Did you see this photo? The Staircase Netflix Documentary and HBO Max series about the death of Kathleen Peterson and which follows the trial of Michael Peterson. Though they had divorced decades ago, Michael and Patricia had been living together in an apartment for the two years up until her death. According to News & Observer, he has come to terms with his fathers multiple hearings over the past few years. Related:Best True Crime Shows On Netflix Right Now. Caitlin is portrayed by Olivia DeJonge in The Staircase HBO Max miniseries. Initially, German officials ruled. The only testing done that I can remember reading about was on an envelope/stamp that Margaret had allegedly licked, so was never definitive. Peterson's columns in The Herald-Sun were at times critical of both the police and Durham County District Attorney James Hardin Jr., the same district attorney who would end up prosecuting him for his wife Kathleen Peterson's murder, a charge he denied. It looks like Todd eschews the public eye, so there isn't much information available . I think the three Peterson brothers actually reference Margaret's genes the night before the verdict. It could have been Martha who licked it. 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Dropped Its First Trailer, 'Outer Banks' Season 4 Is Already In the Works, 'The Last of Us' Ep. It's unclear whether this is still something she's pursuing. In 2001 the woman Ratliff. Assistant North Carolina medical examiner Deborah Radisch determined that "the manner of death in Mrs. Ratliff's case was homicide," per CNN. The Staircase Self / Self - Michael Peterson's Adopted Daughter. The next morning, the girls' nanny found Elizabeth's body at the bottom of the stairs. Why? Those woman can have children not related to him. His, Todd's, and Margaret's very strong resemblance is what tipped the scales for me. Here's what gets me: the fountain in the pool is left on although it's a late evening. Both Margaret and her husband. Martha tells her it was a brain aneurysm, and that Patricia Peterson had been a mother to her, but mostly it was Kathleen. Click to reveal Press J to jump to the feed. Schwarzeneggerwenton to star in such moviesasMidnight Sun,Daniel Isn't Real, andMoxie. Emily Clute is a features writer based out of New York. In other words, the girls were just 4 and 2 when Michael and his then-wife Patricia Patty Peterson became their guardians, in accordance with Elizabeths will they were neighbors as well as close friends. Michael Peterson has spent the last 20 years explaining the death of his wife Kathleen. She fell, struck her head, and bled to death. I only came upon the site last night, so I cant vouch for its credibility. Reportedly, the forensic examination revealed that her left hand contained three microscopic owl feathers. It's fucking so god damn obvious. It could be as simple as that. Would love your thoughts, please comment. (2004-2018) The Staircase II: The Last Chance Self - Michael Peterson's Adopted Daughter. According to Michael's son, Todd Peterson, his father was indeed broke at the time of Kathleen's death. Michael and Patty, along with their young boys, reportedly resided in Germany for quite a while around the 1980s, where they befriended their . Not much is known about their lives outside of the glimpses provided in The Staircase. Search Margaret and youll find a lot of posts about the undeniable resemblance between her and MP. Speaking about Candaces diatribe which fans can see in the last episode of the series, Rudolph said, What was that like? It was reportedly covered in cobwebs and dust and had been unmoved for too long to have been the murder weapon. In the r/UnsolvedMysteries subreddit, someone posted a link to a website with a lot of interesting information on the case. Michael Petersonappeared to be a happy and successful man. The Kathleen Peterson murder case was also explored by a number of popular American true-crime television series, includingForensic Files, Dateline NBC, andCold Case. (2013-2017) WRAL Murder Trials Self - Audience Member / Self. "I'm trying to [pass on the way I grew up] to my kids. This includes his popular 1990s novel A Time of War, which received interest from Hollywood. Though Martha and Margaret struggled with allowing their biological mother to be exhumed, the information didn't alter their opinion of Michael. Though Margaret and Martha appear to be firmly on their father's side, they don't seem to be seeking much of a public presence outside of their appearances in The Staircase. Kathleen had one biological daughter, Caitlin, and acted as an adoptive mother to Michael's two sons, Clayton and Todd. The Staircase: A Complete Breakdown of the Peterson Family. 