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. Life is really full of surprises," the director told French publication LExpress. She had a net worth of around $2 million, according to Forensic Files. Netflix. Peterson was charged with her murder, convicted at. Durham County Tax AdministrationThe exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. NetflixMichael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. Then 68-years-old, Michael was released from prison pending a new trial, and after posting a $300,000 bond, via The News & Observer. Instead of facing a new trial in 2017, Peterson instead opted for an Alford Plea for voluntary manslaughter. 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.. Bylines in the Daily Beast, Seattle Times, Classic Rock Magazine, LouderSound. Perhaps he was trying to delete some files. Diane Fanning explains the injuries in a little more detail in her book, Written In Blood. However, Michael Peterson himself didnt return home after his release. On top of that, there had been reports of owl activity in the neighborhood only weeks prior. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). Police believed it was a fireplace blow poke that someone took outside to hide, leaving bloodstains on the door. Gates is the host of Finding Your Roots on PBS. Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson (February 21, 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina - December 9, 2001 in Durham, North Carolina) was an American business executive, engineer, and philanthropist.She is well known as the subject of the documentary series The Staircase, which addresses the circumstances surrounding her death.. She was married twiceto Fred Atwater in 1977 and to Michael Peterson . Kathleen has one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, from her first marriage. While the prosecution argued that Michael most likely murdered Kathleen with a fireplace blow poke that was deemed missing from their Durham home at the time of her death, Michael's defense attorney argued that Kathleen died from a fall down the stairs. She graduated first in her class. Before marrying. He developed a relationship with Sophie Brunet, the editor of the documentary filming his case. He did find himself a post-lockup girlfriend, however, in one of the editors of The Staircase. So who really was she? Michael hadnt generated any income in two years, and Kathleen was the mainstay. Novelist Michael Peterson told police he was sitting by the pool at the house at 1810 Cedar St. on the night of Dec. 9, 2001, and when he went inside around 2:30 a.m., he found his wife at the bottom of a back staircase, where she bled to death. Their marriage, a second for both, seemed happy. When paramedics arrived to render aid, Michael's son Todd was already . Do you think hes heard of Mike Nifong? Lestrade's access to Michael Peterson means the HBO Max adaptation has a wealth of source material to draw upon. You can see the back of the property from the Kent Street side, which has barbed wire above the gate and No Trespassing signs. Evidence was found of Peterson soliciting male escorts and was paying for sex when Kathleen was murdered. The judge resentenced him to 86 months, and Michael Peterson was released with time served. The couple lived together for a time after his release, he said. 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. Nonetheless, in the end, there was just too much evidence against Michael Peterson. There are the believers: In terms of the owl suspect, witnesses have helped the Durham County Police come up with a composite drawing, now being distributed widely throughout the region: If you see him, dont attempt to apprehend him as hes armed and dangerous, but do contact the Durham County Police Department immediately. However, as Snell told jurors, "the seven wounds he observed while watching other forensic pathologists perform the autopsy were a major reason he changed his initial finding of 'accident' to homicide from a beating.". At least one person was swayed by the physical evidence: Kathleens daughter Caitlin, who had initially supported Petersons claims of innocence, along with his children. Katheleen Peterson was killed by her husband, Michael Peterson. Over the years, there had been some tense moments over money and Michaels mayoral election bid, and the two frequently fought and made up. According to the BBC's Beyond Reasonable Doubt podcast, which also investigates the crime, Kathleen was a big earner making a six-figure salary. And a 2009 forensic analysis detailed traces of wood splinters and cedar needles in her hair, along with microscopic bits of feather. Photo of Kathleen and Caitlyn, from the Indyweek article linked below. Currently, Redfin estimates the home is worth just north of $2.3 million, whereas Zillow assesses the home at $3.3 million. A male escort even testified in court that he'd engaged in an email exchange with Michael mere months before Kathleen's death, with the pair planning to meet in person, via CNN. Not one shred of evidence. 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. Kathleen Winell Peterson, 73. Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. It riveted viewers even as it wrapped up with the conclusion that, well, we can really never know whether Michael did it or not. On Nov. 25, 1985, when Michael was living in Germany and married to his first wife, Ratliff turned up dead at the bottom of a staircase just as Kathleen Peterson did 16 years later. If Forensic Files got an annual performance review, it would always exceed expectations in telling a story in 22 minutes without making viewers feel cheated but at the same time leaving them interested in finding out more. True-crime author Aphrodite Jones, who covered the case, hasnt seen the new series but thinks it isnt likely to tread any new ground if it follows the beats of the documentary. 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. Margaret, Martha, Todd, and Clayton also believe the justice system failed their father. 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. Kathleen's head injuries are not consistent with her having been beaten by a blunt object or on a stair, as she had no brain injury or swelling, no subdural hematoma, and no skull fracture. Per Lawrence Journal-World, the Petersons had accrued "credit card debt of $143,000" at the time of Kathleen's death. 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. her blood-alcohol level was just below 0.08, the level at which a person in North Carolina is considered too drunk to drive. Until next time, cheers. Your tax-deductible investment will help us work to She also served the position of philanthropist. At the time of her death, she was a vice president at Nortel Networks at the companys Research Triangle Park offices. Michael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. Previously, Michael had told people Liz Ratliff died from a brain hemorrhage, never mentioning a fall on the stairs, according an interview with Kathleen Petersons sister, Candace Zamperini, on Power, Privilege, and Justice. He's currently behind bars in California's San Quentin prison. He made a futile attempt to get rid of blood evidence and then called 911, the prosecution contended. make North Carolina more free. A medical examiner testified that Ratliffs cause of death was homicide via blunt force trauma. "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. By then, one of Michaels books, A Time for War, had made its way onto the New York Times bestseller list and generated enough cash to pay for the Colonial Revival-style house containing the now-famous staircase. 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. In the early morning hours of December 9, 2001, authorities were called to the Durham, North Carolina home of Michael and . Michael moved into a two-bedroom condo, according to reporting from Cosmopolitan on June 11, 2018. By 1997, Michael had finally divorced his wife, and he and Kathleen officially married. Brainy bunch. Jones isnt buying that. But those are just the basic facts. Kathleen M. Peterson is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer of PowerHouse Consulting. 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. We want it. 9 comments 45% Upvoted Sort by: best level 1 Although testing would later confirm that Kathleen had some alcohol in her system, it was nowhere near the stagger and face-plant level. Also in 2019, Michael Peterson made a two-part appearance on Dr. Phil. 1y. Although Michael Peterson reported Kathleen's death as an accident to the 911 dispatcher, when paramedics and police officers arrived at the Petersons' home, they were . He lost the election. She was a successful student and was the first woman admitted to Duke Universitys School of Engineering in 1967, where she earned her bachelors and masters degrees and met her first husband, physicist Fred Atwater. Michael Peterson was a writer, and many said he has the kind of ego which craves the spotlight. Caitlin then moved in with her mum Kathleen and her new husband Michael Peterson after. It has been theorized that a Barred Owl attacked Kathleen. In the first 911 call, Michael Peterson frantically tells the operator that Kathleen is "still breathing" and urges them to hurry. Sociological errands. The thing about The Staircase is that, although it centres around the death of Kathleen Peterson, there's actually very little focus on Kathleen herself throughout the 13-part Netflix documentary. According to Bustle, Peterson's son Clayton now lives in Maryland with his two children. Michael Ivor Peterson graduated from Duke University, where he was editor of the school newspaper, then joined the Marines and earned silver and bronze stars for service in Vietnam. 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. Peterson subsequently ended up raising Ratliffs young daughters, alongside his own two sons, as Ratliffs husband had died previously. 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. Posted 2/5/2010 12:01 AM. North Carolina released Michael Peterson on bond in 2011. 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. As mentioned above, Kathleen's high powered, high earning job meant she could afford to take out a hefty life insurance sum, which totalled $1.4 million. Ashlie Chandler. 