In 2018, Academy Award-winning French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade released The Staircase, a 13-episode Netflix documentary investigating the real causes of Peterson's passing. Michael, a writer and would-be politician, called emergency . Per the publication, some reports have suggested that Michael Peterson was the last person to see Elizabeth alive, but Michael's lawyer pointed out inconsistencies with this theory. He needed her money to survive the way he wanted to survive," she said. Jessica O'Connor is a public historian focusing on Deep South Black History with degrees from Winston-Salem State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. A Forensic Files Murder That Went on a Binge(A Novel Idea, Forensic Files), Note: You can listen to this post as a podcast. %PDF-1.6 % Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. Peterson is now serving a life term. In fact, it was reportedly the volume of blood found near the body and the lacerations on the back of Kathleen's head that made Michael an early suspect in his wife's death, via Court TV News. Kathleen Peterson's autopsy showed. Kathleen was also a successful lady. RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube, a rogue owl played a role in Kathleens death, NFL player Rae Carruth in his murder trial, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Ron Gillette: An Air Force Man Who Didnt Exactly Aim High. However, that meeting never transpired, and it's unclear if Kathleen knew about her husband's sexuality or not. In December 2011, after spending eight years in prison for Kathleen's murder, Michael was granted a new trial. The interest on the twenty-something boys' loans were so high they had no money left to live on, and their father was concerned. In addition to the salacious activity, investigators discovered evidence of financial woes in the family. If she was attacked by an owl, she would have been screaming her head off, she said. You can see the back of the property from the Kent Street side, which has barbed wire above the gate and No Trespassing signs. Cathleen Peterson-Layne, PhD, MD Empowering Leaders and Teams to lead with greater clarity and courageous decision-making. According to Cosmopolitan, barred owls are native to the area and known to attack joggers with some frequency. She was the first woman accepted into Duke Universitys school of engineering. Lived In Hayward WI, Pine City NY, Pine City PA, Saginaw MI. Many people are already familiar with the tragic death of Kathleen Peterson, who in 2001 was dead at the bottom of a staircase in her North Carolina home . Evidence collected from 1810 Cedar Street included Peterson's computers, pieces of wood from the stairwell, swabs of . However, despite the houses dark history, it remains occupied. 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. : The Shocking True Story Behind HBO Max's Latest Show. Hosts with the most. Toni Collette's emotional portrayal is bound to create even more interest in the real Kathleen Peterson. And it speaks to our desire for clarity. Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. The couple had three daughters in college and credit card debt of $142,000. On October 10, 2003, Michael Peterson was sentenced to life without parole for Kathleen's murder, via The New York Times. Homicide detectives were called to the Peterson residence. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. By the way, WRALs story also says Mr. Fury attended grad school at Duke. Margaret, Martha, Todd, and Clayton also believe the justice system failed their father. At addition, she enrolled in Duke University's engineering school. Michael said he and Kathleen were relaxing by their pool, and she went inside to work on the computer. His 2003 trial ended in a first-degree murder conviction and a sentence of life without parole. And they claim because a fountain was on in the pool that he [while sitting outside, as he claimed] wouldnt hear it? Before Michael met Kathleen in 1986, he was living in Germany with his first wife, Patricia Sue, and their two sons. Charnel house. In 1992, they bought a 14-room mansion on three acres in the Forest Hills neighborhood. 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. And some believe that Kathleen Peterson died of simple, malicious negligence that Michael chose not to help Kathleen after an accidental fall. Peterson was arrested May 7th, 2009, in connection with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. But after eight years in prison, he was released after it was found that a key witness had given misleading testimony. Menu Log In Sign Up Per ABC News, Michael reported watching America's Sweethearts earlier that evening with his wife, then drinking some wine and sitting by the pool. There is even a scene filmed on the back staircase where Kathleen Peterson died. 