In 2001, Kathleen was found unconscious at the bottom of their staircase in Durham, North Carolina and was pronounced dead. Peterson was released while awaiting a new trial but ultimately decided not to take any chances (even with that oh-so-veritable owl theory in his arsenal) and in 2017 entered an Alford plea, whereby asserting his innocence but admitting the evidence would likely lead to a guilty verdict. The Staircase is set to premiere on May 5, 2022. However, Brunet claims to have waited until she was finished with the eight original episodes of The Staircase before sending her first letter to Peterson. According to CBS News, Peterson now lives in a 1,200 square foot condo, a big change from the mansion he once shared with his late wife, but as he told the news outlet, it's a life he's happy. Michael donates the proceeds from his book to charity as he wouldnt be allowed to keep them for himself. After serving in the Vietnam War, he began to write novels and newspaper columns about his experiences following his honorable discharge in 1971. Taking a cue from O.J. Though the rear stairway isnt featured in MLS images, the entrance to it is. Peterson's sons have always stood by their father, who has maintained his . Ahead of Michael Petersons' trial, Ratliff's body was exhumed for a second autopsy in April 2003, where a Durham medical examiner concluded the cause of death as "homicide." "That we dont cheat or invent evidence, that we actually care about truth and representing people as well as they can be represented. In 2019, he self-published two books Behind the StaircaseandBeyond the Staircase that detail his side of the story. While The Guardian proclaimed Firth to be "brilliant" and that "you cannot help watching to see if and which way he will fall," CNN called his acting skills "riveting work.". Hopewell Junction, NY 12533-5516 Parris Island, SC 29905-1070 Pleasant Valley, NY 12569-7731 Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. The steps sit just beyond the darkened opening on the right side of the kitchen in the photograph above. As Jones explains in A Perfect Husband, There were two worlds, it seemed, present in that old house, and perhaps the most symbolic reminders of that were the Petersons two staircases. Lincoln Rileys wife, Caitlin Buckley: She attended Rileys rival school, first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life, Michael still asserts that he did not kill Kathleen Peterson, Isabella Russos ethnicity Her Asian roots explained, What is Ines Tazis ethnicity? At the time of her mother's death, Caitlin Atwater supported her stepfather and after his arrest told the press of his innocence. They married in 1965 and moved to Durham, North Carolina. 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? 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. "You will be treated as guilty for murdering my sister Kathleen, and you will be a convicted felon forever.". I'm too old. 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. Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Kathleens death, and spent nearly a decade behind bars. And then Michael had two adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha. Earlier this year, Margaret co-produced a documentary feature titled Subject, directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall. 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. After her death, however, and during Petersons time behind bars, he was forced to file for bankruptcy. As a result, he was re-sentenced to time served and released from prison at that time. Her name was Elizabeth Ratliff, and she was a family friend of Peterson and his first wife Patricia, who was also living in Germany at the time. They took care of each other.". Since his release, Michael has avoided staying in houses with staircases, which is perhaps a good idea. Michael was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1943 before moving to work for the U.S. Department of Defense after college. Reprieve for Michael came in the form of prosecutorial impropriety, which forced the judge to grant him a new trial in 2011. Where Is Cary Stayner from Hulu's Captive Audience Now? Usually when you're convicted of murder, you're sentenced to something like life, or close to it, in prison and that's essentially that. During a CrimeCon speech, Peterson's attorney, David Rudolf, shot down reports his client made bank from the Netflix series. At the moment, very little is known about Peterson's private life. As shown in the miniseries, Assistant District Attorney Freda Black (Parker Posey) quit law and started working as a cleaner in the decade following Michaels conviction. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where he works as an engineer. Petersons overall nonchalant demeanor and regular giggling over aspects of the case are certainly perplexing. 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.. Another constant during the lengthy legal ordeal was Michael Peterson's first wife, Patricia "Patty" Peterson. In a recent interview with the Wrongful Conviction podcast, he talked about the role of the documentary in his trial and criticized the HBO miniseries, calling it an abomination and stating that Campos trashed his familys life. I don't speak French. Her son, Todd, has accused Michael of waiting over three hours to call 911 after realizing that Patty was feeling sick. He later met his first wife Patricia Sue, an elementary school teacher, in West Germany. However, it will be exclusively available onHBO Max. Currently, he resides in Durham, North Carolina but has since sold the house where Kathleen died. The writer produced a memoir in 2009 called Behind the Staircase, and a sequel Beyond the Staircase. The home where Michael Peterson allegedly killed his wife, Kathleen, nearly two decades ago as documented in the docuseries "The Staircase" is now on the market for a pricey sum. Because of all of the twists and turns that developed in the case, from the death itself having multiple theories, to the news of another woman from petersons past dying in a similar fashion, The Staircase originally premiered on TV in 2004 with eight episodes detailing the case and trial. As shown in the miniseries, Michael took the Alford plea in 2017, pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Rudolf said,"To suggest I assisted [Pfeiffer] with any interviews, that would be as much fiction as it is that a criminal defense lawyer is allowed in a Grand Jury proceeding. In 2001, Kathleen died on the staircase of the Peterson home in Durham, North Carolina. It is a great deal for the district attorney.". 