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. news, features and health. Why?? 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. He pleaded not guilty. Thus, all we can positively state is, whatever the case may be, both Elizabeth and Kathleens deaths were simply tragic. The medical examiner, Deborah Radisch, concluded that Kathleen had died from lacerations of the scalp caused by a homicidal assault. The route to her heart is a simple combination of pasta and cheese (somewhat ironic considering the whole health writing thing), and she finds it difficult to commit to TV series so currently has about 14 different ones on the go. According to Assistant District Attorney Freda Black, Kathleen, "would have been infuriated by learning that her husband, who she truly loved, was bi-sexual and having an extramarital relationshipnot with another womanbut a man, which would have been humiliating and embarrassing to her. Registered in England 112955. Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting center of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. As we see in The Staircase, it's very clear that Michael Peterson is distressed at the thought of his family friend's body being dug up and re-examined. What's the deal with Pret's new club subscription? She'd reportedly died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, secondary to a blood clot disorder. Well do everything we can to see you thrive and grow. [5], Peterson and his first wife Patricia lived in Germany for some time. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Peterson was reportedly the last person to see her alive. Instead, they used her death as an example of an incident that could have helped him "fake" Kathleen's accident. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. The ME overturned Elizabeth's original autopsy and concluded she also died by homicide. [35] The judge sentenced him to a maximum of 86 months in prison, with credit for time previously served. Nearly two decades before Michael Peterson found his wife at the bottom of a staircase, a close friend of his in Germany, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also died after a fall down a staircase. A global broadcaster since 1995, we reach audiences in over 100 countries, including the UK, Nordics, Benelux, Central & Eastern Europe, Spain, Italy, Germany, Africa and the Middle East. According to Radisch, the total of seven lacerations to the top and back of Kathleen's head were the result of repeated blows with a light, yet rigid, weapon. I feel here is where things took a turn. [39][40] The film documents Peterson's family and his legal team's arguments in seeking a retrial, in which they succeed.[41]. As seen on The Staircase, both girls publicly supported Peterson during his trial and became inconsolable when he was convicted. The defense would go on to use Elizabeth Ratliff's death as part of their case against Michael Peterson, which also led to tensions within his own family, particularly between his adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff. Elizabeth now feeling frustrated and not wanting to continue being alone with 2 small children told him she was going to go tell his wife that her daughter Margaret was Michaels daughter (as you can see the incredible similarities between she and Michael as well as his boys Todd & Clayton with Patty). 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Peterson had been at her house the night before her death. [2] The Staircase, a 2022 miniseries featuring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, also covers the murder case and its aftermath. Like Kathleen, she'd been found at the bottom of a staircase. "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. It took weeks for all the blood to be cleaned up, according to "The Staircase. The Staircase: For Michael Peterson and Daughter Margaret, the Regina Green, an old family friend of Peterson pointed out in "The Staircase" how much Ratliff and Petersons first wife Patricia looked alike. The filmmakers started their project within weeks of Kathleen's death and Peterson's murder indictment; jury selection took place in May 2003 with the case itself going to trial in July 2003. The owl did it, and other reasons true crime fans love The Staircase - Vox As both their families grew, so did the bonds between them. Her life was thus incredibly different from her Rhode Island farm upbringing, especially as shed eventually found herself working at an elementary school at the Rhein-Main Air Force Base in West Germany. [CDATA[// >