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. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where he works as an engineer. Played by Vincent Vermignon, de Lestrade was already an Academy Award winner when he got involved with Michael Petersons case. And that spawned other real-life programs it's just a tragedy that there's this great appetite that people have for sex, murder, and money. 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.". She also campaigned for the Durham County District Court, to no avail. Alongside Pfeiffer, Rudolf is the owner of the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany at the time and an autopsy concluded she had died from an intracerebral hemorrhage. By taking the plea, he admitted that the prosecution had enough evidence to secure a manslaughter conviction. However, it was nearly a very different ending. Dirt is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! According to News and Observer, Peterson sold the house in 2004. ViaThe Independent, The Associated Press reported Michael moved into a two-bed condo in 2018. He is, however, still connected with his own firm, Rudolf Widenhouse. What happened to Olivia Walton on The Waltons? In an interview with Variety, he fired off numerous criticisms, including HBO's depiction of him eating a pastrami sandwich during his first meeting with Peterson. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. The riches he had before his incarceration no longer exist. Michaels wife was found lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in the couples residence. Peterson's sons have always stood by their father, who has maintained his . He stated Kathleen Peterson was aware of his interest in men and his first wife, Patricia Sue, was also there to support Michael Peterson's bisexuality claims. Michael wound up being granted a new trial in 2011 after the State Crime Labs blood-spatter analyst Duane Deaver, who worked on his case, was fired for repeatedly shoddy investigative work. Per The News & Observer, Petersons defense left him indigent. Now aged 74, Michael Peterson is still living in North Carolina - but no longer in the 3.4-acre property in which is wife died. Peterson now lives in a 1,200 square foot condo, shell always see him responsible for her sisters death, Peterson will be considered a convicted felon. In 2010, he was found culpable of withholding crucial evidence from defense attorneys in other cases. Her parents influence on her career, Where is Mary Roach from American Idol now? However, it might be his hopes of writing a new book that will give him a place in society once again. Their mom had been Elizabeth Ratcliff, the family friend who'd died falling down the stairs in Germany decades before Kathleen Peterson, per Cosmopolitan. Todd also claims his father cheated on Patty with Kathleen. Still married to journalist Sonya Pfeiffer (Teri Wyble), defense attorney David Rudolf (Michael Stuhlbarg) relocated to Toronto in 2021, where he works for litigation and corporate law firm Brauti Thorning LLP. "He is living in Durham. 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 Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Kathleens death, and spent nearly a decade behind bars. In 2019, he toldDr. Philthat Elizabeth fell down the stairs after suffering a stroke. Taking a cue from O.J. "They were companions," he told The News & Record. The video above will play a live feed of Alex Murdaugh's sentencing beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday. Sue remained supportive of Peterson through his trial, incarceration, and release. Speaking with Variety, he also complained about his characterization in the show, singling out the scene in which he and Michael chat over a pastrami sandwich: We could have put a little blimp over my head saying, Jewish lawyer from New York. The steps sit just beyond the darkened opening on the right side of the kitchen in the photograph above. The pair are believed to have formed a relationship whilst Peterson was in prison and following his release in 2011. Michael and Patricia parted after she died due to a massive heart attack in July 2021. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Can also be found at Delirium Nerd, writing in Portuguese. 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. But that proved a tad more challenging in this case. After Michael Peterson and Patricia Sue divorced in 1985, Clayton and his younger brother Todd went to live with their mother. Michael Peterson murder trial in July 2003. In light of new developments surrounding the case, de Lestrade made a new installment to The Staircase saga in 2012, entitled The Last Chance.In this new installment, Peterson's legal team appeal to the courts for a new trial after it comes out that bloodstain analyst Duane Deaver, who was a key witness for the prosecution, had given false and . Because in fact, the story didn't really end there. He admitted it made him question if there is actually no "fixed core to characters." So beloved was the residence that Kathleen and Michael decided to tie the knot there, surrounded by family and friends, on June 21, 1997. And, Rudolf gave a wry summary of a key feature of Peterson's new living situation: Petersons overall nonchalant demeanor and regular giggling over aspects of the case are certainly perplexing. Most eerie of all, though, is the fact that a segment took place on the infamous back staircase! MICHAEL Peterson was convicted of killing his second wife, Kathleen, in 2003. He also opines that by agreeing to pay, he would be admitting to murdering Kathleen. Life is really full of surprises. The jury found the evidence sufficient to convict Michael of first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Peterson had a different rationale, Rudolf said. They also raised Margaret and Martha Ratliff, the daughters of their late friends, George and Elizabeth Ratliff. Elisa Guimares is a feature writer at Collider. His character in the show is a troubled young man who decides to turn his life around. At the center of the story is Kathleen and Michaels sprawling Colonial home, located in Durhams tony Forest Hills neighborhood. He explained: These are created characters but we all know what the source is. Colin Firth plays the writer in a new HBO Max limited series. 