We want it. As well as being awarded her mother's life insurance payout, Atwater won a $25 million wrongful death suit against Michael Peterson. Then, yet another bombshell came up. I walked away with less of an opinion of what happened than when I went into it, Sophie Turner, who plays Ratliffs daughter Margaret, told ABC, with Firth echoing her sentiment. Usually it was the result of direct trauma to the bone and was common in strangulation or attempted strangulation," she noted. Author, freelance writer and self-employed recruiter. On Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson found his wife, Kathleen, dead at the bottom of the back staircase. 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. On December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson found his wife, Kathleen Peterson, dead at the bottom of the back staircase in the 11,000-square-foot mansion that they shared with their children in Durham, North Carolina. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. 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. The most recent Durham County tax appraisal is $1.9 million. A video accompanying the in-depth News & Observer piece gave Michael an opportunity to talk about his everyday post-prison life. Ratliff had assigned Michael as guardian of her kids and left him her entire estate. Michael Peterson was a writer, and many said he has the kind of ego which craves the spotlight. May 5, 2022, 9:41 AM PDT. Where is Morgan from the Murdaugh Murders now? The accident scene was a bloodbath inconsistent with a tumble down the stairs. In the spring before Gates bought the home in June 1989, it was a location for the 1990 movie The Handmaids Tale, which was filmed in Durham and Raleigh and starred Robert Duvall, Faye Dunaway and Natasha Richardson. However, when he called back minutes later, he claimed that she was no longer breathing. But there was no 9,429-square-foot palatial home with a redwood-paneled authors study for Michael to return to. In Michael Peterson's murder trial, the prosecution's case focussed on money - or the couple's lack of it - as a motive. 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. So who really was she? Kathleen Peterson. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. Monday, July 13, 2020. Call-guy talks. In November 1985, Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in her home. The exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. We know she lived at 1810 Cedar Street in a well to-do suburb of Durham, North Carolina. During the trial, evidence suggested she was hit with a fire poker after a heated argument about Michael Petersons closeted sexuality. The site of Kathleen Peterson's death in 2001 a nearly 9,500-square-foot mansion on a sprawling 3.4-acre lot in the heart of Durham has become a point of interest for true-crime fans and. Psychic Norbert will provide details . We know he stepped in her blood and stepped on her. Netflix acquired the series in 2018, once again reigniting fascination around the case. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone knows at least one wacky guy who wears shorts in cold weather. "Poor Kathleen is undergoing the tortures of the damned at Nortel. Michael and Kathleen Peterson. loans were so high they had no money left to live on. The judge resentenced him to 86 months, and Michael Peterson was released with time served. Evidence was found of Peterson soliciting male escorts and was paying for sex when Kathleen was murdered. Kathleen Peterson's life insurance was later split between her daughter, Caitlin Atwater, and her first husband Fred Atwater. There was a bloody shoe print found on the back of her sweatpants, which was a match to Petersons shoe. A successful career as an executive at the communications firm Nortel followed. lacerations on the back of her head were consistent with a beating. His fourth wife, Stacy. And as the Audubon Society pointed out, An owl strike can definitely cause blunt-force trauma. Peterson, then 58, was a successful writer; Kathleen, then 48, a telecommunications executive. Michael told Dr. Phil McGraw that medical reports confirmed Liz Ratliff died of a stroke. Nortel had forced her to lay off some well-liked employees, according to an AP account from May 22, 2002. 'The Staircase' has put Kathleen Peterson in the spotlight. Lived In Hayward WI, Pine City NY, Pine City PA, Saginaw MI. Mrs. Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson, was born February 21, 1953, in Greensboro, North Carolina, and died of a tragic accident in her beloved home in Durham, North Carolina, Sunday, December 9, 2001. But other evidence pointed convincingly to Michaels guilt. Michael's sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson, were also in severe debt. At a news conference, Michael said, "Accepting this Alford plea has been the hardest thing I've ever done," via ABC11, as he had hoped to clear his name. In December 2011, after spending eight years in prison for Kathleen's murder, Michael was granted a new trial. 