Kathleen Peterson, seen above, died on December 1, 2009. Michael opted out of the trial before it was due to begin in 2017. The couple also hosts a podcast together, Abuse of Power, which focuses on stories of people victimized by the justice system. 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. Peterson's defense attorney David Rudolf told Oxygen in 2019 that Peterson is currently living in Durham in a ground floor apartmentso no staircase. 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. Meanwhile, Peterson said he felt "pimped out" by Lestrade for allowing HBO access to footage for a fee and co-executive producer credit. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). He explained: These are created characters but we all know what the source is. He later met his first wife Patricia Sue, an elementary school teacher, in West Germany. Despite not being an official member of the defense team, Bill Peterson (Tim Guinee) played a huge role in getting his brother Michael out of jail. Her parents influence on her career, Where is Mary Roach from American Idol now? They did, however, use her death as an example of an incident that could help him "fake" Kathleen's accident. 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. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. At the time, authorities concluded that Elizabeth fell down the stairs after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. However, back in 2002, streaming hadnt been invented yet, and young Margaret had no idea just how much her life would be in the public eye in the following decades. No, not that staircase. 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. Is Riley Keough Singing in Daisy Jones & The Six? She's a journalist, a translator, a linguist, an aspiring author, a lover of trivia games, and a first time cat owner. It is a great deal for the district attorney.". But, in February 2017, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Judge Clifton . 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. Margaret and Michael are both featured in the movie as interviewees. 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. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where he works as an engineer. Nowadays, Margaret lives in California and works in the entertainment industry as an actor, assistant director, and production manager, among other things. 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. At the center of the story is Kathleen and Michael's sprawling Colonial home, located in Durham's tony Forest Hills neighborhood. Man Made Pros and Cons List About Leaving Her, Missouri Man Killed Expectant Wife Who Googled 'What to Do if Your Husband Is Upset You Are Pregnant', Andrea Yates, Who Drowned Her 5 Kids in a Tub in 2001, Annually Declines Release from Mental Hospital, Robert Durst, Convicted Murderer and Real Estate Scion, Dies at 78, Scott Peterson Resentenced to Life in Prison After Being Spared Death, as Laci's Family Confronts Him, Robert Durst's Murder Conviction Will Be Vacated on Legal Technicality, L.A. With every episode of The Staircase on HBO Max, more and more details and jaw-dropping twists and turns continue to play out in the story and criminal case against Michael Peterson. "I'm too old. Skyler Caruso is the Editorial Assistant of PEOPLE Digital. He lives in Durham in a house without a staircase by Chege Karomo - on May 06, 2022 in People Netflix Michael Peterson is the subject of one of Netflix's most riveting and polarizing true crime documentaries, The Staircase . But since it's been some time since the 2001 alleged crime and initial trial in 2003, where is Michael Peterson now? Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! At the moment, very little is known about Peterson's private life. The murder was after Kathleen allegedly discovered that he had over 1000 explicit images of men, a window into . He still lives in Durham, though in a ground-floor apartment, which David Rudolf explained to Oxygen has no stairs that was a really important accommodation. Ill say! Michael and Patty split up in 1986. I can't live in Paris. Ratliff died at the age of 43. He tried to fight it, but his firing was upheld in court in 2014. Sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Kathleen Peterson, Michael was granted a new trial in 2011 when it was brought to light that a key prosecution witness had given misleading information under oath. .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'? He Lives in a House Without a Staircase. And what about all the other characters that were so important to the story? They took care of each other.". Selling the house at its [original $1.175 million] asking price would still not cover all of Petersons debts.. The new owners renovated the property and relisted it in 2007. It was a huge financial blow to Michael. Peterson had a different rationale, Rudolf said. He was sentenced to seven years and a month in prison, but got out right away having already served eight years after his first trial. 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. The riches he had before his incarceration no longer exist. He said: "We made plans to live in Paris. 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). Michael was resentenced to 86 weeks in prison but was let free since he had already served more than that time. 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. This means that the person accused of murder can admit that there's enough evidence to convict them, but not admit guilty for committing the crime. 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. 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. According to CBS News, Peterson now lives in a 1,200 square foot condo, a big change from the mansion he once shared with his late wife, but as he told the news outlet, its a life hes happy to now live. However, it might be his hopes of writing a new book that will give him a place in society once again. In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the . Michael Peterson's first marriage was to Patricia "Patty" Sue (now Peterson), an elementary school teacher. 