And although his initial murder trial took place in 2003, Michael Peterson's saga didn't have definitive ending until 2018. They also raised Margaret and Martha Ratliff, the daughters of their late friends, George and Elizabeth Ratliff. But, in February 2017, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. In 2019, he toldDr. Philthat Elizabeth fell down the stairs after suffering a stroke. On Oct. 10, 2003, the jury found Michael guilty of Kathleen's murder and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole. Kathleen left early; Michael stuck around. At the moment, very little is known about Peterson's private life. It soon came to light that not only had Deaver exaggerated the number of cases in which he had worked, he also had no proper forensics training and was guilty of lab misconduct. 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. According to News and Observer, Peterson sold the house in 2004. Instead, he submitted an Alford Plea for manslaughter. The Staircase airs on Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. The new owners renovated the property and relisted it in 2007. Her parents influence on her career, Where is Mary Roach from American Idol now? He explained: These are created characters but we all know what the source is. In July 2020,. Michael Peterson has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. 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. He's in a ground-floor apartment with no stairs that was a really important accommodation," Rudolf shared. He was caustic and sarcastic and mean sometimes, Rudolf said. 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. They settled in 2007 for $25 million, but it is possible that Michael never paid the full amount considering how much strain the trial put on his finances. The topic is also at the center of Rudolfs 2022 book, American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System. Likes science fiction, true crime, coming-of-age stories, teen dramas, and some other things as well. 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. .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'? Michael purchased the 9,372-square-foot property in August 1992 for $600,000. "We could have put a little blimp over my head saying, 'Jewish lawyer from New York,'" he said. 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. The steps sit just beyond the darkened opening on the right side of the kitchen in the photograph above. Michael and Patricia later divorced, and not long after, he moved in with telecoms exec Kathleen Atwater before eventually tying the knot in 1997. 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. Judge Clifton . The latest offering from the HBO crime series is The Staircase which takes an in-depth look into the saga of Michael Peterson, an author who was convicted of killing his wife, Kathleen Peterson. Therefore, Michael lives a modest life in Durham, North Carolina. And so, instead of watching some fictionalized account, we see the real thing happening. Caitlins lawyer filed another complaint against him after his release in 2017, in order to discourage him from making money from the case. 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. Peterson's current financial state, while up for speculation, is most likely a shadow of what it was in 2001. He had been living with his first wife, Patricia, (although divorced) for the past two years until her death from a heart attack, his son Clayton told North Carolina's News & Observer in 2021. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! And the fact that another woman very close to Peterson was also found dead at the bottom of a staircase 16 years before Kathleen. Kathleen had daughter Caitlin from her first marriage as well. Michael donates the proceeds from his book to charity as he wouldnt be allowed to keep them for himself. Michael was resentenced to 86 weeks in prison but was let free since he had already served more than that time. Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Kathleens death, and spent nearly a decade behind bars. One was a sweeping oval shape, a centerpiece of the home, while the other lead [sic] down to the kitchen area, a more practical structure, hidden behind doors. It was the front staircase, situated near the main entrance, that the couple posed on that joyous day. 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. According to theNews and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. Michael and Patty split up in 1986. ", 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. 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, its a life hes happy to now live. Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? At least three people are not fans of HBO's "The Staircase": Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Michael Peterson, and attorney David Rudolf. She was 78 years old. Michael Peterson Currently Lives In A Home With No Staircase The Staircase is set to premiere on May 5, 2022. (Romper reached out to Michael Peterson's representatives and Netflix for additional statements. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Much like his client, Rudolf took issue with Campos version of events, especially with scenes that implied Michael kept information from him and that his professional relationship with Pfeiffer was unethical. 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. So, where is Michael Peterson now? 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. HBO Maxs true crime drama The Staircase is no exception to this rule. 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? His cell was a far cry from the sprawling mansion he formerly called home, which was put on the market just 20 days later for $1.175 million. As shown in the HBO Max miniseries, de Lestrade went into fiction after working on The Staircase. 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.". Dirt is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The case is still a major discussion for true-crime fans, some of whom wonder if Michael Peterson really did kill his wife, or if it was merely an accident as he claims. Whenever a movie or TV series based on real-life events comes out, viewers are plagued by two unavoidable questions: how much of what we saw is true and what happened to those characters after the cameras were turned off? "They took care of each other." 