"The worst of it, at least so far, is in Episode Five, when they paint a picture of Jean-Xavier, the director, and Sophie, conspiring to cut out a certain scene in order to make the documentary more favorable to Michael. "I was sitting here directly observing when the German medical examiner took the spinal tap and held the contents up so that he could view [it]," said Patty. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. With The Staircase retelling the tale of Michael Peterson and his alleged hand in wife Kathleen Petersons bizarre December 2001 demise, several related matters are coming back into the spotlight. 1 day ago, by Njera Perkins Rudolf pointed out how in one scene, Peterson's brother is seen selling the Peterson family belongings in order to pay for his appeal, an "offensive" detail Rudolph wants to correct. Both declined to comment directly on Rudolf's statements. In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. "Can people just go dig up graves?". , Awesome, Youre All Set! They were 2 and 1 years old when Ratliff died. I believe that the 2 were out by the pool having a glass or 2 of wine as they often did. Peterson was the. 1 week ago, by Kelsie Gibson Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. Meanwhile, in France, two filmmakers are searching for their next project. The autopsy report found that Elizabeth Ratliff had died in 1985 from “blunt force trauma to the head” by a “homicidal attack,” rather than of a brain hemorrhage while . Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters continue to believe Mike Peterson. In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide." I believe they had been around Michael long enough to possibly take on his ability of telling stories, the more they told themselves he did not do it or that he could not have done it, the more they believed it. Bill Peterson (Tim Guinee), Michaels brother, is his biggest ally and works with the lawyers and the family to try and keep everything in order while it feels like chaos. Clayton has been in some trouble in the past, but has since been trying to turn his life around. Patricia has always vehemently backed him up. Since his guilty conviction, much has happened in Michael Peterson's case, from a retrial in 2011 to being officially released from prison in 2017 after entering an Alford Plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. To quote, 'help him' on his appeal. Often, he'd help with the dishes or read to Ratliff's two young daughtersbefore returning home, according to the documentary series. Get the daily inside scoop right in your inbox. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting center of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. he spits. This meant he admitted the evidence against him would likely lead to a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but he did not have to admit he committed the crime. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Here's the OTHER Death at the Center of Netflix's The Staircase. ", Speaking separately to Vanity Fair about the scenes in the fifth episode of HBO Max's The Staircase, Lestrade said: "We gave [Campos] all the access he wanted, and I really trusted the man. document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 10:40 AM EDT (1440 GMT)
<\/span>'); Why would you do that just to sort of create a negative impression about Michael Peterson?". In the end, Lestrade and Brunet won and the scene with Clayton Peterson was included in the documentary instead. Elizabeth Ratliff's daughter, Martha and Margaret Ratliff stood by Michael Peterson and believed him to be innocent. Shortly after Michael and Patty married, Michael went to fight in Vietnam while Patty headed to the Rhein-Main Air Base near Frankfurt, where she worked as a second-grade teacher. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery.. "I don't know that you could possibly make a more serious and damaging claim against a documentarian than that, especially when it's completely and utterly false and demonstrably false. As per reports, Elizabeth often had dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would stay back to clean up or tuck her little girls to bed, which is precisely what they unwittingly did on her last evening alive. Amongst them is the 1985 death of Elizabeth Ratliff, primarily because of the way she was found and how her two orphaned daughters soon ended up being adopted by the Petersons. Editor Sophie Brunet (Juliette Binoche) finds herself so entranced with Peterson she begins reaching out to him via letters to prison. So you know, the bottom line of all of that, is it creates this impression that this Academy Award-winning director, a documentarian was twisting his film for a completely unethical purpose to help the subject. After seeing much of The Staircase on Netflix and seeing Michaels narcissistic and cocky personality I believe he tried to make her believe she was crazy to think that or try to make up a story, as that was what he did for a living so it would be easy for him to come up with excuses easily. As Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. To begin with, he said that the scene where he was introduced to Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth) in a diner while eating pastrami did not happen in real life. Prosecutors say the similarities are too many to be coincidental. for those who arent familiar with the case: He wasconvicted of first-degree murder in 2003 and spent nearly a decade behind bars. Whether the evidence about Elizabeth Ratliff's death had a particularly swaying influence on the jury or not is impossible to know - but Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson in October 2003. Margaret and Martha would be raised by Michael and his second wife, Kathleen Atwater, whom he met in 1986. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. According to the second autopsy, seven deep lacerations on Elizabeth's head - just like those found on Kathleen's - were concluded to have been sustained as a result of blunt force trauma. The two were buried side by side after Ratlitt died. "What's the fucking grounds?" Michael ultimately takes the Alford plea, which involves the defendant acknowledging there is enough evidence to find him guilty of charges while also maintaining innocence, and is sentenced to time already served. "There was no pool of blood.". Elizabeth Ratliff and her husband, George Ratliff, were close friends of Peterson and his first wife, Patricia Peterson, when they lived in Germany in the 1980s. Nearly two decades before Michael's wife Kathleen was found lifeless at the bottom of a staircase, there was a woman named Elizabeth Ratliff whose death would become crucial to the prosecution's story. However, Rudolf did state he offered to come on board as a "technical consultant" for the series to consult on the courtroom and lawyer scenes but was not contacted by the team behind The Staircase. "There are many things in the first five episodes, which I've seen that are inaccurate, misleading, and outright false," Rudolph told Newsweek. The jury finds Michael guilty and sentences him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. Patty described what she saw when she entered the house. Authorities in Germany had determined that Ratliff's death was the result of a fatal stroke that sent her toppling down the stairs. "Her injuries are indicative of multiple blunt force impacts". At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. "She hadn't gotten to the point where she was seeing other men?" "She wasn't actively dating, if that's the question," Appel-Schumacher said. Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. There are theories he had been in an illicit relationship with Elizabeth, although this is something his first wife Patty strenuously denies. The neighbour, Karin Hamn, testified that she saw MP hurrying away from ER's house at 12.50 am on November 25th. However, Rudolf and the real Lestrade have both taken issue with how Peterson's romance with Brunet has been portrayed, believing some scenes implied her relationship with Peterson impacted her neutrality whilst editing the documentary. OR after heaving her down the stairs to make sure she indeed was dead, struck her again a few times with the same item as at the front door-he may not even have had to hit her fast, he could do it more slowly which would not end up leaving castoff on the ceiling, which was an issue at the trial-if he had struck her surely there would be castoff on the ceiling, but they were figuring on it being done in a fast frenzy-he then changed clothing and got rid of the clothing and the item he struck her with. On the prosecution side, Durham County District Attorney Jim Hardin (Cullen Moss) and Assistant District Attorney, Freda Black (Parker Posey) take on the case. The critically acclaimed documentary of the same name came out in 2004 a few years after the trial and is now available to stream on Netflix, while this fictionalized version tells the tale of The Staircase through flashbacks to the Petersons' lives before the murder, the night of the murder, the times leading up to the trial, the trial, and beyond. He was released on bond in 2011 pending a retrial. Elizabeth died in 1985. By John SpringerCourt TV.com However, back in Germany Michael Peterson's BFF Elizabeth Ratliff also happened to die in another "freak staircase accident" in 1995. German police arrived at the scene and quickly deemed Elizabeth's fall an accident. Above, the real David Rudolf (R) and Michael Peterson (L) appear in court. 1 week ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon Margaret and Martha lived with Michael Peterson but were never adopted by him. Elizabeth's Ratliff's sudden death in November 1985 became of great significance in the case against Michael Peterson during his trial for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. A quick recap for those who arent familiar with the case: He wasconvicted of first-degree murder in 2003 and spent nearly a decade behind bars. I talked to the witnesses, I got the German police report and the DA's file. