The Twisted Saga Of Michael Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, And The Real Story Behind ‘The Staircase’

The Twisted Saga Of Michael Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, And The Real Story Behind ‘The Staircase’

In 2003, Michael Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Kathleen by beating her with a fire poker and throwing her down their back staircase — despite the police never finding the murder weapon nor any evidence of a concrete motive. But investigators soon learned that the Petersons were deep in debt and that Michael was unhappy with the way his work as a writer had stalled while his wife's career as a business executive had soared. And when prosecutors learned that Michael had exchanged emails with a male sex worker, they argued that Kathleen must have discovered the messages and confronted him about it, causing him to fly into a fit of rage, beat her about the back of the head, and leave her to die at the bottom of the stairs. But six years after Michael's conviction, a shocking new analysis showed that Kathleen Peterson had traces of feathers, wood, and cedar needles in her hair. And while the medical examiner had ruled that something like a fire poker likely caused the cuts on the back of Kathleen's head, other experts believe that the trident-shaped lacerations resembled the talon marks of a barred owl. Go inside the twisted murder mystery at the heart of "The Staircase" — and learn why some think an owl may really be to blame: https://bit.ly/3MSZpg1 In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the staircase in her home. Two years later, her husband Michael Peterson was convicted of her murder — but many believe he didn’t do it. In 2018, Netflix released The Staircase, a documentary that catapulted a regional North Carolina murder mystery to national attention. Focusing on the trial of Michael Peterson, who prosecutors alleged killed his wife, Kathleen Peterson, after a vicious fight in 2001, the documentary charts his defense team’s preparations through his conviction, appeals, and ultimate plea deal. Ultimately, Peterson entered an Alford plea to a lesser manslaughter charge, asserting his innocence while acknowledging that the state had enough evidence to convince a jury of his guilt and convict him. In 2017, he was released on time served and is today a free man. As Peterson himself said of the trial, “This has become a show.” And indeed, the case is full of twists and bizarre theories surrounding the real story of Kathleen Peterson’s death — including the possibility that an owl is to blame for her tragic death. And now, the Petersons’ story is once again being relitigated in the dramatized HBO Max series The Staircase, starring Colin Firth and Toni Colette. But is Michael Peterson as innocent as he claims? How Kathleen Peterson Died Mysteriously At Her Home Early in the morning on Dec. 9, 2001, Michael Peterson called emergency services to report that his wife, Kathleen Peterson, had taken a fall down a set of stairs in their home in Durham, North Carolina. Kathleen had been drinking wine and had taken Valium, Michael later asserted, and he hadn’t seen her for hours after she went inside the house while he remained outside reading. Only once he went inside at 2:30 a.m, did he discover Kathleen barely alive in a pool of blood at the bottom of the back staircase. He called 911 10 minutes later. According to Esquire, during the call Peterson made to 911, he stated, “My wife had an accident. She’s still breathing. She fell down the stairs.” But by the time the emergency medical services and police arrived, Kathleen Peterson was dead. The autopsy immediately cast doubt on Michael Peterson’s story. According to the report, Kathleen had suffered multiple blunt force trauma injuries to the head and neck. As a result, she bled to death between 90 minutes and two hours after the trauma occurred. The autopsy led the police to classify the death as a homicide. Since Michael Peterson was the only one at home at the time, he was the obvious suspect. The stage was set for one of the longest, strangest trials in American history. The evidence against Peterson was spotty. But the investigators were confident that Kathleen had been murdered. While there was no obvious murder weapon on the scene that police could tie to her husband, the prosecutors believed that they could establish a motive. During the investigation, detectives discovered that Michael Peterson was secretly hiding his bisexuality. They discovered a collection of gay pornography in his possession, and found that he had been emailing with a 28-year-old male escort, according to CNN. Though there was little evidence to support the idea, prosecutors latched on to the theory that Peterson’s wife had found out about her husband’s sexuality and started a fight that led to her death on the staircase. The Real Story Of Michael Peterson And ‘The Staircase’ In 2017, Michael Peterson entered an Alford plea, whereby he maintained his innocence but admitted the district attorney had sufficient evidence to convict him. Taking into account the eight years Peterson had already served, the judge ordered his release. According to Peterson, taking the plea was a hard choice. He said that he’d decided to take it after his son told him, “You’ll never win. Pick up your chips and go home.” The Real Story Of Michael Peterson And ‘The Staircase’ In 2017, Michael Peterson entered an Alford plea, whereby he maintained his innocence but admitted the district attorney had sufficient evidence to convict him. Taking into account the eight years Peterson had already served, the judge ordered his release. According to Peterson, taking the plea was a hard choice. He said that he’d decided to take it after his son told him, “You’ll never win. Pick up your chips and go home.” Vwegba Blogging World, bring you serial killer story, serial killers facts, murder, true crime, true crimecommunity, horror, truecrime addict, crime , tedbundy , homicide ,halloween, killer, rodneyalcala, murder on my mind, ,history ,netflixandchill ,deadlymen ,crimewatchdaily ,murderisthenewblack ,historic ,fearthyneighbor ,netflixandcrime ,crime memes ,dark ,murderer ,horrormovies ,insane ,history and many. Feel free to share and comment. Share your though