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. Kathleen has one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, from her first marriage. Monday, July 13, 2020. Do you think hes heard of Mike Nifong? So whats happened to Michael Peterson since the 2018 Netflix series turned his story into an international entertainment sensation? Toxicology showed a blood alcohol content of 0.07 percent, just under the legal limit, and blood concentration of Valium consistent with a therapeutic dose. The New York Times would later describe Michael as having a theatrical personality. Kathleen was a live wire, too. Kathleen was always an accomplished student, engineer, volunteer and leader. Includes Address (6) Phone (4) Email (4) See Results. Related To Heather Peterson, Tiffany Peterson, Michael Peterson, Ronald Peterson. They argued Michael's plan to kill his wife revolved around the $1.4 million life insurance policy she had in place. Cassandra told Ron that for months and months, The Long Island Medium's people kept bothering her to . A successful career as an executive at the communications firm Nortel followed. Kathleen Peterson Born: February 21, 1953 Birthplace: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Death: December 9, 2001, Durham, North Carolina, USA (lacerations to skull) Bio: Michael Peterson's Second Wife Olivia DeJonge Born: April 30, 1998 Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia Caitlin Atwater Born: April 27, 1982 Birthplace: North Carolina Posted 2/5/2010 12:01 AM. Insurance jackpot. Though one of their sons was at the scene before police, and the tree branch would have been easy to dispose of and could explain the needles and feathers, many of these and other theories do not have enough evidence to hold up to scrutiny. She was a successful student and was the first woman admitted to Duke University's School of Engineering in 1967, where she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees and met her first husband, physicist Fred Atwater. Hes a SHU-in. Then, after serving eight years in prison, Michael got a huge break. By all reports, Michael and Kathleen enjoyed a close, happy marriage and were sought-after guests on the local social scene. In Michael Peterson's murder trial, the prosecution's case focussed on money - or the couple's lack of it - as a motive. Life Coach, Psychic, Relationships, Tarot Kathleen Peterson. In the early morning hours of December 9, 2001, authorities were called to the Durham, North Carolina home of Michael and . The house was listed at $1.175 million, but reduced to $975,000 in 2003. In the spring before Gates bought the home in June 1989, it was a location for the 1990 movie The Handmaids Tale, which was filmed in Durham and Raleigh and starred Robert Duvall, Faye Dunaway and Natasha Richardson. Balius paid $640,000 for the house in 2004 and did renovations before placing it back on the market in 2007. :t M \o[c@zhR_C-*jBR'FoK zm1%DVtW?ZN Ib:Iiw;+ eo=9q(DO5l'\s"dVsN9Q(Ru-tzzv%xVM'`]U CI%D"-.AGiGA Cir+A=[m9'l=lZt^:\j'Su.G{0GwO/"Ju)i&3BY PO0y\W{p"n$a,L2x[ The front of the house at 1810 Cedar St. is visible from the street, but the entire 3.4-acre property is gated. We want it. Netflix. We know she was married to Michael Peterson. Kathleen and Fred married in 1977 and had a daughter, Caitlin, but they divorced after she discovered his affair. She was an executive at Nortel, mother to Caitlyn, step-mother to Clayton and Todd (Mike's kids from a previous marriage . In the lead-up to Kathleen's death, Nortel had been making a large proportion of its staff redundant - as many as two thirds (or 45,000 workers) apparently. Photos of her shaved head surfaced early on in the investigation, leading detectives (and later the prosecuting team) to believe she had been struck multiple times with a large, blunt object (the notorious blowpoke as referenced in the film.) In 2003, Peterson was convicted of Kathleens murder and sentenced to life without parole. Then 68-years-old, Michael was released from prison pending a new trial, and after posting a $300,000 bond, via The News & Observer. Police believed it was a fireplace blow poke that someone took outside to hide, leaving bloodstains on the door. NetflixMichael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. The police found blood splatter between the legs of Michaels shorts and his bloody footprint on Kathleens clothes, which suggested he was standing over her and beating her. The actors in the new Staircase seem content to accept the cases ambiguities. 'The Staircase' has put Kathleen Peterson in the spotlight. 