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. Heavily featured in the miniseries are his daughters, Margaret and Martha. Lips. The letter "P" styled to look like a thumbtack pin. good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff. I've never known anyone who didn't turn off their pool fountain at night! CNN reported that Kathleen had been found at the foot of the stairs in the Peterson home with seven lacerations on the back of her head, bruising on her arms that might have been defensive wounds, and fractured thyroid cartilage in her throat that may have been a sign of attempted strangulation. She seethes with rage her body held tight, lips a straight line, hair mercilessly sprayed into shape As an angry, older woman, Candace is made an easy foil to the complexities of the men in the film., Michael Petersons Children: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. It had been a gift from Kathleen's sister, Candace Zamperini, and had not been found in the Petersons' home during the investigation. Did he kill Liz's husband? Though the docuseries checked in on the Peterson family over the course of seventeen years, the women never seemed to waver in their support of Michael. . Press J to jump to the feed. - July 2016) (divorced) Trivia (4) Elder sister of Martha Ratliff. lol, I just made a thread titled "Margaret looks exactly like Clayton" then I saw this and deleted it. Unlike her stepsiblings, Caitlin did not stand by Michael's side. After attempting to declare bankruptcy, to which Caitlin filed an objection, Peterson settled the wrongful death suit in February 2007 for $25 million. In 2007, according to the AP, Atwater reached a $25 million wrongful death settlement, though he did not acknowledge any guilt in the case. So why does she look like him? MP's sexual selection of women explains it. The National Audubon Society explained that according to the theory, a Barred Owl, which is common in the area, became entangled in Kathleen's hair and its talons are what caused the lacerations to Kathleen's scalp. He has won several accolades throughout his career, including an Academy Award, two BAFTAs, and a Golden Globe, and he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2011 for his service in the dramatic arts. In the weeks leading up to her death, Elizabeth reported suffering from severe headaches. 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. I sat there and I was sort of waiting for my turn [laughs]. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a110e3c1ce407a7 Michael Peterson's adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, were front and center in The Staircase. Having appeared in a wide variety of films and television series,she is best known for her roles inScream 3, Dazed and Confused,andBlade: Trinity. He is probably the strongest person that Ive ever met.. Michael and Patti Peterson had been living in Germany with their sons Todd and Clayton when they became good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff. 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. Like her sister and adoptive brothers, Margaret is convinced that her father is innocent. Little did anyone know at that time that on December 9, 2001, it would all fall apart. In 2003, however, information related to Elizabeth Ratliff that was brought up in court persuaded her to think otherwise about her stepfathers role in her mothers death. Todd Peterson lives in Tennessee. Since then, her filmography has expanded to include roles insuch movies asA Million Little Pieces, Shirley,andThe Professor. Yes. 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. Rudolph never questions if the fountain is ever turned off or if it was turned off that night. After Peterson was freed in 2017, Caitlin's lawyer filed another complaint against him. Also found in the hair in her hand was a sliver of wood from a tree limb. Later, Kathleen's sister, Candace, said that the blow poke produced by the defense was not the one she had gifted the Petersons, which was still missing. But yeah I agree I think hes her father! A secondary motive argued by the prosecution was Kathleen's $1.4 million life insurance policy. Michael drove Liz to the hospital when she was in labor with Margaret. "So that's why today I'm very uncomfortable because I feel that I've been betrayed in a way. Michael then married Kathleen. The eldest of Michael and Kathleen Peterson's two adopted daughters, Margaret, now 36, got married in her late twenties and is now known as Margaret Blakemore. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. In 2002, she filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him, which they settled for $25 million in 2007. Liz names Michael and Patty in her willas the custodians of her daughters despite having two living sisters. 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. Born two years apart to Air Force Captain George Ratliff and military teacher Elizabeth Ratliff in Germany in the early 1980s, Margaret and Martha lost both their biological parents as toddlers. 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. Holland's written notes reveal: "Michael Peterson was excluded as being the biological father of Margaret Ratliff. Peterson admitted that he had affairs with both men and women when he was married to his first wife, Patricia Peterson. Though neither young woman testified during the trial, they were both integral to the case, because the circumstances of their adoption were brought up by the prosecution to point towards Michael's possible guilt. The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. ", It remains unclear whether the BlockBuster bill was ever paid, who paid it or exactly how large the bill was. Aside from the obvious, striking, physical resemblance of Margaret to MP, Todd, and Clayton, here are five points that suggest that Margaret is MP's biological daughter. 