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. 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. 'The Staircase': Money, Sex and Secrets - ABC News In the end, Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson. Jurors Hear About Deaths Of Kathleen Peterson, Elizabeth Ratliff - WRAL.com Prosecutors have ridiculed the claim, and Deborah Radisch, who conducted Kathleen's autopsy, says it was unlikely that an owl or any other bird could have made wounds as deep as those on her scalp. [2] The Staircase, a 2022 miniseries featuring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, also covers the murder case and its aftermath. In late 2009, a new theory of Kathleen's death was raised: that she had been attacked by a barred owl outside, fallen after rushing inside, and been knocked unconscious after hitting her head on the first tread of the stairs. Exposing Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's tendentious film, the Peterson murder documentary: Death on the Stairacse. A photo timeline from Kathleen Peterson's death to husband Michael 2023 Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. New statewide softball rankings ahead of conference tournament week, Riverside-Durham alum Jordon Riley drafted by the New York Giants, Fatal crash on Lake Woodard Drive Sunday evening, NFL Draft: Panthers draft Wolfpack's offense guard Chandler Zavala, GOP lawmakers want to pay for students' private education. He pleaded not guilty. Because Peterson had already served more time than the sentence (98.5 months), he did not face additional prison time. [19], Despite interest in this theory among some outside advocates, no motion for a new trial was filed on this point in 2009. Elizabeth's updated autopsy report indicated that she died from homicidal assault. As one juror explained it, premeditated meant not only planning hours or days ahead, but could also mean planning in the seconds before committing a spur-of-the-moment crime. But as Michael, again could not have this harmful information that could ruin his reputation get out, he flew into a rage again striking Kathleen as she was headed out the door, thus leaving the drops of blood on the porch which was what initially led to the owl theory (an owl latched onto Kathleens head with its sharp talons-crazy I know). [16][17] A re-examination of the hair in September 2008 had found two more microscopic owl feathers. He has since insisted she was completely okay when he walked out the door, yet the following morning, the girls nanny found her dead at the bottom of the stairs Elizabeth passed away on November 25, 1985. Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband George, who was a captain in the military. 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. But most of all, we will support you to develop and grow throughout your time with us. Netflix's 'The Staircase': How did Elizabeth Ratliff really die? University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, "Novelist Michael Peterson, Convicted of Wife's Murder, Is Released From Prison and Will Get New Trial", "Hollywood just can't seem to get enough of the Michael Peterson 'Staircase' story", "Guide to the Michael Peterson papers, 19612001 and undated, bulk 1972", "Durham mayoral candidate Michael Peterson fabricated war injury, admits falsehood", "Wife's staircase death at center of novelist's murder trial", "Who is Michael Peterson and why are people talking about him? Netflix's 'The Staircase': How did Elizabeth Ratliff really die? The two were buried side by side after Ratlitt died. Kate's 'princess shuffle' is going viral on TikTok, Meghan 'signs with major Hollywood talent agency', Anne's coronation role leaves fans "in tears", TV legend Jerry Springer has died at the age of 79. 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. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. As Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. It's believed that Michael was the last. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting center of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. Hardin and his prosecution team (among them Mike Nifong) attacked Peterson's credibility, focusing on his alleged misreporting of his military service and what they described as a gay life he led and kept secret. So. Like Kathleen, she'd been found at the bottom of 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. He killed George Ratcliff by poisoning with arsenic, had an affair with Elizabeth, she was about to out him to his wife and he cleverly killed her, making it look like she fell down stairs. At the age of 43, Elizabeth Liz Ratliff had created a good life for herself as a teacher for military children, signifying that she often got the chance to travel across the globe for work. . "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. 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. In 1971, he received an honorable discharge with the rank of captain after a car accident left him with a permanent disability. "The embarrassment is just going to keep growing over this," Laura Harth, the campaign director at Safeguard Defenders, told Newsweek. The court case generated widespread interest, in part because of a televised documentary series variously named Soupons (Suspicions), Death on the Staircase, and The Staircase, which detailed Peterson's legal and personal troubles. On November 9, the Court announced that it affirmed the decision of the appeals. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery. The Best Arguments For And Against Michael Peterson's Guilt In 'The She continued: "Rather, they are indicative of multiple blunt force impacts, either from blows to the head caused by a blunt object or by the head being forcibly struck against a hard surface. Our culture embraces individuals, in all their daring, passionate, ambitious glory. 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. There are theories he had been in an illicit relationship with Elizabeth, although this is something his first wife Patty strenuously denies. 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". In 2017, he entered an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter, meaning 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. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. We anticipate change, identify future opportunities and are excited by the potential that tomorrow brings. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Whether or not Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth Ratliff remains unknown. 