When investigators looked into her death though, they suspected foul play due to the shocking amount of blood on the scene, and that the only witness was her husband. Nonetheless, he admits that his case has all the makings of a good true crime drama: Now we have the real thing: sex, money, and murder: The Michael Peterson case. Their son, Clayton, shared that the former spouses cohabited an apartment in Durham, the same town in which Michael and Kathleen had lived. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. However, it might be his hopes of writing a new book that will give him a place in society once again. The woman who The Staircase viewers may be mistaking for Peterson's new wife could well be Sophie Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche), an . Michael and Patricia later divorced, and not long after, he moved in with telecoms exec Kathleen Atwater before eventually tying the knot in 1997. Hes in a ground floor apartment with no stairs that was really important accommodation.. Likes science fiction, true crime, coming-of-age stories, teen dramas, and some other things as well. At the center of the story is Kathleen and Michael's sprawling Colonial home, located in Durham's tony Forest Hills neighborhood. She also campaigned for the Durham County District Court, to no avail. After breaking up with Sophie (Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty (Trini Alvarado). Milan Polk is an Editorial Assistant for Men's Health who specializes in entertainment and lifestyle reporting, and has worked for New York Magazine's Vulture and Chicago Tribune. Soon after Georges death in an overseas operation, in 1983, Elizabeth lost her life in circumstances so similar to Katherines death that her body was exhumed during Michaels trial in search of evidence of foul play. Because in fact, the story didn't really end there. Reprieve for Michael came in the form of prosecutorial impropriety, which forced the judge to grant him a new trial in 2011. Heres what went on in their lives after the events portrayed in The Staircase. No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. We may earn a commission through links on our site. The pair moved in together in 2019. Hes still married to Becky (Hannah Pniewski), with whom he has two children. Im innocent. Therefore, Michael lives a modest life in Durham, North Carolina. Read ahead to learn more about Michael Peterson and where he is now. Brad even testified at Michael Peterson's trial and under cross-examination, stated Michael Peterson spoke about Kathleen Peterson, calling her a "dynamite wife," reported the NZ Herald. Since his release from prison on bond in 2011 and his official release in 2017, Peterson has returned to his passion for writing, publishing two books about his trial, his life behind bars, and the taste of freedom. Michael Peterson murder trial in July 2003. Despite being found guilty of murder, in 2011, Peterson was granted another trial which was set to take place in 2017. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. To boot, the couple was in severe credit card debt, to the tune of $100,000. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Unlike Michael and Todd, he has never spoken publicly about The Staircase. Three episodes in, the series-runners drop a major bombshell: Peterson was the last person to see another woman who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in Germany in 1985. Michael and Patty, along with their young boys, reportedly resided in Germany for quite a while around the 1980s, where they befriended their closeby neighbors, George and Elizabeth Ratliff. The dried blood atop her head was a clue that she'd been there for a while, and since Michael was the only person in the house at that time, he was the only suspect. "That we dont cheat or invent evidence, that we actually care about truth and representing people as well as they can be represented. In 2002, Caitlin filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Michael. Peterson sold the house he owned with his wife Kathleen back in 2004.Today, the 78-year-old is completely free and out of prison. ", It turns out Firth landed the role out of pure Hollywood happenstance. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Then there was Kathleens $725,000 life insurance policy (which doubled to $1.4 million in the case of accidental death) of which Michael was the beneficiary (not to mention the almost $400,000 in deferred compensation benefits he was owed from Nortel upon her passing). Michaels wife was found lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in the couples residence. According to the News and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. Police also uncovered transactional emails the supposedly devoted husband had exchanged with a male prostitute in the months before the killing, as well as a plethora of pornographic images on his computer. The topic is also at the center of Rudolfs 2022 book, American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System. Their mom had been Elizabeth Ratcliff, the family friend who'd died falling down the stairs in Germany decades before Kathleen Peterson, per Cosmopolitan. The steps sit just beyond the darkened opening on the right side of the kitchen in the photograph above. Is 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Based on a True Story? According to him, Michael waited three hours to call 911 while Patty was having a heart attack. Her son, Todd, has accused Michael of waiting over three hours to call 911 after realizing that Patty was feeling sick. As shown in the HBO Max miniseries, de Lestrade went into fiction after working on The Staircase. ", one of the longest of its kind in North Carolina history, is not synonymous with his conviction being overturned, losing the civil suit his step-daughter, Caitlin Atwater, brought