Wanted folks like you to see what we, criminal defense lawyers, actually do. Read ahead to learn more about Michael Peterson and where he is now. Returning to the Scene of the Crime. Deavers ethics and expertise were first put into question regarding the wrongful conviction of Greg Taylor, in 1993, for the murder of Jacquetta Thomas. Despite being found guilty of murder, in 2011, Peterson was granted another trial which was set to take place in 2017. 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. Here's everything we know about what happened to Michael Peterson after HBO Max's The Staircase. We want to hear from you! 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. The listing photos show the changes that have been made since Petersons departure. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). According to theNews and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. First off, in 1985, Peterson was the last person to see yet another woman alive just before she died from head injuries from falling down a staircase. The pair moved in together in 2019. A new HBO series, The Staircase, follows Peterson's murder trial after his wife, Kathleen, was found in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in the couple's home in 2001. After breaking up with Sophie (Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty (Trini Alvarado). 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. According to News and Observer, Peterson sold the house in 2004. 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. 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. The pair are believed to have formed a relationship whilst Peterson was in prison and following his release in 2011. Curiously, though he was living with Kathleen at the time, his first wife, Patty, from whom he was separated, co-signed for the loan. The company had also begun massive layoffs at the same time and Kathleens job security seemed tenuous at best. Michael had two sons - Todd and Clayton - from his first marriage. What Happened to Michael Peterson After Prison? The dried blood atop her head was a clue that she'd been there for a while, and since Michael was the only person in the house at that time, he was the only suspect. By taking the plea, he admitted that the prosecution had enough evidence to secure a manslaughter conviction. 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. In the film, made long before the popular Hulu series, the Colonial masks as the supposed Republic of Gilead residence belonging to Commander Fred (Robert Duvall) and his wife, Serena Joy (Faye Dunaway), where handmaid Kate (Natasha Richardson) is placed. He also stated that he had worked on 500 bloodstain cases. According to him, Michael waited three hours to call 911 while Patty was having a heart attack. I don't speak French. 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.". Scroll on to find out. ", 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. During a CrimeCon speech, Peterson's attorney, David Rudolf, shot down reports his client made bank from the Netflix series. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. Michael was resentenced to 86 weeks in prison but was let free since he had already served more than that time. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Likes science fiction, true crime, coming-of-age stories, teen dramas, and some other things as well. After serving in the Vietnam War, he began to write novels and newspaper columns about his experiences following his honorable discharge in 1971. HBO Max's new drama The Staircase reenacts the entire story, documentary included, in a star-studded limited series out now. To recap the case, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her . The prosecution didn't accuse Peterson of Ratliff's death at his trial. Before that, she ran twice for District Attorney, in 2006 and 2008, but never got the job. Following an investigation and an ensuing murder trial, the latter of which became one of the longest of its kind in North Carolina history, Michael Peterson was eventually found guilty. They separated in the 1980s and divorced in the early 1990s. It occurred when Michael and Kathleen were visiting Germany and dropped by the home of their friend, Elizabeth Ratliff. As shown in the HBO Max miniseries, de Lestrade went into fiction after working on The Staircase. As the later episodes of "The Staircase" covered, Peterson was eventually granted a retrial hearing in 2011 after it was discovered that Duane Deaver a blood-spatter analyst for North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation who had testified under oath at Peterson's initial trial that evidence pointed towards his guilt had covered up evidence in other trials that would've benefited the defense. 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. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America. They did, however, use her death as an example of an incident that could help him "fake" Kathleen's accident. Reprieve for Michael came in the form of prosecutorial impropriety, which forced the judge to grant him a new trial in 2011. The Staircaseis set to return to our screens as a HBO Max series. 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. 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. Per The News & Observer, Petersons defense left him indigent. 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. Since his 2017 Alford plea, Michael Peterson has managed to keep to himself while continuing to remain in the spotlight. 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. After spending eight years in prison, Michael Peterson was given an unexpected reprieve one granted by way of state corruption. 