Here's everything we know about what happened to Michael Peterson after HBO Max's The Staircase. The last person to see her alive was Michael Peterson. Michael suggested that Kathleen fell down the stairs after drinking too much alcohol and Valium, but no fingerprints were detected on the wine bottle or glasses out in the kitchen. I'm too old. At a time when true crime is easily one of the more popular TV genres, Netflix, home of the ever popular Making a Murderer series, is now set to premiere The Staircase on June 8. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. It's unclear where, exactly, Peterson is currently living, but signs point to Durham. But she never let her own feelings affect the course of editing.". Able to use the clips eight years later, and that was a really important thing for the judge to see.. They had a real story, which lasted until May 2017. But, as Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. 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. Much like Peterson and Brunet, he was also not happy with the fictional adaptation of his docuseries and claimed that Campos misinterpreted facts in a way that paints him as an unethical filmmaker. Michael was resentenced to 86 weeks in prison but was let free since he had already served more than that time. Can also be found at Delirium Nerd, writing in Portuguese. 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. Along with the aforementioned amenities, the 19-room home also boasts a 3.4-acre lot with a slate patio, an outdoor fireplace, and a large pool (though the latter was, for whatever reason, drained in the MLS pictures). We want to hear from you! She also campaigned for the Durham County District Court, to no avail. Clayton and Todd chose to live with their mom, while Martha and Margaret moved to North Carolina with Michael. 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. So the ill-fated lovebirds went their own ways. In this case, the house was an innocent bystander. Buyers didnt agree, though. "They were companions," he told The News & Record. It's the story of novelist Michael Peterson and the trial that followed his arrest for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. But perhaps most disconcerting is the fact that the crime scene, complete with blood-splattered walls and floors, was left intact for years while Peterson and his children continued to live in the home! We are not sleazy, we are not drunks, we dont sell our clients out," Rudolf said. They married in 1965 and moved to Durham, North Carolina. Todd and Clayton are Michael Peterson's sons from his first marriage to Patricia Peterson. Still, in the same year, the North Carolina Human Resources Commission ruled that he should have merely been demoted from his position and that the SBI owed him 34 months of wages. Although law enforcement may say the case is closed, there's still unanswered questions and various theories surrounding Kathleen's death we may never know for sure. Black died in 2018, at age 57 of end-stage liver disease. The jury found the evidence sufficient to convict Michael of first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life. But since it's been some time since the 2001 alleged crime and initial trial in 2003, where is Michael Peterson now? 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. 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. He was sentenced to time served and is today a free man. Michael opted out of the trial before it was due to begin in 2017. The woman who The Staircase viewers may be mistaking for Peterson's new wife could well be Sophie Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche), an . At the time, authorities concluded that Elizabeth fell down the stairs after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. Debra Messing Calls a Flatbush Stunner Home on The Mysteries of Laura, Jason Segel Grieves in Style at an Altadena Craftsman on Shrinking, Sean Penn Romances Julia Roberts at a Landmark Reseda Restaurant in Gaslit, 1810 Cedar Street in Durham, North Carolina, Michael Peterson's Former Durham Estate, Made Infamous in 'The Staircase,' Has Sold Once Again, Ellen DeGeneres Buys Another Grand Old Montecito Estate, Debra Messing Calls a Flatbush Stunner Home on 'The Mysteries of Laura'. "We originally had been to Harrison Ford," the HBO show's creator Antonio Campos told Entertainment Weekly. Heres what went on in their lives after the events portrayed in The Staircase. However, it was nearly a very different ending. Colin Firthwill play the main subject Michael Peterson; the role was originally slated to be played by Harrison Ford. In 2010, he was found culpable of withholding crucial evidence from defense attorneys in other cases. However, since the release of the HBO miniseries, his Instagram profile has been deleted. Peterson sold the five-story home he lived in with Kathleen. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. After her death, however, and during Petersons time behind bars, he was forced to file for bankruptcy. So, where is Michael Peterson now? Curiously, though he was living with Kathleen at the time, his first wife, Patty, from whom he was separated, co-signed for the loan. I can't live in Paris. Earlier this year, Margaret co-produced a documentary feature titled Subject, directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall. We all know that these characters have names of living people, but its very carefully calibrated to tell the story in a certain way. 