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. At the time of his wifes death, Peterson had been an accomplished author and shed been a prominent fixture in their community as a businesses executive and engineer, so needless to say, they were an affluent couple. Stalk It: Michael Petersons former house, featured in The Staircase, is located at 1810 Cedar Street in Durham, North Carolina. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way. He also opines that by agreeing to pay, he would be admitting to murdering Kathleen. Following an investigation and an ensuing murder trial, the latter of which became one of the longest of its kind in North Carolina history, Michael Peterson was eventually found guilty. But with only eight episodes, the show has to leave a few details out, including the aftermath of the initial trial, and what happened to Michael Peterson after the jury gave him their verdict. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Were it not for SBI analyst Duane Deavers corruption, Michael Peterson would probably still be in jail. Michael had written a number of stories that were really critical of the Durham Police Department or the Mayors Office. In 2017, Michael submitted an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter. After Michael and Pattys divorce, they went to live with Michael and Kathleen, whom they called mom, in the United States. Where does Michael Peterson currently live? The prosecution at Michael Peterson's trial alleged Kathleen had found thousands of pornographic images of men on his computer and several emails between him and a man named Brad, where they discussed sex in detail. Alongside Pfeiffer, Rudolf is the owner of the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a huge financial blow to Michael. Brunet still works as a film and TV editor in France. 'The Staircase': Where Are Michael Peterson and His Family Now? After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). The riches he had before his incarceration no longer exist. However, Caitlin's opinion changed after she saw her mother's autopsy photographs that depicted horrific injuries. The woman who The Staircase viewers may be mistaking for Peterson's new wife could well be Sophie Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche), an executive producer of the Jean-Xavier de Lestrade documentary, also titled The Staircase. According to him, Michael waited three hours to call 911 while Patty was having a heart attack. The Staircase airs on Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. .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'? Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. Speaking with Variety, he also complained about his characterization in the show, singling out the scene in which he and Michael chat over a pastrami sandwich: We could have put a little blimp over my head saying, Jewish lawyer from New York. "I'm too old. The reason, according to him, was money. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. As seen in The Staircase, Michael Peterson admitted to his family and The Staircase documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (streaming on Netflix) that he was bisexual when evidence of male pornography was found on his computer. He enjoys a secluded life with the occasional media appearance to again discuss that fateful staircase. Following Elizabeths death, Margaret and her younger sister Martha (Odessa Young) were adopted by the Petersons. Returning to the Scene of the Crime. With The Staircase, de Lestrade embarked on a project that took him 15 years to finish, with the final episodes of the documentary coming out only in 2018. Luckily for them, Firth has received rave reviews. So beloved was the residence that Kathleen and Michael decided to tie the knot there, surrounded by family and friends, on June 21, 1997. That being said, it's unclear how Peterson is now making a living or if he has some kind of income. And, Rudolf gave a wry summary of a key feature of Peterson's new living situation: On December 1, 2009, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their North Carolina home. The couple also hosts a podcast together, Abuse of Power, which focuses on stories of people victimized by the justice system. Kathleen and Michael had been married since the 1990s and had quite the blended family. He stated Kathleen Peterson was aware of his interest in men and his first wife, Patricia Sue, was also there to support Michael Peterson's bisexuality claims. Dirt is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Before the new trial commenced, Peter submitted an Alford plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter and was set free as hed already served time for murder. 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. Duane Deaver, a blood splatter expert, had testified that the evidence pointed towards murder.
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