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. "He released his archive to Campos, who then created a fictional account of events, most of which trashed me (which I really don't care about) and my children which I really do care about," Peterson told Variety. Simpson, Peterson wrote a book about the crime titled Behind the Staircase and his website claims its a best-seller! Currently, he resides in Durham, North Carolina but has since sold the house where Kathleen died. Kathleen, the familys breadwinner, had deferred much of her income to purchase Nortel Networks stock and though its value once totaled almost $2.5 million, the 2001 crash whittled it down to about $50,000 by the time of her death. After Michael and Pattys divorce, they went to live with Michael and Kathleen, whom they called mom, in the United States. Michael Peterson married Patricia Sue in 1968 and they later welcomed two boys: Todd and Clayton. Michael and Patty became even closer post-trial. A retrial was later ordered after the judge vacated the jury's verdict in 2011, finding that the blood splatter analysts gave a false and misleading testimony in the first trial, resulting in an unsound conviction. However, the same type of plea, contrary to the assertion Peterson has made in his books about his experience following his release, is not synonymous with his conviction being overturned. I can't live in Paris. And what about all the other characters that were so important to the story? Kathleen was apparently bludgeoned to death after a medical examiner noticed several lacerations on her scalp. Todd and Clayton are Michael Peterson's sons from his first marriage to Patricia Peterson. But she never let her own feelings affect the course of editing.". Defense Attorney David Rudolf knows that the public is divided on whether. Before that, she ran twice for District Attorney, in 2006 and 2008, but never got the job. In the final episode of the miniseries, we see Michael Peterson starting to get his life back on track as a free man. While living together, Michael and Patricia became close with their neighbors-turned-friends George and Elizabeth Ratliff. Since Michael cant profit from his crime, the proceeds from the books sales go to charity. Due to the impact of Duanes testimony, the court ordered a retrial for Peterson. 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. So beloved was the residence that Kathleen and Michael decided to tie the knot there, surrounded by family and friends, on June 21, 1997. He later met his first wife Patricia Sue, an elementary school teacher, in West Germany. Where is Michael Peterson now? "I'm too old. The True Story Behind Netflix's New Docuseries Bad Vegan, The Tinder Swindler True Story: Everything to Know About Netflix's New True Crime Documentary, Anna Delvey, German Con Artist Who Scammed N.Y.C. The couple shared two sons, Clayton Peterson and Todd Peterson. He said: "We made plans to live in Paris. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. His plans, he said, are to spend the time he lost behind bars with family and write a new book. Inside Michael Peterson's Former North Carolina Home - DIRT "Michael Peterson, you are pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter," Zamperini said, according to local news sources. 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. Where is Michael Peterson now? He lives in Durham in a - TheNetline 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. According to him, Michael waited three hours to call 911 while Patty was having a heart attack. I guess the steps were just destined to be onscreen. Michael was seemingly innocent at first as he was the one who dialed 911 after finding Kathleen at the base of their steps. Michaels wife was found lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in the couples residence. 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). 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. Where is Peterson's Durham house? Is Riley Keough Singing in Daisy Jones & The Six? Peterson had a different rationale, Rudolf said. He was not a friendly columnist. Where does Michael Peterson currently live? The couple also hosts a podcast together, Abuse of Power, which focuses on stories of people victimized by the justice system. Here's Where The Staircase Subject Michael Peterson Is Now - Men's Health 'The Staircase': Mansion Where Michael Peterson's Wife Died For Sale 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 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. Margaret and Michael are both featured in the movie as interviewees. Todd also claims his father cheated on Patty with Kathleen. 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. 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. During a CrimeCon speech, Peterson's attorney, David Rudolf, shot down reports his client made bank from the Netflix series. Though the majority of the time it was captured by de Lestrades cameras, it was open for all to see with the family regularly enjoying meals together, laughing over cocktails and pasta, just a few literal steps away! In 2001, Kathleen died on the staircase of the Peterson home in Durham, North Carolina. He tried to fight it, but his firing was upheld in court in 2014. Disclaimer: Please remember this is a private home. Located in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham, the house boasts a patio with an outdoor fireplace, a library, a game room, five bedrooms, and five-and-a-half bathrooms, not to mention the pool. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. It was a huge financial blow to Michael. 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. It is a great deal for the district attorney.". ), who in turn put it on the market this past July for $1.9 million. In a big twist that fans of the original documentary, The Staircase, wouldn't have seen coming, Peterson dated Sophie Brunet, an editor of Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's documentary series. However, since the release of the HBO miniseries, his Instagram profile has been deleted. Originally built in 1940 by architect George Watts Carr, Sr. for wealthy Durham businessman John Adams Buchanan, the lavish five-bedroom, six-bathroom property had plenty of room for Kathleen and Michaels large blended family, which included Michaels two sons with his first wife and his two adopted daughters, as well as Kathleens daughter from a previous marriage. Taking a cue from O.J. 