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. The deaths of Elizabeth Ratliff and Kathleen Peterson were so similar that that prosecution had Ratliffs body exhumed during Michael Petersons trial in the death of Kathleen, and the nanny who discovered Ratliffs body testified against Peterson. By that time in the mid-1980s, Michael's marriage to his first wife, Patricia Peterson, was in shambles. 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 . Neither has public social media accounts, and many of the details of their personal lives are similarly private. . But they're not all irrelevant. 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. Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner portrays Margaret Ratliff in HBO Max's The Staircase. The eyes. Thats especially because while Elizabeths death was initially ruled to be from an intracerebral hemorrhage, a second autopsy (from her exhumed body) in 2003 updated her manner of death to homicide. With that said, both Margaret and Martha, who grew up under Michaels care following his divorce from Patty, have always believed in his innocence, whether it be in their mothers case or their stepmother Kathleens. The prosecutor suggested that Kathleen had found the photos and emails accidentally (NBC). of Elizabeth Ratliff? Because, call me a conspiracy nut but Clayton looks a LOT like Martha. Perhaps to have all of the siblings together? I just recently found out MP was friends with Tom Radliff (Liz's George's brother) and was still in touch with him at the time of Kathleen's death. They had befriended Elizabeth and her husband, Captain George Ratliff, before he lost his life in a covert overseas military operation in 1983. Did novelist Michael Peterson batter his 'beloved' wife to death with a poker in their luxury mansion asks @BBC5livehttps://t.co/qNEnibgT3z pic.twitter.com/oyi0U6J264, Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) June 20, 2017. Candace became an integral force in the case against Michael, even raising the possibility herself that the fire poker she had gifted her sister had been used as a murder weapon. Yes. Liz names Michael and Patty in her will as the custodians of her daughters despite having two living sisters. In June of 2003, Margaret Ratliff sent a letter to Jim Hardin demanding the D.A. DeJonge is also slated to star inBaz Luhrmann's ElvisbiopicportrayingPriscilla Presley. The next morning, Elizabeth was found dead at the bottom of her staircase by a nanny, in an eerily similar way to how Kathleen Peterson would be found sixteen years later. Wait - there was a DNA test done in Margaret? Collette has also earned a variety of awards throughout her career, including a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe. Margaret Ratliff, Clayton Peterson, Todd Peterson, and Martha Ratliff in Dateline NBC (1992) People Margaret Ratliff, Clayton Peterson, Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff. He said that while he was married to Kathleen, his second wife, he only had affairs with men. 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. Many opinions on this subject here. 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. Todd, Clayton, Martha, and Margaret have stood by Michael and believe that Kathleens death was an accident. Heres a breakdown of the family members, how they sided during Michael Petersons trial, and where each person is now. A graduate from Columbia College in Chicago, as of 2018, she resides in California and goes by her. She also worked as an uncredited production assistant on Star Trek: Into Darkness and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The cute couple were spotted . Even in a perfect world. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Margaret and Martha, who were in full support of their father throughout his trial, were adopted. Petersons son Clay lives in Maryland with his two children. George Ratliff sadly died two years after his wife, and Michael Peterson went on to adopt the couple's two daughters Margaret and Martha Ratliff. All I could do was sit there and tell myself that its really sad that she is so consumed by anger and hatred. Shealso lent her voice to the HBO Max Original animated seriesThe Prince. Seems like something to be explored. Since MP picks women who looks like his mom, their children can look like his mom also. While theres no true closure that can ever come for an event like this, for a loss this deep, I was ready to walk away and start moving forward with my life.. Yes. ", Since his release from prison in 2017, he has written two independently published books about his case, Behind the Staircase (2019) and Beyond the Staircase (2020), donating all of the profits