In 2003, Peterson was convicted of Kathleens murder and sentenced to life without parole. All was calm until the evening of Dec. 9, 2001, when Kathleen died. Peterson entered an Alford plea while awaiting a new trial in 2017, allowing him to plead guilty to manslaughter while maintaining his innocence. Michael continues to live in Durham, North Carolina, having moved into a two-bedroom condo, via The Independent. However, SBI expert Duane Deaver claimed "based on the blood spatter on her husband's shorts and shoes, the wearer was standing directly over Kathleen Peterson when she was killed," via The News & Observer. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Nonetheless, Michael Petersons lawyers never brought up the owl theory in the courtroom it was too bizarre and potentially fodder for, well, hoots of laughter. He made a futile attempt to get rid of blood evidence and then called 911, the prosecution contended. Its not what [de Lestrade] included, its what he did not include, Jones whose 2004 book A Perfect Husband profiles the case and became the basis for the 2007 Lifetime movie The Staircase Murders, starring Treat Williams told The Post. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. She found more than 2,000 photos of naked men and emails between Michael and a male escort on Michael's computer, which led her to death. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. That description would fit with writer Aphrodite Jones' revelation in her book on the case, A Perfect Husband, that Michael Peterson had a book deal ready and raring to go after the trial - if he was found not guilty. That means a decreased flow of blood to the brain, and it takes hours for that to happen. However, with Michael's Alford plea, the case has legally been put to rest. Colin Firth as Michael Peterson and Toni Collette as Kathleen Peterson in HBO Maxs. The man who claims he's a psychic and goes by the name Biond Fury has reportedly purchased the Durham home that sadly served as the murder site for Nortel executive Kathleen Peterson. Nonetheless, in the end, there was just too much evidence against Michael Peterson. Apex is losing its only movie theater. He was granted a new trial in 2011 on the grounds that the prosecution had delivered misleading testimony. The value of Kathleens Nortel stock had dropped from more than $2 million at its peak to $50,000. 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. Netflix acquired the series in 2018, once again reigniting fascination around the case. In 2017, Peterson entered an Alford plea, which acknowledges without admitting guilt that a trial had found enough evidence to convict him, and he was released on time already served. Why Thomas Crapper's Name Is Synonymous With The Toilet Even Though He Didn't Actually Invent It, Eerie Facts About Point Nemo, The Most Remote Location On Planet Earth, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Toni Collette's emotional portrayal is bound to create even more interest in the real Kathleen Peterson. We want certainty. Ashlie Chandler. For nearly 20 years, the mystery surrounding Kathleen Peterson's death has only grown, especially in the wake of Michael's trialwhere he was found guilty, but later managed to walk free . In 2009, during investigations by Michael Peterson's legal team that would eventually lead to his reprieve, it emerged that Kathleen Peterson had been holding clumps of her own hair in her hands when she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs. If Michael received any money for the literary effort, it would have to go toward a $25 million award Caitlin Atwater won against him, he said. Peterson is now serving a life term. Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. Michael Peterson, now 78, moved in with the then Kathleen Atwater in 1989, two years after the break-up of his first marriage. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Then 68-years-old, Michael was released from prison pending a new trial, and after posting a $300,000 bond, via The News & Observer. It does resist clarity. For instance, one theory suggested that the lacerations on the victim's head were caused by an owl, as "a microscopic feather was found in Kathleen Peterson's hand with some of her hair," via The News & Observer. HBO Max's The Staircase adapts the documentary of the same name into a television series, and even brings the documentary filmmakers in as major characters. The couple lived together for a time after his release, he said. If I were to be telling this story, we would know that he did it., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Mansion from BBCs Pride and Prejudice lists for $7.3M in England, Film producer Charles Cohen has prescription for resilient New York, How Stanley Tucci lost his taste and almost his love of food to cancer, Emmy nominee Josh OConnor proves hes a movie star in Mothering Sunday. But Kathleen had life insurance worth $1.2 million to $1.8 million, with Michael as the beneficiary. Life Coach, Psychic, Relationships, Tarot Kathleen Peterson. "Without Kathleen's job and her pay check, he could not continue to support his two adult sons, he could not continue to maintain that home, he could not live the lifestyle he'd grown accustomed to. She offers a refreshing and sometimes challenging philosophy to positioning the Contact Center as the true lifeline of the enterprisebelieving that vision, brand . But in spite of Kathleen's lucrative salary, the Peterson family had reportedly gotten itself into dire straits, with the matriarch fearing redundancy at her workplace. Follow More from Medium andrew costa in Human Parts Today I. 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. This may have contributed to slipping down the stairs if she. The Staircase left out one very important plot twist: The Owl Theory. Bylines in the Daily Beast, Seattle Times, Classic Rock Magazine, LouderSound. Born and raised in Greensboro, N.C., Kathleen was the first woman admitted to Duke University's school of engineering, from which she went on to jobs with a pharmaceutical company and, more. Lived In Hayward WI, Pine City NY, Pine City PA, Saginaw MI. As one of their friends told CBS News in 2003, "They had all the appearances and trappings of happiness. However, NBC News reported that a medical examiner ruled that Kathleen's blood alcohol level was very low at the time of her death, so much so that she'd have been able to pass a breathalyzer test. Shortly afterwards, Peterson, then still Kathleen Atwater, moved to Durham, North Carolina, and met Michael Peterson, a local novelist and occasional columnist for The Durham Herald-Sun who had served in Vietnam with the Marines. Kathleen and Fred married in 1977 and had a daughter, Caitlin, but they divorced after she discovered his affair. his wifes accidental fall down the stairs, used for the construction of the original. And as CNN reported, Kathleen