I can't live in Paris. Since Deavers testimony was what eventually led the jury to agree upon Michaels guilt, the writer was released in 2011 under a $300,000 bail and placed under house arrest. Speaking to the French publication L'Express, de Lestrade shared: "This is one of the incredible things that happened during those 15 years. Speaking to The News & Observer, Michael Peterson shared their relationship came to an end because he did not want to live in Paris. The production, deemed largely forgettable by critics, made extensive use of both the interior and exterior of the property. While there have been several retellings of the chilling case, like Netflix's take on it in 2018, HBO Max's rendition strives to reveal untold sides and different angles of the harrowing story, with Colin Firth as the lead. In an odd twist, before the Petersons called the place home, it was featured in the 1990 dystopian drama The Handmaids Tale, based upon Margaret Atwoods 1985 novel of the same name. While living together, Michael and Patricia became close with their neighbors-turned-friends George and Elizabeth Ratliff. And, from what it seems, things have turned out for the best for the real Clayton. They took care of each other.. "I'm too old. He was caustic and sarcastic and mean sometimes, Rudolf said. It sold the following year to medium Biond Fury (I shudder to think about the seances that took place there during his tenure! Kathleen Peterson's death became a national, long-standing mystery with the 2004 documentary The Staircase. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. One was a sweeping oval shape, a centerpiece of the home, while the other lead [sic] down to the kitchen area, a more practical structure, hidden behind doors. It was the front staircase, situated near the main entrance, that the couple posed on that joyous day. Her partnership with de Lestrade is still going strong, with Brunet having edited his two TV series after The Staircase, true crime drama Latitia, and the political thriller Jeux dInfluence. His cell was a far cry from the sprawling mansion he formerly called home, which was put on the market just 20 days later for $1.175 million. Wanted folks like you to see what we, criminal defense lawyers, actually do. RELATED: 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Then there was Kathleens $725,000 life insurance policy (which doubled to $1.4 million in the case of accidental death) of which Michael was the beneficiary (not to mention the almost $400,000 in deferred compensation benefits he was owed from Nortel upon her passing). Curiously, though he was living with Kathleen at the time, his first wife, Patty, from whom he was separated, co-signed for the loan. Instead, he submitted an Alford Plea for manslaughter. ", It turns out Firth landed the role out of pure Hollywood happenstance. Milan Polk is an Editorial Assistant for Men's Health who specializes in entertainment and lifestyle reporting, and has worked for New York Magazine's Vulture and Chicago Tribune. Hes living in Durham Im not sure why hes living in Durham, but he is, Rudolf told the audience at CrimeCon. Peterson had a different rationale, Rudolf said. Peterson's second son, Todd (who was adamant that his step-mother's death was alcohol-related), currently lives in Tennessee. They also became the legal guardians of two young girls, Margaret Ratcliff and Martha Ratcliff, following their mother's death in 1985. The home where Michael Peterson allegedly killed his wife, Kathleen, nearly two decades ago as documented in the docuseries "The Staircase" is now on the market for a pricey sum. Lestrade told Vanity Fair that he felt "betrayed" by show creator Anthony Campos' adaptation of his Peabody Award-winning docu-series and claimed the facts were altered for dramatic effect. His moms cancer battle. Peterson's adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha, live in California . Peterson was released while awaiting a new trial but ultimately decided not to take any chances (even with that oh-so-veritable owl theory in his arsenal) and in 2017 entered an Alford plea, whereby asserting his innocence but admitting the evidence would likely lead to a guilty verdict. Despite the fact Michael was the one to call 911 the night Kathleen allegedly fell down the stairs, Michael soon . It'll never go away now, it's just a part of our culture., Todd (Patrick Schwarzenegger) stood by his father's side throughout every twist and turn of the case. Selling the house at its [original $1.175 million] asking price would still not cover all of Petersons debts.. On Oct. 10, 2003, the jury found Michael guilty of Kathleen's murder and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole. Earlier this year, Margaret co-produced a documentary feature titled Subject, directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall. Newsweek has everything you need to know about his relationship history: No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. As shown in the miniseries, Clayton Peterson (Dane DeHaan) served four years in prison for an attempted bombing at Duke University years before Kathleen Petersons death. Michael Peterson's first marriage was to Patricia "Patty" Sue (now Peterson), an elementary school teacher. 