Peterson's adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha, live in California . Due to the impact of Duanes testimony, the court ordered a retrial for Peterson. They were companions, Clayton told News & Observer. Peterson sold the five-story home he lived in with Kathleen. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, 'Glaring error' left 'habitual liar' Alex Murdaugh 'boxed in' during trial, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life after disgraced lawyer guilty of murder, Murdaugh sentenced to LIFE in prison after being found guilty of double murder, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Michael Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Kathleen in 2003, A new HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase, will follow Peterson's murder trial. Brunet still works as a film and TV editor in France. He was less than pleased with the HBO Max miniseries and claimed to feel betrayed by documentarist Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. Nowadays, she prefers to stay away from the spotlight, living a quiet life in Alexandria, Virgnia. According to CBS News, Peterson now lives in a 1,200 square foot condo, a big change from the mansion he once shared with his late wife, but as he told the news outlet, it's a life he's happy. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). June 8, 2018. The Staircase is set to premiere on May 5, 2022. At the time of her mother's death, Caitlin Atwater supported her stepfather and after his arrest told the press of his innocence. Who is Viktor Bouts wife? Then I went and realized, no, I can't. 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. Todd also claims his father cheated on Patty with Kathleen. The jury found the evidence sufficient to convict Michael of first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life. He also stated that he had worked on 500 bloodstain cases. "I'm too old. 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. 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 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter and was released on time served. 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. However, Rudolf is the one who finds the dramatization most egregious. .css-13y9o4w{display:block;font-family:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-13y9o4w:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.05rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.3;}}Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? 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. But what happened to him after he took that Alford plea in 2017? Patty was also a staunch defender of Michael. Now Judge Clifton Newman will hand down the sentencing in the double murder trial Friday, March 3, at 9:30 a.m. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison in his conviction on the murder count . After her death, however, and during Petersons time behind bars, he was forced to file for bankruptcy. Their mom had been Elizabeth Ratcliff, the family friend who'd died falling down the stairs in Germany decades before Kathleen Peterson, per Cosmopolitan. Rudolf gave a behind-the-scenes look at the trial, and why he agreed to participate in the docu-series, made by a French documentary crew that first aired in the United States in 2005, and was updated and re-released on Netflix last year. He now believes "maybe everybody's somewhat elusive and changeable and multifaceted. 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. His cell was a far cry from the sprawling mansion he formerly called home, which was put on the market just 20 days later for $1.175 million. 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.. Sue remained supportive of Peterson through his trial, incarceration, and release. 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. In 2001, Kathleen was found unconscious at the bottom of their staircase in Durham, North Carolina and was pronounced dead. 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. Nonetheless, he admits that his case has all the makings of a good true crime drama: Now we have the real thing: sex, money, and murder: The Michael Peterson case. Wanted folks like you to see what we, criminal defense lawyers, actually do. The new series starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette retells Michael Peterson's now-infamous 2001 murder charge. Im innocent. who was found dead at the bottom of their staircase in their Durham, North Carolina home on December 9, 2001 as well as the aftermath. What happened to Olivia Walton on The Waltons? In July 2020, Michael and Kathleen Peterson's five-story mansion where Kathleen lost her life was put up for sale. He later met his first wife Patricia Sue, an elementary school teacher, in West Germany. But, theres one thing that pretty much everyone can agree on: The man needs to avoid a home with staircases. He was sentenced to time served and is today a free man. He's published at least one, maybe two books, since he's been out and, and he goes to the gym, and he sort of lives a normal life," the attorney told Newsweek. The real Patty (Trini Alvarado) not only stood by her ex-husbands side throughout the trials, but she also took him in after his release. It's unclear where, exactly, Peterson is currently living, but signs point to Durham. a livestream that has since been uploaded to YouTube, Margaret co-produced a documentary feature titled, he was also not happy with the fictional adaptation of his docuseries, The Best Korean Dramas on Netflix Right Now, 10 Best Reality Competition Shows Returning In 2023. 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. After spending eight years in prison, Michael Peterson was given an unexpected reprieve one granted by way of state corruption. The company had also begun massive layoffs at the same time and Kathleens job security seemed tenuous at best. She didnt like the idea of being a character in Campos miniseries and felt betrayed by the showrunner. He was released in 2011 on bond ahead of a retrial but in February 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter, meaning he admitted the evidence against him would likely lead to a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but the did not have to admit he committed the crime. They wed in 1968 and had two boys together, Todd and Clayton. Despite not being an official member of the defense team, Bill Peterson (Tim Guinee) played a huge role in getting his brother Michael out of jail. 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. The home where Michael Peterson allegedly killed his wife, Kathleen, nearly two decades ago as documented in the docuseries "The Staircase" is now on the market for a pricey sum. Much like his client, Rudolf took issue with Campos version of events, especially with scenes that implied Michael kept information from him and that his professional relationship with Pfeiffer was unethical. