At first, their two sons lived in Germany with their mother but eventually went to live in Durham, North Carolina with their father. "He's living in Durham I'm not sure why he's living in Durham, but he is," Rudolf told the audience at CrimeCon. 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? 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! Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way. The shy, dull, and very British Mark Darcy is as far as you can get from the confounding and unpredictable American novelist Michael Peterson. In addition to losing the civil suit his step-daughter, Caitlin Atwater, brought against him, Peterson also lost out on Kathleen's $1.4 million life insurance policy, per WRAL, and the home that they shared was put on the market in 2020, per The Sun. In 2019, he toldDr. Philthat Elizabeth fell down the stairs after suffering a stroke. The listing photos show the changes that have been made since Petersons departure. And that spawned other real-life programs it's just a tragedy that there's this great appetite that people have for sex, murder, and money. Kathleen had daughter Caitlin from her first marriage as well. 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. "You will be treated as guilty for murdering my sister Kathleen, and you will be a convicted felon forever.". As shown in the HBO Max miniseries, de Lestrade went into fiction after working on The Staircase. So, it was an unusual choice to cast the "Bridget Jones' Diary" love-rival in HBO's "The Staircase." And so, instead of watching some fictionalized account, we see the real thing happening. "Its not fair, Its not right. Their mom had been Elizabeth Ratcliff, the family friend who'd died falling down the stairs in Germany decades before Kathleen Peterson, per Cosmopolitan. But, theres one thing that pretty much everyone can agree on: The man needs to avoid a home with staircases. According to theNews and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. 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). One of the most puzzling revelations of his trial was that in 1985, Michael was the last person to see Elizabeth Ratliff before she was discovered dead at the bottom of a staircase. In April 2001, they took out a second mortgage to help with the squeeze in finances. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she said that Lestrades The Staircase cost her many job opportunities in the documentary world, including at Netflix. And then Michael had two adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. In Michael Peterson's case, however . 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. Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? Pattys death, however, is surrounded by its fair share of mystery and controversy. Where does Michael Peterson currently live? It is a great deal for the district attorney.". Michael Peterson had been forced to sell his assets, including the family home, to pay legal fees, leaving him broke. 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. The topic is also at the center of Rudolfs 2022 book, American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System. The prosecution suggested that Michael killed his wife after they got in a fight supposedly initiated by Kathleen's discovery of more than 2,000 explicit images of men on Michael's computer in addition to emails in conversation with a young male escort he was planning on reuniting with after meeting a few months prior. The pair divorced, paving the way for Michaels marriage to Kathleen Atwater. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor apartment in Durham, North Carolina, and has since sold the house he shared with Kathleen. They wed in 1968 and had two boys together, Todd and Clayton. 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. Her secluded life and career, Who are Gradey Dicks parents? Curiously, though he was living with Kathleen at the time, his first wife, Patty, from whom he was separated, co-signed for the loan. They separated in the 1980s and divorced in the early 1990s. He now believes "maybe everybody's somewhat elusive and changeable and multifaceted. 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 production, deemed largely forgettable by critics, made extensive use of both the interior and exterior of the property. Michael J. Peterson Contributing Writer at Quora-active since 2013 , Former Indiana All State Choir Zone 3-B chairman 1989-2000, National Council of Japanese Language Teachers Association-board . The pair are believed to have formed a relationship whilst Peterson was in prison and following his release in 2011. True-crime enthusiasts have taken a renewed interest in Michael Peterson and the death of his wife, Kathleen, with the premiere of the mini-series "The Staircase". The murder was after Kathleen allegedly discovered that he had over 1000 explicit images of men, a window into . Played by Vincent Vermignon, de Lestrade was already an Academy Award winner when he got involved with Michael Petersons case. According to CNN, Patty Peterson loaned Michael Peterson $168,000 to help him fight his case. Colin Firth will play Michael Peterson, and Sophie Turner will play Margaret Ratliff, one of Michaels adopted daughters. Michaels wife was found lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in the couples residence. Hes in a ground floor apartment with no stairs that was really important accommodation.. In an odd twist, before the Petersons called the place home, it was featured in the 1990 dystopian drama The Handmaids Tale, based upon Margaret Atwoods 1985 novel of the same name. Peterson's defense attorney David Rudolf told Oxygen in 2019 that Peterson is currently living in Durham in a ground floor apartmentso no staircase. Rudolf gave a behind-the-scenes look at the trial, and why he agreed to participate in the docu-series, made by a French documentary crew that first aired in the United States in 2005, and was updated and re-released on Netflix last year. He stated Kathleen Peterson was aware of his interest in men and his first wife, Patricia Sue, was also there to support Michael Peterson's bisexuality claims. Can also be found at Delirium Nerd, writing in Portuguese. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Michael, who has maintained his innocence, spent nearly a decade behind bars after being . Despite the fact Michael was the one to call 911 the night Kathleen allegedly fell down the stairs, Michael soon . As the first iteration of "The Staircase" detailed, Kathleen was found at the bottom of the titular staircase in the couple's Durham mansion in 2001, an incident which immediately raised the hackles of local law enforcement, who believed her death was the result of homicide on the part of her husband. Speaking to the French publication L'Express, de Lestrade shared: "This is one of the incredible things that happened during those 15 years. After breaking up with Sophie (Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty (Trini Alvarado). I don't speak French. All Rights Reserved. In July 2020,. Judge Clifton . You Can Stream Every 'Rocky' Movie Right Now, 'WoF' Fans Say This Is the 'Biggest Choke' on Show, Daisy Jones & the Six Is a Rock Epic in 10 Parts, See Mariska Hargitays Emotional Tribute on IG, Poker Face Is Rian Johnson's Exciting New Show, A Timeline of Events in 'Murdaugh Murders', 'White Lotus' Star Reveals 'Iconic' Scene Was Cut, How Sam Claflin Built His '70s Rock Star Body. And, from what it seems, things have turned out for the best for the real Clayton. His character in the show is a troubled young man who decides to turn his life around. The docu-series follows Petersons trial for the murder of his wife Kathleen,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. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Nowadays, she prefers to stay away from the spotlight, living a quiet life in Alexandria, Virgnia. The riches he had before his incarceration no longer exist. Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. 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. They didnt really care whether he did it or not, Rudolf said Friday at CrimeCon in New Orleans. Reprieve for Michael came in the form of prosecutorial impropriety, which forced the judge to grant him a new trial in 2011. The real Patty (Trini Alvarado) not only stood by her ex-husbands side throughout the trials, but she also took him in after his release. Alex Murdaugh trial live stream, updates: Sentencing set for double murder charge. 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.. Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Staircase. 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. Heres what went on in their lives after the events portrayed in The Staircase. 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." Is 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Based on a True Story? Blood-spatter analyst Duane Deaver (Myke Holmes) was found to have exaggerated his credentials in the field of forensic investigation. Where are the real-life people of 'The Staircase' now? Despite Michael Peterson's murder conviction in 2003, his story was far from over. At the center of the story is Kathleen and Michael's sprawling Colonial home, located in Durham's tony Forest Hills neighborhood. . MICHAEL Peterson was convicted of killing his second wife, Kathleen, in 2003. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. "I've always believed he did not do this, and I always will.". At the moment, very little is known about Peterson's private life. He said that when he previously prepared for a role, he liked to delve right in and get "to the heart" of the character. Where is Peterson's Durham house? Todd was the first person to see Michael after Kathleen died, as shown in the first episode of HBO Max's new series. Is Riley Keough Singing in Daisy Jones & The Six? Black died in 2018, at age 57 of end-stage liver disease. Peterson's second son, Todd (who was adamant that his step-mother's death was alcohol-related), currently lives in Tennessee. 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. 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. 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. When investigators looked into her death though, they suspected foul play due to the shocking amount of blood on the scene, and that the only witness was her husband. The TV drama miniseries focuses on the real-life 2003 murder trial that saw Michael accused of . Michael's late wife Kathleen will be played byToni Collette. Because in fact, the story didn't really end there. Instead, he submitted an Alford Plea for manslaughter. He was released in 2011 on bond ahead of a retrial but in February 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter, meaning he admitted the evidence against him would likely lead to a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but the did not have to admit he committed the crime. Returning to the Scene of the Crime. The Staircase. He got back to writing and released two books telling his side of the story: 2019s Behind the Staircase and 2020s Beyond the Staircase. Before that, she ran twice for District Attorney, in 2006 and 2008, but never got the job. 