to charity. Peterson entered an Alford plea in February 2017 while awaiting a new trial, allowing him to plead guilty to manslaughter while maintaining his innocence. They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was being tried for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen. They claimed that Michael committed Kathleen Peterson's murder after she confronted him about approximately 2,000 images of naked men that she found on his computer, in addition to email correspondence with a 26-year-old male prostitute who Peterson had arranged to meet. Michael and Kathleens marriage was the second for both of them. His sons, Clayton and Todd, also appear in the show. Following her husband's death, Elizabeth became reliant on the Petersons. Your IP: Michael claimed that his wife had been aware of his extramarital affairs with men, an assertion Kathleen's sister disputed. "My mom would be alive today if it weren't for my father," he said. Just the fact they did that so sneakily makes this look even more suspicious. So it really wasnt hard for me to just sit there and not react, because the truth is, I felt sorry for her. Above (L-R): The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, and Clayton Peterson. Margaret Ratliff was born on December 10, 1981 in Germany. In July 2018, Michaels lawyer throughout the trial, David Rudolf, sat down with Digital Spy for a candid interview about the case. Since then, DeJonge has appeared insuch movies asThe VisitandBetter Watch Out, as well as the television seriesThe Society. Like in the HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase true story confirms that Peterson said he was outside by the pool smoking a pipe and didn't come back inside until 2:40 a.m., at which time he discovered his wife Kathleen at the bottom of the service staircase. When the Ratliffs both died in the 1980s, Michael adopted their daughters, Margaret and Martha, per Newsweek. Today, Martha lives in Colorado and Margaret lives in California. The most baffling aspect, though, is that a similar 1985 demise of Elizabeth Ratliff is what led to Michael gaining custody of his daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff so lets find out more about them, shall we? They still believed he was innocent, with Margaret stating in The Staircase, "The bottom line is I just don't care. No one else I've talked to agrees with me. Bustle quotes her as saying about the trials she experienced, The only thing that I have to say about the trial and all the subsequent fallout is that, if there was any closure to possibly come from all of this, it came after sitting through the entire trial and listening day after day to all the evidence on both sides, she said. Martha and Margaret Ratliff, left, in an undated photo; Odessa Young and Sophie . Her Bio, Today, Biological Father, Husband, Michael Peterson Daughter, Age Now, Job, HBO Max's The Staircase! An initial autopsy ruled her death an "accident." 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. During his first marriage, Michael lived in Germany. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Michael Peterson and his first wife, Patricia Peterson, were living in West Germany at the time. While the plea is technically a guilty one, it is not an admission of guilt. Michael and Kathleen Peterson seemed to live a normal life in Durham, North Carolina, but when she wasfound dead at the bottom of their staircase on the evening of December 9, 2001, the tragedy turned their family upside down. I did not believe until the jury clerk read the sentence that I would be convicted." I'm not sure if I heard any of this correctly so would love someone else's take on this. It symobilizes a website link url. The Ratliff sisters, Margaret and Martha lived quite a good life due to their parents' influence while their respective net worth still intrigues the public today. I also wanted to disparagingly compare your post to posts made by those "everyone's a crisis actor" loons, who seem to believe that every Earthling with brown hair is really just one person playing 2 billion roles. HOLY MOLY YES and it would make sense why he took them in ! Michael seems to almost be in the spectrum, imho. Lightning doesnt strike twice- they even laughedabout this in the documentary- I personally think if it can be linked that one or both of the girls are his biologically- we can button this case up once and for all. Strangely, she looks like him, like her bio mom and also like Peterson's first wife. After making her start in Australian television, Odessa Young broke out into the world of film withThe Daughteralongside Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill. Patricia was Elizabeth's coworker at the elementary school and the Petersons were also Elizabeth's neighbors. On April 18, 2001, Peterson wrote to a paternal uncle of Margaret and Martha Ratliff, the two young women whom Peterson reared after their father died in war and their mother was found dead at the . 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. They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was.