The defense team maintained that an accidental fall killed Kathleen, but the fact that the Ratliffs' biological mother died in a very similar way raised suspicions. No but there are a LOT of secrets between everyone that's for sure. Anyone have any theories as to whether or not she's actually a Peterson/potential motivation for the death (murder?) An image of a chain link. Michael Peterson's five children are featured in Netflix's latest true-crime drama, 'The Staircase'. George passed away in 1983, and Elizabeth not long after in 1985; she wanted the Petersons to care for her children in the event of her death. Thanks to the Netflix series of the same name. Im at a talk by David Rudolph and he states that they had them DNA tested and he is NOT her father!!! [Elizabeth's death] happened 18 years ago, and our dad had nothing to do with it.". "I dont think he has any money," her lawyer Jay Trehy said, explaining instead that the suit was to "disincentive any effort to profit off this case." . They still believed he was innocent, with Margaret stating in The Staircase, "The bottom line is I just don't care. We may earn a commission from these links. (Source: www.esquire.com) Kathleen's Death: On the night of Kathleen's death, according to Peterson, the two had eaten dinner, watched a movie and then sat by the pool. It is possible that the claw-like hook at the end of a blow poke could have torn into Kathleen Peterson's scalp without causing fractures to her skull, which are normally associated with a bludgeoning. Michael Peterson has spent the last 20 years explaining the death of his wife Kathleen. He supports his father in the . Barred Owl attacks are not uncommon and there had been other attacks in the area. Michael then married Kathleen. Margaret and Martha look nothing alike. A combination of biology and psychology. (Netflix) The only testing done that I can remember reading about was on an envelope/stamp that Margaret had allegedly licked, so was never definitive. Michael Petersonappeared to be a happy and successful man. Like her sister Margaret, Martha was not the biological daughter of the Petersons, but she too remains loyal to her adoptive father to this day. DeWitt is best known for her roles in television series likeStandoff, in whichshe co-starred alongside her future husband, Ron Livingston, andThe United States of Tara. If true, this is something that must be weighed when evaluating the Germany murder. Caitlin Atwater, Clayton Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, Michael Peterson, Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore . Pictured, l-r: Todd Peterson and Patrick Schwarzenegger AP, HBO Max Todd Peterson is the second of Michael's two sons from his marriage to Patricia Peterson. After making her start in Australian television, Odessa Young broke out into the world of film withThe Daughteralongside Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill. Emily Clute is a features writer based out of New York. Their father reportedly passed away during a secret overseas operation in 1983, whereas their mother was unexpectedly found dead at the bottom of her stairs on November 25, 1985. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. MP picks women in his life who look like his mother (probably more common than many people are willing to admit). It should also be noted that Colin Firth is not as physically imposing as the real Michael Peterson was, who certainly had the strength to confidently commit the murder without a weapon. On December 9, 2001, according to Peterson, he was having a glass of wine with his wife by the pool of his home in Durham, North Carolina after watching a Blockbuster rental, "America's. At some point, the sons stop living with Patty. Press J to jump to the feed. Michael and his first wife Patricia had been good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff throughout the 1980s, and George Ratliff died in a military operation in 1983. In exploring how accurate is The Staircase on HBO Max, we confirmed that Peterson has never admitted to killing his wife Kathleen. (2013) Dateline NBC Self. Todd Peterson is the youngest son of Michael Peterson and his ex-wife, Patricia Sue. [L-R] Margaret and Martha Ratliff during their father, Michael Peterson's trial. Michael seems to almost be in the spectrum, imho. The outlet also reports Clay as saying it has been surreal to still be dealing with the question of whether his father is guilty or innocent. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Unfortunately, owing to the way everything played out, as per Netflixs The Staircase, Martha began dealing with anxiety. Although Margaret Ratliff was not the biological child of either Michael or Kathleen Peterson, she loved her adoptive mother and remained loyal to her adoptive father throughout the trial. Given the evidence, it seems plausible that Michael Peterson murdered his wife Kathleen with his bare hands. Published on May 12, 2022 In the HBO Max series The Staircase, Sophie Turner plays Margaret Ratliff, one of Michael Peterson's adopted daughters. "So that's why today I'm very uncomfortable because I feel that I've been betrayed in a way. especially when she is sitting behind him at a diagonal in court and you can really see their faces almost side by side. First, he stood trial for allegedly murdering her, and was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to life. It looks like Todd eschews the public eye, so there isn't much information available . Patty Peterson reportedly lived with ex-husband Michael Peterson at the time of her death Ratliff's housekeeper found her body near the bottom of the stairs. Defense attorney Mary Jude Darrow said that while it does appear that Kathleen Peterson's injuries could have been made by an owl's talons, "I would hate to risk my client's life or future on that argument." A possible scenario is that he knocked up Margaret's mom (Liz), who gave birth to Margaret but not Martha. Ratliff had assigned Michael as guardian of her kids and left him her entire estate. Clayton "Clay" Peterson is his eldest, followed by Todd Peterson both from Michael's first marriage with Patricia Sue Peterson, which once made their domestic quartet an undeniably happy one. Martha's going home to Durham for. I sort of knew at some point she was going to turn her ire on me! Todd said that while his father did have good news about a possible movie, the chance it was actually going to happen was very slim. Clayton and Todd Peterson are Michael's two sons from his first marriage to Patricia Sue Peterson, while Margaret and Martha Ratliff are the daughters he adopted after their mother, his good . Kathleen had a $1.4 million life insurance policy that Michael stood to benefit from. Today, Caitlin Atwater lives in northern Virginia with her family. So could each kid be the result of parental swapping? What do you think? Instead, it is an acknowledgment that the prosecution still has enough evidence to likely get a first-degree murder conviction. Emily is an avid fan of Marvel, anime, and horror (especially Stephen King), and is always willing to discuss Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. While Caitlin first supported her stepfather in the immediate days after her mothers death, she later turned suspicious of Peterson, and ended up becoming a key witness in the prosecution against him. Press J to jump to the feed. Why wouldnt they leave their kids to family? