Performance & security by Cloudflare. "We gave [Antonio Campos] all the access he wanted, and I really trusted the man," says Lestrade. What do you think? In 2009, the "Owl Theory" was introduced by a former neighbor of Michael Peterson, Durham attorney T. Lawrence Pollard, in an attempt to prove that Michael wasn't responsible for his wife Kathleen Peterson's death. He tried to stress that he was never engaged in extramarital relationships, only sex. Although Margaret Ratliff was not the biological child of either Michael or Kathleen Peterson, she loved her adoptive mother and remained loyal to her adoptive father throughout the trial. MP's sexual selection of women explains it. Todd, Clayton, Martha, and Margaret have stood by Michael and believe that Kathleens death was an accident. Todd dialed 911 within minutes of arriving on the scene. And first, Caitlin also believed in Michaels innocence. Following her husband's death, Elizabeth became reliant on the Petersons. Now,The Staircase, like the original 2004 true-crime documentary series of the same name, raises questionsregarding what really happened. The Staircase Netflix Documentary and HBO Max series about the death of Kathleen Peterson and which follows the trial of Michael Peterson. The prosecutor suggested that Kathleen had found the photos and emails accidentally (NBC). She fell, struck her head, and bled to death. They claimed that Kathleen had attempted to walk up a poorly lit stairwell after drinking wine and taking valium. I'm not sure if I heard any of this correctly so would love someone else's take on this. The evidence surrounding the case is still heavily debated, with one current theory supporting the possibility that Kathleen fell down the stairs after being attacked by a barred owl outside their home. When the police arrived on the scene at the Petersons' mansion in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham, North Carolina, they noted that the blood around Kathleen Peterson's dead body was mostly dry, indicating that she had been lying there for some time. She also worked as an uncredited production assistant on Star Trek: Into Darkness and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. From what we can tell, Caitlin has done her best to move on from the past, but of course, she hasn't let go of her mother, her memories, or her legacy. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Daisy Jones & The Six Is A Nostalgic Series Based On A Best-Selling Book, The 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Trailer Is Finally Here & Fellas, It'll Give You Goosebumps, '1923' Will Deliver More Dutton Family Drama In Season 2 Of The 'Yellowstone' Prequel, 'Yellowjackets' Season 3 Is Officially Happening, What Parents Are Talking About Delivered Straight To Your Inbox, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. The HBO Max miniseriesThe Staircaseis based on a true story, and its all-star castlooks uncannily similar when compared to their characters' real-life counterparts. Though Martha and Margaret struggled with allowing their biological mother to be exhumed, the information didn't alter their opinion of Michael. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Martha had left for college in San Francisco shortly before their lives were turned upside down by Kathleen's death and the resulting fallout. Michael apparently is attracted to people who resemble himself. Netflix Together, Elizabeth and George Ratliff had two daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff, who Michael Peterson . It is possible that the claw-like hook at the end of a blow poke could have torn into Kathleen Peterson's scalp without causing fractures to her skull, which are normally associated with a bludgeoning. In fact, from what we can tell, Margaret is now based in Los Angeles, California, where she works in the entertainment industry as an actress, an assistant director, a production manager, and much more. Martha Ratliff Born: January 3, 1983 Birthplace: Germany Bio: Michael Peterson's Adopted Daughter Trini Alvarado Born: January 10, 1967 Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA Patricia Peterson Born: March 12, 1943 Birthplace: Paris, Arkansas, USA Death: July 8, 2021, Durham, North Carolina, USA (heart attack) Bio: Michael Peterson's First Wife All I could do was sit there and tell myself that its really sad that she is so consumed by anger and hatred. He served an honorable military career and became a published author, newspaper columnist, and mayoral candidate. Here is a cast and character guide. When Michael and Patricia moved to Germany in the 1980s, they were friends and neighbours with Margaret and Martha's parents, George and Elizabeth Ratliff. The only testing done that I can remember reading about was on an envelope/stamp that Margaret had allegedly licked, so was never definitive. Emily is an avid fan of Marvel, anime, and horror (especially Stephen King), and is always willing to discuss Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. (2007-2016) -Esquire. Press J to jump to the feed. He called 911, telling the dispatcher, "My wife had an accident. In addition, she says that her editorial decisions were not affected by the relationship. Like in the HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase true story confirms that Peterson said he was outside by the pool smoking a pipe and didn't come back