Is 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Based on a True Story? The pair are believed to have formed a relationship whilst Peterson was in prison and following his release in 2011. Michael Peterson had been forced to sell his assets, including the family home, to pay legal fees, leaving him broke. Where is Michael Peterson now? He lives in Durham in a - TheNetline It occurred when Michael and Kathleen were visiting Germany and dropped by the home of their friend, Elizabeth Ratliff. Michael Peterson is the subject of one of Netflixs most riveting and polarizing true crime documentaries,The Staircase. Where is Peterson's Durham house? Michael and Patty split up in 1986. 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. 'The Bear''s Jeremy Allen White Keeps His Awards In His Kids' Room For A Cute Reason, 'Yellowstone' Prequel '1923' Really Earned Its TV-MA Rating, Daisy Jones & The Six Is A Nostalgic Series Based On A Best-Selling Book, The 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Trailer Is Finally Here & Fellas, It'll Give You Goosebumps, What Parents Are Talking About Delivered Straight To Your Inbox, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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. At the time of her mother's death, Caitlin Atwater supported her stepfather and after his arrest told the press of his innocence. He also wasn't a fan of the portrayal of himself and his client regularly fighting, the implication Peterson kept important information secret from him, and the depiction of his relationship with reporter Sonya Pfeiffer. He said that when he previously prepared for a role, he liked to delve right in and get "to the heart" of the character. Due to the impact of Duanes testimony, the court ordered a retrial for Peterson. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Murdaugh trial live stream, updates: Sentenced to life Likes science fiction, true crime, coming-of-age stories, teen dramas, and some other things as well. The house was showing signs of wear, too, with many expensive much-needed repairs awaiting completion. 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? Behind the Staircase and Beyond the Staircase were self-published in 2019. 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. Her husband, Michael Peterson, was convicted of murder on October 10, 2003, but the circumstances surrounding her death have been called into question, including Peterson's guilt or innocence since his trial. On Oct. 10, 2003, the jury found Michael guilty of Kathleen's murder and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole. 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. Hes still married to Becky (Hannah Pniewski), with whom he has two children. Michael Peterson's first marriage was to Patricia "Patty" Sue (now Peterson), an elementary school teacher. Together they had two sons Clayton and Todd Peterson before removing to Germany. Duane Deaver, a blood splatter expert, had testified that the evidence pointed towards murder. "We made plans to live in Paris. No, not that staircase. 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 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. The prosecution didn't accuse Peterson of Ratliff's death at his trial. Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. Colin Firth plays Michael Peterson in the latest retelling of Kathleen Petersons murder and Michaels attempts to prove his innocence. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor . Most eerie of all, though, is the fact that a segment took place on the infamous back staircase! "Michael Peterson, you are pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter," Zamperini said, according to local news sources. 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. Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Kathleens death, and spent nearly a decade behind bars. Her parents influence on her career, Where is Mary Roach from American Idol now? Speaking to the French publication L'Express, de Lestrade shared: "This is one of the incredible things that happened during those 15 years. They had a real story, which lasted until May 2017. ViaThe Independent, The Associated Press reported Michael moved into a two-bed condo in 2018. At the time of Kathleens death, Deaver (portrayed by Myke Holmes in the show) worked as a blood spatter analyst for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Though the rear stairway isnt featured in MLS images, the entrance to it is. It is a great deal for the district attorney.". They were companions, Clayton told News & Observer. In July 2020, the infamous five-story Cedar street mansion where Kathleen died was put up for sale. Who killed Kathleen Peterson? The one theory about Kathleen Peterson's Michael donates the proceeds from his book to charity as he wouldnt be allowed to keep them for himself. Im innocent. 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. In Lestrades docuseries, she speaks at length about her mental health issues. In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the . 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." HBO Max's 'The Staircase' True Story - Where Is Michael Peterson Now? But part of the central pull of "The Staircase," aside from its various twists and turns (among which included the discovery that a close family friend of Peterson's had died under similar circumstances, also involving a staircase, nearly 17 years prior to Kathleen's death), was the central figure to the story. 