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. In the first episode of HBO Maxs .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}The Staircase, the Peterson family is seated around the table for dinner. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. In November of 1985, Michaels family had dinner with Elizabeth and her daughters, Margaret and Martha. His bond restrictions were eased in July 2014.As we explored The Staircase fact vs. fiction, we discovered that he remained on bail until February 2017 when he entered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter. 's office pay an overdue BlockBuster Video bill for a rented copy of "America's Sweethearts." Like his older brother, Todd Peterson supported his father throughout the documentary series. It's unclear whether this is still something she's pursuing. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Its so fekking creepy. It had been a gift from Kathleen's sister, Candace Zamperini, and had not been found in the Petersons' home during the investigation. But yes, there are tons of threads in this sub covering how Margaret looks like Michael. I was under the impression that it wasnt the same year Kathleen died. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Dropped Its First Trailer, 'Outer Banks' Season 4 Is Already In the Works, 'The Last of Us' Ep. Netflix 5. In 2001 the woman Ratliff. In 2017, he was granted a new trial, and just last year, Peterson took an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Yes. At the time, it was determined that a cerebral hemorrhage caused her fall, but during Michael's trial her body was exhumed and autopsied again. Did he kill Liz's husband? Even in a perfect world. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. -Esquire, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. He said that while he was married to Kathleen, his second wife, he only had affairs with men. He helped to overturn the wrongful conviction of Alan Gell, return hard-earned money to Vietnamese immigrants Hai and Oanh Le Nguyen after it was seized by the federal government, and got several accused murderers acquitted. They married five years later in 1997 and lived in the home until Kathleen Peterson's death in December 2001. They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was being tried for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen. The bruising on her wrists and hands further supports this theory.Kathleen also had contusions on her back and posterior arms, which make sense if the back of her head was being repeatedly thrust into a step. He killed Liz and adopted her daughters. (2004-2018) The Staircase II: The Last Chance Self - Michael Peterson's Adopted Daughter. A secondary motive argued by the prosecution was Kathleen's $1.4 million life insurance policy. Following his wife Kathleen Peterson's death, he pled not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder. Rosemarie DeWitt has appeared in many films and television series throughout her career, ranging from horror to comedy. Michael and Patty, along with their young boys, reportedly resided in Germany for quite a while around the 1980s, where they befriended their . Margaret has a few IMDB credits to her name, having appeared as an actress in A Minority Report and Piranha-Man vs. Werewolf Man: Howl of the Piranha. At the end of a trial that lasted more than three months and was one of the longest in North Carolina history, a jury convicted Michael Peterson of first-degree murder on October 10, 2003. The prosecution also brought up how Martha and Margaret Ratliff's mother Elizabeth, a friend of Michael, had been found dead at the bottom of a staircase too. where are Martha and Margaret Ratliff today? However, the medical examiner determined that her blood alcohol level was so low she would have passed a breathalyzer test at the time of her death. Margaret and Martha Ratliff were adopted by Michael Peterson after their mothers death, and actually introduced him to his next wife Kathleen, who was their friend Caitlins mother. lol, I just made a thread titled "Margaret looks exactly like Clayton" then I saw this and deleted it. Have a look at Martha, she looks just like her dad. Caitlin Atwater is Kathleen Petersons daughter from her first marriage to Fred Atwater. Jean-Xavier de . Clayton and Todd Peterson are Michael Petersons sons from his first marriage to Patricia Sue Peterson. Autopsy reports determined that she died from an intra-cerebral hemorrhage as well as the blood disorder Von Willebrands disease. Heres a breakdown of the family members, how they sided during Michael Petersons trial, and where each person is now. After Peterson was freed in 2017, Caitlin's lawyer filed another complaint against him. Brunet told Vanity Fair that the HBO Max miniseries depicts them as beginning their relationship earlier than they did in real life. Today, Margaret lives in California, and Martha lives in Colorado. Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner portrays Margaret Ratliff in HBO Max's The Staircase. Jack: With Margaret's height, be a show girl. Hewas by his father's side from the very beginning of the case, helping him navigate both the immediate aftermath of Kathleen's death and the trial process. Michael then married Kathleen. Peterson adopted Margaret and Martha Ratliff after their mother Elizabeth "Liz" Ratliff died in 1985 in Germany at the age of 43. Like her sister and adoptive brothers, Margaret is convinced that her father is innocent. The TV drama miniseries focuses on the real-life 2003 murder trial that saw Michael accused of . Growing up, Caitlin was close with Martha and Margaret. Peterson's high-profile murder trial that began on July 1, 2003 was the subject of French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's Netflix docuseries The Staircase, which began filming shortly after Peterson's 2001 arrest and followed him until his Alford plea in 2017. According to his lawyer, David Rudolf, Peterson lives in Durham, North Carolina in a ground-floor apartment with no stairs. Here's a breakdown of the family depicted in the new HBO Max series. Would Margaret not concede or cooperate?..and that's why they did it that way? In fact, from what we can tell, Margaret is now based in Los Angeles, California, where she works in the entertainment industry as an actress, an assistant director, a production manager, and much more. He is the second of Michael's two sons from his marriage to Patricia. For me, its like [my] heart beats faster, I cant breathe, and I worry that Im going to pass out. 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