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). He also opines that by agreeing to pay, he would be admitting to murdering Kathleen. His moms cancer battle. Investigators swiftly homed in on Michael as a prime suspect as he was alone in the premises with Kathleen when she passed away. In April 2001, they took out a second mortgage to help with the squeeze in finances. Margaret was already interested in pursuing a career in film when her family was approached by Lestrade and his crew. 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. 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. He tried to fight it, but his firing was upheld in court in 2014. Like Patty's father, Michael Peterson was a military man, having served in Vietnam as part of the U.S. Marine Corps from August 1968 until September 1969. Who is Viktor Bouts wife? 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 woman who The Staircase viewers may be mistaking for Peterson's new wife could well be Sophie Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche), an . "He is living in Durham. "But we parted ways because he had to go do an 'Indiana Jones.'" 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.. And what about all the other characters that were so important to the story? Send us a tip using our anonymous form. According to CNN, Patty Peterson loaned Michael Peterson $168,000 to help him fight his case. The story behind The Staircase. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. Dirt is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. In . The jury found the evidence sufficient to convict Michael of first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life. Michael and Patty split up in 1986. It explores the life of crime novelist Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth), his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette). His character in the show is a troubled young man who decides to turn his life around. 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. The reason, according to him, was money. As a result, he was re-sentenced to time served and released from prison at that time. 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. However, they eventually joined their father in Durham, North. Her most high-profile works have been in the critically acclaimed movie Blue Is the Warmest Color and in the Netflix series Call My Agent! Prosecutor Says, Scott Peterson Will Be Re-Sentenced to Life in Prison After Death Sentence Was Overturned in 2020, Man Who Killed Meredith Kercher, Amanda Knox's Roommate in Italy, Is Freed from Prison, the limited series is very much a true story, the jury found Michael guilty of Kathleen's murder. I felt that I wanted to keep my inspiration, my motivation, and the sense of the source material, as much as possible contained within the script and the way it was written.. Kathleen Peterson, seen above, died on December 1, 2009. The defense, however, disputed that Kathleen was accepting of Michael's bisexuality and that the blow poke (a hollow tube instead of a solid metal stick) he allegedly used to strike her suffered no damage, nor had any remnants of blood on it. But severe cracks in their foundation came to light following Michaels arrest and during his subsequent lengthy trial. Behind the Staircase and Beyond the Staircase were self-published in 2019. He is portrayed in the Antonio Campos-created series "The Staircase" by actor Joel McKinnon Miller (best known as Scully from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"). ", It turns out Firth landed the role out of pure Hollywood happenstance. Michael Peterson is the subject of one of Netflixs most riveting and polarizing true crime documentaries,The Staircase. 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. His defense. 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. With The Staircase, de Lestrade embarked on a project that took him 15 years to finish, with the final episodes of the documentary coming out only in 2018. Yes, The Staircase on HBO Max is based on a true story. The listing marketed the residence as having been featured in a Netflix documentary. I might have left that bit out, but what do I know because the place sold the following month for $1.6 million. Since his release, Michael has avoided staying in houses with staircases, which is perhaps a good idea. The conclusion painted Michael as a murderer with a propensity for pushing his victims down staircases and no doubt contributed to his conviction. The Staircase follows Michaels more than decade-long legal battle toward freedom and paints a portrait of the Peterson family both before and after Kathleens death. In July 2020,. "That we dont cheat or invent evidence, that we actually care about truth and representing people as well as they can be represented. 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. Brad even testified at Michael Peterson's trial and under cross-examination, stated Michael Peterson spoke about Kathleen Peterson, calling her a "dynamite wife," reported the NZ Herald. As it turned out, thats what happened. HBO is yet to announce a release date forThe Staircase. The new owners renovated the property and relisted it in 2007. 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. All Rights Reserved. The miniseries will draw on the2018 Netflix documentarythat followed the same case. 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. However, de Lestrades involvement with the Peterson story didnt end there, as he was the one to sell the story to Campos. RELATED: 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Meanwhile, Peterson said he felt "pimped out" by Lestrade for allowing HBO access to footage for a fee and co-executive producer credit. 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). 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? 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. He was not a friendly columnist. Im innocent. 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. 