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. Peterson's adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha, live in California . RELATED: 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Can also be found at Delirium Nerd, writing in Portuguese. Instead, he submitted an Alford Plea for manslaughter. Peterson's current financial state, while up for speculation, is most likely a shadow of what it was in 2001. Michael Peterson's conviction and life sentence in 2003 was only some of the story. However, Rudolf is the one who finds the dramatization most egregious. 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. "He is living in Durham. However, Caitlin's opinion changed after she saw her mother's autopsy photographs that depicted horrific injuries. Colin Firth plays the writer in a new HBO Max limited series. They separated in the 1980s and divorced in the early 1990s. The pair moved in together in 2019. And, from what it seems, things have turned out for the best for the real Clayton. 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. The case that dominated such a large part of his life still haunted him, however. However, de Lestrades involvement with the Peterson story didnt end there, as he was the one to sell the story to Campos. Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in her home in similar circumstances to Kathleen Peterson. I guess the steps were just destined to be onscreen. Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Staircase. After breaking up with Sophie (Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty (Trini Alvarado). Skyler Caruso is the Editorial Assistant of PEOPLE Digital. Kathleen was apparently bludgeoned to death after a medical examiner noticed several lacerations on her scalp. According to Detective Art Holland of Durham police, Kathleen was "splayed out on the floor, her head resting on the landing of a back staircase" details that sparked suspicion due to the awfully close similarities to Elizabeth's death in 1985. 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. In the final episode of the miniseries, we see Michael Peterson starting to get his life back on track as a free man. Scroll on to find out. He is portrayed in the Antonio Campos-created series "The Staircase" by actor Joel McKinnon Miller (best known as Scully from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"). To recap the case, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her . Peterson sold the house he owned with his wife Kathleen back in 2004.Today, the 78-year-old is completely free and out of prison. He was caustic and sarcastic and mean sometimes, Rudolf said. The Staircase: Where Is Michael Peterson Now? - Peoplemag 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? Rudolf said he agreed to participate in the documentary because the filmmakers had won an Academy Award in 2001 for Murder on a Sunday Morning, about a 15-year-old boy wrongfully accused of murder. The two lived together until Patty's deathfrom a massive heart attack in July 2021. Kathleen was the first woman to attend Duke University's School of Engineering and throughout her marriage to Michael Peterson, she worked for Nortel, a telecommunications company. Murdaugh sentencing live stream: Watch Judge Newman's decision Margaret was already interested in pursuing a career in film when her family was approached by Lestrade and his crew. 21. Kathleen Peterson's death became a national, long-standing mystery with the 2004 documentary The Staircase. 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. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Able to use the clips eight years later, and that was a really important thing for the judge to see.. 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. That wasnt what the documentary was going to be about. Where Is Michael Peterson Now? The Subject Of Netflix's 'The - Romper "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. 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. Hopewell Junction, NY 12533-5516 Parris Island, SC 29905-1070 Pleasant Valley, NY 12569-7731 Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. .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'? The most confounding aspect of The Staircase is tough to pinpoint. 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. Portrayed by Olivia DeJonge, Caitlin was Kathleens only biological child and the sole child from the Peterson household to believe that Michael was responsible for her mothers death. 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. Michael L Peterson, 26 from Lagrangeville, NY | Names and Facts And the fact that another woman very close to Peterson was also found dead at the bottom of a staircase 16 years before Kathleen. Where is Michael Peterson now? 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 same film crew began following Peterson yet again to make the multi-part docuseries for Netflix that will air on June 8 and follow the events that transpired with his 2017 plea deal and the aftermath. In 2003, the North Carolina medical examiner reexamined Ratliffs remains after they were exhumed in Texas. Elizabeth Ratliffs death had a huge impact on her youngest daughter, Martha (Odessa Young). However, it was nearly a very different ending.