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.". The conclusion painted Michael as a murderer with a propensity for pushing his victims down staircases and no doubt contributed to his conviction. Then theres the haunting violin score. And so, instead of watching some fictionalized account, we see the real thing happening. Before going AWOL, however, he changed his mind about his dads involvement in Kathleens death. 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 . Send us a tip using our anonymous form. However, it was nearly a very different ending. Where is Michael Peterson now? | The US Sun Lestrades documentary played an important part in the Peterson affair and served as the main inspiration for Campos show. He got back to writing and released two books telling his side of the story: 2019s Behind the Staircase and 2020s Beyond the Staircase. ), who in turn put it on the market this past July for $1.9 million. MICHAEL Peterson was convicted of killing his second wife, Kathleen, in 2003. Black died in 2018, at age 57 of end-stage liver disease. "Michael Peterson, you are pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter," Zamperini said, according to local news sources. However, the same type of plea, contrary to the assertion Peterson has made in his books about his experience following his release, is not synonymous with his conviction being overturned. As Jones explains in A Perfect Husband, There were two worlds, it seemed, present in that old house, and perhaps the most symbolic reminders of that were the Petersons two staircases. He explained: These are created characters but we all know what the source is. During filming, Peterson began dating one of the documentary editors, Sophie Brunet. However, back in 2002, streaming hadnt been invented yet, and young Margaret had no idea just how much her life would be in the public eye in the following decades. Nowadays, she prefers to stay away from the spotlight, living a quiet life in Alexandria, Virgnia. The prosecution didn't accuse Peterson of Ratliff's death at his trial. 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? At least three people are not fans of HBO's "The Staircase": Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Michael Peterson, and attorney David Rudolf. Michael purchased the 9,372-square-foot property in August 1992 for $600,000. HBO Max's new drama The Staircase reenacts the entire story, documentary included, in a star-studded limited series out now. Peterson sold the five-story home he lived in with Kathleen. "He released his archive to Campos, who then created a fictional account of events, most of which trashed me (which I really don't care about) and my children which I really do care about," Peterson told Variety. She also campaigned for the Durham County District Court, to no avail. In 2019, he toldDr. Philthat Elizabeth fell down the stairs after suffering a stroke. Click back to the main page for more Dirt on the house. He was sentenced to seven years and a month in prison, but got out right away having already served eight years after his first trial. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Michael Peterson now: the real people from The Staircase. - Mamamia Elizabeth Ratliffs death had a huge impact on her youngest daughter, Martha (Odessa Young). Lincoln Rileys wife, Caitlin Buckley: She attended Rileys rival school, first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life, Michael still asserts that he did not kill Kathleen Peterson, Isabella Russos ethnicity Her Asian roots explained, What is Ines Tazis ethnicity? She's a journalist, a translator, a linguist, an aspiring author, a lover of trivia games, and a first time cat owner. Returning to the Scene of the Crime. 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. He concluded her death to be a homicide caused by blunt force trauma. Meanwhile, Peterson said he felt "pimped out" by Lestrade for allowing HBO access to footage for a fee and co-executive producer credit. Yes, The Staircase on HBO Max is based on a true story. As seen in The Staircase, Michael Peterson admitted to his family and The Staircase documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (streaming on Netflix) that he was bisexual when evidence of male pornography was found on his computer. In 2001, Kathleen was found unconscious at the bottom of their staircase in Durham, North Carolina and was pronounced dead. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. The film, which examines the ethics of documentary filmmaking, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. According to a June report by The Sun, Peterson continues to live in Durham and has self-published two books about his life during the murder trial and his life following his release from prison. Murdaugh sentencing live stream: Watch Judge Newman's decision And although his initial murder trial took place in 2003, Michael Peterson's saga didn't have definitive ending until 2018. In 2010, he was found culpable of withholding crucial evidence from defense attorneys in other cases. Inside Michael Peterson's Life Today - NickiSwift.com After Michaels release, Bill moved back to Reno, Nevada, where he lives with his family and works as a practicing partner in a full-service local firm. Kathleen Peterson's death became a national, long-standing mystery with the 2004 documentary The Staircase. The jury found the evidence sufficient to convict Michael of first-degree murder and sent him to prison for life. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. Michael Peterson married Patricia Sue in 1968 and they later welcomed two boys: Todd and Clayton. In July 2020, the infamous five-story Cedar street mansion where Kathleen died was put up for sale. "He's in a ground floor apartment with no stairs that was a really important accommodation," Defense Attorney David Rudolf said of his former client at CrimeCon in New Orleans, per Oxygen. However, it will be exclusively available onHBO Max. 21. They took care of each other.. The Staircase airs on Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. They wed in 1968 and had two boys together, Todd and Clayton. It sold the following year to medium Biond Fury (I shudder to think about the seances that took place there during his tenure! Ahead of Michael Petersons' trial, Ratliff's body was exhumed for a second autopsy in April 2003, where a Durham medical examiner concluded the cause of death as "homicide." Michael and Patty became even closer post-trial. Currently, he resides in Durham, North Carolina but has since sold the house where Kathleen died. Michael Peterson has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. Elisa Guimares is a feature writer at Collider. He also opines that by agreeing to pay, he would be admitting to murdering Kathleen. According to their son Clayton Peterson, Michael and Patricia lived together between 2019 and 2021 as "companions. Even after his prison release, Peterson has maintained his innocence and lives in Durham, North Carolina. 