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. We find doubt uncomfortable., Jones isnt satisfied with that. Friends of Liz Ratliff, who lived on the same German military base as Michael and his first wife, testified about the bloodiness of the scene of her demise. Mr. Pollard, a long-time friend and neighbor of the Petersons, has suggested that microscopic owl feathers where found in Kathleen Petersons hand, mixed together with her own hair, during her autopsy, suggesting that she perhaps attempted to fight off an owl attack. Kathleen died on December 9, 2001, so she never reached the end of the year to find out her fate. Who is Constance Marten, the runaway aristocrat? Kathleen is an acclaimed Contact Center consultant and recognized industry visionary. However, HBO Max's The Staircase gives viewers the opportunity to reexamine the circumstances surrounding Kathleen's death, while also delving into Michael's trial. The most recent Durham County tax appraisal is $1.9 million. Michael's sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson, were also in severe debt. Heres how Raleigh ranks among US metros for first-time homebuyers, 74,000 & growing: Some NC police departments stockpile guns rather than release them. But Michael hit a rough patch when he decided to run for mayor of Durham. Born and raised in Greensboro, N.C., Kathleen was the first woman admitted to Duke University's school of engineering, from which she went on to jobs with a pharmaceutical company and, more. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Kathleen Peterson, when she died on December 9, 2001, was 48 years old. What has yet to be determined was exactly how Kathleen met her demise. The fact that people even want to believe that is maddening. Whats more, she said, the feathers on Kathleen were likely from a pillow. Investigators later brought in a forensic meteorologist who determined it was 51 to 55 degrees outside that night, a little too cold for beach clothes, which made investigators question whether he was really at the pool when Kathleen fell. Includes Address (7) Phone (5) Email (5) See Results. Kathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson in an undated photograph. 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. Nonetheless, all five of Michaels children believed in his innocence at first. By 1997, Michael had finally divorced his wife, and he and Kathleen officially married. Whats more, the raptors are known to dive-bomb humans when they feel threatened, almost always targeting the head.. Forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee testified that the blood found at the scene was indicative of a fall. Inside Kathleen Petersons Mysterious Death And The True Story Behind The Staircase. Much of that footage would be used for the construction of the original Staircase documentary. We want certainty. The exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. Although I tend to agree with the prosecution that Michael Peterson is responsible for Kathleen Petersons and Liz Ratliffs deaths, its still sweet to see the loyalty of his children and their willingness to accept him as he is. 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. (And those investigators must have had money to burn they could have looked online or asked an autistic savant to recall the temperature that evening.). They noted that Michael was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. When the jury found Michael Peterson guilty of first-degree murder in October 2003, however, the offer was immediately withdrawn. August 8, 2008 What? North Carolina released Michael Peterson on bond in 2011. Her husband, Mike, was convicted of her murder in a case that made national news on Court TV. This, however, barely featured in The Staircase's depiction of the trial. 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. Both Zillow and Redfin show the house was sold on Aug. 8, 2020 for $1.6 million dollars. Durham County Tax AdministrationThe exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. Forensic Files produced "A Novel Idea" back in 2006, but any murder story that includes well-educated mansion owners plus a cheerful male escort on the witness stand is sure to be revisited many times.. Pop-culture phenom. Prosecutors would later contend that Kathleen stumbled upon the trove of photos and messages while using Michaels computer she had left her own machine at work that day. Caitlin then moved in with her mum Kathleen and her new husband Michael Peterson after. We also talk about "life" on the Other Side with a new anecdote or two! The Cedar Street colonial was purchased by a local couple, one of whom was Jason Balius, a former co-owner of the Mad Hatter Bakeshop in Durham, for $640,000 in 2004, per WRAL News. lacerations on the back of her head were consistent with a beating. While he'd been outside smoking his pipe, his wife of 14 years had taken a fall down the stairs. After a stir in the local community, a 2004 true crime documentary titled The Staircase investigated the events leading to Kathleen Petersons death and the subsequent murder trial. The exterior shots are very recognizable from The Staircase, but also the scenes inside the wood-paneled study inside the home. And the happy hustler was off the table too the seizure of Petersons computer messages was ruled unlawful, so Brad couldnt testify again. 