Soon, the investigation looked inward at Michael as more of their personal life came out. Theres no question that [Peterson] did it, she said. Kathleen was also a successful lady. Michael Petersons attorney, David Rudolf, told the court, Show me one piece of evidence, one person who says that Kathleen was upset because Mike was bisexual. Members of law enforcement were reportedly suspicious of the scene at the Peterson residence in Durham, North Carolina, with NBC News reporting, "there was so much bloodeverywhereon the victim, splattered up the stairwellthat they couldnt rule out foul play." Kathleen's autopsy later concluded that the manner of her death was homicide, due to "multiple blunt force impacts to [the] back of the head." It was determined that Kathleen died because of blood loss 90 minutes to two hours after she received several blows to the back of the head with a blunt object. You'd think this would have been a major point of evidence, but for some reason, up until then it had never been referenced in the docuseries. So whats happened to Michael Peterson since the 2018 Netflix series turned his story into an international entertainment sensation? "Poor Kathleen is undergoing the tortures of the damned at Nortel. We know she had one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, two adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, and two step-sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson. As well as being awarded her mother's life insurance payout, Atwater won a $25 million wrongful death suit against Michael Peterson. So what were really looking at here is someone who allowed his wife to bleed out on the floor for hours before he called 911.. But after eight years in prison, he was released after it was found that a key witness had given misleading testimony. By all reports, Michael and Kathleen enjoyed a close, happy marriage and were sought-after guests on the local social scene. She divorced her first husband for his own indiscretions years before, and they said it is unlikely that she would have felt differently about Michaels own cheating. All was calm until the evening of Dec. 9, 2001, when Kathleen died. The couple combined their families into one household in the 5-bedroom 5-bath abode in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham. In the early morning hours of December 9, 2001, authorities were called to the Durham, North Carolina home of Michael and . This week Sandy and I tackle a cold case from 2007 of Missing Mom Stacy Peterson who went missing from the home she shared with her abusive husband, former police officer Drew Peterson, who was later convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen. Michael's sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson, were also in severe debt. Peterson was charged with her murder, convicted at. Her husband, novelist Michael Peterson, became the center of the investigation and was. This week Sandy and I tackle a cold case from 2007 of Missing Mom Stacy Peterson who went missing from the home she shared with her abusive husband, former police officer Drew Peterson, who was later convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen. We know Kathleen Peterson was 48-years-old when she died. Kathleen Peterson, when she died on December 9, 2001, was 48 years old. Also known as K Peterson. endstream endobj 84 0 obj <>stream While he'd been outside smoking his pipe, his wife of 14 years had taken a fall down the stairs. But when paramedics arrived on the scene 10 minutes later, Kathleen was dead - and it appeared to them that she had been dead for far longer than just a few minutes. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. "It was an injury unlikely to occur in a fall. Kathleen M Peterson, 74. The police found blood splatter between the legs of Michaels shorts and his bloody footprint on Kathleens clothes, which suggested he was standing over her and beating her. But Michael hit a rough patch when he decided to run for mayor of Durham. Kathleen Peterson's autopsy showed. He stayed outside to smoke for 45 minutes or so and found her at the bottom of the stairs when he came back in. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. But nothing could have prepared the family for what would happen shortly before Christmas in 2001. On December 9, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found unconscious at the bottom of a staircase in Durham, NC. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Gates bought the house in June 1989. At the time of Peterson making the 911 call, he had claimed that Kathleen was "still breathing" however, when the authorities arrived, Kathleen had passed away from her injuries. If Michael received any money for the literary effort, it would have to go toward a $25 million award Caitlin Atwater won against him, he said. Not inebriated. On 8th December 2000, Michael Peterson called emergency services saying that his wife Kathleen Peterson had fallen down the stairs. One thing that absolutely wasn't mentioned in The Staircase is that Michael Peterson didn't remain single for all the years following his wife Kathleen's death. Michael and Kathleen married in 1997. The NBC series most recently broadcast an update of Down the Back Staircase in 2017. The Cosmopolitan story includes information from ornithology experts who believe a barred owl could have tangled its claws in Kathleens hair and made the gashes in her head that prosecutors alleged came from a metal implement. Usually it was the result of direct trauma to the bone and was common in strangulation or attempted strangulation," she noted. If Forensic Files got an annual performance review, it would always exceed expectations in telling a story in 22 minutes without making viewers feel cheated but at the same time leaving them interested in finding out more. Subsequent chapters were filmed after the house was sold. Its not what [de Lestrade] included, its what he did not include, Jones whose 2004 book A Perfect Husband profiles the case and became the basis for the 2007 Lifetime movie The Staircase Murders, starring Treat Williams told The Post. She possessed a wide range of skills. The exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. Whats more, the raptors are known to dive-bomb humans when they feel threatened, almost always targeting the head.. Cassandra told Ron that for months and months, The Long Island Medium's people kept bothering her to . Life Coach, Psychic, Relationships, Tarot Kathleen Peterson. Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. You can see the back of the property from the Kent Street side, which has barbed wire above the gate and No Trespassing signs. In 2003, Peterson was found guilty in the initial trial. Forensic Files produced "A Novel Idea" back in 2006, but any murder story that includes well-educated mansion owners plus a cheerful male escort on the witness stand is sure to be revisited many times.. Pop-culture phenom. So, what do fans of The Staircase have to say about all of this? Theory 1: Murder. Her husband, Michael Peterson, found her. Team Michael also furnished a fireplace blow poke they said they found in the house. Your tax-deductible investment will help us work to "Throughout the weeks and weeks of testimony, Michael Peterson had taken extensive notes on legal pads," Aphrodite wrote, explaining that this was likely because of the book deal he had with Harper Collins. Despite living what looked like a lavish lifestyle from the outside, Michael and Kathleen Peterson were in a lot of debt. In 2003, Peterson was convicted of Kathleens murder and sentenced to life without parole. But she never let her own feelings affect the course of editing.". We also talk about "life" on the Other Side with a But the autopsy also revealed she sustained several lacerations on her head as a result of beating and died from blood loss hours after she fell. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. He was granted a new trial in 2011 on the grounds that the prosecution had delivered misleading testimony. Then 68-years-old, Michael was released from prison pending a new trial, and after posting a $300,000 bond, via The News & Observer. And they claim because a fountain was on in the pool that he [while sitting outside, as he claimed] wouldnt hear it? Kathleen Hunt grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and was so bright that she took advanced Latin classes at a nearby college while still in McCaskey High School, according to the Lancaster New Era newspaper. Located in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham, the house boasts a patio with an outdoor fireplace, a library, a game room, five bedrooms, and five-and-a-half bathrooms, not to mention the pool where Michael claimed to be during what he alleged was his wifes accidental fall down the stairs. She was an executive at Nortel, mother to Caitlyn, step-mother to Clayton and Todd (Mike's kids from a previous marriage . By Wilson Wong. We know she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at her home on 1810, Cedar Street, covered in blood, with seven lacerations to her head. Born and raised in Greensboro, N.C., Kathleen was the first woman admitted to Duke University's school of engineering, from which she went on to jobs with a pharmaceutical company and, more. He claimed he found her after lingering outside for several hours after dinner, but the police soon arrested him, and he was found guilty of Kathleens murder in 2003. But in 2003, he went to jail for life without the possibility of parole, a result of being convicted of the 2001 murder of his wife, Kathleen Peterson. The home was originally built in 1940 by architect George Watts Carr, who constructed the house for a wealthy businessman by the name of John Adams Buchanan. Here's what you need to know about Kathleen Peterson's death, Michael Peterson's trial, and what's happened in the two decades since the case first hit the news. It does resist clarity. It still sports its grand staircase, library and game room, as well as its pool. Durham County Tax AdministrationThe exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. It was in 1986 that Kathleen first met novelist Michael Peterson. He won the right to a new trial after authorities discovered that expert prosecution witness Saami Shaibani had misrepresented his own professional credentials. Posted 2/5/2010 12:01 AM. Peterson is now serving a life term. HBO Max's The Staircase adapts the documentary of the same name into a television series, and even brings the documentary filmmakers in as major characters. Kathleen Hunt was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 21, 1953. After a stir in the local community, a 2004 true crime documentary titled The Staircase investigated the events leading to Kathleen Petersons death and the subsequent murder trial. But public interest in the case didnt really explode until the following year, when Netflix expanded and updated a documentary by French director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade to create a 13-part bingefest called The Staircase. She found more than 2,000 photos of naked men and emails between Michael and a male escort on Michael's computer, which led her to death. "Without Kathleen's job and her pay check, he could not continue to support his two adult sons, he could not continue to maintain that home, he could not live the lifestyle he'd grown accustomed to. Kathleen and Fred married in 1977 and had a daughter, Caitlin, but they divorced after she discovered his affair. NetflixMichael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. It is the second double shooting in the city in the past week. Kathleen Peterson. After a stir in the local community, a 2004 true crime documentary titled The. The other thing is red neurons, Jones continued. Police believed it was a fireplace blow poke that someone took outside to hide, leaving bloodstains on the door. A video accompanying the in-depth News & Observer piece gave Michael an opportunity to talk about his everyday post-prison life. Blow poke they said they found in the house cosmopolitan, Part of the Peterson in! 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