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. On December 9, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found unconscious at the bottom of a staircase in Durham, NC. Nortel had forced her to lay off some well-liked employees, according to an AP account from May 22, 2002. Kathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson in an undated photograph. According to Esquire, the couple moved in together three years later. Now, HBO Max has turned the story into a scripted drama, also called The Staircase and starring Toni Colette as Kathleen Peterson. In court and on camera, Peterson initially presented his marriage to Kathleen as an enormously happy one, but prosecutors unearthed evidence that he had been secretly seeing men and that the couple had argued about it shortly before her death; they also found a trove of male pornography on his laptop, which they used to further cast scrutiny on his claims of being content in the marriage. Oh, and one more little thing: Investigators found thousands of gay male porn images and hookup conversations on Michaels computer. She was the first woman accepted into Duke Universitys school of engineering. Within six months of his wifes death, Michael Peterson had collected $347,000 from his late wife's assets to fund his legal defence. The fact that people even want to believe that is maddening. Whats more, she said, the feathers on Kathleen were likely from a pillow. The defense challenged this version of events. He developed a relationship with Sophie Brunet, the editor of the documentary filming his case. So who really was she? :t M \o[c@zhR_C-*jBR'FoK zm1%DVtW?ZN Ib:Iiw;+ eo=9q(DO5l'\s"dVsN9Q(Ru-tzzv%xVM'`]U CI%D"-.AGiGA Cir+A=[m9'l=lZt^:\j'Su.G{0GwO/"Ju)i&3BY PO0y\W{p"n$a,L2x[ Brainy bunch. On October 10, 2003, Michael Peterson was sentenced to life without parole for Kathleen's murder, via The New York Times. Then, she stumbled indoors and, disoriented, fell down the stairs and was knocked unconscious, unable to call for help. He needed her money to survive the way he wanted to survive," she said. Kathleen's kind demeanor and easy-going approach to life rub off on everyone she encounters. Also in 2019, Michael Peterson made a two-part appearance on Dr. Phil. Peterson is now serving a life term. Nonetheless, all five of Michaels children believed in his innocence at first. The last thing anyone wants to see is one of these fierce-looking tree-dwellers flying straight towards them, sharp talons extended as it prepares to latch onto the scalp. Kathleen Winell Peterson, 73. The exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. the beliefs you hold dear into a tangible, results-oriented set of 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. RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube, a rogue owl played a role in Kathleens death, NFL player Rae Carruth in his murder trial, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Ron Gillette: An Air Force Man Who Didnt Exactly Aim High. Although Michael was still married with four children of his own, the new couple merged their families in 1987. 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. Scott was an early suspect in the investigation due to his "strange behavior.". Caitlin changed her mind after seeing the autopsy report, and ended up siding with the prosecution. But despite a 10-part Netflix documentary about Kathleen Petersons death and now an HBO miniseries called The Staircase, starring Colin Firth as Michael and Toni Collette as Kathleen, the circumstances surrounding her fall remain a mystery. It is the second double shooting in the city in the past week. It was revealed during the trial that Kathleen was the only owner of their mansion and car and that Michael may have been enticed by her $1.8 million life insurance policy. Friends of Liz Ratliff, who lived on the same German military base as Michael and his first wife, testified about the bloodiness of the scene of her demise. They've [laid] off 45,000 people," he wrote. 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. Kathleen married Michael in 1997, and the couple proceeded to merge their two families. When there weren't many jobs in education in New York in the 70s, Kathleen Peterson, an aspiring high school teacher, took some advice and chased down an opportunity in an emerging field where she could apply her skills in science and data. We also talk about "life" on the Other Side with a new anecdote or two! 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. Now, the case becomes a dramatization on HBO Max as a miniseries titled, once again, The Staircase. Premiering May 5, it stars Colin Firth as Michael, Toni Collette as Kathleen, Michael Stuhlbarg as defense attorney David Rudolf and Parker Posey as prosecutor Freda Black. It riveted viewers even as it wrapped up with the conclusion that, well, we can really never know whether Michael did it or not. In response, the prosecution also argued that the motive could have been money. A Forensic Files Murder That Went on a Binge(A Novel Idea, Forensic Files), Note: You can listen to this post as a podcast. Do you think hes heard of Mike Nifong? A death in the home apparently isnt a buyer beware for everyone. Before Michael met Kathleen in 1986, he was living in Germany with his first wife, Patricia Sue, and their two sons. Of course, none of this absolutely *proves* it was a barred owl that inflicted the initial wounds on Kathleen Peterson. The couple had three daughters in college and credit card debt of $142,000. That part of the prosecutions case doesnt seem impressive. However, Michael Peterson was released from prison to serve house arrest in 2011 after a judge found that a witness had misrepresented facts at the trial. His 2003 trial ended in a first-degree murder conviction and a sentence of life without parole. He told the operator she was still breathing. The defendant had hired criminal defense attorney David Rudolf two days prior, following extensive searches and seizures taking place at his home. According to Cosmopolitan, barred owls are native to the area and known to attack joggers with some frequency. Netflix acquired the series in 2018, once again reigniting fascination around the case. The home was originally built in 1940 by architect George Watts Carr, who constructed the house for a wealthy businessman by the name of John Adams Buchanan. Related To Carol Peterson, Lisa Peterson. Within this hair, microscopic feathers were found along with wood splinters and cedar needles. They argued Michael's plan to kill his wife revolved around the $1.4 million life insurance policy she had in place. He claimed he found her after lingering outside for several hours after dinner, but the police soon arrested him, and he was found guilty of Kathleens murder in 2003. Charnel house. 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 . 