'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? So that's why today I'm very uncomfortable because I feel that I've been betrayed in a way.". In the end, Lestrade and Brunet won and the scene with Clayton Peterson was included in the documentary instead. With The Staircase's true-crime drama available to watch on HBO Max now and the original The Staircase documentary streaming on Netflix, it is ultimately up to viewers to form their own opinion on what they believe happened on the evening Kathleen Peterson died. document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 1440 GMT <\/span>'); She agrees to help them and tips them off that the SBI is very corrupt and should be looked into. Elizabeth Ratliff, shown in the Netflix docu-series "The Staircase.". In the fifth episode, Brunet and Lestrade are seen arguing with their producer over which clip to delete from the documentary. The series takes great inspiration from de Lestrade's documentary and even includes the director (played by Vincent Vermingon) and his documentary team. The similar nature of Elizabeth's and Kathleen's deaths was enough to leave the jury serving on Michael's trial in Durham significantly suspicious. Elizabeth Ratliff's children Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore and Martha Ratliff. In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide". (We dont know if this is factual or just a dramatized coincidence.) During Michael's trial, Cheryl Appel-Schumacher, one of the late schoolteacher's friends, recalled that Elizabeth had severe headaches a few days before she was found dead. Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. he spits. Netflix's 'The Staircase': How did Elizabeth Ratliff really die? Elizabeth's Ratliff's sudden death in November 1985 became of great significance in the case against Michael Peterson during his trial for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court, but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. 1 day ago, by Njera Perkins In 2017, Michael is contemplating taking the Alford plea, in which he would have to plead guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for a reduced sentence, but he could not be retried. Around that same time, Elizabeth and George grew close to the Petersons, their neighbors, bonding over Michael being a Vietnam War veteran and his then-wife Patricia being her coworker. She even scheduled a doctor's appointment out of concern, and had an appointment the next week. Nearly two decades before Michael's wife, Kathleen, was found lifeless at the bottom of a staircase, there was a woman named Elizabeth Ratliff, whose death would become crucial to the prosecution's story. Inevitably, the series includes elements of fiction, particularly the flashback scenes to Kathleen (Toni Collette) and Michael Peterson's marriage and the days leading up to her death. Michael moved back to the United States, taking his adopted daughters with him, and met Kathleen Peterson in 1986. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. The story follows author Michael Peterson (portrayed by Colin Firth) who finds his wife, Kathleen (Toni Collette) dead at the bottom of the staircase in their Durham, NC home in 2001. Where is Morgan from the Murdaugh Murders now? Margaret and Martha would be raised by Michael and his second wife, Kathleen Atwater, whom he met in 1986. The last person believed to see her alive was Michael Peterson the night before when their families had dinner together in her home. Wouldnt it make more sense to leave them with a relative.unless Elizabeth wanted Michael to know and raise his daughter along were her sister together. As per reports, Elizabeth often had dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would stay back to clean up or tuck her little girls to bed, which is precisely what they unwittingly did on her last evening alive. He and Patty later adopted two young daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, after their mother, Elizabeth Ratliff (a Peterson family friend), died in Germany in 1985. On November 25, 1985, Elizbeth Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of her staircase, in an eerily similar way to the way Michael Peterson's wife, Kathleen Peterson was found on December 1, 2001. However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. Scott Stevenson was the editor on the in-court stuff, she had nothing to do with it. Ratliff, a. The Scene of Her Death. The pair "had a loving, almost familial relationship," Patty described. Michael ultimately takes the Alford plea, which involves the defendant acknowledging there is enough evidence to find him guilty of charges while also maintaining innocence, and is sentenced to time already served. The News & Observer, Durham's local news outlet, reported how "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned" upon hearing their father's guilty verdict. Elizabeth's death was initially ruled an accident, but when her body was exhumed during the trial for a second autopsy in April 2003, the coroner found sufficient evidence to categorize it as a homicide. Did Michael Peterson Kill Elizabeth Ratliff? However, it was carried out by Durham-based state pathologist Dr. Deborah L. Radisch. "The blood was all the way up the staircase.". After Vietnam, retired Marine Captain Michael joined Patty in Germany and the couple quickly became good friends with Elizabeth Ratliff and her husband George, also a Captain in the military. Although I do feel that the police did not act in all honesty with some of their actions, I do feel that no matter what, the jury saw through the shoddy case and found him guilty anyway. When producer Denis Poncet (Frank Feys) and director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (Vincent Vermignon) come across the Peterson story, they wonder if there is a story there. Margaret and Martha lived with Michael Peterson but were never