The two lived together until Patty's deathfrom a massive heart attack in July 2021. One of the most puzzling revelations of his trial was that in 1985, Michael was the last person to see Elizabeth Ratliff before she was discovered dead at the bottom of a staircase. Peterson sold the five-story home he lived in with Kathleen. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. And [Sophie] said, well, if you can't commit to live with me all the time, let's end it and it was a great blow to both of usI could not give her what she really needed and deserved.". In 2019, he toldDr. Philthat Elizabeth fell down the stairs after suffering a stroke. Kathleen had daughter Caitlin from her first marriage as well. By taking the plea, he admitted that the prosecution had enough evidence to secure a manslaughter conviction. The documentary follows Michael Peterson from his wifes death in December 2001 to his release in 2017. His plans, he said, are to spend the time he lost behind bars with family and write a new book. Today, Michael Peterson, 78, is still alive and remains a free man. 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. "That we dont cheat or invent evidence, that we actually care about truth and representing people as well as they can be represented. Michael Peterson listens as his defense attorney David Rudolf makes opening statements in Peterson's request for a new trial on December 6, 2011, in Durham, North Carolina Advertisement The original Staircase docuseries is largely told from Peterson's perspective, and there is an undeniable appeal to witnessing him in action. 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Before that, she ran twice for District Attorney, in 2006 and 2008, but never got the job. Played by Vincent Vermignon, de Lestrade was already an Academy Award winner when he got involved with Michael Petersons case. The writer produced a memoir in 2009 called Behind the Staircase, and a sequel Beyond the Staircase. The true extent of Michael Peterson's physical relationships with men remains unknown. Now, he resides in a 1,200-square-foot, two bedroom condo and. They had a real story, which lasted until May 2017. His character in the show is a troubled young man who decides to turn his life around. "He is living in Durham. Rudolf, sick of negative depictions of criminal defense lawyers, got on board. Michael and Patty split up in 1986. Yes, The Staircase on HBO Max is based on a true story. While there have been several retellings of the chilling case, like Netflix's take on it in 2018, HBO Max's rendition strives to reveal untold sides and different angles of the harrowing story, with Colin Firth as the lead. "He visits his grandchildren; he's writing. She didnt like the idea of being a character in Campos miniseries and felt betrayed by the showrunner. Behind the Staircase and Beyond the Staircase were self-published in 2019. And, Rudolf gave a wry summary of a key feature of Peterson's new living situation: So the ill-fated lovebirds went their own ways. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where he works as an engineer. (Romper reached out to Michael Peterson's representatives and Netflix for additional statements. Their mom had been Elizabeth Ratcliff, the family friend who'd died falling down the stairs in Germany decades before Kathleen Peterson, per Cosmopolitan. Peterson's current financial state, while up for speculation, is most likely a shadow of what it was in 2001. So, it was an unusual choice to cast the "Bridget Jones' Diary" love-rival in HBO's "The Staircase." Then theres the haunting violin score. Able to use the clips eight years later, and that was a really important thing for the judge to see.. At least three people are not fans of HBO's "The Staircase": Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Michael Peterson, and attorney David Rudolf. The filmmakers had explored the American justice system in a case with a public defender, and wanted to explore a case with a wealthy defendant. He also stated that he had worked on 500 bloodstain cases. Debra Messing Calls a Flatbush Stunner Home on The Mysteries of Laura, Jason Segel Grieves in Style at an Altadena Craftsman on Shrinking, Sean Penn Romances Julia Roberts at a Landmark Reseda Restaurant in Gaslit, 1810 Cedar Street in Durham, North Carolina, Michael Peterson's Former Durham Estate, Made Infamous in 'The Staircase,' Has Sold Once Again, Ellen DeGeneres Buys Another Grand Old Montecito Estate, Debra Messing Calls a Flatbush Stunner Home on 'The Mysteries of Laura'. Todd was the first person to see Michael after Kathleen died, as shown in the first episode of HBO Max's new series. Where is Michael Peterson now? That wasnt what the documentary was going to be about. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America. And although his initial murder trial took place in 2003, Michael Peterson's saga didn't have definitive ending until 2018. Therefore, Michael lives a modest life in Durham, North Carolina. The defense, however, disputed that Kathleen was accepting of Michael's bisexuality and that the blow poke (a hollow tube instead of a solid metal stick) he allegedly used to strike her suffered no damage, nor had any remnants of blood on it. 