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. In 1983, George died from a military accident, and in 1985, Elizabeth was found dead at the foot of her staircase with head injuries. a livestream that has since been uploaded to YouTube, Margaret co-produced a documentary feature titled, he was also not happy with the fictional adaptation of his docuseries, The Best Korean Dramas on Netflix Right Now, 10 Best Reality Competition Shows Returning In 2023. She was 78 years old. He was less than pleased with the HBO Max miniseries and claimed to feel betrayed by documentarist Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. The story behind The Staircase. The new series starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette retells Michael Peterson's now-infamous 2001 murder charge. She's a journalist, a translator, a linguist, an aspiring author, a lover of trivia games, and a first time cat owner. "We could have put a little blimp over my head saying, 'Jewish lawyer from New York,'" he said. Peterson was placed on house arrest in 2011 before his retrial, then officially freed in 2017 after submitting an Alford Plea (he admitted the evidence against him could prove he was guilty, while proclaiming his innocence). 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. 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. Likes science fiction, true crime, coming-of-age stories, teen dramas, and some other things as well. Defense Attorney David Rudolf knows that the public is divided on whether Michael Peterson, the subject of the Netflix docu-series The Staircase, killed his wife Kathleen. 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. 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. Michael Peterson is the subject of one of Netflixs most riveting and polarizing true crime documentaries,The Staircase. 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. They dated until 2017. According to News and Observer, Peterson sold the house in 2004. Wanted folks like you to see what we, criminal defense lawyers, actually do. Everything about Alla Bout. Caitlins lawyer filed another complaint against him after his release in 2017, in order to discourage him from making money from the case. It wasnt about the crime it was about the process.. And, from what it seems, things have turned out for the best for the real Clayton. ), who in turn put it on the market this past July for $1.9 million. Michael and Patricia later divorced, and not long after, he moved in with telecoms exec Kathleen Atwater before eventually tying the knot in 1997. In a series of emails to Variety, he accused Lestrade of pimping him and his family out Still, he admits that Lestrade's work was instrumental in getting him out of prison. Despite the couple eventually marrying, Rudolf insists their relationship had no bearing on her coverage nor granted her any special privileges. On Oct. 10, 2003, the jury found Michael guilty of Kathleen's murder and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole. HBO Maxs true crime drama The Staircase is no exception to this rule. Peterson retreated to Durham, North Carolina, after his release. Instead of the trial actually happening, a judge reduced the novelists charges to manslaughter thanks to entering an Alford plea, which essentially states that while he doesn't admit to the crime, he does admit that the state as sufficient evidence to charge him. 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. To boot, the couple was in severe credit card debt, to the tune of $100,000. During a CrimeCon speech, Peterson's attorney, David Rudolf, shot down reports his client made bank from the Netflix series. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Meanwhile, Peterson said he felt "pimped out" by Lestrade for allowing HBO access to footage for a fee and co-executive producer credit. While many elements have been updated, the layout is the same, making it very recognizable from The Staircase.. Ever since Patty died, Todd changed his mind about his dads involvement in Kathleens death, and now believes to have murdered not only his stepmom but also Elizabeth Ratliff. Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. Currently, Rudolf is in occasional contact with Peterson since his 2017 release. Where is Peterson's Durham house? The listing photos show the changes that have been made since Petersons departure. Pattys death, however, is surrounded by its fair share of mystery and controversy. However, it might be his hopes of writing a new book that will give him a place in society once again. Her son, Todd, has accused Michael of waiting over three hours to call 911 after realizing that Patty was feeling sick. Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Kathleens death, and spent nearly a decade behind bars. And, Rudolf gave a wry summary of a key feature of Peterson's new living situation: At first, their two sons lived in Germany with their mother but eventually went to live in Durham, North Carolina with their father. Since his 2017 Alford plea, Michael Peterson has managed to keep to himself while continuing to remain in the spotlight. Peterson had a different rationale, Rudolf said. He admitted it made him question if there is actually no "fixed core to characters." He tried to fight it, but his firing was upheld in court in 2014. No, not that staircase. He is portrayed in the Antonio Campos-created series "The Staircase" by actor Joel McKinnon Miller (best known as Scully from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"). Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Kathleens death, and spent nearly a decade behind bars. During Petersons trial, he testified that the blood spatters surrounding the spot in which Kathleen had died were consistent with a person being beaten to death. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. 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. The front of the house at 1810 Cedar St. in Durham, now on its third post-Peterson owner, is visible from the street, but the entire 3.4-acre property is. Despite not being an official member of the defense team, Bill Peterson (Tim Guinee) played a huge role in getting his brother Michael out of jail. Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in her home in similar circumstances to Kathleen Peterson. Since Deavers testimony was what eventually led the jury to agree upon Michaels guilt, the writer was released in 2011 under a $300,000 bail and placed under house arrest. Blood-spatter analyst Duane Deaver (Myke Holmes) was found to have exaggerated his credentials in the field of forensic investigation. But, in February 2017, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an. The shy, dull, and very British Mark Darcy is as far as you can get from the confounding and unpredictable American novelist Michael Peterson. "They took care of each other." Michael Peterson had been forced to sell his assets, including the family home, to pay legal fees, leaving him broke. 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? I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America. Patty was also a staunch defender of Michael. Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. The reason, according to him, was money. 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. Now Judge Clifton Newman will hand down the sentencing in the double murder trial Friday, March 3, at 9:30 a.m. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison in his conviction on the murder count . While the multi-part true-crime docuseries "The Staircase" might not be the gold standard of the genre like it once was at the time of its 2004 debut, it's become the go-to source for the strange case of Michael Peterson, a North Carolina novelist who may or may not have murdered his second wife, Nortel executive Kathleen Peterson. Who is Viktor Bouts wife? Behind the Staircase and Beyond the Staircase were self-published in 2019. Kathleen was apparently bludgeoned to death after a medical examiner noticed several lacerations on her scalp. All the evidence added up to a guilty verdict and on October 10, 2003, Michael was sent to prison for life without the possibility of parole. Since Michael cant profit from his crime, the proceeds from the books sales go to charity. Where is Michael Peterson living now? (Crime obviously doesnt pay!) 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. Peterson's defense attorney David Rudolf told Oxygen in 2019 that Peterson is currently living in Durham in a ground floor apartmentso no staircase. You Can Stream Every 'Rocky' Movie Right Now, 'WoF' Fans Say This Is the 'Biggest Choke' on Show, Daisy Jones & the Six Is a Rock Epic in 10 Parts, See Mariska Hargitays Emotional Tribute on IG, Poker Face Is Rian Johnson's Exciting New Show, A Timeline of Events in 'Murdaugh Murders', 'White Lotus' Star Reveals 'Iconic' Scene Was Cut, How Sam Claflin Built His '70s Rock Star Body. After breaking up with Sophie (Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty (Trini Alvarado). 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. "Its not fair, Its not right. Is Riley Keough Singing in Daisy Jones & The Six? Despite being found guilty of murder, in 2011, Peterson was granted another trial which was set to take place in 2017. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where he works as an engineer. Now, he resides in a 1,200-square-foot, two bedroom condo and. Ratliff died at the age of 43. Michael and Kathleen led an extravagant lifestyle and were, by all accounts, happy. Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Staircase. Defense Attorney David Rudolf says his famous former clientfeatured on Netflixs The Staircase is keeping it on one level now. At the time, Council of Residential Specialists spokesman Jack Cotton expressed that the murder shouldnt affect the sale, telling The News & Observer, Crimes of passion dont have a huge negative impact on the value of the house. "I've always believed he did not do this, and I always will.". The two lived together until Patty's deathfrom a massive heart attack in July 2021. HBO Max's latest true crime series, The Staircase, chronicles the lengthy saga of Michael Peterson, an author who was convicted of killing his wife, Kathleen, who died on the stairs in their Durham, N.C. home in December 2001. 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. In Lestrades docuseries, she speaks at length about her mental health issues. 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. True-crime enthusiasts have taken a renewed interest in Michael Peterson and the death of his wife, Kathleen, with the premiere of the mini-series "The Staircase". With no takers, the price was cut to $975,000 in December and it finally sold the following July at a drastically reduced $640,000. 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. After a years-long legal battle post-prison, which included almost three years under house arrest, Peterson finally attained freedom by entering an Alford plea for manslaughter and was officially given time served in exchange. Hes living in Durham Im not sure why hes living in Durham, but he is, Rudolf told the audience at CrimeCon. Her secluded life and career, Who are Gradey Dicks parents? The film, which examines the ethics of documentary filmmaking, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. 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. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way. Duane Deaver, a blood splatter expert, had testified that the evidence pointed towards murder. The writer produced a memoir in 2009 called Behind the Staircase, and a sequel Beyond the Staircase. As it turned out, thats what happened. The novelist spent the past almost eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty of murdering his wife, but in 2011, he was released and since then hes been living a quiet life in Durham, North Carolina, the same city he once lived with his second wife at the time of her death. Kathleen left early; Michael stuck around. From the comments Ive gotten from a lot of people, it [The Staircase] achieved that purpose; it opens eyes to what criminal defense lawyers do.. Reprieve for Michael came in the form of prosecutorial impropriety, which forced the judge to grant him a new trial in 2011. .