Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. Michael Peterson reacts to the news that his old friend Elizabeth's body is to be exhumed and examined as part of his murder trial. Personalities shine at A+E Networks EMEA. After Michael and Patricia divorced in 1987, Clayton and Todd lived with Patricia, and Margaret and Martha stayed with Michael, who then moved to Durham, North Carolina. True story behind The Staircase: The marriage of Michael and Kathleen The Staircase director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade has opened up about the death of Elizabeth Ratliff, insisting that Michael Peterson had nothing to do with it. 'The Staircase': Where Are Michael Peterson and His Family Now? - Collider An autopsy at the time of her death concluded Ratliff died from an intra-cerebral hemorrhage secondary to the blood coagulation disorder Von Willebrand's disease, based on blood in her cerebrospinal fluid and reports that she had been suffering severe, persistent headaches in the weeks leading up to her death. . They married in 1997, and Kathleen's daughter Caitlin became the fifth sibling in the blended family.[6]. He was sentenced to time already served and freed. [13] The Appeals' ruling said the evidence was fairly admitted. Here's the OTHER Death at the Center of Netflix's The Staircase. Before Peterson's trial, the Durham court ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's embalmed body, buried in Texas, for a second autopsy in April 2003. The Staircase launches on Netflix on 8 June. Another witness testified to spending much of the day cleaning blood stains off the wall. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "I looked around and there was a lot of blood on the floor. WildBlue Press", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Peterson_trial&oldid=1152187173, 20th-century American non-fiction writers, United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Duke University Trinity College of Arts and Sciences alumni, Overturned convictions in the United States, People convicted of murder by North Carolina, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by North Carolina, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Motion for new trial denied by Durham County Superior Court on March 10, 2009, "The Staircase Murders" - 2007 TV Movie written by Aphrodite Jones, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 18:49. Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. Several other documentaries have been produced about Kathleen's death, including a sequel to the 2004 French documentary, podcasts, radio shows and other media. [12] Denial of parole requires premeditation. His release on bond followed a judicial order for a new trial after Judge Hudson found that Deaver had given "materially misleading" and "deliberately false" testimony about bloodstain evidence, and had exaggerated his training, experience, and expertise. 2023 Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. New statewide softball rankings ahead of conference tournament week, Riverside-Durham alum Jordon Riley drafted by the New York Giants, Fatal crash on Lake Woodard Drive Sunday evening, NFL Draft: Panthers draft Wolfpack's offense guard Chandler Zavala, GOP lawmakers want to pay for students' private education. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck in her children at bedtime. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. The Staircase Netflix Documentary and HBO Max series about the death of Kathleen Peterson and which follows the trial of Michael Peterson. Michael Iver Peterson was born near Nashville, Tennessee, the son of Eugene Iver Peterson and Eleanor Peterson (ne Bartolino). The Scene of Her Death The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany and was found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino. Kathleen discovered his secret gay life, confronted him, threatened divorce, they were in . Some may criticize them as to why they cant see he did it. Pollard subsequently filed affidavits[23] to support a motion that Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson order the state Medical Examiner's Office to turn over all documentation related to Kathleen's autopsy to Peterson's attorneys. The critically acclaimed documentary of the same name came out in 2004 a few years after the trial and is now available to stream on Netflix, while this fictionalized version tells the tale of The. Absent a reconsideration of the ruling or the raising of a federal issue, Peterson had exhausted his appeals of the verdict. "Prosecutors spent thousands of dollars transporting her boy 12,000 miles from Bay City, Texas to Chapel Hill," Defense AttorneyDavid Rudolf said on "The Staircase." Peterson also worked as a newspaper columnist for The Herald-Sun, where his columns became known for their criticism of police and of Durham County district attorney James Hardin Jr., who would later prosecute Peterson for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen. I believe that Kathleen excused herself to go get ready for a meeting the next morning. Autopsy Report Reveals Ratliff Was Homicide Victim - WRAL.com According to Radisch, the total of seven lacerations to the top and back of Kathleen's head were the result of repeated blows with a light, yet rigid, weapon. Despite Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, requesting that a "neutral" pathologist from Texas carried out the autopsy, the District Attorney had Dr. Deborah L. Radisch, the state pathologist, do it instead. Will King Charles III get a coronation medal? With offices in London, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, Munich and Johannesburg, we are a truly international company that celebrates difference and diversity. Her name was Elizabeth Ratliff (shown above in the blue shirt) and she died at the age of 43. Peterson said she must have fallen down the stairs after consuming alcohol and Valium. After graduating, Peterson took a civilian job with the United States Department of Defense, where he was assigned to research arguments supporting increased military involvement in Vietnam. German police arrived at the scene and quickly deemed Elizabeth's fall an accident. Did Michael Peterson Kill Elizabeth Ratliff? Amybeth Berner, Ratliff's friend, described the scene at Ratliff's house in 1985 for jurors. Toxicology results showed that Kathleen's blood alcohol content was 0.07 percent (70mg/100mL), her alcohol in urine was 0.11 and she had taken between 5 and 15mg of Valium. Nearly two decades before Michael Peterson found his wife at the bottom of a staircase, a close friend of his in Germany, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also died after a fall down a staircase. He pleaded not guilty. How we got here, what's new and why they face resistance, 7 arrested after ALE search at illegal business in Raleigh, Texas man fatally shoots 5 people, including 8-year-old. The prosecution declined to accuse Peterson of Ratliff's death, but introduced the death into the trial as an incident giving Peterson the idea of how to "fake" Kathleen's accident. Is it possible MP did not kill Liz Ratliff, but used the - Reddit Shortly before Elizabeth passed away, George died of a heart attack during the U.S. invasion of Grenada. The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. How Did Elizabeth Ratliff Die in The Staircase? - POPSUGAR In June 2006, he voluntarily filed for bankruptcy. What will the King Charles era be called? SCOTUS Now Just Another Congressional Committee, Secret Chinese Police Stations in Europe Are 'Tip of the Iceberg', Trump's Attorney Just Blew Carroll Rape Case, King Charles Says Royals Require 'Acting Ability', Ukraine Will Regain 'Significant Territory' From Russia, Florida GOP Paves the Way to Help Ron DeSantis Challenge Trump. Elizabeth Ratliff, shown in the Netflix docu-series "The Staircase.". Powered by WordPress.com VIP. In response, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, argued he had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before. Peterson was the last known person to see her alive. Like Kathleen, she'd been found at the bottom of a staircase. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court, but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. [27], On December 16, 2011, Peterson was released from the Durham County jail on $300,000 bail and placed under house arrest with a tracking anklet. It was directed by French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and released by Maha Productions in October 2004. After George's death, the Peterson and Ratliff families became very close. Kate's 'princess shuffle' is going viral on TikTok, Meghan 'signs with major Hollywood talent agency', Anne's coronation role leaves fans "in tears", TV legend Jerry Springer has died at the age of 79. Elizabeth Ratliff, a family. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth worked in the same school as Michael's then-wife, Patty. [CDATA[// >