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. The couple combined their families into one household in the 5-bedroom 5-bath abode in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham. It is the second double shooting in the city in the past week. As viewers of both the documentary and HBO Max's adaptation will quickly learn, the crime scene looked extremely shocking. Why Thomas Crapper's Name Is Synonymous With The Toilet Even Though He Didn't Actually Invent It, Eerie Facts About Point Nemo, The Most Remote Location On Planet Earth, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. 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. According to Bustle, Peterson's son Clayton now lives in Maryland with his two children. Psychic Discusses Kathleen Peterson Murder In this special episode of Reality Life with Kate Casey podcast a medium is asked to discuss the unsolved mysteries of the murders of Sister Cathy Cesnik and Kathleen Peterson, the kidnapping of Sherri Papini, and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. However, Michael Peterson himself didnt return home after his release. Author, freelance writer and self-employed recruiter. Case Notes: On December 9th 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found by her husband, Michael Peterson, at the bottom of the stairs in the home that they shared in Durham. Not inebriated. Michael Peterson accused of murdering his wife Kathleen in December 2001 Kathleen found unconscious by Michael in North Carolina home, died short after Michael was convicted for murder in 2003 . Kathleen Hunt grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and was so bright that she took advanced Latin classes at a nearby college while still in McCaskey High School, according to the Lancaster New Era newspaper. Kathleen was dead by the time first responders got there. For instance, one theory suggested that the lacerations on the victim's head were caused by an owl, as "a microscopic feather was found in Kathleen Peterson's hand with some of her hair," via The News & Observer. Jury selection began in May 2003, and the State vs. Michael Peterson trial started on July 1, 2003, via The News & Observer. He and his first wife, schoolteacher Patricia Sue Peterson, had sons Todd and Clayton then acquired two daughters, Margaret and Martha, when the couples friend Liz McKee Ratliff died. The accident scene was a bloodbath inconsistent with a tumble down the stairs. 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. The site of Kathleen Petersons 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 viewers of the popular Netflix documentary series The Staircase.. As the case rolled along, more shocking facts would surface. So what about the owl? But in 2003, he went to jail for life without the possibility of parole, a result of being convicted of the 2001 murder of his wife, Kathleen Peterson. So what were really looking at here is someone who allowed his wife to bleed out on the floor for hours before he called 911.. The defendant had hired criminal defense attorney David Rudolf two days prior, following extensive searches and seizures taking place at his home. Jones isnt buying that. 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. The documentary director told Metro that he began filming Peterson in February 2002 and didn't wrap until 2018. Kathleen Hunt was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 21, 1953. This content is imported from {embed-name}. He stayed outside to smoke for 45 minutes or so and found her at the bottom of the stairs when he came back in. Creative Innovator // Thought Leader // Speaker // Anesthesiologist . She found more than 2,000 photos of naked men and emails between Michael and a male escort on Michael's computer, which led her to death. 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. She had been drinking and was wearing floppy shoes, so she probably tripped, Michael told police. 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. Kathleen Peterson may refer to: Kathleen Peterson (murder victim) Kathleen Peterson (artist) This page was last edited on 9 August 2022, at 12:05 (UTC). According to the show's director, Jean-Xavier Lestrade, this relationship had no influence on how Brunet edited the series. Soon, the investigation looked inward at Michael as more of their personal life came out. 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. A novelist couldnt have written Petersons story any better, full of outrageous twists as it is. On October 10, 2003, the jury found Michael Peterson guilty, and the judge sentenced him to life in prison without parole. 