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. The Staircase airs Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. Although I do feel that the police did not act in all honesty with some of their actions, I do feel that no matter what, the jury saw through the shoddy case and found him guilty anyway. Rudolf is highly skeptical of the documentary crew following their every move but eventually has to relent. But . The defense countered these claims, arguing that half of Elizabeth's brain was missing during the new autopsy and pushing against the idea that Michael was the last person to see her alive. Bush: Prosecutor taking up Schiavo inquiry. They argued to keep the clip showing Peterson interacting with his son, Clayton Peterson (Dane DeHaan), whereas their producer wanted to include a scene that covered evidence presented at Peterson's trial that Kathleen Peterson may have been strangled. His children, who all decided not to attend the hearing, see the news break on television but decide to keep their distance to try and maintain normalcy in their own lives. Their lead analyst, Duane Deaver (Myke Holmes) leads the charge in recreating the scene to prove the prosecution's case. Chief among them: A close friend of Peterson's, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also been found dead at the bottom of a staircase, in 1985. Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. 1987-United States-Michael and Patty have now since divorced (funny how so soon after this all happened) And in the divorce, the Petersons boys went with Patty while the Ratliff girls remained with Michael. Elizabeth Ratliff and. The News & Observer, Durham's local news outlet, reported how "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned" upon hearing their father's guilty verdict. When they meet, they fall in love, and she leads the charge on the Owl Theory. Wouldnt it make more sense to leave them with a relative.unless Elizabeth wanted Michael to know and raise his daughter along were her sister together. The series takes great inspiration from de Lestrade's documentary and even includes the director (played by Vincent Vermingon) and his documentary team. So you know, I'm sorry that I have to say this, but I think Antonio Campos [The Staircase on HBO Max director] went way beyond what was ethical for him as a filmmaker to do just in order to either sell this film, or to pump its ratings, and that in my judgment is despicable. "Prosecutors spent thousands of dollars transporting her boy 12,000 miles from Bay City, Texas to Chapel Hill," Defense AttorneyDavid Rudolf said on "The Staircase." "Number two, she left the project in October of 2003. The medical examiner rules that the cause of death was blunt force trauma. The final episode of the series is told through three time periods 2001, the day before Kathleens death, 2011, the night before Michaels retrial, and 2017, when Michael is contemplating the Alford plea. In 2001, Kathleen calls Candace to apologize for their argument over Thanksgiving and Michael notices a bunch of owls above their home. In 2003, Michael Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Kathleen Peterson after she was found dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the staircase in their home on December 9, 2001. The filmmakers, with Michael's permission, are granted 24/7 access to document the entire process from prepping for the trial, the trial itself, and after the jury verdict is announced. "I've read 260 autopsies from blunt trauma to the head, and never once did I see any of your people say the inflicted trauma is clearly from a homicidal assault," Rudolf is heard saying in the documentary. She was found dead at the bottom of a staircase, Ratliff was found tilted sideways at the bottom of a wooden staircase inside her home, according to "The Staircase.". Together, Elizabeth and George Ratliff had two daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff, who Michael Peterson would adopt following their deaths. The pair "had a loving, almost familial relationship," Patty described. } else if ( host.indexOf("asia.cnn.com") != -1 ) { believed to have been the last person to see her alive, carried out a second autopsy on Elizabeth Ratliff's body. He described the scene as "complete fiction" adding that "for anybody who knows anything about the criminal justice system, it totally undermines the credibility of the entire film.". "So to create the impression that somehow I'm this greedy lawyer, who's forcing my client to sell his furniture in order to write me checks to do his appealI mean that is sort of offensive to me. 13 hours ago, by Njera Perkins Ratliff's two young daughters ended up living with Michael Peterson, and he raised them in North Carolina with his two sons from his first marriage. In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide". When re-examined, Elizabeth's relationship with Michael's family and the details of her passing thicken the plot of this engrossing true crime case. And you can quote me on that. She agrees to help them and tips them off that the SBI is very corrupt and should be looked into. Michael had two biological sons, Todd and Clayton, with his first wife, Patty. His analysis of the crime scene suggested that most of the blood splatter on the . Both Peterson and his wife raised his two daughters, Margaret and Martha,as if they were their own. "The blood was all the way up the staircase.". The Scene of Her Death. That's number one. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth worked in the same school as Michael's then-wife, Patty. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany and was found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino. In the end, Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson. Whether or not Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth Ratliff remains unknown. It's all in the documentary, it's there. She'd reportedly died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, secondary to a blood clot disorder. It also includes imagined dialogue for dramatic purposes but stays grounded in court documents, meticulous research by the team behind the show, and of course, content from Lestrade's 13-part documentary. Period. Im also sure as he is a master storyteller, that he convinced himself the story he told was the truth and his mind believed it, thus giving his consciousness the ability to feel he was innocent and then able to act the part of the victim as well. The author's ex-wife, Patty, maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. He was sentenced to time already served and freed from prison. Some may criticize them as to why they cant see he did it. And she said to me, 'So you're going to be content just being an old grandfather?' He explained that he first met Peterson at this house in Durham, North Carolina, and holding a meeting in a diner with a client would just never happen. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. Netflixs new series The Staircase chronicles the trial of author Michael Peterson, whose wife Kathleen was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her Durham, North Carolina home in November 2001. 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Appel-Schumacher said the blood was mostly on a wall adjacent to the staircase and it stretched from the top landing to the bottom. I do feel that Michael was in a bit of shock as to what happened, it probably all happened very fast as it did back in 1985 with Liz. ), I believe Michael and Elizabeth were upstairs in her home, possibly having a romantic interlude, when the conversation turned more serious as Elizabeth asked Michael to leave his wife (Patty) at the time. deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned". Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. It has been quite a ride, so before we discuss how it ended, lets look at how we got here. You know, I mean, all you have to do is watch the documentary to know that that's not true. On the night of her death, Todd pops by and sees Michael and Kathleen watching a movie and having a lovely evening together. The next morning, the nanny, Barbara, discovered Elizabeth's body. I'm too old. As Todd tries to explain social media followers to Clay and Martha finally comes out to Margaret, the family tries desperately to maintain a sense of normalcy. The details of Elizabeth Ratliff's second autopsy were submitted as prosecuting evidence in Michael Peterson's trial for the murder of his wife, Kathleen. Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. Despite the evidence submitted during the trial, Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters, Margaret and Martha - who had been brought up by Michael and Kathleen - stood by their adoptive father and continued to protest his innocence. Therefore, when the Captain suddenly lost his life during a secret overseas operation in 1983, his widows connection with them only furthered she even began relying on Michael for some help in daily chores. I believe that Kathleen excused herself to go get ready for a meeting the next morning. But I didn't say to her, 'You know, yeah, that works fine for me.'". Exposing Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's tendentious film, the Peterson murder documentary: Death on the Stairacse. What's eerily coincidental is the nature of her death: Elizabeth was found at the bottom of a staircase in her home with severe injuries to her head. 11 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat In shock of what just transpired, Michael returned home where he would await news of Liz being found dead. Aside, from being untrue, it's completely offensive.". So why would you? "It is further my opinion that these injuries were incurred while Mrs. Ratliff was alive and are of sufficient severity to have caused her death.". document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 1440 GMT (10:40 PM HKT)
<\/span>'); The Staircase will be your new fav true crime show, The legal age you can get married has just changed, Charles & Camilla break major royal tradition, Courteney Cox speaks on Harry magic mushroom claim, Harry 'adding at least one more chapter' to memoir, Dylan responds to being misgendered on Instagram. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. Now at this time a few things couldve happened-whatever he struck her with at the front door, he now needed to get rid of, so as she lay dying at the bottom of the stairs, he changed out of any bloodied clothes and got rid of them with the item he struck her with. Following Kathleen's death, which didn't look much like the accident Michael Peterson made it out to be, police almost immediately zoned in on him as the prime suspect.