2 popular chain restaurants get B grades: Triangle sanitation scores (Feb. 28), Repealing North Carolinas pistol permit law makes everyone less safe | Opinion. This article was originally published on June 8, 2018, Heres What Happened To Riley In 'The Last Of Us' Video Game, Twitter Is Losing It Over Succession Ending With Season 4, Everything To Know About 'And Just Like That' Season 2, This 'The Last Of Us' Filming Error Reminds Fans Of 'Game Of Thrones' Mistakes, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. 9 comments 45% Upvoted Sort by: best level 1 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. Chief among them: A close friend of Petersons, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also been found dead at the bottom of a staircase, in 1985. Upon seizing Michael's computer, investigators found as many as 2000 images of naked men, along with email exchanges between Michael and a male escort, via NBC News. Furthermore, Jones said, a substantial amount of damning evidence was never included in the documentary. Margaret, Martha, Todd, and Clayton also believe the justice system failed their father. According to the houses current Zillow description, the 9,500-square-foot house sits on 3.5 acres, stands behind wrought iron gates, and is complete with stonewall walkways. Forensic expert Henry Lee gave a live in-court splatter demonstration to refute some of the blood evidence against Michael. 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." Michael moved into a two-bedroom condo, according to reporting from Cosmopolitan on June 11, 2018. His 2003 trial ended in a first-degree murder conviction and a sentence of life without parole. He developed a relationship with Sophie Brunet, the editor of the documentary filming his case. It came out that a leg injury he said happened during battle actually came from a car accident. Michael claimed that Kathleen had been suffering from blackouts due to stress. the beliefs you hold dear into a tangible, results-oriented set of According to Bustle, Peterson's son Clayton now lives in Maryland with his two children. 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. Why Thomas Crapper's Name Is Synonymous With The Toilet Even Though He Didn't Actually Invent It, Eerie Facts About Point Nemo, The Most Remote Location On Planet Earth, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. For instance, one theory suggested that the lacerations on the victim's head were caused by an owl, as "a microscopic feather was found in Kathleen Peterson's hand with some of her hair," via The News & Observer. 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. That means a decreased flow of blood to the brain, and it takes hours for that to happen. You can see the back of the property from the Kent Street side, which has barbed wire above the gate and No Trespassing signs. The NBC series most recently broadcast an update of Down the Back Staircase in 2017. Kathleen is an acclaimed Contact Center consultant and recognized industry visionary. And some believe that Kathleen Peterson died of simple, malicious negligence that Michael chose not to help Kathleen after an accidental fall. Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. Brainy bunch. 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. fbZC\/>W2n[Fi RzN`s_`%KZ@VZ!>W/wkUCenGU8vTO[&()wn %~*J%O1U`Yow O0?v_.^{Le#}k2^-@0\Lk 'k0nBtn9]IV^KA='9os7" The ending of Netflix's Triptych explained, Khlo Kardashian is living her best life on TikTok, Period-proof activewear to stop the leakage fear. The Staircase documentary is a vehicle for Michael Peterson, said Jones. Homicide detectives were called to the Peterson residence. The Horrific Autopsy Report Of Staircase Murder Victim Kathleen Peterson. "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. Shortly after the tragedy, Peterson allowed French documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade to conduct interviews with him, his kids, and his attorneys, most of which took place in the Peterson household. Despite the fact Michael was the one to call 911 the night Kathleen allegedly fell down the stairs, Michael soon . %PDF-1.6 % 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. They've [laid] off 45,000 people," he wrote. We know Kathleen Peterson was 48-years-old when she died. In 2018, Academy Award-winning French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade released The Staircase, a 13-episode Netflix documentary investigating the real causes of Peterson's passing. Per the publication, some reports have suggested that Michael Peterson was the last person to see Elizabeth alive, but Michael's lawyer pointed out inconsistencies with this theory. Author, freelance writer and self-employed recruiter. Michael Peterson went on trial for Kathleens murder in 2003 and was convicted in one of North Carolinas longest trials. Plus the death of Liz Ratliff