against him, Michael Peterson's first wife, Patricia "Patty" Peterson, forced to sell his assets, including the family home. Stalk It: Michael Petersons former house, featured in The Staircase, is located at 1810 Cedar Street in Durham, North Carolina. "We made plans to live in Paris. Peterson had a different rationale, Rudolf said. It also chronicles the work of French documentarist Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, who, from 2003 to 2018, worked on a docuseries about the case also titled The Staircase. Life is really full of surprises. He is, however, still connected with his own firm, Rudolf Widenhouse. By taking the plea, he admitted that the prosecution had enough evidence to secure a manslaughter conviction. The docu-series follows Petersons trial for the murder of his wife Kathleen,who was found dead at the bottom of their staircase in their Durham, North Carolina home on December 9, 2001 as well as the aftermath. The miniseries will draw on the2018 Netflix documentarythat followed the same case. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Michael and Patty split up in 1986. Michael purchased the 9,372-square-foot property in August 1992 for $600,000. But part of the central pull of "The Staircase," aside from its various twists and turns (among which included the discovery that a close family friend of Peterson's had died under similar circumstances, also involving a staircase, nearly 17 years prior to Kathleen's death), was the central figure to the story. Game of ThronesactressSophie Turnerwill appear as one of Michael's adopted daughters, Margaret Ratliff. According to a June report by The Sun, Peterson continues to live in Durham and has self-published two books about his life during the murder trial and his life following his release from prison. To recap the case, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her . Her parents influence on her career, Where is Mary Roach from American Idol now? Peterson now lives in a 1,200 square foot condo, shell always see him responsible for her sisters death, Peterson will be considered a convicted felon. Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? During a CrimeCon speech, Peterson's attorney, David Rudolf, shot down reports his client made bank from the Netflix series. However, back in 2002, streaming hadnt been invented yet, and young Margaret had no idea just how much her life would be in the public eye in the following decades. He was sentenced to seven years and a month in prison, but got out right away having already served eight years after his first trial. But she never let her own feelings affect the course of editing.". The filmmakers had explored the American justice system in a case with a public defender, and wanted to explore a case with a wealthy defendant. He was sentenced to time served and is today a free man. I couldn't afford to live in Paris, and my children and grandchildren were in America." "He is innocent of any involvement in Kathleen's death," she insisted to The News & Recordin 2014. At the moment, very little is known about Peterson's private life. .css-13y9o4w{display:block;font-family:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-13y9o4w:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.05rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.3;}}Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? Judge Clifton . Defense attorney David Rudolf talked toOxygenabout Michaels current living situation: He is living in Durham Im not sure why hes living in Durham, but he is. Peterson's adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha, live in California . The case that dominated such a large part of his life still haunted him, however. In a livestream that has since been uploaded to YouTube, he accuses Michael of murdering not only Kathleen, but also his mother, Patricia, and family friend Elizabeth. And what's his life like today? Flash-forward to the present day and true-crime enthusiasts want to know every possible detail about Peterson's life and personal relationshipslike, does he have a new wife? Despite actors playing the people involved, the limited series is very much a true story in which Peterson is still alive (and living freely) today. Speaking to The News & Observer, Michael Peterson shared their relationship came to an end because he did not want to live in Paris. They took care of each other.. Still estranged from her step-siblings, she currently lives with her husband and twin children in Virginia. According to a June report by The Sun, Peterson continues to live in Durham and has self-published two books about his life during the murder trial and his life following his release from. Rudolf, sick of negative depictions of criminal defense lawyers, got on board. "I'm too old. The documentary follows Michael Peterson from his wifes death in December 2001 to his release in 2017. However, it was nearly a very different ending. The 9,400-square-foot mansion at 1810 Cedar St. in Durham, North Carolina was listed for $1.9 million on Tuesday, according to local outlet WRAL. In 2001, Kathleen was found unconscious at the bottom of their staircase in Durham, North Carolina and was pronounced dead. Currently living in Colorado, Martha works as a psychotherapist, helping people that suffer from the same problems that afflicted her. Selling the house at its [original $1.175 million] asking price would still not cover all of Petersons debts.. Then I went and realized, no, I can't. Then theres the haunting violin score. To be fair, according to A Perfect Husband, Aphrodite Jones 2004 book about the case, Petersons defense attorney David Rudolf had the staircase boarded up on December 14, 2001, just days after the killing, in order to preserve evidence. Michael Peterson married Patricia Sue in 1968 and they later welcomed two boys: Todd and Clayton. The last