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. Michael was seemingly innocent at first as he was the one who dialed 911 after finding Kathleen at the base of their steps. During filming, Peterson began dating one of the documentary editors, Sophie Brunet. "But we parted ways because he had to go do an 'Indiana Jones.'" The two lived together until Patty's deathfrom a massive heart attack in July 2021. One was a sweeping oval shape, a centerpiece of the home, while the other lead [sic] down to the kitchen area, a more practical structure, hidden behind doors. It was the front staircase, situated near the main entrance, that the couple posed on that joyous day. The Staircase, starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette as Michael and Kathleen Peterson, explores the life of Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen at their sprawling North Carolina home after she died under suspicious circumstances in December 2001.. Judge Clifton . 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. The topic is also at the center of Rudolfs 2022 book, American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System. It occurred when Michael and Kathleen were visiting Germany and dropped by the home of their friend, Elizabeth Ratliff. 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. Where is Peterson's Durham house? "He visits his grandchildren; he's writing. "You will be treated as guilty for murdering my sister Kathleen, and you will be a convicted felon forever.". Michael Peterson is the subject of one of Netflixs most riveting and polarizing true crime documentaries,The Staircase. They lived together in Durham up until Pattys death from a heart attack in 2021. However, Brunet claims to have waited until she was finished with the eight original episodes of The Staircase before sending her first letter to Peterson. In 2017, Michael submitted an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter. Nowadays, Margaret lives in California and works in the entertainment industry as an actor, assistant director, and production manager, among other things. Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor apartment in Durham, North Carolina, and has since sold the house he shared with Kathleen. A lawyer himself, Bill was the one that suggested Rudolf as a defense attorney and took care of most of the Petersons legal matters. Much like his character in The Staircase, he cultivated a strong social media presence. At the time of her mother's death, Caitlin Atwater supported her stepfather and after his arrest told the press of his innocence. As shown in the miniseries, Michael took the Alford plea in 2017, pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Michael opted out of the trial before it was due to begin in 2017. The true extent of Michael Peterson's physical relationships with men remains unknown. Kathleen Peterson, seen above, died on December 1, 2009. According to the News and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. At the time, authorities concluded that Elizabeth fell down the stairs after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. Michael and Patricia later divorced, and not long after, he moved in with telecoms exec Kathleen Atwater before eventually tying the knot in 1997. In July 2020, Michael and Kathleen Peterson's five-story mansion where Kathleen lost her life was put up for sale. Elizabeth Ratliffs death had a huge impact on her youngest daughter, Martha (Odessa Young). We all know that these characters have names of living people, but its very carefully calibrated to tell the story in a certain way. They dated until 2017. According to theNews and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. In an odd twist, before the Petersons called the place home, it was featured in the 1990 dystopian drama The Handmaids Tale, based upon Margaret Atwoods 1985 novel of the same name. ", 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. "He is innocent of any involvement in Kathleen's death," she insisted to The News & Recordin 2014. Before the new trial commenced, Peter submitted an Alford plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter and was set free as hed already served time for murder. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. While The Guardian proclaimed Firth to be "brilliant" and that "you cannot help watching to see if and which way he will fall," CNN called his acting skills "riveting work.". 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). Michael's late wife Kathleen will be played byToni Collette. 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. ), who in turn put it on the market this past July for $1.9 million. In Michael Peterson's case, however . In April 2001, they took out a second mortgage to help with the squeeze in finances. You Can Stream Every 'Rocky' Movie Right Now, 'WoF' Fans Say This Is the 'Biggest Choke' on Show, Daisy Jones & the Six Is a Rock Epic in 10 Parts, See Mariska Hargitays Emotional Tribute on IG, Poker Face Is Rian Johnson's Exciting New Show, A Timeline of Events in 'Murdaugh Murders', 'White Lotus' Star Reveals 'Iconic' Scene Was Cut, How Sam Claflin Built His '70s Rock Star Body.