.css-o05pt{display:block;font-family:Didot,Didot-fallback,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-shadow:0 0 0 #000,0 0 0.01em transparent;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-o05pt:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-o05pt{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}35 Classic Photos from the Academy Awards, 46 of the Coolest Set Photos in Movie History, 'Last of Us' Star Pedro Pascal Posts Upsetting IG, Everything to Know About the 95th Academy Awards, Storm Reid Knows How to Create Heartbreaking TV, Believe It: 'Ted Lasso' Returns This March, Ashley Park Joins 'Only Murders in the Building', Carrie & Aidan Go on a Beach Date in New Set Pics, Sam Smith Is Joining 'And Just Like That' S2, Elizabeth Banks on Cocaine Bear's Brilliant Chaos. The house was listed at $1.175 million, but reduced to $975,000 in 2003. Kathleen has one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, from her first marriage. Includes Address (6) Phone (4) Email (4) See Results. Michael Iver Peterson "Mike" to his friends is a 78-year-old novelist and decorated military veteran who once ran for mayor of Durham, North Carolina. About. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. By using this site, you agree to the Terms . It had cobwebs on it but no blood, which appeared to snuff out the prosecutions theory that the implement acted as the murder weapon. 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. She graduated first in her class. The Staircase. Corrections officers at the prison didnt always find him as charming as his old dinner party friends did, and he earned some time in solitary for mouthing off, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. According to Esquire, the couple moved in together three years later. "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. Michael and Kathleen married in 1997. Related To Heather Peterson, Tiffany Peterson, Michael Peterson, Ronald Peterson. Who is Constance Marten, the runaway aristocrat? Team Michael also furnished a fireplace blow poke they said they found in the house. On Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson found his wife, Kathleen, dead at the bottom of the back staircase. This type of plea allows the accused to maintain their innocence while also acknowledging that the prosecution likely has sufficient evidence to convict. While strictly circumstantial, the prosecution still achieved a guilty verdict, but many who have followed the case or have now learned about it from the series were never convinced that her husband Michael killed her OR that she fell down a flight of stairs. Kathleen worried that she would lose her own $145,000-a-year job amid the downsizing, the AP reported. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor . Kathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson in an undated photograph. Your tax-deductible investment will help us work to Usually it was the result of direct trauma to the bone and was common in strangulation or attempted strangulation," she noted. Around 2:40 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson called 911 to report finding Kathleen at the bottom of the back staircase in their million-dollar mansion. Following the show's airing, though, some want to learn more about the real details of . Missing murder weapon. Netflix acquired the series in 2018, once again reigniting fascination around the case. During their 22-year marriage from 1965 to 1987, the pair welcomed two sons, Clayton and Todd. North Carolina released Michael Peterson on bond in 2011. 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. The other thing is red neurons, Jones continued. She was a successful student and was the first woman admitted to Duke Universitys School of Engineering in 1967, where she earned her bachelors and masters degrees and met her first husband, physicist Fred Atwater. That means a decreased flow of blood to the brain, and it takes hours for that to happen. actions. He made a futile attempt to get rid of blood evidence and then called 911, the prosecution contended. I provide empathic and compassionate care in a safe space for individuals to explore . In response, the prosecution also argued that the motive could have been money. Like the fact the couple were in a lot of debt when Kathleen died. So what about the owl? Call 1-888-626-7386 Advisor Id: 42767. On top of that, there had been reports of owl activity in the neighborhood only weeks prior. If Forensic Files got an annual performance review, it would always exceed expectations in telling a story in 22 minutes without making viewers feel cheated but at the same time leaving them interested in finding out more. And it speaks to our desire for clarity. Instead of facing a new trial in 2017, Peterson instead opted for an Alford Plea for voluntary manslaughter. HBO Max's The Staircase adapts the documentary of the same name into a television series, and even brings the documentary filmmakers in as major characters. .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. 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. Michael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. 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. If she was attacked by an owl, she would have been screaming her head off, she said. If that address sounds familiar to you, its probably because you know the grisly history contained within its walls. He and Patricia split up, and he began a relationship with his neighbor Kathleen Hunt Atwater in Durham, North Carolina, in 1992. 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. She possessed a wide range of skills. Menu Log In Sign Up Kathleen Peterson had consumed alcohol and the autopsy report shows that she was almost in a state where she was too drunk to drive. Regardless of the truth, the similarities between Kathleen and Ratliff's deaths didn't help Michael's case. Another theorist suggested that Kathleen could have been "fatally banged up by a banister-mounted chair lift." After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). Investigators found out how Liz Ratliff, Margaret and Marthas mother, died. Toxicology showed a blood alcohol content of 0.07 percent, just under the legal limit, and blood concentration of Valium consistent with a therapeutic dose. Then, yet another bombshell came up. 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." HBO drops trailer for 'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage so he can give it to disgraced Andrew, Hoda Kotb's lengthy 'Today' show absence finally explained, Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, Fans troll Kim Kardashian for saving sexy two-piece look for kids prom, Chris Pine says Harry Styles did not spit on him, told a little joke instead, Presley Gerber says he made mistakes while battling depression, Gina Carano's Character Officially Written Out Of 'The Mandalorian' After Cancel Culture Backlash, Hoda Kotb's lengthy 'Today' show absence caused by 'family health matter'. Some psychic. So what were really looking at here is someone who allowed his wife to bleed out on the floor for hours before he called 911.. We've received your submission. 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. When paramedics arrived to render aid, Michael's son Todd was already . However, HBO Max's The Staircase gives viewers the opportunity to reexamine the circumstances surrounding Kathleen's death, while also delving into Michael's trial. 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." Her husband, Mike, was convicted of her murder in a case that made national news on Court TV. In 2018, Fury launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him pay for his own repairs, only to later list the home at a price of $1.9 million in 2020. When he finally went indoors, "he said he found his wife, crumpled and bloody and barely breathing at the bottom of the stairs," per ABC News. After several appeals, he entered an Alford plea meaning a defendant acknowledges that the prosecution has enough to convict them but maintains their innocence in 2017 to have his charge reduced to manslaughter. Michael, a writer and would-be politician, called emergency . He did find himself a post-lockup girlfriend, however, in one of the editors of The Staircase. Oh, and one more little thing: Investigators found thousands of gay male porn images and hookup conversations on Michaels computer. 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. 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