The couple had three daughters in college and credit card debt of $142,000. By using this site, you agree to the Terms . A great deal of the first eight episodes of the Netflix documentary series The Staircase were set at the Peterson home. Irresistible deal. Diane Fanning explains the injuries in a little more detail in her book, Written In Blood. Kathleens company, Nortel, had a mass-firing, and the couple worried she might also lose her job, leaving the pair without a source of income to maintain their lifestyle. Peterson said he was out by the pool, and when he finally went inside at about 2:30 a.m., he found his wife at the bottom of. Around 2:40 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson called 911 to report finding Kathleen at the bottom of the back staircase in their million-dollar mansion. On December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson found his wife, Kathleen Peterson, dead at the bottom of the back staircase in the 11,000-square-foot mansion that they shared with their children in Durham, North Carolina. 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. 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. Email trail. Kathleen Peterson had been drinking some, and her flimsy sandals were nearby - the scene looked to be the outcome of a tragic accident. Here are five facts to know about the case: 1. The New York Times would later describe Michael as having a theatrical personality. Kathleen was a live wire, too. 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. Not one shred of evidence. Michael sold the house he shared with Kathleen in 2004, and a subsequent owner re-sold the property for $1.6 million in 2020. She had a crushed hyoid bone, which is evidence of strangulation. We want certainty. Nonetheless, all five of Michaels children believed in his innocence at first. Michael may have been a local newspaper columnist and author, but he wasn't a big earner - and he didn't own the 1810 Cedar Street property. Lived In Santa Ana CA, Irvine CA, Corona CA. 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. The Staircase. Hosts with the most. The couple renovated and resold the house to a New York psychic medium by the name of Biond Fury for $1.3 million in 2008. HBO drops trailer for 'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage so he can give it to disgraced Andrew, Hoda Kotb's lengthy 'Today' show absence finally explained, Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, Fans troll Kim Kardashian for saving sexy two-piece look for kids prom, Chris Pine says Harry Styles did not spit on him, told a little joke instead, Presley Gerber says he made mistakes while battling depression, Gina Carano's Character Officially Written Out Of 'The Mandalorian' After Cancel Culture Backlash, Hoda Kotb's lengthy 'Today' show absence caused by 'family health matter'. Kathleen Peterson. Some psychic. "Poor Kathleen is undergoing the tortures of the damned at Nortel. After several appeals, he entered an Alford plea meaning a defendant acknowledges that the prosecution has enough to convict them but maintains their innocence in 2017 to have his charge reduced to manslaughter. Monday, July 13, 2020. Will a warm February mean a brutal spring or summer? Heres how Raleigh ranks among US metros for first-time homebuyers, 74,000 & growing: Some NC police departments stockpile guns rather than release them. Here are some of the random interesting facts we know about the house at 1810 Cedar St.. The house is currently owned by clairvoyant and medium Biond Fury, who paid $1.3 million for it in 2008. Per Lawrence Journal-World, the Petersons had accrued "credit card debt of $143,000" at the time of Kathleen's death. "It would be a huge relief off my [shoulders] because I am worried sick about them," Michael's email read. But Michael hit a rough patch when he decided to run for mayor of Durham. his wifes accidental fall down the stairs, used for the construction of the original. Where are Michael & Kathleen Peterson's kids now? 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. There's a lot of information that wasn't shared about Michael and Kathleen's life in The Staircase. Fury purchased the home from Jason Balius, the former co-owner of the Mad Hatter Bakeshop in Durham. Despite living what looked like a lavish lifestyle from the outside, Michael and Kathleen Peterson were in a lot of debt. It has been theorized that a Barred Owl attacked Kathleen. And thats exactly what Larry Pollard, a friend and neighbor of the now-free but convicted felon Michael Peterson, says he believes happened to Kathleen Peterson on the night a jury was led to believe her husband, Michael, killed her. Not one.. 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's autopsy later concluded that the manner of her death was homicide, due to "multiple blunt force impacts to [the] back of the head." 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. Furthermore, Jones said, a substantial amount of damning evidence was never included in the documentary. Kathleen has one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, from her first marriage. Other online correspondence allegedly proved he was trying to hook up with men on the side, including a chipper prostitute called Brad. Margaret, Martha, Todd, and Clayton also believe the justice system failed their father. Kathleen Peterson had consumed alcohol and the autopsy report shows that she was almost in a state where she was too drunk to drive. When Kathleen went inside to bed, he reportedly stayed outside to smoke his pipe. 