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. The political thriller Jeux dInfluence had two seasons released between 2018 and 2022 in the European streaming service Arte. The writer produced a memoir in 2009 called Behind the Staircase, and a sequel Beyond the Staircase. So, where is Michael Peterson now? Instead, he submitted an Alford Plea for manslaughter. "He visits his grandchildren; he's writing. 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. Pattys death, however, is surrounded by its fair share of mystery and controversy. Above (L-R): The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, and Clayton Peterson. Folks can sign up for HBO Max for a monthly rate of $14.99. In 2002, Caitlin filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Michael. In fact, when his step-daughter Caitlin Atwater Clark attempted to sue him for $25 million in a wrongful death lawsuit, he specifically told his lawyer that he had no money at all. In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the . Where are the real-life people of 'The Staircase' now? That being said, it's unclear how Peterson is now making a living or if he has some kind of income. Michael's late wife Kathleen will be played byToni Collette. However, Caitlin's opinion changed after she saw her mother's autopsy photographs that depicted horrific injuries. However, it was nearly a very different ending. Were it not for SBI analyst Duane Deavers corruption, Michael Peterson would probably still be in jail. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. Following Elizabeths death, Margaret and her younger sister Martha (Odessa Young) were adopted by the Petersons. His plans, he said, are to spend the time he lost behind bars with family and write a new book. Unlike Michael and Todd, he has never spoken publicly about The Staircase. And although his initial murder trial took place in 2003, Michael Peterson's saga didn't have definitive ending until 2018. And, from what it seems, things have turned out for the best for the real Clayton. But since it's been some time since the 2001 alleged crime and initial trial in 2003, where is Michael Peterson now? 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. We all know that these characters have names of living people, but its very carefully calibrated to tell the story in a certain way. Michael Peterson murder trial in July 2003. Disclaimer: Please remember this is a private home. According to their son Clayton Peterson, Michael and Patricia lived together between 2019 and 2021 as "companions. Her stepfather's lies, including about his sexuality, also played a role, as depicted in the HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase. He explained: These are created characters but we all know what the source is. 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! 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. Kathleen had daughter Caitlin from her first marriage as well. The filmmakers had explored the American justice system in a case with a public defender, and wanted to explore a case with a wealthy defendant. Kathleen Peterson, ne Hunt, and Michael Peterson became acquainted when Kathleen Peterson moved to Durham and became one of Michael's neighbors. And the fact that another woman very close to Peterson was also found dead at the bottom of a staircase 16 years before Kathleen. Michael Peterson's first marriage was to Patricia "Patty" Sue (now Peterson), an elementary school teacher. Kathleen Peterson's death became a national, long-standing mystery with the 2004 documentary The Staircase. He later met his first wife Patricia Sue, an elementary school teacher, in West Germany. He donated all of the proceeds to charity. 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. Lestrade told Vanity Fair that he felt "betrayed" by show creator Anthony Campos' adaptation of his Peabody Award-winning docu-series and claimed the facts were altered for dramatic effect. 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. The staircase where Kathleen Peterson was found dead on Dec. 8, 2001 is seen above Credit: Netflix. 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. Skyler Caruso is the Editorial Assistant of PEOPLE Digital. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Game of ThronesactressSophie Turnerwill appear as one of Michael's adopted daughters, Margaret Ratliff. But what happened to him after he took that Alford plea in 2017? Because in fact, the story didn't really end there. His guilty plea notwithstanding, Michael still asserts that he did not kill Kathleen Peterson. The production, deemed largely forgettable by critics, made extensive use of both the interior and exterior of the property. Luckily for them, Firth has received rave reviews. While an Alford plea is not an admission of guilt, it signifies that the defendant agrees there is enough evidence in any given case to result in a guilty verdict. Michael, who has maintained his innocence, spent nearly a decade behind bars after being . It was a huge financial blow to Michael. Defense attorney David Rudolf talked toOxygenabout Michaels current living situation: He is living in Durham Im not sure why hes living in Durham, but he is. 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. Petersons wood-paneled office (which Aphrodite Jones describes as an imposing, ominous and intimidating space, saying It was understood that Michael Peterson didnt want people in there.) had a prominent role in the film and in a macabre foretelling was the site of a very bloody murder scene. 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. Where is Peterson's Durham house? Currently, Rudolf is in "occasional" contact with Peterson since his 2017 release. 'The Staircase': Where Are Michael Peterson and His Family Now? "I've always believed he did not do this, and I always will.". 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. 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! In Lestrades docuseries, she speaks at length about her mental health issues.
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