adopted by him. In the documentary, Michael remembers he and his then-wife, Patricia, had dinner at the Ratliff home and he stayed behind to help Elizabeth put Martha and Margaret to. Story goes there was a lot of blood at the scene of Liz's death, according to the three women who testified at the trial Furious she confronts Michael with her findings. He described the scene as "complete fiction" adding that "for anybody who knows anything about the criminal justice system, it totally undermines the credibility of the entire film.". Kathleen even has a brief run-in with Freda Black. As it came to light that Kathleen was not the first woman associated with Michael to be found dead at the bottom of the staircase, Elizabeths remains were exhumed for more information. Radisch's reported concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's death had actually been as a result of a "homicidal assault", and not an accident as was previously determined. } else if ( host.indexOf("asia.cnn.com") != -1 ) { I feel here is where things took a turn. It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. Above, the real David Rudolf (R) and Michael Peterson (L) appear in court. In HBO Max's The Staircase, Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche) appears throughout the series, at first working to edit the documentary film released in 2004 and later as Peterson's romantic partner. In 2001, Kathleen calls Candace to apologize for their argument over Thanksgiving and Michael notices a bunch of owls above their home. Brunet also stressed in the same article that her relationship with Peterson began later than depicted in the series and that her editorial decisions were not affected. German investigators ruled Ratliff had died due to a cerebral hemorrhage. defense lawyer Thomas Maher asked. . But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. And she said to me, 'So you're going to be content just being an old grandfather?' Bill Peterson (Tim Guinee), Michaels brother, is his biggest ally and works with the lawyers and the family to try and keep everything in order while it feels like chaos. Here's the OTHER Death at the Center of Netflix's The Staircase. In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". To begin with, he said that the scene where he was introduced to Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth) in a diner while eating pastrami did not happen in real life. } else if ( host.indexOf("edition.") Now at this time a few things couldve happened-whatever he struck her with at the front door, he now needed to get rid of, so as she lay dying at the bottom of the stairs, he changed out of any bloodied clothes and got rid of them with the item he struck her with. host = new String(location.hostname); In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. To quote, 'help him' on his appeal. 1 week ago, by Kelsie Gibson Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. Click Here to try 4 Free Trial Issues of Time! 10 votes, 25 comments. Lestrade appears throughout the series, filming Michael in the most mundane and dramatic of moments, capturing his family and his entire trial, appeal, and release. Elizabeth now feeling frustrated and not wanting to continue being alone with 2 small children told him she was going to go tell his wife that her daughter Margaret was Michael's daughter (as you can see the incredible similarities between she and Michael as well as his boys Todd & Clayton with Patty) https://flic.kr/p/JR7p1K In 2011, a retrial hearing is granted after Duane Deaver, the analyst that had given the damning evidence against Michael at the first trial, finds himself under investigation. host = host.toLowerCase(); Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. And then when the appeal was over, for the next, whatever, eight years, I represent them for free, and never charge them a penny, I paid my own expenses. "I could not give her what she really needed and deserved, and that would be a full-time partner living with her in Paris. Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." He also has the option of pleading not guilty and again facing a new trial in front of a jury. Peterson has to hire a high-powered defense team for his trial. When re-examined, Elizabeth's relationship with Michael's family and the details of her passing thicken the plot of this engrossing true-crime case. So you know, the bottom line of all of that, is it creates this impression that this Academy Award-winning director, a documentarian was twisting his film for a completely unethical purpose to help the subject. In The Staircase, Patty recalls how they would all eat together and how Michael would regularly stay behind to help Elizabeth clean up and put her daughters to bed. Seeing Margaret everyday no doubt caused her much stress and probably was the reason for many arguments that eventually led to the divorce. Later, Jean-Xavier shows Sophie the latest footage of his chat with Michael, where he explains his bisexuality. The medical examiner rules that the cause of death was blunt force trauma. First, her death was ruled natural After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. His analysis of the crime scene suggested that most of the blood splatter on the . Two Ukrainian women look back at one year of war, Why you shouldn't go into TikTok's "monk mode". But if he lied about something that big what else did he lie about? It was a unanimous decision by all 12 jury members. Newsweek reached out to HBO and director Antonio Campos's representatives. Michael had also been caught in a lie in the press when he claimed he won a Purple Heart in Vietnam when he had not. Peterson was the. When they meet, they fall in love, and she leads the charge on the Owl Theory. In 2003, Michael Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Kathleen Peterson after she was found dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the staircase in their home on December 9, 2001. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. two adorable daughters into their lives Margaret and Martha Ratliff. Elizabeth Ratliff, a 43-year-old widow who taught second grade at a U.S. Department of Defense School, was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs on November 25, 1985. The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. Tragedy struck, however, in 1983, when Elizabeth's husband George was killed in a secret military operation overseas. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, Texas. A friend of Elizabeth Ratliff's also testified about a bloody death scene. The neighbour, Karin Hamn, testified that she saw MP hurrying away from ER's house at 12.50 am on November 25th. She was the first woman in Michael Peterson's life found dead at the bottom of a staircase, and featured in the aptly titled Netflix series "The Staircase.". Elizabeth Ratliff, 43, was a close Peterson family friend who died in Germany in 1985. The defense maintains that the deaths are only similar on the surface, and Peterson plans to prove that to the judge--and the jury, if he rules against them--if necessary. The similarities between the deaths of Elizabeth Ratliff and Kathleen Peterson raised eyebrows among the Durham authorities. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The critically acclaimed documentary of the same name came out in 2004 a few years after the trial and is now available to stream on Netflix, while this fictionalized version tells the tale of The. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. At the time, her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany and an autopsy concluded she had died from an intracerebral hemorrhage. I believe that the 2 were out by the pool having a glass or 2 of wine as they often did. Colin Firth as Michael Peterson in "The Staircase." The Innocence Project gets involved and approaches Freda Black, now working at a dry cleaner, for information. The DAs case focuses mainly on Michael Petersons lifestyle. We never charge him another cent and the appeal was done on a court-appointed basis.". Peterson agreed to an Alford plea, which enables him to maintain his innocence in the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001. A few people have suspected an affair between Michael and Elizabeth turning sour as his motive for murder, but the novelists former wife Patricia has always vehemently backed him up. (We'll get back to that.). Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband, George, who was a captain in the military. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. Additionally, he was unimpressed with some of the early court scenes. While looking for something in the study or den, Kathleen either stumbled upon the emails exposing Michaels bisexual desires either on the computer or possibly a hard copy of something. The real-life Rudolph is seen above. Michael struggles with life outside of prison and sees his children are struggling as well. "There was blood splatter all over those walls. He said they wanted the same medical examiner who claimed that Peterson's wife wasn't accidental to perform the autopsy rather than a neutral pathologist in Texas as he suggested. Although the 13-part programme centres around the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson at her home in Durham, North Carolina, she wasn't the only woman linked to Michael Peterson to have been found dead at the bottom of a staircase. At the hearing for the Alford plea, the courtroom is noticeably less full. "It was a platonic relationship," she told documentary makers. We didn't get paid anything for the appeal. Elizabeth's updated autopsy report indicated that she died from homicidal assault. He paid that, or his brother paid it and that was it. Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. Peterson had been at her house the night before her death. The author's ex-wife Patty maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth worked in the same school as Michael's then-wife, Patty. He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. On April 16, 2003, the state medical examiner's office carried out a second autopsy on Elizabeth Ratliff's body. "It is further my opinion that these injuries were incurred while Mrs. Ratliff was alive and are of sufficient severity to have caused her death.". Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. But . So much so, that the court in Durham ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's body from her grave in Texas. She continued: "Rather, they are indicative of multiple blunt force impacts, either from blows to the head caused by a blunt object or by the head being forcibly struck against a hard surface. Her husband, George Ratliff, died shortly before her in a secret military operation overseas in 1983, according to CourtTV. I believe that Kathleen excused herself to go get ready for a meeting the next morning. Elizabeth Ratliff Wasn't Murdered It's been incredibly infuriating that people keep insisting that Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth. Like Kathleen, she'd been found at the bottom of a staircase. "There are many things in the first five episodes, which I've seen that are inaccurate, misleading, and outright false," Rudolph told Newsweek. A one-stop-shop for all things video games. She was not close to her sisters, Appel-Schumacher said on cross-examination, and thought it would be good for the girls to live with the Petersons in Europe if anything ever happened to her. She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. They were 2 and 1 years old when Ratliff died. So much so, that Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out by the Durham Medical Examiner. Her life was thus incredibly different from her Rhode Island farm upbringing, especially as shed eventually found herself working at an elementary school at the Rhein-Main Air Force Base in West Germany. Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. He has since insisted she was completely okay when he walked out the door, yet the following morning, the girls nanny found her dead at the bottom of the stairs Elizabeth passed away on November 25, 1985. 1 week ago, by Joely Chilcott The final episode of the series is told through three time periods 2001, the day before Kathleens death, 2011, the night before Michaels retrial, and 2017, when Michael is contemplating the Alford plea. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. The defense will cross-examine Deaver Tuesday. So why would you? Meanwhile, Michael's defense attorneys hire their own blood spatter experts, who testify that the blood patterns are just not consistent with a brutal strike to the head. So Im sure there is some emotion heard in the 911 call, Im sure he did love Kathleen and Elizabeth. All external sites will open in a new browser. As HBOs hit limited series The Staircase comes to a close, it is time to take a look back and assess what we just witnessed. Todd, who used to be the responsible son, now seems to be falling apart as Clay, who used to be the irresponsible one, has fallen into the role of caretaker. At the time, her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany and an autopsy concluded she had died from an intracerebral hemorrhage. ", Her death was eventually ruled a homicide. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. Both Peterson and his wife raised his two daughters, Margaret and Martha,as if they were their own. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. The Netflix series, originally a documentary produced by a French company, examines his original trial. Jean and Sophie dont know what to think anymore. The nanny who found Elizabeth Ratliff's body in 1985 also took to the stand at Michael Peterson's murder trial and testified to witnesses about a large amount of blood at the scene. What happened to Elizabeth Ratliff? Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters continue to believe Mike Peterson. For exhumation, she has to receive permission from Caitlin, who vehemently denies her request. So much so, that the court in Durham ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's body from her grave in Texas. He later adopted Ratliff's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. RELATED: Colin Firth & Toni Collette on 'The Staircase' and What They Hope Audiences Take Away From It. The North Carolina medical examiner performed a second autopsy and concluded that Ratliff was beaten to death and that the German authorities missed the signs. Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. The night before Elizabeth's death, Michael Peterson and his wife had dinner with Elizabeth and her two young daughters. The Staircase launches on Netflix on 8 June. During Michael's trial, Cheryl Appel-Schumacher, one of the late schoolteacher's friends, recalled that Elizabeth had severe headaches a few days before she was found dead. Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. Odessa Young and Sophie Turner as Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters Martha and Margaret. "I don't know that you could possibly make a more serious and damaging claim against a documentarian than that, especially when it's completely and utterly false and demonstrably false. Rudolf is highly skeptical of the documentary crew following their every move but eventually has to relent. deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned". His appeal is rejected, but the documentary is a huge hit and renews interest in his case. Ratliff's two young daughters ended up living with Michael Peterson, and he raised them in North Carolina with his two sons from his first marriage. She was very happy while planning a party she threw for Appel-Schumacher and her new husband two nights before she died, the witness recalled. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. "What's the fucking grounds?" Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Staircase on HBO Max. That was then confirmed by another doctor and the military police. He said: "I went to Germany, I investigated that whole thing. She refuses to binge-watch anything. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The Staircase airs Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. He also said thatthe person wearing apair of bloody shorts and bloody sneakers--both belonging to Michael Peterson--had to be present in the stairwell or just outside when Kathleen Peterson's head or a pool of her blood were hit with great force. This meant he admitted the evidence against him would likely lead to a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but he did not have to admit he committed the crime. She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. In that case, it's thought that Ratliff succumbed to her blood clotting disorder via an intra-cerebral hemorrhage and then fell down the stairs after she was already deceased. She edited the scenes of us in the house, you know, meeting with experts, that sort of thing," he continued. I spoke with a German investigator. On the night of her death, Todd pops by and sees Michael and Kathleen watching a movie and having a lovely evening together. The details of Elizabeth Ratliff's second autopsy were submitted as prosecuting evidence in Michael Peterson's trial for the murder of his wife, Kathleen. "Prosecutors spent thousands of dollars transporting her boy 12,000 miles from Bay City, Texas to Chapel Hill," Defense AttorneyDavid Rudolf said on "The Staircase." Elizabeth Ratliff Autopsy - 4 Autopsy Report -- Elizabeth Ratliff U.S. Army doctor Dr. Larry A. Barnes carried out an autopsy on Elizabeth and confirmed that a cerebral haemorrhage was her cause of death. 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