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. According to Power, Privilege, and Justice, which produced a 2004 episode about the case titled Murder He Wrote, Peterson went upstairs to work on the computer while police were still on the murder scene. Psychic Norbert, the only psychic asked by the family of Stacy Peterson to investigate her disappearance, correctly predicted the arrest of her husband, former Bolingbrook, IL police officer Drew Peterson. Caitlin Atwater, Katherines daughter from her first marriage, later switched sides. On Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson found his wife, Kathleen, dead at the bottom of the back staircase. By Wilson Wong. On 8th December 2000, Michael Peterson called emergency services saying that his wife Kathleen Peterson had fallen down the stairs. They noted that Michael was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. The couple combined their families into one household in the 5-bedroom 5-bath abode in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham. Perhaps he was trying to delete some files. Peterson entered an Alford plea while awaiting a new trial in 2017, allowing him to plead guilty to manslaughter while maintaining his innocence. Then, after serving eight years in prison, Michael got a huge break. When will the curtain come down? According to the BBC's Beyond Reasonable Doubt podcast, which also investigates the crime, Kathleen was a big earner making a six-figure salary. We know Kathleen Peterson was 48-years-old when she died. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. "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. Early on in The Staircase, a 13-part docu-series originally produced in 2004 in France that both confuses, confuddles, frustrates and leaves us longing for more, we learn that Kathleens apparent tumble down a flight of stairs looked a lot more like a murder then a fall. (And those investigators must have had money to burn they could have looked online or asked an autistic savant to recall the temperature that evening.). Theres no question that [Peterson] did it, she said. In addition to contending that Kathleen discovered information about Peterson's bisexuality the night of her death, prosecutors also contended that Peterson killed his wife to gain control of. And it looked as though someone had tried to clean up blood from the wall near the stairs. Inside Kathleen Petersons Mysterious Death And The True Story Behind The Staircase. Cassandra told Ron that for months and months, The Long Island Medium's people kept bothering her to . Autopsyfiles.org - Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson Autopsy Report Keywords: Autopsyfiles.org; kathleen hunt atwater peterson; autopsy report; homicide; blunt force trauma to the head; subarachnoid hemorrhage; michael peterson; veronica hunt; director of informational services; nortel; fallen down stairs; alcohol; xanax; december \ 9; 2011 Everyone knows at least one wacky guy who wears shorts in cold weather. Posted 2/5/2010 12:01 AM. Convicted murderer and former police officer Drew Peterson was sentenced to 38 years in prison back in 2012 in connection to the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. And it speaks to our desire for clarity. After learning about the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson, read the shocking story of Dalia Dippolito, whose murder-for-hire plot to kill her husband was caught on camera by police. 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.. Just after 2:30 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson called 911 to report that he'd found his wife unconscious at the bottom of the stairs in their home, according to The News & Observer. Menu Log In Sign Up Her life insurance would have ensured Peterson would be able to maintain his public persona. Before marrying Kathleen, Michael Peterson was married to Patricia Peterson. She was a successful student and was the first woman admitted to Duke University's School of Engineering in 1967, where she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees and met her first husband, physicist Fred Atwater. Son uncooperative. 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. His fourth wife, Stacy. We also talk about "life" on the Other Side with a "It is simply not possible for me to discuss this with Kathleen.". As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. The ensuing case would become the subject of one of the defining true-crime documentaries in the genre: Jean-Xavier de Lestrades The Staircase. The eight-part series debuted in France in 2004 and in America in 2005, then arrived on Netflix in 2013 with additional episodes shot by de Lestrade in the years after the initial case. Peterson could have been sentenced to 64 to 86 months in prison, but the judge acknowledged the 89 months hed already been incarcerated, and thus, Peterson was made a free man. However, with Michael's Alford plea, the case has legally been put to rest. Your tax-deductible investment will help us work to "When we started shooting in February 2002 and when David Rudolf gave us access and the judge gave us access in the court room and we started to shoot and shoot and shoot then we realized how big it could be," the director told Metro in 2018. Off he went to North Carolinas Correctional Facility in Nash. 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. Margaret, Martha, Todd, and Clayton also believe the justice system failed their father. NetflixMichael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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. She enrolled in Franklin & Marshall College and began taking Latin classes after finishing her basic studies. He won the right to a new trial after authorities discovered that expert prosecution witness Saami Shaibani had misrepresented his own professional credentials. 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. A novelist couldnt have written Petersons story any better, full of outrageous twists as it is. Spoilers for The Staircase documentary and HBO Max series follow. The legal age you can get married has just changed, Charles & Camilla break major royal tradition, Courteney Cox speaks on Harry magic mushroom claim, Harry 'adding at least one more chapter' to memoir, Dylan responds to being misgendered on Instagram. But those are just the basic facts. In the early morning hours of December 9, 2001, authorities were called to the Durham, North Carolina home of Michael and . Michael sold the house he shared with Kathleen in 2004, and a subsequent owner re-sold the property for $1.6 million in 2020. The Cedar Street colonial was purchased by a local couple, one of whom was Jason Balius, a former co-owner of the Mad Hatter Bakeshop in Durham, for $640,000 in 2004, per WRAL News. As one of their friends told CBS News in 2003, "They had all the appearances and trappings of happiness. He and Patricia split up, and he began a relationship with his neighbor Kathleen Hunt Atwater in Durham, North Carolina, in 1992. 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