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. Returning to the Scene of the Crime. 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. Elisa Guimares is a feature writer at Collider. The reason, according to him, was money. As shown in the miniseries, Clayton Peterson (Dane DeHaan) served four years in prison for an attempted bombing at Duke University years before Kathleen Petersons death. Murdaugh sentencing live stream: Watch Judge Newman's decision 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Before going AWOL, however, he changed his mind about his dads involvement in Kathleens death. He is portrayed in the Antonio Campos-created series "The Staircase" by actor Joel McKinnon Miller (best known as Scully from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"). 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. 2023 Dirt.com, LLC. 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. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. 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. "He visits his grandchildren; he's writing. Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. Following Elizabeths death, Margaret and her younger sister Martha (Odessa Young) were adopted by the Petersons. The woman who The Staircase viewers may be mistaking for Peterson's new wife could well be Sophie Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche), an . He was sentenced to time served and is today a free man. Stalk It: Michael Petersons former house, featured in The Staircase, is located at 1810 Cedar Street in Durham, North Carolina. We all know that these characters have names of living people, but its very carefully calibrated to tell the story in a certain way. What Happened to Michael Peterson After Prison? In 2017, Michael submitted an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter. Unlike Michael and Todd, he has never spoken publicly about The Staircase. 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). After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). Wanted folks like you to see what we, criminal defense lawyers, actually do. The conclusion painted Michael as a murderer with a propensity for pushing his victims down staircases and no doubt contributed to his conviction. The story behind The Staircase. 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. Though the kitchen island was moved (it was formerly attached to the kitchen counter, cutting across the room at a diagonal), the space still looks much as it did when Michael lived there. 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". However, Rudolf is the one who finds the dramatization most egregious. "Its not fair, Its not right. We want to hear from you! The riches he had before his incarceration no longer exist. Able to use the clips eight years later, and that was a really important thing for the judge to see.. Where Is Michael Peterson Now? The Subject Of Netflix's 'The - Romper 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.. And according to .css-16acfp5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#d2232e;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-16acfp5:hover{color:#000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:yellow;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}Newsweek, Peterson entered a relationship with an editor on the 2004 documentary The Staircase, and the two dated from 2011 to 2017. Like other members of her family, Margaret hasnt received a dime from HBO and claims to have been deceived by Campos, who allegedly told her he would be focusing more on the documentarists than on the Petersons. Above (L-R): The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, and Clayton Peterson. In 2018, AP reported that Michael Peterson now lives in a 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom condo in the same town, Durham, North Carolina. Per The News & Observer, Petersons defense left him indigent. However, it will be exclusively available onHBO Max. 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. He still lives in Durham, though in a ground-floor apartment, which David Rudolf explained to Oxygen has no stairs that was a really important accommodation. Ill say! 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. Rudolf gave a behind-the-scenes look at the trial, and why he agreed to participate in the docu-series, made by a French documentary crew that first aired in the United States in 2005, and was updated and re-released on Netflix last year. A lawyer himself, Bill was the one that suggested Rudolf as a defense attorney and took care of most of the Petersons legal matters. The pair divorced, paving the way for Michaels marriage to Kathleen Atwater. As it turned out, thats what happened. Another constant during the lengthy legal ordeal was Michael Peterson's first wife, Patricia "Patty" Peterson. Margaret was already interested in pursuing a career in film when her family was approached by Lestrade and his crew. Hes in a ground floor apartment with no stairs that was really important accommodation.. 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. Heres what went on in their lives after the events portrayed in The Staircase. Duane Deaver, a blood splatter expert, had testified that the evidence pointed towards murder. In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the . Alex Murdaugh trial live stream, updates: Sentencing set for double murder charge. MICHAEL Peterson was convicted of killing his second wife, Kathleen, in 2003. The video above will play a live feed of Alex Murdaugh's sentencing beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday. I don't speak French," Peterson admitted to The News & Observer. To boot, the couple was in severe credit card debt, to the tune of $100,000. Nowadays, Margaret lives in California and works in the entertainment industry as an actor, assistant director, and production manager, among other things.