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. Kathleen had also had a $1.4 million life insurance policy, which would be paid to Michael in the event of her death. He lost the election. And one intriguing theory involving an owl suggests that it may not have been a murder at all. 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. As the story is once again brought to living rooms across the nation with HBOs dramatized telling of The Staircase, Kathleen Peterson, the scholar, mother, and advocate, may finally get the attention she deserves. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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. Do you think hes heard of Mike Nifong? Instead, Michael laid the blame for his murder conviction on humans. Ever since Kathleen Peterson was found at the bottom of a staircase in 2001, her mysterious death has been the subject of much media attention. In response, the prosecution also argued that the motive could have been money. Instead of facing a new trial in 2017, Peterson instead opted for an Alford Plea for voluntary manslaughter. 'The Staircase' has put Kathleen Peterson in the spotlight. Cassandra told Ron that for months and months, The Long Island Medium's people kept bothering her to . She also served the position of philanthropist. She was the first woman accepted into Duke Universitys school of engineering. We know she had one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, two adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, and two step-sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson. 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. If Michael received any money for the literary effort, it would have to go toward a $25 million award Caitlin Atwater won against him, he said. Michael Peterson echoed these fears in an email to a family friend six days before Kathleen's death. Michael told Dr. Phil McGraw that medical reports confirmed Liz Ratliff died of a stroke. So who really was she? Peterson entered an Alford plea while awaiting a new trial in 2017, allowing him to plead guilty to manslaughter while maintaining his innocence. In addition to the salacious activity, investigators discovered evidence of financial woes in the family. It was determined that Kathleen died because of blood loss 90 minutes to two hours after she received several blows to the back of the head with a blunt object. In February 2017, to avoid going to trial again, Michael Peterson entered an Alford plea, which "acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him of voluntary manslaughter and accepted the guilty verdict for the felony without admitting guilt," via The News & Observer. Netflix acquired the series in 2018, once again reigniting fascination around the case. We know he stepped in her blood and stepped on her. Today, Caitlin is married and is now known as . But there was one circumstance that Michael Peterson couldnt explain away. 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 . 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. Insurance jackpot. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Ratliff had assigned Michael as guardian of her kids and left him her entire estate. Another important element of Michael's case focused on blood spatter found at the scene. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. We also talk about "life" on the Other Side with a Self-professed psychic Irene Lalagos testified Thursday that Stacy Peterson feared her police sergeant husband would carry out a murderous threat if she ended their . Menu Log In Sign Up In the early morning hours of December 9, 2001, authorities were called to the Durham, North Carolina home of Michael and . 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. But Kathleen had life insurance worth $1.2 million to $1.8 million, with Michael as the beneficiary. We find doubt uncomfortable., Jones isnt satisfied with that. But those are just the basic facts. 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. Regardless of the truth, the similarities between Kathleen and Ratliff's deaths didn't help Michael's case. The Horrific Autopsy Report Of Staircase Murder Victim Kathleen Peterson. Tide turns. We are all Light Beings who have chosen to experience life on the earth plane. Michael moved into a two-bedroom condo, according to reporting from Cosmopolitan on June 11, 2018. Kathleen might have fallen down the stairs while struggling to extricate herself from the bird of preys talons, they opined. On December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson's wife, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of their staircase with severe injuries. The home, built in 1940, was designed by Durham architect George Watts Carr Sr., who also designed buildings at N.C. Central University, N.C. State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. 