleen Peterson, explores the life of Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen at their sprawling North Carolina home after she died under suspicious circumstances in December 2001.. He and his first wife, schoolteacher Patricia Sue Peterson, had sons Todd and Clayton then acquired two daughters, Margaret and Martha, when the couples friend Liz McKee Ratliff died. The defendant had hired criminal defense attorney David Rudolf two days prior, following extensive searches and seizures taking place at his home. He's currently behind bars in California's San Quentin prison. Includes Address (6) Phone (4) Email (4) See Results. Then, she stumbled indoors and, disoriented, fell down the stairs and was knocked unconscious, unable to call for help. 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. The Cosmopolitan story includes information from ornithology experts who believe a barred owl could have tangled its claws in Kathleens hair and made the gashes in her head that prosecutors alleged came from a metal implement. Kathleen Hunt was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 21, 1953. The home was originally built in 1940 by architect George Watts Carr, who constructed the house for a wealthy businessman by the name of John Adams Buchanan. The Staircase documentary is a vehicle for Michael Peterson, said Jones. His 2003 trial ended in a first-degree murder conviction and a sentence of life without parole. Police believed it was a fireplace blow poke that someone took outside to hide, leaving bloodstains on the door. Kathleen M. Peterson is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer of PowerHouse Consulting. Woman killed in double shooting on Durham highway, Chatham County housing authority director arrested, accused of $200,000+ in wire fraud, Alligator living at Walmart in NC stirs debate, as many demand it be allowed to stay. Kathleen Peterson in Indiana We found 32 records for Kathleen Peterson in Nappanee, Columbus and 21 other cities in Indiana. lacerations on the back of her head were consistent with a beating. It came out that a leg injury he said happened during battle actually came from a car accident. Another motive suggested by the prosecution hinged on the Peterson family's tenuous financial situation. Born Kathleen Hunt on February 21, 1953, she graduated first in her class from J.P. McCaskey High School andreports Indy Week"became the first female student accepted into Dukes engineering school." Peterson was arrested May 7th, 2009, in connection with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Soon after entering prison, Michael was injured in a fight, something HBO Max's adaptation explores in depth. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. If Michael received any money for the literary effort, it would have to go toward a $25 million award Caitlin Atwater won against him, he said. However, NBC News reported that a medical examiner ruled that Kathleen's blood alcohol level was very low at the time of her death, so much so that she'd have been able to pass a breathalyzer test. On December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson's wife, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of their staircase with severe injuries. Michael, a writer and would-be politician, called emergency . "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. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. We know he stepped in her blood and stepped on her. Ever since Kathleen Peterson was found at the bottom of a staircase in 2001, her mysterious death has been the subject of much media attention. During his initial 911 call, Michael said that Kathleen was still breathing, per official court documents. Of course, none of this absolutely *proves* it was a barred owl that inflicted the initial wounds on Kathleen Peterson. On December 9, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found unconscious at the bottom of a staircase in Durham, NC. Michael moved into a two-bedroom condo, according to reporting from Cosmopolitan on June 11, 2018. When Kathleen went inside to bed, he reportedly stayed outside to smoke his pipe. Now, HBO Max has turned the story into a scripted drama, also called The Staircase and starring Toni Colette as Kathleen Peterson. I provide empathic and compassionate care in a safe space for individuals to explore . Michael was sentenced to 64 to 86 months in prison; having already spent 89 months in prison, he was deemed a free man. loans were so high they had no money left to live on. Although I tend to agree with the prosecution that Michael Peterson is responsible for Kathleen Petersons and Liz Ratliffs deaths, its still sweet to see the loyalty of his children and their willingness to accept him as he is. Throughout the entire tragic ordeal, the Peterson home remained occupied. Mr. Pollard, a long-time friend and neighbor of the Petersons, has suggested that microscopic owl feathers where found in Kathleen Petersons hand, mixed together with her own hair, during her autopsy, suggesting that she perhaps attempted to fight off an owl attack. After a stir in the local community, a 2004 true crime documentary titled The Staircase investigated the events leading to Kathleen Petersons death and the subsequent murder trial. North Carolina released Michael Peterson on bond in 2011. Until next time, cheers. In April 2019, an extensive News & Observer story by Andrew Carter reported that Michael had written an e-book titled Behind the Staircase to exonerate himself, with any profits going toward charity. Their marriage, a second for both, seemed happy. Per ABC News, "From the beginning Peterson maintained that Kathleen had simply slipped on the stairs in a tragic accident after drinking wine and taking valium." She had a net worth of around $2 million, according to Forensic Files. If that address sounds familiar to you, its probably because you know the grisly history contained within its walls. Posted 2/5/2010 12:01 AM. So, what do fans of The Staircase have to say about all of this? We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. While the prosecution argued that Michael most likely murdered Kathleen with a fireplace blow poke that was deemed missing from their Durham home at the time of her death, Michael's defense attorney argued that Kathleen died from a fall down the stairs. Furthermore, Jones said, a substantial amount of damning evidence was never included in the documentary. In 2017, the then-73-year-old avoided a second trial by taking an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter in return for six years of house arrest. By then, one of Michaels books, A Time for War, had made its way onto the New York Times