1985 death of teacher now ruled homicide | Stars and Stripes Why I believe Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth Ratliff - Reddit A 'Staircase' timeline from Kathleen Peterson's death to her husband's Elizabeth Ratliff and. Prosecutors asked for Elizabeth's body to be exhumed in light of the murder charges against her former friend. The owl theory was raised by Durham attorney T. Lawrence Pollard, a neighbor of the Petersons who was not involved in the case but had been following the public details. Amybeth Berner, Ratliff's friend, described the scene at Ratliff's house in 1985 for jurors. 'The Staircase': Who Are Michael and Kathleen Peterson's Children? 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. No, the will of the Ratliffs stated the girls would be left in the care of Michael Peterson. The Durham M.E. [7] Kathleen's daughter, Caitlin, and Kathleen's sister, Candace Zamperini, both initially proclaimed Michael's innocence and publicly supported him alongside his children, but Zamperini reconsidered after learning of Michael's bisexuality, as did Caitlin after reading her mother's autopsy report. They believe their adopted father is innocent of killing both of their moms, according to the documentary. The Staircase Netflix Documentary and HBO Max series about the death of Kathleen Peterson and which follows the trial of Michael Peterson. The owl did it, and other reasons true crime fans love The Staircase - Vox The staircase in Germany where Elizabeth Ratliff was found dead, Michael Peterson with Elizabeth Ratliffs daughter, Martha. He was sentenced to time already served and freed from prison. "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.". [18], According to Pollard, had a jury been presented with this evidence it would have "materially affected their deliberation and therefore would have materially affected their ultimate verdict". However, Radisch's opinion was challenged by other experts in three separate affidavits filed in 2010. Elizabeth Ratliff, a friend of the Petersons, who died in Germany in 1985, had also been found dead at the foot of her staircase with injuries to the head. [17][24][25], Deaver was fired from the SBI in January 2011, after an independent audit of the agency found he had falsely represented evidence in 34 cases, including withholding negative results in the case of Greg Taylor, a North Carolina man who spent seventeen years in prison on a murder conviction based on Deaver's testimony. The Scene of Her Death. The Staircase airs Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. 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. Ok so here is my theory for the Michael Peterson case-while I do not think he is a serial killer who always plans to kill women by the same method of throwing them down the stairs, I do think he has the personality of flying into a rage which ended with the deaths of 2 women and here is how I think it happened: 1985-Germany-Michael was carrying on an affair with family friend, Elizabeth Ratliff (he claims they never did but then he did look elsewhere who knows how many times during his marriages for other partners to satisfy his sexual desires, and as we cannot ask Elizabeth, I would say his ability to lie and tell stories, definitely does not add anything to his credibility. 3 days ago, by Joely Chilcott 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. During Michael's trial, Cheryl Appel-Schumacher, one of the late schoolteacher's friends, recalled that Elizabeth had severe headaches a few days before she was found dead. Elizabeth's updated autopsy report indicated that she died from homicidal assault. Elizabeth Ratliff's death had a huge impact on her youngest daughter, Martha ( Odessa Young ). Scan this QR code to download the app now. At A+E Networks EMEA, we share stories that matter. Who are Michael Peterson's Children and Where Are They Now? - Newsweek She even scheduled a doctor's appointment out of concern, and had an appointment the next week. He said they wanted the same medical examiner who claimed that Peterson's wife wasn't accidental to perform the autopsy rather than a neutral pathologist in Texas as he suggested. 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. Peterson also worked as a newspaper columnist for The Herald-Sun, where his columns became known for their criticism of police and of Durham County district attorney James Hardin Jr., who would later prosecute Peterson for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen. All Rights Reserved. Is The Staircase a True Story & Did Michael Peterson Kill Kathleen? Pollard subsequently filed affidavits[23] to support a motion that Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson order the state Medical Examiner's Office to turn over all documentation related to Kathleen's autopsy to Peterson's attorneys. The prosecutors have also hypothesized that Elizabeths perplexing 1985 passing inspired Michael to fake Kathleens accident in 2001, yet there has never been any direct evidence to back it up. Peterson lived next door to Ratliff when she died. Learning is part of the journey at A+E Networks EMEA and youll be offered personal and professional development opportunities throughout your career with us. Newsweek has everything you need to know. In 2019, he released his own account of his life since his wife's death in an independently published memoir, Behind the Staircase. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! On November 25, 1985, Elizbeth Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of her staircase in an eerily similar way to the way Kathleen Peterson was found on December 9, 2001. During the defense's cross-examination of E. Jean Carroll, Trump's attorney asked the writer why she "did not scream" when she was "supposedly raped.". Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! In The Staircase, Patty recalls how they would all eat together and how Michael would regularly stay behind to help Elizabeth clean up and put her daughters to bed. Is it possible MP did not kill Liz Ratliff, but used the - Reddit The coroner determined that the hemorrhage resulted in immediate death followed by Ratliff falling down the stairs after collapsing. [35] The judge sentenced him to a maximum of 86 months in prison, with credit for time previously served. Who was Elizabeth Ratliff, and how did her 1985 death become part of Michael Peterson's trial? Rudolf had stated that he could no longer afford to represent Peterson without being paid. The author's ex-wife, Patty, maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. 