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. In court and on camera, Peterson initially presented his marriage to Kathleen as an enormously happy one, but prosecutors unearthed evidence that he had been secretly seeing men and that the. According to Cosmopolitan, barred owls are native to the area and known to attack joggers with some frequency. lacerations on the back of her head were consistent with a beating. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. make North Carolina more free. Marked man. Peterson was charged with her murder, convicted at. The family had sold the Cedar Street showplace, reportedly the largest house in Durham. It is the second double shooting in the city in the past week. The prosecution put forth several possible motives for Kathleen's murder. In the early hours of Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson made a panicked, tearful 911 call: He had found his wife Kathleen unconscious and bloody at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina, house. By Amy . Caitlin Atwater, Katherines daughter from her first marriage, later switched sides. NetflixMichael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. Jones isnt buying that. 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. "It is simply not possible for me to discuss this with Kathleen.". He mentioned receiving a chilly reception from the primarily white upper middle class shoppers at Whole Foods. Forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee testified that the blood found at the scene was indicative of a fall. But perhaps the most shocking element of the trial revolved around the mother of Michael Peterson's two adopted children. 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 it looked as though someone had tried to clean up blood from the wall near the stairs. Thats all for this week. And as if the trial needed more sordidness, Brad the hooker was called to the stand, where he congenially answered the prosecutors questions about his services. Colin Firth plays her husband, Michael Peterson, the man who was accused of her murder. Photo of Kathleen and Caitlyn, from the Indyweek article linked below. "[Dr. Radisch, the state pathologist] moved her examination to the internal neck area, and discovered a bloodied fracture with haemorrhage on the small extension off of the left thyroid cartilage," the crime author wrote. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. You can see the back of the property from the Kent Street side, which has barbed wire above the gate and No Trespassing signs. Kathleen Peterson, 48, who was a successful business executive and was Michael's second wife, was found dead on 9 December 2001. The police were out to get him because he criticized them in columns he wrote for the Herald-Sun before Kathleens death, he told Dateline. 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. The couple married in 1997 creating a very blended family. A novelist couldnt have written Petersons story any better, full of outrageous twists as it is. Michael was required to remain under house arrest with a strict curfew, while wearing an ankle monitor. As reported by CNN, a judge ruled that the jury had been misled by former SBI agent Duane Deaver's bloodstain evidence; Deaver was also fired in 2011. He told the operator she was still breathing. As reported by Lawrence Journal-World, "Prosecutors introduced evidence of [Michael] Petersons bisexuality and attempts to hire a male prostitute," suggesting that an argument could have broken out between husband and wife over the revelation. Kathleen was always an accomplished student, engineer, volunteer and leader. We know she had one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, two adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, and two step-sons,. "Throughout the weeks and weeks of testimony, Michael Peterson had taken extensive notes on legal pads," Aphrodite wrote, explaining that this was likely because of the book deal he had with Harper Collins. By the way, WRALs story also says Mr. Fury attended grad school at Duke. 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. She moved to Baltimore to study how to . Homicide detectives were called to the Peterson residence. She graduated first in her class. He developed a relationship with Sophie Brunet, the editor of the documentary filming his case. By all reports, Michael and Kathleen enjoyed a close, happy marriage and were sought-after guests on the local social scene. Soon after entering prison, Michael was injured in a fight, something HBO Max's adaptation explores in depth. Mrs. Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson, was born February 21, 1953, in Greensboro, North Carolina, and died of a tragic accident in her beloved home in Durham, North Carolina, Sunday, December 9, 2001. endstream endobj 83 0 obj <>stream Kathleen Peterson (born 21 February 1953 - died 9 December 2001, Age: 48 Years) was an American businesswoman, philanthropist, engineer, media face, and entrepreneur from Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. (The infamous blow poke was mysteriously found in the Peterson's garage during the trial, without any evidence of blood on it). 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