in Germany was deemed inadmissible. Members of law enforcement were reportedly suspicious of the scene at the Peterson residence in Durham, North Carolina, with NBC News reporting, "there was so much bloodeverywhereon the victim, splattered up the stairwellthat they couldnt rule out foul play." She possessed a wide range of skills. Their marriage, a second for both, seemed happy. The front of the house at 1810 Cedar St. is visible from the street, but the entire 3.4-acre property is gated. Soon, the investigation looked inward at Michael as more of their personal life came out. Sociological errands. By the time Michael went to trial, Lestrade was already filming what would become his epic 13-episode documentary series. As reported by CNN, a judge ruled that the jury had been misled by former SBI agent Duane Deaver's bloodstain evidence; Deaver was also fired in 2011. They ranged from simple companionship to just about anything under the sun sexually. Resides in Orange, CA. Email trail. This week Sandy and I tackle a cold case from 2007 of Missing Mom Stacy Peterson who went missing from the home she shared with her abusive husband, former police officer Drew Peterson, who was later convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen. The house was owned by nationally recognized scholar and author Henry Louis Skip Gates Jr., who lived there while teaching at Duke. Also in 2019, Michael Peterson made a two-part appearance on Dr. Phil. "They had a real story, which lasted until May 2017. NetflixMichael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. Paramedics said that Kathleens blood had congealed, suggesting she died hours before he called 911. But those are just the basic facts. Kathleen died on December 9, 2001, so she never reached the end of the year to find out her fate. Related To Heather Peterson, Tiffany Peterson, Michael Peterson, Ronald Peterson. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Both Zillow and Redfin show the house was sold on Aug. 8, 2020 for $1.6 million dollars. In the early morning hours of December 9, 2001, authorities were called to the Durham, North Carolina home of Michael and . 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. At the time of her death, she was a vice president at Nortel Networks at the companys Research Triangle Park offices. Gates bought the house in June 1989. They noted that Michael was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. The theory, left out of the 2018 Netflix documentary The Staircase, posits that the lacerations found on Kathleen Petersons scalp were caused by the talons of an owl that attacked her outside. "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. There's a lot of information that wasn't shared about Michael and Kathleen's life in The Staircase. 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 couple combined their families into one household in the 5-bedroom 5-bath abode in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham. Peterson was charged with her murder, convicted at. The site of Kathleen Petersons death in 2001 a nearly 9,500-square-foot mansion on a sprawling 3.4-acre lot in the heart of Durham has become a point of interest for true-crime fans and viewers of the popular Netflix documentary series The Staircase.. Her husband was the prime suspect. And an owl expert testified that the appearance of a trident with three limbs converging to a point at roughly 30 degrees from each other, and a fourth limb converging to the same point at nearly 180 degrees from the centre limb of the other three limbs.. his wifes accidental fall down the stairs, used for the construction of the original. Kathleen Peterson, 48, who was a successful business executive and was Michael's second wife, was found dead on 9 December 2001. Her hands and arms had contusion bruises but not her legs, which suggests evidence of a struggle. Today, Caitlin is married and is now known as . As reported by Lawrence Journal-World, "Prosecutors introduced evidence of [Michael] Petersons bisexuality and attempts to hire a male prostitute," suggesting that an argument could have broken out between husband and wife over the revelation. And it looked as though someone had tried to clean up blood from the wall near the stairs. Instead of facing a new trial in 2017, Peterson instead opted for an Alford Plea for voluntary manslaughter. However, Michael Peterson himself didnt return home after his release. 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. 