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. I believe that Patty suspected Michaels infidelity with Liz, and with the girls left to Michael, this probably only reinforced her suspicions. The Staircase Murder of Kathleen Peterson: What Really Caused Her Death With our diverse line-up of original, high-quality programming, our distribution partners across EMEA recognise the benefits of offering A+E Networks EMEA's distinctive, high quality brands on their platforms and services. Elizabeth Ratliff, 43, was a close Peterson family friend who died in Germany in 1985. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck her children to sleep. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. By being summoned to the scene in Germany and living at the scene in Durham, the Defendant is then present on the scene . She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery.. "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. After Vietnam, retired Marine Captain Michael joined Patty in Germany and the couple quickly became good friends with Elizabeth Ratliff and her husband George, also a Captain in the military. If Mike believed Liz's death was a fall, and if he remembered seeing lots of blood, there must be a reason that he now lies to say there was little blood. U.S. Army doctor Dr. Larry A. Barnes carried out an autopsy on Elizabeth and confirmed that a cerebral haemorrhage was her cause of death. At the end of episode 3 of HBO Max's The Staircase, we learn a bit more about Elizabeth "Liz" Ratliff's death. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Ratliff taught second grade at a U.S. Department of Defense School. The Scene of Her Death 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. Now as both Elizabeth and her husband were both deceased, the girls Margaret and Martha would surely be left in the care of one of their relatives? Both Peterson and his wife raised his two daughters, Margaret and Martha,as if they were their own. The pair "had a loving, almost familial relationship," Patty described. Yet in the early hours of a cold December morning in 2001 Kathleen. The ME overturned Elizabeth's original autopsy and concluded she also died by homicide. 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, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband, George, who was a captain in the military. It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. [citation needed]. "Can people just go dig up graves?". Patricia has always vehemently backed him up. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. An autopsy at the time of her death concluded Ratliff died from an intra-cerebral hemorrhage secondary to the blood coagulation disorder Von Willebrand's disease, based on blood in her cerebrospinal fluid and reports that she had been suffering severe, persistent headaches in the weeks leading up to her death. 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. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Our stories are global and local, linear and digital, and always compelling. That year he also married Patricia Sue, who taught at an elementary school on the Rhein-Main Air Base in Grfenhausen, West Germany. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth had worked in the same school as Michael's then wife Patty. Furious she confronts Michael with her findings. At the time, her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany and an autopsy concluded she had died from an intracerebral hemorrhage. Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. In response, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, argued he had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. Michael Peterson is believed to have been the last person to see her alive. Her death had been investigated by both the German police and U.S. military police. Peterson wrote three novels based "around his experiences during the Vietnamese conflict":[3] The Immortal Dragon, A Time of War, and A Bitter Peace. Our people are our strength, and our differences are celebrated. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. 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. It also examines the role and behavior of the press as it covered aspects of the case. Elizabeth Ratliff's Friend Continues Emotional Testimony During Day 31 The Petersons had dinner with Ratliff and her daughters, and Peterson had stayed and helped Ratliff put the children to bed before going home. The deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", state pathologist wrote in her report. The medical examiner, Deborah Radisch, concluded that Kathleen had died from lacerations of the scalp caused by a homicidal assault. The North Carolina medical examiner performed an autopsy and concluded that she died from blunt force injuries and that it was the result of a homicide. In the 2003 Peterson trial, Deaver testified that he had been mentored by SBI bloodstain specialist David Spittle, worked 500 bloodstain cases, written 200 reports, and testified in 60 cases. Elizabeth Ratliff and her husband, George Ratliff, were close friends of Michael Peterson and his first wife Patricia Peterson when they lived in Germany in the 1980s. In June 2006, he voluntarily filed for bankruptcy. According to their analysis, the lacerations were not consistent with blows of any sort, because there was a lack of underlying injury, such as skull fractures or bruising, swelling and hemorrhaging of the brain. The nanny who found Elizabeth Ratliff's body in 1985 also took to the stand at Michael Peterson's murder trial and testified to witnesses about a large amount of blood at the scene. [33] On November 14, 2016, Peterson's request for the second trial to be dismissed was refused, and a new trial was scheduled to begin on May 8, 2017. Several similarities exist between the death of Elizabeth Ratliff in Germany in 1985 and the subject of this trial, which is the death of Kathleen Peterson in Durham, North Carolina in 2001. The SBI cited the bloodstain analysis given in the fourth case as the reason for firing Deaver. However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. 'The Staircase': What Happened to Elizabeth Ratliff? - Newsweek Here's what we know about the real-life events. 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. As it came to light that Kathleen was not the first woman associated with Michael to be found dead at the bottom of the staircase, Elizabeths remains were exhumed for more information. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. Did Michael Peterson kill Elizabeth Ratliff? Here's what 'The Staircase Radisch's reported concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's death had actually been as a result of a "homicidal assault", and not an accident as was previously determined.
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