inside until 2:40 a.m., at which time he discovered his wife Kathleen at the bottom of the service staircase. Margaret and Martha, who were in full support of their father throughout his trial, were adopted. Michael then married Kathleen. His sons, Clayton and Todd, also appear in the show. Heavily featured in the miniseries are his daughters, Margaret and Martha. A secondary motive argued by the prosecution was Kathleen's $1.4 million life insurance policy. Colin Firth is a well-established actor in the world of film and television. It was Elizabeth Ratliffs death, which occurred not long after George Ratliffs death, that became a turning point in Michaels case. I used to suffer a lot from really bad nightmares; I used to have really bad panic attacks in public spaces because of being in the trial, she said. The biological parents of Margaret and her sister, Martha,died when the girls were young, and they were taken in by Michael and his then-wife, Patricia Peterson, while the couple was living in Germany. Clayton and Todd, meanwhile, are Michaels biological children from his first marriage to Patricia Sue Peterson. I'm about 95% sure Michael is her real father. Today, Margaret lives in California, and Martha lives in Colorado. Michael Peterson stayed behind afterward to help her clean up and put her girls, Margaret and Martha, to bed (NBC). The four-part series is a dramatic retelling of the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson and the emotional legal aftermath that followed. Clayton and Todd Peterson are Michael Petersons sons from his first marriage to Patricia Sue Peterson. Margaret Ratliff was born on December 10, 1981 in Germany. Black played an instrumental role in securing the murder conviction, playing on Peterson's bisexuality to create a strong motive that won over the jury. The Bizarre True Story Behind 'The Staircase', Caitlin's lawyer filed another complaint against him, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. After becoming the first woman to be accepted into the Duke University engineering program, shebecamea telecommunications executive. I only came upon the site last night, so I cant vouch for its credibility. Cheek bones. This was the prosecution's theory, but the defense argued that a bludgeoning of that type would have produced skull fractures and brain injuries.The defense attempted to discredit the prosecution's blow poke theory by producing a blow poke during the trial. "So that's why today I'm very uncomfortable because I feel that I've been betrayed in a way. Todd Peterson 5 of 35 Michael Peterson , Margaret Ratliff , Todd Peterson , Martha Ratliff , Jim Dornfried , and Mary Jude Darrow in WRAL Murder Trials (2003) People Michael Peterson , Margaret Ratliff , Todd Peterson , Martha Ratliff , Jim Dornfried , Mary Jude Darrow Patricia was known for being supportive of Michael and believing he was innocent.Todd says that his father saw that Patricia was having a heart attack and waited three hours without calling for an ambulance. The letter "P" styled to look like a thumbtack pin. Also found in the hair in her hand was a sliver of wood from a tree limb. Todd was the first person to see Michael after Kathleen died, as shown in the first episode of HBO Maxs new series. Peterson admitted that he had affairs with both men and women when he was married to his first wife, Patricia Peterson. Instead, it is an acknowledgment that the prosecution still has enough evidence to likely get a first-degree murder conviction. Perhaps to have all of the siblings together? The Owl Theory would explain why Kathleen had sustained no fractures to her skull or brain damage. Born two years apart to Air Force Captain George Ratliff and military teacher Elizabeth Ratliff in Germany in the early 1980s, Margaret and Martha lost both their biological parents as toddlers. Black passed away in 2018 as a result of end-stage liver cancer caused by chronic alcoholism. And why he originally only wanted to take Margaret in.. Why wouldnt they leave their kids to family? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. DeWitt also starred in the 2015 Poltergeist remake. Both Margaret and her husband. The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. Or a more sincere joke? This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The Staircase true story reveals that Michael Peterson and Kathleen Atwater, a telecommunications executive, were introduced to each other by Michael's adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha, who were playmates of Kathleen's daughter, Caitlin. Lads. I thought she looked like his biological daughter too. As is portrayed in the HBO Max miniseries, the story was firstchronicled in a French documentary,also called The Staircase,whichwas later followed up whentwo new episodes were added to the original eight in 2013. Kathleen Peterson was a loving mother and had a successful career. Caitlin would go on to file a wrongful death claim against Michael Peterson, and she was awarded $25 million in 2008. It's crazy sometimes . According to Michael, they did. Though the docuseries checked in on the Peterson family over the course of seventeen years, the women never seemed to waver in their support of Michael. Growing up, Caitlin was close with Martha and Margaret. Kathleen and Caitlin lived down the street in Durham, North Carolina. They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was