person to see her alive was Michael Peterson. The prosecution suggested that Michael killed his wife after they got in a fight supposedly initiated by Kathleen's discovery of more than 2,000 explicit images of men on Michael's computer in addition to emails in conversation with a young male escort he was planning on reuniting with after meeting a few months prior. At the time of her mother's death, Caitlin Atwater supported her stepfather and after his arrest told the press of his innocence. Considering Deaver's testimony had largely swayed the jury at Peterson's trial in 2003, Peterson was granted a retrial hearing, and was released from prison in 2011. Her partnership with de Lestrade is still going strong, with Brunet having edited his two TV series after The Staircase, true crime drama Latitia, and the political thriller Jeux dInfluence. Michael and Patricia parted after she died due to a massive heart attack in July 2021. Still married to journalist Sonya Pfeiffer (Teri Wyble), defense attorney David Rudolf (Michael Stuhlbarg) relocated to Toronto in 2021, where he works for litigation and corporate law firm Brauti Thorning LLP. As the first iteration of "The Staircase" detailed, Kathleen was found at the bottom of the titular staircase in the couple's Durham mansion in 2001, an incident which immediately raised the hackles of local law enforcement, who believed her death was the result of homicide on the part of her husband. Michael Peterson had two sons, Clayton AND Todd, and Kathleen Peterson had a daughter, Caitlin, from her previous marriage to Fred Atwater. Skyler Caruso is the Editorial Assistant of PEOPLE Digital. The prosecution didn't accuse Peterson of Ratliff's death at his trial. It'll never go away now, it's just a part of our culture., Todd (Patrick Schwarzenegger) stood by his father's side throughout every twist and turn of the case. Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. In April 2001, they took out a second mortgage to help with the squeeze in finances. The company had also begun massive layoffs at the same time and Kathleens job security seemed tenuous at best. Her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany at the time and an autopsy concluded she had died from an intracerebral hemorrhage. According to theNews and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. "Michael Peterson, you are pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter," Zamperini said, according to local news sources. Although Peterson is out of prison and was granted a manslaughter charge as opposed to the original murder charge that he served nearly eight years in prison for, he maintains his innocence in all matters related to the case. And in addition to the unanswered questions around her death, there were also unanswered questions on the guilt or innocence of her husband, Michael Peterson. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. The Staircase. After Michael and Pattys divorce, they went to live with Michael and Kathleen, whom they called mom, in the United States. According to CNN, Patty Peterson loaned Michael Peterson $168,000 to help him fight his case. ), who in turn put it on the market this past July for $1.9 million. And so, instead of watching some fictionalized account, we see the real thing happening. He's published at least one, maybe two books, since he's been out and, and he goes to the gym, and he sort of lives a normal life," the attorney told Newsweek. Per The News & Observer, Petersons defense left him indigent. Despite the fact Michael was the one to call 911 the night Kathleen allegedly fell down the stairs, Michael soon . So, it was an unusual choice to cast the "Bridget Jones' Diary" love-rival in HBO's "The Staircase." HBO Max's new drama The Staircase reenacts the entire story, documentary included, in a star-studded limited series out now. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America. Firth told Deadline that he didnt meet Michael before playing him in HBOs The Staircase. They married in 1987 and together they raised a large, blended family with children from previous relationships. Kathleen Peterson's death became a national, long-standing mystery with the 2004 documentary The Staircase. While there have been several retellings of the chilling case, like Netflix's take on it in 2018, HBO Max's rendition strives to reveal untold sides and different angles of the harrowing story, with Colin Firth as the lead. The shy, dull, and very British Mark Darcy is as far as you can get from the confounding and unpredictable American novelist Michael Peterson. Created by Antonio Campos, the eight-episode long miniseries stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette as novelist Michael Peterson and his second wife, Nortel executive, Kathleen Peterson. Defense Attorney David Rudolf knows that the public is divided on whether. He missed out on Kathleens life insurance policy, and his step-daughter, Caitlin, obtained a $25 million settlement from Michael via a wrongful death claim against him. He said: "We made plans to live in Paris. Todd and Clayton are Michael Peterson's sons from his first marriage to Patricia Peterson. They married in 1965 and moved to Durham, North Carolina. In Michael Peterson's case, however . In Lestrades docuseries, she speaks at length about her mental health issues. Most eerie of all, though, is the fact that a segment took place on the infamous back staircase! Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor . After Michaels release, Bill moved back to Reno, Nevada, where he lives with his family and works as a practicing partner in a full-service local firm. I felt that I wanted to keep my inspiration, my motivation, and the sense of the source material, as much as possible contained within the script and the way it was written..
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