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'? By taking the plea, he admitted that the prosecution had enough evidence to secure a manslaughter conviction. All Rights Reserved. With every episode of The Staircase on HBO Max, more and more details and jaw-dropping twists and turns continue to play out in the story and criminal case against Michael Peterson. 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. 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. Above (L-R): Tim Guinee, Sophie Turner, Colin Firth, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger appear as the Peterson family in "The Staircase" on HBO Max. Played by Vincent Vermignon, de Lestrade was already an Academy Award winner when he got involved with Michael Petersons case. Currently, he resides in Durham, North Carolina but has since sold the house. In an interview with Variety, he fired off numerous criticisms, including HBO's depiction of him eating a pastrami sandwich during his first meeting with Peterson. But what happened to him after he took that Alford plea in 2017? He published his first memoir, Behind the Staircase, in 2019 and went on to write a follow-up, which was released that same year, titled Beyond the Staircase. However, Rudolf is the one who finds the dramatization most egregious. Michael wound up being granted a new trial in 2011 after the State Crime Labs blood-spatter analyst Duane Deaver, who worked on his case, was fired for repeatedly shoddy investigative work. The murder was after Kathleen allegedly discovered that he had over 1000 explicit images of men, a window into . Simpson, Peterson wrote a book about the crime titled Behind the Staircase and his website claims its a best-seller! "Michael hasn't made a penny from the documentary," he insisted. 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. As The News & Observer noted, the former columnist's Alford plea was distinctly tied to the charge of manslaughter, which means that Peterson asserted his opinion of his innocence while simultaneously accepting charges (via Metro). The pair divorced, paving the way for Michaels marriage to Kathleen Atwater. Michael had two sons - Todd and Clayton - from his first marriage. On the flip-side, Petersons former sister-in-law, Candace Zamperini, said during the hearing in 2017 that shell always see him responsible for her sisters death. The miniseries will draw on the2018 Netflix documentarythat followed the same case. Throughout Michael Peterson's murder trial, his ex-wife was not only his emotional support but also his financial, and until her death, she believed him to be innocent. Michael Peterson listens as his defense attorney David Rudolf makes opening statements in Peterson's request for a new trial on December 6, 2011, in Durham, North Carolina Advertisement The original Staircase docuseries is largely told from Peterson's perspective, and there is an undeniable appeal to witnessing him in action. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. That wasnt what the documentary was going to be about. 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. ", It turns out Firth landed the role out of pure Hollywood happenstance. His life had been dissected and picked apart by the media for almost two decades, and it was high time he got some much-needed privacy. The Staircase. In 2017, Michael submitted an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter. He was granted a new trial in 2011, after a judge determined that a key prosecution witness lied on the stand during the original trial. In 2002, Caitlin filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Michael. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). To recap the case, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her staircase in 2001. He said that when he previously prepared for a role, he liked to delve right in and get "to the heart" of the character. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor . The political thriller Jeux dInfluence had two seasons released between 2018 and 2022 in the European streaming service Arte. Kathleen had daughter Caitlin from her first marriage as well. He enjoys a secluded life with the occasional media appearance to again discuss that fateful staircase. Despite her words and the fact that Peterson will be considered a convicted felon for the rest of his life, he apparently plans on trying to live out the rest of his years at home in North Carolina. Above (L-R): The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, and Clayton Peterson. 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. 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.". No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. Disclaimer: Please remember this is a private home. Curiously, though he was living with Kathleen at the time, his first wife, Patty, from whom he was separated, co-signed for the loan. Together they had two sons Clayton and Todd Peterson before removing to Germany. Todd also claims his father cheated on Patty with Kathleen. According to theNews and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. The staircase where Kathleen Peterson was found dead on Dec. 8, 2001 is seen above Credit: Netflix. He was caustic and sarcastic and mean sometimes, Rudolf said. Michael insists that he didnt kill either Elizabeth or Kathleen. 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.