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. In 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter and was released on time served. Can also be found at Delirium Nerd, writing in Portuguese. He also opines that by agreeing to pay, he would be admitting to murdering Kathleen. The miniseries will draw on the2018 Netflix documentarythat followed the same case. He was convinced it was going to be payback time once he got charged., While some viewers saw Peterson in the film and thought he was a narcissist, Rudolf said he wanted the film to be made for simple self-preservation on his part., He was making it hard for anyone to cheat, or at least to cheat without being caught, Rudolf said. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. The last person to see her alive was Michael Peterson. The woman who The Staircase viewers may be mistaking for Peterson's new wife could well be Sophie Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche), an . Nowadays, she prefers to stay away from the spotlight, living a quiet life in Alexandria, Virgnia. Petersons overall nonchalant demeanor and regular giggling over aspects of the case are certainly perplexing. The prosecution at Michael Peterson's trial alleged Kathleen had found thousands of pornographic images of men on his computer and several emails between him and a man named Brad, where they discussed sex in detail. Despite the couple eventually marrying, Rudolf insists their relationship had no bearing on her coverage nor granted her any special privileges. And what's his life like today? Defense Attorney David Rudolf knows that the public is divided on whether Michael Peterson, the subject of the Netflix docu-series The Staircase, killed his wife Kathleen. 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. All Rights Reserved. Peterson's second son, Todd (who was adamant that his step-mother's death was alcohol-related), currently lives in Tennessee. He enjoys a secluded life with the occasional media appearance to again discuss that fateful staircase. Defense attorney David Rudolf talked toOxygenabout Michaels current living situation: He is living in Durham Im not sure why hes living in Durham, but he is. Michael, who has maintained his innocence, spent nearly a decade behind bars after being . Earlier this year, Margaret co-produced a documentary feature titled Subject, directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall. Michael Peterson murder trial in July 2003. Usually when you're convicted of murder, you're sentenced to something like life, or close to it, in prison and that's essentially that. 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.. To recap the case, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her staircase in 2001. As a result, he was re-sentenced to time served and released from prison at that time. RELATED: 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Like other members of her family, Margaret hasnt received a dime from HBO and claims to have been deceived by Campos, who allegedly told her he would be focusing more on the documentarists than on the Petersons. Her stepfather's lies, including about his sexuality, also played a role, as depicted in the HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase. They settled in 2007 for $25 million, but it is possible that Michael never paid the full amount considering how much strain the trial put on his finances. The pair moved in together in 2019. However, it will be exclusively available onHBO Max. While the multi-part true-crime docuseries "The Staircase" might not be the gold standard of the genre like it once was at the time of its 2004 debut, it's become the go-to source for the strange case of Michael Peterson, a North Carolina novelist who may or may not have murdered his second wife, Nortel executive Kathleen Peterson. MICHAEL Peterson was convicted of killing his second wife, Kathleen, in 2003. In addition to losing the civil suit his step-daughter, Caitlin Atwater, brought against him, Peterson also lost out on Kathleen's $1.4 million life insurance policy, per WRAL, and the home that they shared was put on the market in 2020, per The Sun. Another constant during the lengthy legal ordeal was Michael Peterson's first wife, Patricia "Patty" Peterson. They dated until 2017. Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. Lestrade told Vanity Fair that he felt "betrayed" by show creator Anthony Campos' adaptation of his Peabody Award-winning docu-series and claimed the facts were altered for dramatic effect. This means that the person accused of murder can admit that there's enough evidence to convict them, but not admit guilty for committing the crime. Hes living in Durham Im not sure why hes living in Durham, but he is, Rudolf told the audience at CrimeCon. Defense Attorney David Rudolf knows that the public is divided on whether. Police also uncovered transactional emails the supposedly devoted husband had exchanged with a male prostitute in the months before the killing, as well as a plethora of pornographic images on his computer. Kathleen was the first woman to attend Duke University's School of Engineering and throughout her marriage to Michael Peterson, she worked for Nortel, a telecommunications company.