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 severe cracks in their foundation came to light following Michaels arrest and during his subsequent lengthy trial. Rudolf said,"To suggest I assisted [Pfeiffer] with any interviews, that would be as much fiction as it is that a criminal defense lawyer is allowed in a Grand Jury proceeding. The novelist spent the past almost eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty of murdering his wife, but in 2011, he was released and since then hes been living a quiet life in Durham, North Carolina, the same city he once lived with his second wife at the time of her death. Most eerie of all, though, is the fact that a segment took place on the infamous back staircase! Skyler Caruso is the Editorial Assistant of PEOPLE Digital. 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. 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. Kathleen Peterson, ne Hunt, and Michael Peterson became acquainted when Kathleen Peterson moved to Durham and became one of Michael's neighbors. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor . They dated until 2017. He was granted a new trial in 2011, after a judge determined that a key prosecution witness lied on the stand during the original trial. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! "I didn't know if Michael Peterson's presentation of himself was going to be helpful to me in terms of finding out what lies underneath, and I found it kept moving," Firth explained to The Wrap. He is, however, still connected with his own firm, Rudolf Widenhouse. Then theres the haunting violin score. Behind the Staircase and Beyond the Staircase were self-published in 2019. What happened to Olivia Walton on The Waltons? Because of all of the twists and turns that developed in the case, from the death itself having multiple theories, to the news of another woman from petersons past dying in a similar fashion, The Staircase originally premiered on TV in 2004 with eight episodes detailing the case and trial. Where does The Staircase's Michael Peterson live now? Defense Attorney David Rudolf says his famous former clientfeatured on Netflixs The Staircase is keeping it on one level now. The Staircase: Where is Michael Peterson now? - Cosmopolitan a livestream that has since been uploaded to YouTube, Margaret co-produced a documentary feature titled, he was also not happy with the fictional adaptation of his docuseries, The Best Korean Dramas on Netflix Right Now, 10 Best Reality Competition Shows Returning In 2023. Played by Sophie Turner, Margaret is the eldest daughter of Air Force captain George Ratliff and his wife, Elizabeth, who lived next door to Michael and Patty Peterson in Germany. (The house was on the market for $1.9 million, according to ABC 11 News.). According to theNews and Observer, Peterson has not owned the home since he sold it to Jason Balius for $640,000 in 2004. Likes science fiction, true crime, coming-of-age stories, teen dramas, and some other things as well. I felt that I wanted to keep my inspiration, my motivation, and the sense of the source material, as much as possible contained within the script and the way it was written.. At a time when true crime is easily one of the more popular TV genres, Netflix, home of the ever popular Making a Murderer series, is now set to premiere The Staircase on June 8. While an Alford plea is not an admission of guilt, it signifies that the defendant agrees there is enough evidence in any given case to result in a guilty verdict. Todd and Clayton are Michael Peterson's sons from his first marriage to Patricia Peterson. In 2001, Kathleen was found unconscious at the bottom of their staircase in Durham, North Carolina and was pronounced dead. Now 79 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor apartment in Durham, North Carolina, and has since sold the house he shared with Kathleen. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. They married in 1987 and together they raised a large, blended family with children from previous relationships. The couple discussed moving to France and settling in the capital once the trial was finally over. 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Created by Antonio Campos, the eight-episode long miniseries stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette as novelist Michael Peterson and his second wife, Nortel executive, Kathleen Peterson. Soon after Georges death in an overseas operation, in 1983, Elizabeth lost her life in circumstances so similar to Katherines death that her body was exhumed during Michaels trial in search of evidence of foul play.