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. But perhaps most disconcerting is the fact that the crime scene, complete with blood-splattered walls and floors, was left intact for years while Peterson and his children continued to live in the home! 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 prosecution suggested that Michael killed his wife after they got in a fight supposedly initiated by Kathleen's discovery of more than 2,000 explicit images of men on Michael's computer in addition to emails in conversation with a young male escort he was planning on reuniting with after meeting a few months prior. Her husband, Michael Peterson, was convicted of murder on October 10, 2003, but the circumstances surrounding her death have been called into question, including Peterson's guilt or innocence since his trial. Three episodes in, the series-runners drop a major bombshell: Peterson was the last person to see another woman who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in Germany in 1985. However, de Lestrades involvement with the Peterson story didnt end there, as he was the one to sell the story to Campos. 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? 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.". To recap the case, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her staircase in 2001. HBO Max's new drama The Staircase reenacts the entire story, documentary included, in a star-studded limited series out now. Dirt is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Michael J. Peterson Contributing Writer at Quora-active since 2013 , Former Indiana All State Choir Zone 3-B chairman 1989-2000, National Council of Japanese Language Teachers Association-board . Lestrades documentary played an important part in the Peterson affair and served as the main inspiration for Campos show. Juliette Binoche will star as Sophie Brunet, the editor of The Staircase documentary. The steps sit just beyond the darkened opening on the right side of the kitchen in the photograph above. With every episode of The Staircase on HBO Max, more and more details and jaw-dropping twists and turns continue to play out in the story and criminal case against Michael Peterson. The listing photos show the changes that have been made since Petersons departure. Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. We are not sleazy, we are not drunks, we dont sell our clients out," Rudolf said. Todd and Clayton are Michael Peterson's sons from his first marriage to Patricia Peterson. Currently living in Colorado, Martha works as a psychotherapist, helping people that suffer from the same problems that afflicted her. Three episodes in, the series-runners drop a major bombshell: Peterson was the last person to see another woman who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in Germany in 1985. The house was showing signs of wear, too, with many expensive much-needed repairs awaiting completion. "He's living in Durham I'm not sure why he's living in Durham, but he is," Rudolf told the audience at CrimeCon. They did, however, use her death as an example of an incident that could help him "fake" Kathleen's accident. Investigators swiftly homed in on Michael as a prime suspect as he was alone in the premises with Kathleen when she passed away. 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. Folks can sign up for HBO Max for a monthly rate of $14.99. Peterson was released while awaiting a new trial but ultimately decided not to take any chances (even with that oh-so-veritable owl theory in his arsenal) and in 2017 entered an Alford plea, whereby asserting his innocence but admitting the evidence would likely lead to a guilty verdict. Michael Peterson murder trial in July 2003. He was granted a new trial in 2011, after a judge determined that a key prosecution witness lied on the stand during the original trial. As shown in the HBO Max miniseries, de Lestrade went into fiction after working on The Staircase. The Staircase airs on Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. Heres what went on in their lives after the events portrayed in The Staircase. She's a journalist, a translator, a linguist, an aspiring author, a lover of trivia games, and a first time cat owner. So the ill-fated lovebirds went their own ways. Michael Peterson's conviction and life sentence in 2003 was only some of the story. The new owners renovated the property and relisted it in 2007. But since it's been some time since the 2001 alleged crime and initial trial in 2003, where is Michael Peterson now? The prosecution didn't accuse Peterson of Ratliff's death at his trial. Currently, he resides in Durham, North Carolina but has since sold the house where Kathleen died. 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. The production, deemed largely forgettable by critics, made extensive use of both the interior and exterior of the property. Earlier this year, Margaret co-produced a documentary feature titled Subject, directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall. After serving in the Vietnam War, he began to write novels and newspaper columns about his experiences following his honorable discharge in 1971. A new HBO series, The Staircase, follows Peterson's murder trial after his wife, Kathleen, was found in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in the couple's home in 2001. On December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson's wife, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of their staircase with severe injuries. Though the rear stairway isnt featured in MLS images, the entrance to it is. To boot, the couple was in severe credit card debt, to the tune of $100,000. Since Michael cant profit from his crime, the proceeds from the books sales go to charity. Margaret was already interested in pursuing a career in film when her family was approached by Lestrade and his crew. After Kathleen passed, the young woman developed a severe form of anxiety, aggravated by Michaels long and public battle against the justice system. I'm too old. The North Carolina medical examiner performed an autopsy and concluded that she died from blunt force injuries and that it was the result of a homicide. 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 house was on the market for $1.9 million, according to ABC 11 News.). Michael and Patricia parted after she died due to a massive heart attack in July 2021. I can't live in Paris. After Michael and Pattys divorce, they went to live with Michael and Kathleen, whom they called mom, in the United States. Alongside Pfeiffer, Rudolf is the owner of the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? 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. 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 Peterson married Patricia Sue in 1968 and they later welcomed two boys: Todd and Clayton. 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.