bestseller list and generated enough cash to pay for the Colonial Revival-style house containing the now-famous staircase. But first, heres a recap of A Novel Idea along with extra information drawn from internet research: Full house. We know Kathleen Peterson was 48-years-old when she died. As noted by the publication, it was suggested that, while waiting for a work email on the night of her death, Kathleen could have discovered Michael's secret correspondence and the illicit imagery. Call 1-888-626-7386 Advisor Id: 42767. Kathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson in an undated photograph. Peterson could have been sentenced to 64 to 86 months in prison, but the judge acknowledged the 89 months hed already been incarcerated, and thus, Peterson was made a free man. This type of plea allows the accused to maintain their innocence while also acknowledging that the prosecution likely has sufficient evidence to convict. Prosecutors would later contend that Kathleen stumbled upon the trove of photos and messages while using Michaels computer she had left her own machine at work that day. We've received your submission. The home, built in 1940, was designed by Durham architect George Watts Carr Sr., who also designed buildings at N.C. Central University, N.C. State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Bylines in the Daily Beast, Seattle Times, Classic Rock Magazine, LouderSound. It has been theorized that a Barred Owl attacked Kathleen. Police responding to N.C. 55 late Tuesday night found two people who had been shot. So whats happened to Michael Peterson since the 2018 Netflix series turned his story into an international entertainment sensation? Lived In Santa Ana CA, Irvine CA, Corona CA. Another theorist suggested that Kathleen could have been "fatally banged up by a banister-mounted chair lift." It still sports its grand staircase, library and game room, as well as its pool. Over the years, multiple theories regarding the cause of Kathleen's death persisted. In December 2011, after spending eight years in prison for Kathleen's murder, Michael was granted a new trial. However, Michael Peterson was released from prison to serve house arrest in 2011 after a judge found that a witness had misrepresented facts at the trial. The police found blood splatter between the legs of Michaels shorts and his bloody footprint on Kathleens clothes, which suggested he was standing over her and beating her. The Staircase main players: Where are they now? Although skeptical, the TV psychologist gave Michael a chance to defend himself. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor . Son uncooperative. And since 2017, he has been a free man after his charges were reduced to manslaughter and he was released on time served. Is Daisy Jones adaptation based on Fleetwood Mac? When will the curtain come down? Michael continues to live in Durham, North Carolina, having moved into a two-bedroom condo, via The Independent. Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. Bylines in the Daily Beast, Seattle Times, Classic Rock Magazine, LouderSound. Others theorize that one of Michael Petersons sons may have killed her out of jealousy or that a tree branch may have been the actual murder weapon. In the early morning hours of December 9, 2001, authorities were called to the Durham, North Carolina home of Michael and . "When we started shooting in February 2002 and when David Rudolf gave us access and the judge gave us access in the court room and we started to shoot and shoot and shoot then we realized how big it could be," the director told Metro in 2018. That part of the prosecutions case doesnt seem impressive. It was in 1986 that Kathleen first met novelist Michael Peterson. Caitlin then moved in with her mum Kathleen and her new husband Michael Peterson after. It had cobwebs on it but no blood, which appeared to snuff out the prosecutions theory that the implement acted as the murder weapon. And as CNN reported, Kathleen apparently had a $1.8 million life insurance policy, and prosecutors argued that Michael might have killed his wife for financial gain. The ending of Netflix's Triptych explained, Khlo Kardashian is living her best life on TikTok, Period-proof activewear to stop the leakage fear. Inside Kathleen Petersons Mysterious Death And The True Story Behind The Staircase. Caitlin Atwater, Katherines daughter from her first marriage, later switched sides. Kathleen died on December 9, 2001, so she never reached the end of the year to find out her fate. In the early hours of Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson made a panicked, tearful 911 call: He had found his wife Kathleen unconscious and bloody at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina, house. When paramedics arrived to render aid, Michael's son Todd was already . Thats all for this week. Sociological errands. They noted that Michael was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. According to WRAL.com, the initial report suggested that she'd "died of a stroke," but that she was also found to have "several deep cuts to her scalp.". fbZC\/>W2n[Fi RzN`s_`%KZ@VZ!>W/wkUCenGU8vTO[&()wn %~*J%O1U`Yow O0?v_.^{Le#}k2^-@0\Lk 'k0nBtn9]IV^KA='9os7" NetflixKathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson in an undated photograph. Marked man. Fk2 0yl0S] n[IEz T In 2009, during investigations by Michael Peterson's legal team that would eventually lead to his reprieve, it emerged that Kathleen Peterson had been holding clumps of her own hair in her hands when she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Although Michael was still married with four children of his own, the new couple merged their families in 1987. .css-1xok8cp{background-color:#242424;border-radius:0;color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:HarmoniaSans,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.03rem;padding:0.5rem 0.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-transform:uppercase;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;width:auto;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1xok8cp{font-size:0.875rem;line-height:1.1;padding:0.5rem 0.6rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1xok8cp{padding:0.5rem 0.6rem;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-1xok8cp{font-size:0.9375rem;line-height:1.1;padding:0.5rem 0.6rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1xok8cp{font-size:0.9375rem;line-height:1.1;}}.css-1xok8cp:focus-visible{outline-color:body-cta-btn-link-focus;}.css-1xok8cp:hover{color:#fff;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:#B30010;border:none;}WATCH THE STAIRCASE ON HBO MAX. 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