being tried for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Read on to learn more about Michael Petersons children. Autopsy reports determined that she died from an intra-cerebral hemorrhage as well as the blood disorder Von Willebrands disease. If so, he most likely grabbed her by the hair on the front of her head with his right hand and then used his left hand to help repeatedly slam the back of her head into the wooden step at the bottom of the service stairs. The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. According to Michael's son, Todd Peterson, his father was indeed broke at the time of Kathleen's death. And shes incredibly cold and lacking in empathy for her birth mother to the point of saying she didnt care about the circumstances of her death. A possible scenario is that he knocked up Margaret's mom (Liz), who gave birth to Margaret but not Martha. Many opinions on this subject here. After his sentencing, he commented, "I didn't do anything. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. Pictured, l-r: Todd Peterson and Patrick Schwarzenegger AP, HBO Max Todd Peterson is the second of Michael's two sons from his marriage to Patricia Peterson. Her narrow eyes and thin long nose are IDENTICAL to Michael Peterson. Olivia DeJonge began a career in the world of film and television starting withher 2014 feature film debut,The Sisterhood of Night. She's still breathing. Just the fact they did that so sneakily makes this look even more suspicious. It should also be noted that Colin Firth is not as physically imposing as the real Michael Peterson was, who certainly had the strength to confidently commit the murder without a weapon. Here is a look at how the real Michael Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, and other persons involved in the case compare physically to the actors portraying them in HBO Max'sThe Staircase. While theres no true closure that can ever come for an event like this, for a loss this deep, I was ready to walk away and start moving forward with my life.. . And guess what?.sounds like he was gay too! Lips. HBO Max's miniseries The Staircase details the death of Kathleen Peterson and the trial of her husband, Michael. Yes. It could be as simple as that. Not just the jawline, its definitely the chin as well. Thanks to the Netflix series of the same name. I suspect (without a shred of evidence) that there was a lot of free lovin' going on overseas and in the military and I wouldn't be surprised if George Ratliff (Liz's husband) was involved with BOTH MP and Patty. Margaret and Martha Ratliff Michael and his first wife Patricia had been good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff throughout the 1980s, and George Ratliff died in a military operation. It came from a letter sent by Margaret Ratliff, the daughter of Elizabeth Ratliff. Michael Peterson was the guardian of Margaret and her sister Martha, played by The Stands Odessa Young . During his first marriage, Michael lived in Germany. Explaining why Margaret Ratliff looks like Michael Peterson First of all, if we are to accept the paternity test, then they are not genetically related. We may earn a commission from these links. In exploring how accurate is The Staircase on HBO Max, we confirmed that Peterson has never admitted to killing his wife Kathleen. The Ratliff sisters, Margaret and Martha lived quite a good life due to their parents' influence while their respective net worth still intrigues the public today. An initial autopsy ruled her death an "accident." While the plea is technically a guilty one, it is not an admission of guilt. Therefore, the plea to the reduced charge is the better option. [L-R] Margaret and Martha Ratliff during their father, Michael Peterson's trial. By that time in the mid-1980s, Michael's marriage to his first wife, Patricia Peterson, was in shambles. KATHLEEN PETERSON, (born Kathleen Hunt) wife of Michael Peterson, was found dead early Sunday morning (December 9, 2001) at the base of a staircase in their Forest Hills home. 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Dropped Its First Trailer, 'Outer Banks' Season 4 Is Already In the Works, 'The Last of Us' Ep. Although they did not share any biological children, their children from previous marriages and even a completely separate marriage allowed them to come together to form a family. The Kathleen Peterson murder case was also explored by a number of popular American true-crime television series, includingForensic Files, Dateline NBC, andCold Case. In other words, the girls were just 4 and 2 when Michael and his then-wife Patricia Patty Peterson became their guardians, in accordance with Elizabeths will they were neighbors as well as close friends. The circumstances in which their mother died. He and his first wife, schoolteacher Patricia Sue Peterson, had sons Todd and Clayton then acquired two daughters, Margaret and Martha, when the couple's friend Liz McKee Ratliff died. I dont think he picks up on all social cues normally like most people do. And after the closing arguments, when all was said and done, I felt confident that I knew what happened. Yes. 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Leave their kids to family the chin as well stayed behind afterward to her! `` We gave [ Antonio Campos ] all the access he wanted, and was...
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