On Oct. 10, 2003, the jury found Michael guilty of Kathleen's murder and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole. The Staircase airs on Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. The case that dominated such a large part of his life still haunted him, however. Peterson's lawyers took issue with the examiner's assessment. She said: "My mother and Mike had an absolutely loving relationship and there is no way that either of them would ever wish any sort of harm on the other one.". 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. Selling the house at its [original $1.175 million] asking price would still not cover all of Petersons debts.. "They were companions," he told The News & Record. As shown in the miniseries, Assistant District Attorney Freda Black (Parker Posey) quit law and started working as a cleaner in the decade following Michaels conviction. He enjoys a secluded life with the occasional media appearance to again discuss that fateful staircase. He published his first memoir, Behind the Staircase, in 2019 and went on to write a follow-up, which was released that same year, titled Beyond the Staircase. Im innocent. Despite actors playing the people involved, the limited series is very much a true story in which Peterson is still alive (and living freely) today. Kathleen left early; Michael stuck around. Michael had written a number of stories that were really critical of the Durham Police Department or the Mayors Office. Milan Polk is an Editorial Assistant for Men's Health who specializes in entertainment and lifestyle reporting, and has worked for New York Magazine's Vulture and Chicago Tribune. Since his 2017 Alford plea, Michael Peterson has managed to keep to himself while continuing to remain in the spotlight. Brunet still works as a film and TV editor in France. Hopewell Junction, NY 12533-5516 Parris Island, SC 29905-1070 Pleasant Valley, NY 12569-7731 He concluded her death to be a homicide caused by blunt force trauma. He was sentenced to time already served, and it was decided he would never face another day in court, or prison, for his wife's death. Because in fact, the story didn't really end there. The miniseries will draw on the2018 Netflix documentarythat followed the same case. The front of the house at 1810 Cedar St. in Durham, now on its third post-Peterson owner, is visible from the street, but the entire 3.4-acre property is. The couple also hosts a podcast together, Abuse of Power, which focuses on stories of people victimized by the justice system. In a big twist that fans of the original documentary, The Staircase, wouldn't have seen coming, Peterson dated Sophie Brunet, an editor of Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's documentary series. At first, their two sons lived in Germany with their mother but eventually went to live in Durham, North Carolina with their father. 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. Peterson's adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha, live in California . Though the rear stairway isnt featured in MLS images, the entrance to it is. 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." They did, however, use her death as an example of an incident that could help him "fake" Kathleen's accident. He now believes "maybe everybody's somewhat elusive and changeable and multifaceted. What Happened to Michael Peterson After Prison? According to News and Observer, Peterson sold the house in 2004. Can also be found at Delirium Nerd, writing in Portuguese. Socialites, Addresses Netflix Series Based on Her Crimes, Harrison Ford Is Returning to TV After 26-Year Absence in, 'The Staircase' : The True Story Behind HBO Max's True Crime Series, Revisit PEOPLE's 2002 Conversation with Michael Peterson, Whose Wife's Death Inspired HBO Max's 'The Staircase', The First Trailer for Scripted HBO Max Adaptation of 'The Staircase' Starring Colin Firth Is Here, Man Sentenced to Life for Murdering Wife Who Searched 'What to Do if You're Husband Is Upset You're Pregnant', Patrick Schwarzenegger Was 'Almost Speechless' at Colin Firth's Transformation for 'The Staircase', S.C. Dad Sentenced to Life in Prison After Jury Finds Him Guilty of Murdering His 5-Year-Old Son, Juror Who Helped Convict Scott Peterson Is Accused of Hiding Bias Against Him, Paving Killer's Path to Retrial, N.C. Man Sentenced to Death for 'Atrocious' Murder of Teen Daughter Who Was Tortured for 22 Hours, Before He Murdered Pregnant Wife, Mo. All the evidence added up to a guilty verdict and on October 10, 2003, Michael was sent to prison for life without the possibility of parole. Brad even testified at Michael Peterson's trial and under cross-examination, stated Michael Peterson spoke about Kathleen Peterson, calling her a "dynamite wife," reported the NZ Herald. ", one of the longest of its kind in North Carolina history, is not synonymous with his conviction being overturned, losing the civil suit his step-daughter, Caitlin Atwater, brought against him, Michael Peterson's first wife, Patricia "Patty" Peterson, forced to sell his assets, including the family home. Scroll on to find out. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. The house was showing signs of wear, too, with many expensive much-needed repairs awaiting completion. After a years-long legal battle post-prison, which included almost three years under house arrest, Peterson finally attained freedom by entering an Alford plea for manslaughter and was officially given time served in exchange. Michael, who has maintained his innocence, spent nearly a decade behind bars after being . The writer produced a memoir in 2009 called Behind the Staircase, and a sequel Beyond the Staircase. Michael and Patricia later divorced, and not long after, he moved in with telecoms exec Kathleen Atwater before eventually tying the knot in 1997. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Alongside Pfeiffer, Rudolf is the owner of the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, in Charlotte, North Carolina. On December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson's wife, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of their staircase with severe injuries. During filming, Peterson began dating one of the documentary editors, Sophie Brunet. 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 newlyweds were captured gloriously posing for photos on the homes staircase. ", He told the News & Observer: "They were companions. But since it's been some time since the 2001 alleged crime and initial trial in 2003, where is Michael Peterson now? Most eerie of all, though, is the fact that a segment took place on the infamous back staircase! 'The Bear''s Jeremy Allen White Keeps His Awards In His Kids' Room For A Cute Reason, 'Yellowstone' Prequel '1923' Really Earned Its TV-MA Rating, 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, What Parents Are Talking About Delivered Straight To Your Inbox, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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. But, theres one thing that pretty much everyone can agree on: The man needs to avoid a home with staircases. But severe cracks in their foundation came to light following Michaels arrest and during his subsequent lengthy trial. Clayton and Todd chose to live with their mom, while Martha and Margaret moved to North Carolina with Michael. Portrayed by Olivia DeJonge, Caitlin was Kathleens only biological child and the sole child from the Peterson household to believe that Michael was responsible for her mothers death. The most vocal of Kathleens sisters, Candace (Rosemarie DeWitt) was the one to present the prosecution with the alleged murder weapon, a fireplace poker, or blow poke, that she had given the Petersons for Christmas. Their son, Clayton, shared that the former spouses cohabited an apartment in Durham, the same town in which Michael and Kathleen had lived. 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. In 2003, the North Carolina medical examiner reexamined Ratliffs remains after they were exhumed in Texas. Behind the Staircase and Beyond the Staircase were self-published in 2019. Where does Michael Peterson currently live? Patricia Peterson died in July 2021 of a heart attack when she was 78 years old. The prosecution didn't accuse Peterson of Ratliff's death at his trial. 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? And although his initial murder trial took place in 2003, Michael Peterson's saga didn't have definitive ending until 2018. He tried to fight it, but his firing was upheld in court in 2014. Instead, he submitted an Alford Plea for manslaughter. He later met his first wife Patricia Sue, an elementary school teacher, in West Germany. And so, instead of watching some fictionalized account, we see the real thing happening. Her most high-profile works have been in the critically acclaimed movie Blue Is the Warmest Color and in the Netflix series Call My Agent! During a CrimeCon speech, Peterson's attorney, David Rudolf, shot down reports his client made bank from the Netflix series. "Michael Peterson, you are pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter," Zamperini said, according to local news sources. But with only eight episodes, the show has to leave a few details out, including the aftermath of the initial trial, and what happened to Michael Peterson after the jury gave him their verdict. 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. He had been living with his first wife, Patricia, (although divorced) for the past two years until her death from a heart attack, his son Clayton told North Carolina's News & Observer in 2021. The two lived together until Patty's deathfrom a massive heart attack in July 2021. I can't live in Paris. 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. 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. 2020s Latitia is a true crime drama about the 2011 abduction of 18-year-old Latitia Perrais. According to the News and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. By taking the plea, he admitted that the prosecution had enough evidence to secure a manslaughter conviction. Petersons overall nonchalant demeanor and regular giggling over aspects of the case are certainly perplexing. 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. In July 2020, Michael and Kathleen Peterson's five-story mansion where Kathleen lost her life was put up for sale.
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