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. Kathleen and Michael had been married since the 1990s and had quite the blended family. However, Rudolf is the one who finds the dramatization most egregious. The pair are believed to have formed a relationship whilst Peterson was in prison and following his release in 2011. Todd also claims his father cheated on Patty with Kathleen. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He was sentenced to time served and is today a free man. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). He said that when he previously prepared for a role, he liked to delve right in and get "to the heart" of the character. Her stepfather's lies, including about his sexuality, also played a role, as depicted in the HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase. Still, she agreed to meet with Juliette Binoche and told Vanity Fair that her relationship with the actress was an unexpected happy ending to my painful story.". 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. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Before that, she ran twice for District Attorney, in 2006 and 2008, but never got the job. At the time of his wifes death, Peterson had been an accomplished author and shed been a prominent fixture in their community as a businesses executive and engineer, so needless to say, they were an affluent couple. RELATED: 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Since his release, Michael has avoided staying in houses with staircases, which is perhaps a good idea. Where Are Michael Peterson's Kids Now? - The Cinemaholic I'm too old. Alongside Pfeiffer, Rudolf is the owner of the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple discussed moving to France and settling in the capital once the trial was finally over. 'The Staircase': Where Are Michael Peterson and His Family Now? - Collider On December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson's wife, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of their staircase with severe injuries. Considering Deaver's testimony had largely swayed the jury at Peterson's trial in 2003, Peterson was granted a retrial hearing, and was released from prison in 2011. On the flip-side, Petersons former sister-in-law, Candace Zamperini, said during the hearing in 2017 that shell always see him responsible for her sisters death. 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. No, not that staircase. 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. But what happened to him after he took that Alford plea in 2017? Im innocent. The political thriller Jeux dInfluence had two seasons released between 2018 and 2022 in the European streaming service Arte. 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. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. That being said, it's unclear how Peterson is now making a living or if he has some kind of income. Despite the fact Michael was the one to call 911 the night Kathleen allegedly fell down the stairs, Michael soon . Who is Viktor Bouts wife? In 1983, George died from a military accident, and in 1985, Elizabeth was found dead at the foot of her staircase with head injuries. Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Kathleens death, and spent nearly a decade behind bars. As a result, he was re-sentenced to time served and released from prison at that time. He lives in Durham in a house without a staircase by Chege Karomo - on May 06, 2022 in People Netflix Michael Peterson is the subject of one of Netflix's most riveting and polarizing true crime documentaries, The Staircase . At first, their two sons lived in Germany with their mother but eventually went to live in Durham, North Carolina with their father. The Staircase: Where is Michael Peterson now? - Cosmopolitan The Staircase: Where Is Michael Peterson Now? - Peoplemag While living together, Michael and Patricia became close with their neighbors-turned-friends George and Elizabeth Ratliff. However, since the release of the HBO miniseries, his Instagram profile has been deleted. 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. Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with Kathleens death, and spent nearly a decade behind bars. To recap the case, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her . Simpson, Peterson wrote a book about the crime titled Behind the Staircase and his website claims its a best-seller! They took care of each other.". In Michael Peterson's case, however . Folks can sign up for HBO Max for a monthly rate of $14.99. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where he works as an engineer. "We made plans to live in Paris. 'The Staircase': Where Are Michael Peterson and His Family Now? At the time of Kathleens death, Deaver (portrayed by Myke Holmes in the show) worked as a blood spatter analyst for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Since his release from prison on bond in 2011 and his official release in 2017, Peterson has returned to his passion for writing, publishing two books about his trial, his life behind bars, and the taste of freedom. Stalk It: Michael Petersons former house, featured in The Staircase, is located at 1810 Cedar Street in Durham, North Carolina. Michael Peterson's conviction and life sentence in 2003 was only some of the story. But, as Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. Despite claiming his wife had fallen down the stairs, Michael Peterson was charged with her murder and convicted to life imprisonment in 2003 after one of the longest trials in North Carolinas history. 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! In an interview with Vanity Fair, she said that Lestrades The Staircase cost her many job opportunities in the documentary world, including at Netflix. Selling the house at its [original $1.175 million] asking price would still not cover all of Petersons debts.. According to him, Michael waited three hours to call 911 while Patty was having a heart attack. The listing marketed the residence as having been featured in a Netflix documentary. I might have left that bit out, but what do I know because the place sold the following month for $1.6 million. 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. Her parents influence on her career, Where is Mary Roach from American Idol now? 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. So, where is Michael Peterson now? Peterson retreated to Durham, North Carolina, after his release. All Rights Reserved. Featuring a library, game room, a whopping five fireplaces, fourteen-foot ceilings, hardwood flooring throughout, and a large master wing, theres no arguing that the couple and their children lived in style. After Kathleen passed, the young woman developed a severe form of anxiety, aggravated by Michaels long and public battle against the justice system.