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. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. Instead, Peterson is now living the life of "a 75-year-old grandfather" and surviving "[on a] fairly modest pension," Rudolph told "True Crime Interviews" host Steve Wraith. On December 1, 2009, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their North Carolina home. It sold the following year to medium Biond Fury (I shudder to think about the seances that took place there during his tenure! Game of ThronesactressSophie Turnerwill appear as one of Michael's adopted daughters, Margaret Ratliff. What happened to Olivia Walton on The Waltons? Then I went and realized, no, I can't. However, since the release of the HBO miniseries, his Instagram profile has been deleted. In 2018, AP reported that Michael Peterson now lives in a 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom condo in the same town, Durham, North Carolina. Colin Firth plays the writer in a new HBO Max limited series. Their son, Clayton, shared that the former spouses cohabited an apartment in Durham, the same town in which Michael and Kathleen had lived. The novelist spent the past almost eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty of murdering his wife, but in 2011, he was released and since then hes been living a quiet life in Durham, North Carolina, the same city he once lived with his second wife at the time of her death. The writer produced a memoir in 2009 called Behind the Staircase, and a sequel Beyond the Staircase. Colin Firth plays Michael Peterson in the latest retelling of Kathleen Petersons murder and Michaels attempts to prove his innocence. I don't speak French," Peterson admitted to The News & Observer. Kathleen was apparently bludgeoned to death after a medical examiner noticed several lacerations on her scalp. Were it not for SBI analyst Duane Deavers corruption, Michael Peterson would probably still be in jail. Michael and Patricia later divorced, and not long after, he moved in with telecoms exec Kathleen Atwater before eventually tying the knot in 1997. Defense Attorney David Rudolf says his famous former clientfeatured on Netflixs The Staircase is keeping it on one level now. In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the . Featuring a library, game room, a whopping five fireplaces, fourteen-foot ceilings, hardwood flooring throughout, and a large master wing, theres no arguing that the couple and their children lived in style. Above (L-R): Tim Guinee, Sophie Turner, Colin Firth, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger appear as the Peterson family in "The Staircase" on HBO Max. She did not sign the deed over to Michael until their divorce was finally finalized in 1996. Peterson's lawyers took issue with the examiner's assessment. And [Sophie] said, well, if you can't commit to live with me all the time, let's end it and it was a great blow to both of usI could not give her what she really needed and deserved.". Since his 2017 Alford plea, Michael Peterson has managed to keep to himself while continuing to remain in the spotlight. They dated until 2017. "We made plans to live in Paris. Although Peterson is out of prison and was granted a manslaughter charge as opposed to the original murder charge that he served nearly eight years in prison for, he maintains his innocence in all matters related to the case. Since his release, Michael has avoided staying in houses with staircases, which is perhaps a good idea. The company had also begun massive layoffs at the same time and Kathleens job security seemed tenuous at best. 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. He was less than pleased with the HBO Max miniseries and claimed to feel betrayed by documentarist Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. According to their son Clayton Peterson, Michael and Patricia lived together between 2019 and 2021 as "companions. Peterson, who shared a fortune with his wife Kathleen Peterson up until the time of her death, referred to himself as "indigent" during the later episodes of "The Staircase," which were filmed following his 2011 release from prison. 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. Brunet still works as a film and TV editor in France. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America. Patricia Peterson died in July 2021 of a heart attack when she was 78 years old. Michael and Patty split up in 1986. Investigators swiftly homed in on Michael as a prime suspect as he was alone in the premises with Kathleen when she passed away. No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. Dirt is a part of Penske Media Corporation. "They took care of each other." Luckily for them, Firth has received rave reviews. 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. Speaking with Variety, he also complained about his characterization in the show, singling out the scene in which he and Michael chat over a pastrami sandwich: We could have put a little blimp over my head saying, Jewish lawyer from New York.
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