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. This, they said, led to a heated argument that ended with Michael pushing Kathleen down the stairs. Her husband, Michael Peterson, found her. Thats all for this week. At 2:40 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Peterson called 911 to say he'd found his wife's body at the bottom of a staircase. Still, experts could not say with certainty that this was her cause of death. Not one shred of evidence. Investigators later brought in a forensic meteorologist who determined it was 51 to 55 degrees outside that night, a little too cold for beach clothes, which made investigators question whether he was really at the pool when Kathleen fell. But she never let her own feelings affect the course of editing.". "It is simply not possible for me to discuss this with Kathleen.". Kathleen and Fred married in 1977 and had a daughter, Caitlin, but they divorced after she discovered his affair. Day 26: Alex Murdaugh jury to visit Moselle Wednesday before closing arguments, SC attorney general steps in to close out states murder case against Alex Murdaugh. Her husband, novelist Michael Peterson, became the center of the investigation and was. 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. Kathleen Peterson, when she died on December 9, 2001, was 48 years old. Michael continues to live in Durham, North Carolina, having moved into a two-bedroom condo, via The Independent. But in 2003, he went to jail for life without the possibility of parole, a result of being convicted of the 2001 murder of his wife, Kathleen Peterson. But Michael hit a rough patch when he decided to run for mayor of Durham. Her husband, Mike, was convicted of her murder in a case that made national news on Court TV. And thats exactly what Larry Pollard, a friend and neighbor of the now-free but convicted felon Michael Peterson, says he believes happened to Kathleen Peterson on the night a jury was led to believe her husband, Michael, killed her. 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. In February 2017, to avoid going to trial again, Michael Peterson entered an Alford plea, which "acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him of voluntary manslaughter and accepted the guilty verdict for the felony without admitting guilt," via The News & Observer. Son uncooperative. We know she had one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, two adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, and two step-sons,. And one intriguing theory involving an owl suggests that it may not have been a murder at all. Photos of her shaved head surfaced early on in the investigation, leading detectives (and later the prosecuting team) to believe she had been struck multiple times with a large, blunt object (the notorious blowpoke as referenced in the film.) 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. She was an executive at Nortel, mother to Caitlyn, step-mother to Clayton and Todd (Mike's kids from a previous marriage . Peterson subsequently ended up raising Ratliffs young daughters, alongside his own two sons, as Ratliffs husband had died previously. As reported by CNN Law Center, medical examiner Dr. Kenneth Snell had initially marked Kathleen's death as an "accident" caused by falling down the stairs. Bylines in the Daily Beast, Seattle Times, Classic Rock Magazine, LouderSound. This, however, barely featured in The Staircase's depiction of the trial. He did find himself a post-lockup girlfriend, however, in one of the editors of The Staircase. We are surrounded by Angels and Other Enlightened Beings who wish to help us as we travel on our journey and experience the grand adventure of life. 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. Peterson is now serving a life term. August 8, 2008 What? Peterson was arrested May 7th, 2009, in connection with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. If she was attacked by an owl, she would have been screaming her head off, she said. 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. Hosts with the most. Although Michael Peterson reported Kathleen's death as an accident to the 911 dispatcher, when paramedics and police officers arrived at the Petersons' home, they were . 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. Michael Peterson accused of murdering his wife Kathleen in December 2001 Kathleen found unconscious by Michael in North Carolina home, died short after Michael was convicted for murder in 2003 . It does resist clarity. Here are five facts to know about the case: 1. He lost the election. In the lead-up to Kathleen's death, Nortel had been making a large proportion of its staff redundant - as many as two thirds (or 45,000 workers) apparently. Fury purchased the home from Jason Balius, the former co-owner of the Mad Hatter Bakeshop in Durham. As viewers of both the documentary and HBO Max's adaptation will quickly learn, the crime scene looked extremely shocking. Per Lawrence Journal-World, the Petersons had accrued "credit card debt of $143,000" at the time of Kathleen's death. There is even a scene filmed on the back staircase where Kathleen Peterson died. And it speaks to our desire for clarity. The trial of Michael Peterson saw untold twists and revelations, and a new HBO miniseries starring Colin Firth as Michael and Toni Collette as Kathleen looks likely to blow the whole thing open again. 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.