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. As noted by the publication, it was suggested that, while waiting for a work email on the night of her death, Kathleen could have discovered Michael's secret correspondence and the illicit imagery. 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. The NBC series most recently broadcast an update of Down the Back Staircase in 2017. CNN reported that Young testified during the trial, revealing the Petersons had been spending $100,000 a year more than they made for three years before Kathleen Peterson's death. The site of Kathleen Peterson's 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. If that address sounds familiar to you, its probably because you know the grisly history contained within its walls. Per ABC News, "From the beginning Peterson maintained that Kathleen had simply slipped on the stairs in a tragic accident after drinking wine and taking valium." Spoilers for The Staircase documentary and HBO Max series follow. The other thing is red neurons, Jones continued. We know she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at her home on 1810, Cedar Street, covered in blood, with seven lacerations to her head. Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. Peterson entered an Alford plea while awaiting a new trial in 2017, allowing him to plead guilty to manslaughter while maintaining his innocence. Kathleen's autopsy later concluded that the manner of her death was homicide, due to "multiple blunt force impacts to [the] back of the head." The Cosmopolitan story includes information from ornithology experts who believe a barred owl could have tangled its claws in Kathleens hair and made the gashes in her head that prosecutors alleged came from a metal implement. On Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson found his wife, Kathleen, dead at the bottom of the back staircase. Inside Kathleen Petersons Mysterious Death And The True Story Behind The Staircase. Life Coach, Psychic, Relationships, Tarot Kathleen Peterson. That means a decreased flow of blood to the brain, and it takes hours for that to happen. We are surrounded by Angels and Other Enlightened Beings who wish to help us as we travel on our journey and experience the grand adventure of life. Then, learn about Susan Powell, who warned her family her death might not be an accident. 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. Colin Firth plays her husband, Michael Peterson, the man who was accused of her murder. The man who claims hes 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. He needed her money to survive the way he wanted to survive," she said. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. In the early hours of Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson made a panicked, tearful 911 call: He had found his wife Kathleen unconscious and bloody at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina, house. "They had a real story, which lasted until May 2017. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Mrs. Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson, was born February 21, 1953, in Greensboro, North Carolina, and died of a tragic accident in her beloved home in Durham, North Carolina, Sunday, December 9, 2001. What has yet to be determined was exactly how Kathleen met her demise. Copyright 2023 The John Locke Foundation, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Leandro v. State of North Carolina Explained. Over the years, multiple theories regarding the cause of Kathleen's death persisted. But Kathleen had life insurance worth $1.2 million to $1.8 million, with Michael as the beneficiary. What really happened in the Peterson household in the early hours of December 9 will likely always remain a mystery. For this week, I looked into whats happened to Michael Peterson since the Netflix series ended in 2018 and whether a theory that a rogue owl played a role in Kathleens death ever got any traction. She was an executive at Nortel, mother to Caitlyn, step-mother to Clayton and Todd (Mike's kids from a previous marriage . Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. But other evidence pointed convincingly to Michaels guilt. The ending of Netflix's Triptych explained, Khlo Kardashian is living her best life on TikTok, Period-proof activewear to stop the leakage fear. It came out that a leg injury he said happened during battle actually came from a car accident. Missing murder weapon. 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. Not inebriated. In April 2019, an extensive News & Observer story by Andrew Carter reported that Michael had written an e-book titled Behind the Staircase to exonerate himself, with any profits going toward charity. 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. 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. Into a two-bedroom condo, according to Forensic Files colin Firth plays her husband Michael. His release 's issues, health and current affairs 86 months, and officially. The injuries in a little more detail in her book, Written in blood Kathleen is `` still ''. 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