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. It has been theorized that a Barred Owl attacked Kathleen. Their marriage, a second for both, seemed happy. We know she lived at 1810 Cedar Street in a well to-do suburb of Durham, North Carolina. Per Lawrence Journal-World, the Petersons had accrued "credit card debt of $143,000" at the time of Kathleen's death. This article was originally published on June 8, 2018, Heres What Happened To Riley In 'The Last Of Us' Video Game, Twitter Is Losing It Over Succession Ending With Season 4, Everything To Know About 'And Just Like That' Season 2, This 'The Last Of Us' Filming Error Reminds Fans Of 'Game Of Thrones' Mistakes, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. You can see from recent drone video that the house still has the swimming pool where Michael Peterson said he was sitting alone the night Kathleen died. Call 1-888-626-7386 Advisor Id: 42767. All was calm until the evening of Dec. 9, 2001, when Kathleen died. During one of Michael Petersons appeals, an unusual theory emerged about Kathleen Petersons death: she was not murdered at all, but died after being attacked by a barred owl. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in October 2003. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. What? We know she had one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, two adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, and two step-sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson. At the time of her death, she was a vice president at Nortel Networks at the companys Research Triangle Park offices. At 2:30am, Michael Peterson called 911. In addition to contending that Kathleen discovered information about Peterson's bisexuality the night of her death, prosecutors also contended that Peterson killed his wife to gain control of. Usually it was the result of direct trauma to the bone and was common in strangulation or attempted strangulation," she noted. Michael Peterson went on trial for Kathleens murder in 2003 and was convicted in one of North Carolinas longest trials. Regardless of the truth, the similarities between Kathleen and Ratliff's deaths didn't help Michael's case. When will the curtain come down? 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. Kathleen is an engaging and dynamic teacher, who always takes the extra step . While Kathleen wasn't one of the employees to have been laid off, she reportedly told her sister Candace she was concerned that by the end of the year she wouldn't have a job. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. 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." 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." Her husband was the prime suspect. 2 popular chain restaurants get B grades: Triangle sanitation scores (Feb. 28), Repealing North Carolinas pistol permit law makes everyone less safe | Opinion. endstream endobj 83 0 obj <>stream Then, yet another bombshell came up. The report also noted that she had been found holding clumps of her hair when she died. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). Bylines in the Daily Beast, Seattle Times, Classic Rock Magazine, LouderSound. And a 2009 forensic analysis detailed traces of wood splinters and cedar needles in her hair, along with microscopic bits of feather. Kathleen Peterson later succumbed to her. View Kathleen Peterson results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. The home was originally built in 1940 by architect George Watts Carr, who constructed the house for a wealthy businessman by the name of John Adams Buchanan. The authorities exhumed Liz Ratliffs body in 2003 and discovered multiple scalp lacerations, similar to those found on Kathleen Peterson. She graduated first in her class. According to Power, Privilege, and Justice, which produced a 2004 episode about the case titled Murder He Wrote, Peterson went upstairs to work on the computer while police were still on the murder scene. Kathleen M Peterson, 74. Email trail. But there was one circumstance that Michael Peterson couldnt explain away. She moved to Baltimore to study how to . The couple originally moved into the home in 1997, four years before the incident. By investing in the John Locke Foundation, youre transforming Time for a tome. Kathleen's kind demeanor and easy-going approach to life rub off on everyone she encounters. (The infamous blow poke was mysteriously found in the Peterson's garage during the trial, without any evidence of blood on it). This week Sandy and I tackle a cold case from 2007 of Missing Mom Stacy Peterson who went missing from the home she shared with her abusive husband, former police officer Drew Peterson, who was later convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen. He was granted a new trial in 2011 on the grounds that the prosecution had delivered misleading testimony. By Wilson Wong. Caitlin Atwater, Katherines daughter from her first marriage, later switched sides. HBO Max's The Staircase adapts the documentary of the same name into a television series, and even brings the documentary filmmakers in as major characters. Caitlin changed her mind after seeing the autopsy report, and ended up siding with the prosecution. Her husband was the prime suspect. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. It was revealed during the trial that Kathleen was the only owner of their mansion and car and that Michael may have been enticed by her $1.8 million life insurance policy. Lived In Santa Ana CA, Irvine CA, Corona CA.
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