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 admitted it made him question if there is actually no "fixed core to characters." The latest offering from the HBO crime series is The Staircase which takes an in-depth look into the saga of Michael Peterson, an author who was convicted of killing his wife, Kathleen Peterson. Email us [email protected] call212 416 4552. Read ahead to learn more about Michael Peterson and where he is now. 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. Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Considering Deaver's testimony had largely swayed the jury at Peterson's trial in 2003, Peterson was granted a retrial hearing, and was released from prison in 2011. After her death, however, and during Petersons time behind bars, he was forced to file for bankruptcy. Her name was Elizabeth Ratliff, and she was a family friend of Peterson and his first wife Patricia, who was also living in Germany at the time. Kathleen, the familys breadwinner, had deferred much of her income to purchase Nortel Networks stock and though its value once totaled almost $2.5 million, the 2001 crash whittled it down to about $50,000 by the time of her death. Despite claiming his wife had fallen down the stairs, Michael Peterson was charged with her murder and convicted to life imprisonment in 2003 after one of the longest trials in North Carolinas history. His life had been dissected and picked apart by the media for almost two decades, and it was high time he got some much-needed privacy. At first, their two sons lived in Germany with their mother but eventually went to live in Durham, North Carolina with their father. The TV drama miniseries focuses on the real-life 2003 murder trial that saw Michael accused of . Per The News & Observer, Petersons defense left him indigent. Since his release from prison on bond in 2011 and his official release in 2017, Peterson has returned to his passion for writing, publishing two books about his trial, his life behind bars, and the taste of freedom. 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). Heres what went on in their lives after the events portrayed in The Staircase. Reprieve for Michael came in the form of prosecutorial impropriety, which forced the judge to grant him a new trial in 2011. 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. "He's living in Durham I'm not sure why he's living in Durham, but he is," Rudolf told the audience at CrimeCon. Played by Vincent Vermignon, de Lestrade was already an Academy Award winner when he got involved with Michael Petersons case. Now, he resides in a 1,200-square-foot, two bedroom condo and. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. 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And then Michael had two adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha. 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. As shown in the miniseries, Clayton Peterson (Dane DeHaan) served four years in prison for an attempted bombing at Duke University years before Kathleen Petersons death. 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. Todd was the first person to see Michael after Kathleen died, as shown in the first episode of HBO Max's new series. Dirt is a part of Penske Media Corporation. According to News and Observer, Peterson sold the house in 2004. Who is Viktor Bouts wife? He was less than pleased with the HBO Max miniseries and claimed to feel betrayed by documentarist Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. I guess the steps were just destined to be onscreen. Michael was seemingly innocent at first as he was the one who dialed 911 after finding Kathleen at the base of their steps. Unlike Michael and Todd, he has never spoken publicly about The Staircase. In July 2020, the infamous five-story Cedar street mansion where Kathleen died was put up for sale. "We made plans to live in Paris. Like other members of her family, Margaret hasnt received a dime from HBO and claims to have been deceived by Campos, who allegedly told her he would be focusing more on the documentarists than on the Petersons. His moms cancer battle. HBO is yet to announce a release date forThe Staircase. 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? In . Colin Firth plays Michael Peterson in the latest retelling of Kathleen Petersons murder and Michaels attempts to prove his innocence. Michael and Patty became even closer post-trial. 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. Still, in the same year, the North Carolina Human Resources Commission ruled that he should have merely been demoted from his position and that the SBI owed him 34 months of wages. Is 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Based on a True Story? 2020s Latitia is a true crime drama about the 2011 abduction of 18-year-old Latitia Perrais. Since his 2017 Alford plea, Michael Peterson has managed to keep to himself while continuing to remain in the spotlight. Together they had two sons Clayton and Todd Peterson before removing to Germany. So the ill-fated lovebirds went their own ways. Yes, The Staircase on HBO Max is based on a true story. It's the story of novelist Michael Peterson and the trial that followed his arrest for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. They lived together in Durham up until Pattys death from a heart attack in 2021. 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. ", It turns out Firth landed the role out of pure Hollywood happenstance. ViaThe Independent, The Associated Press reported Michael moved into a two-bed condo in 2018. In 2017, Michael submitted an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter.
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