apparently had a $1.8 million life insurance policy, and prosecutors argued that Michael might have killed his wife for financial gain. Once the strange coincidence of the unusual death was discovered, Elizabeth's body was exhumed as part of Michael's trial, and an autopsy concluded that she had died as the result of a "homicidal assault," and not a stroke, per The News & Observer. The NBC series most recently broadcast an update of Down the Back Staircase in 2017. Kathleen Peterson may refer to: Kathleen Peterson (murder victim) Kathleen Peterson (artist) This page was last edited on 9 August 2022, at 12:05 (UTC). The ending of Netflix's Triptych explained, Khlo Kardashian is living her best life on TikTok, Period-proof activewear to stop the leakage fear. You'd think this would have been a major point of evidence, but for some reason, up until then it had never been referenced in the docuseries. Ever since Kathleen Peterson was found at the bottom of a staircase in 2001, her mysterious death has been the subject of much media attention. Kathleen is an engaging and dynamic teacher, who always takes the extra step . Kathleen Winell Peterson, 73. Her husband was the prime suspect. The couple had three daughters in college and credit card debt of $142,000. Currently, Redfin estimates the home is worth just north of $2.3 million, whereas Zillow assesses the home at $3.3 million. Shortly after the tragedy, Peterson allowed French documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade to conduct interviews with him, his kids, and his attorneys, most of which took place in the Peterson household. Also known as Cathleen Peterson, Cathy Peterson, Kathy M Peterson. Todd Peterson, 25, was at the house when the police came but refused to talk to them, according to Forensic Files. He did find himself a post-lockup girlfriend, however, in one of the editors of The Staircase. fbZC\/>W2n[Fi RzN`s_`%KZ@VZ!>W/wkUCenGU8vTO[&()wn %~*J%O1U`Yow O0?v_.^{Le#}k2^-@0\Lk 'k0nBtn9]IV^KA='9os7" If its not clear, play it that its not clear, Firth said. May 5, 2022, 9:41 AM PDT. 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. Over the years, multiple theories regarding the cause of Kathleen's death persisted. Kathleen Peterson had been drinking some, and her flimsy sandals were nearby - the scene looked to be the outcome of a tragic accident. Michael Peterson was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder on December 20, 2001, via WRAL.com. Despite the fact Michael was the one to call 911 the night Kathleen allegedly fell down the stairs, Michael soon . Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. She divorced her first husband for his own indiscretions years before, and they said it is unlikely that she would have felt differently about Michaels own cheating. Others theorize that one of Michael Petersons sons may have killed her out of jealousy or that a tree branch may have been the actual murder weapon. Kathleen Peterson had consumed alcohol and the autopsy report shows that she was almost in a state where she was too drunk to drive. One thing that absolutely wasn't mentioned in The Staircase is that Michael Peterson didn't remain single for all the years following his wife Kathleen's death. 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. The other theory about Kathleen Peterson's death, Harry and Meghan 'evicted' from Frogmore Cottage. Nortel had forced her to lay off some well-liked employees, according to an AP account from May 22, 2002. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. Not inebriated. Kathleens company, Nortel, had a mass-firing, and the couple worried she might also lose her job, leaving the pair without a source of income to maintain their lifestyle. However, HBO Max's The Staircase gives viewers the opportunity to reexamine the circumstances surrounding Kathleen's death, while also delving into Michael's trial. Much of that footage would be used for the construction of the original Staircase documentary. Also known as K Peterson. convicted in one of North Carolinas longest trials, Peterson entered an Alford plea while awaiting a new trial in 2017. nationally recognized scholar and author Henry Louis Skip Gates Jr. As Peterson documentary debuts on Netflix, Durham braces for new attention -- and scrutiny, recent drone video that the house still has the swimming pool. The Petersons were heavily in debt, owing over $100,000 in credit debt. She was the first woman accepted into Duke Universitys school of engineering. Life is really full of surprises," the director told French publication LExpress. Kathleen might have fallen down the stairs while struggling to extricate herself from the bird of preys talons, they opined. The Petersons' neighbour, lawyer Larry Pollard came up with a theory that a barred owl, a breed that's native to the area, may have been responsible for Kathleen's death. Caitlin changed her mind after seeing the autopsy report, and ended up siding with the prosecution. At 2:40 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Peterson called 911 to say he'd found his wife's body at the bottom of a staircase. This, they said, led to a heated argument that ended with Michael pushing Kathleen down the stairs. By all accounts, Michael and Kathleen were believed to have a happy marriage and blended family. 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. Prosecutors would later contend that Kathleen stumbled upon the trove of photos and messages while using Michaels computer she had left her own machine at work that day. The Petersons were close friends with Elizabeth Ratliff, who had two young daughters, Martha and Margaret. So who really was she? In the first 911 call, Michael Peterson frantically tells the operator that Kathleen is "still breathing" and urges them to hurry. Michael also told the News & Observer that well-to-do friends from his and Kathleens napkin-ring and place-card days had deserted him. 2 popular chain restaurants get B grades: Triangle sanitation scores (Feb. 28), Repealing North Carolinas pistol permit law makes everyone less safe | Opinion. Kathleen was always an accomplished student, engineer, volunteer and leader. :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[ Kathleen Peterson's autopsy showed. Case Notes: On December 9th 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found by her husband, Michael Peterson, at the bottom of the stairs in the home that they shared in Durham. Although skeptical, the TV psychologist gave Michael a chance to defend himself. 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 where Michael claimed to be during what he alleged was his wifes accidental fall down the stairs. Clayton Peterson. Around 2:40 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson called 911 to report finding Kathleen at the bottom of the back staircase in their million-dollar mansion. 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