Is the staircase killer real?

Despite claiming his wife had fallen down the stairs, Michael Peterson was charged with her murder and convicted to life imprisonment in 2003 after one of the longest trials in North Carolina's history.

Is The Staircase killer still alive?

As of 2022, Michael is 78 years old and remains a free man. He returned to his home of Durham in North Carolina, moving into a ground-floor two-bedroom condo which his Defence attorney David Rudolf stressed in a statement, has "no stairs". He has also taken up writing again, penning two books about the case.

Was Staircase Killer found guilty?

On October 10, 2003, after one of the longest trials in North Carolina history, a Durham County jury found Peterson guilty of the murder of Kathleen, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Denial of parole requires premeditation.

Who really killed Kathleen in The Staircase?

At the end of a trial that lasted more than three months and was one of the longest in North Carolina history, a jury convicted Michael Peterson of first-degree murder on October 10, 2003. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for Kathleen Peterson's murder.

Did Michael Peterson get paid for The Staircase?

We feel that Jean pimped us out — sold OUR story to Campos for money — what word other than pimped describes what he did?” De Lestrade allegedly did not tell Peterson about the HBO series and maintains that he was paid only €7,500 (roughly $9,370) for the story.

The Staircase: Who or what really killed Kathleen Peterson? | 60 Minutes Australia

How did Staircase Killer get off?

Since Deaver's testimony was what eventually led the jury to agree upon Michael's guilt, the writer was released in 2011 under a $300,000 bail and placed under house arrest.

How did The Staircase killer get free?

Peterson entered an Alford plea to a charge of voluntary manslaughter. Under an Alford plea, a defendant can maintain his or her innocence while acknowledging prosecutors have enough evidence for a conviction. "The bottom line here is that Mr. Peterson is not guilty.

What was left out of The Staircase documentary?

Other significant omissions include Caitlin's testimony on the stand and the fact that Rudolf's wife, Sonya Pfeiffer, was actually a journalist who covered the case. Kathleen's sister Candace Zamperini accused Pfeiffer of misconduct during her testimony — a fact left out of both the documentary and the drama.

Where is Mike Peterson now?

Today, Peterson lives in Durham, North Carolina, in a ground-floor apartment. He still maintains a relationship with his children, who stuck by him through the entire trial, and is a grandfather to their children.

What was the bloody shoe print on Kathleen Peterson?

“There was a bloody shoe print found on the back of her sweatpants, which was a match to Peterson's shoe. We know he stepped in her blood and stepped on her. “The other thing is red neurons,” Jones continued. “Red neurons were present in her brain when the autopsy was done.

Where are Michael Peterson's kids now?

Peterson's sons have always stood by their father, who has maintained his innocence for the past twenty years. According to The News & Observer, Clayton now lives in Maryland with his wife and children, and Todd lives in Tennessee.

How many wives did The Staircase killer have?

The suspect at the center of The Staircase was married twice. Few true crime sagas have achieved the lasting popularity and critical acclaim of The Staircase, the 13-part documentary series investigating the suspicious death of Kathleen Peterson.

Why did Clay go to jail in The Staircase?

The characters in “The Staircase” are referring to a time when Clayton was a 19-year-old freshman at Duke University and was arrested and charged for putting a small bomb in a Duke office.

How many kids did The Staircase guy have?

Who's Who Between Michael And Kathleen Peterson's Kids In HBO Max's 'The Staircase' Michael Peterson and his wife Kathleen had five children between them: Clayton and Todd Peterson; Margaret and Martha Ratliff; and Caitlin Atwater.

Who is The Staircase killer family?

He has two sons from his first marriage to Patricia Peterson: Clayton and Todd. After his friend Elizabeth Ratliff passed away (more on her later), he also adopted her two daughters, Margaret and Martha. Following his conviction, Michael served eight years in prison.

What plea did The Staircase killer take?

Alford, in which the defendant, Henry Alford, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in order to avoid the death penalty for the crime he was initially charged with, first degree murder.

Was Clay ever on the tapes?

Clay is the subject of Tape 6, Side A, although not as a reason for Hannah's suicide, unlike all the other tapes. At the end of his tape, she explains that Clay is not the reason for her suicide, but that she felt he needed to know the reasons behind why she took her life.

How did Clay get the cut on his head?

So, before Clay receives Hannah's tapes, his forehead is bare. But as soon as Clay discovers Hannah's tapes, he gets into a nasty bike accident and ends up with a serious gash on his forehead.

What did the witness lie about in staircase?

During Michael Peterson's trial for the murder of his wife Kathleen Peterson, Deaver was an important witness for the prosecution. He testified that the blood patterns seen on the walls and stairs of the Petersons' home, where Kathleen Peterson's body was found, were consistent with a person being beaten to death.

What happened to the female lawyer from The Staircase?

In 2010, she ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Durham County District Court bench. Black later faced driving while impaired charges in Durham and Orange counties. A 2012 arrest warrant said she measured 0.18 on a blood alcohol test. She pleaded guilty to the charge in 2013 and surrendered her license.

How much of The Staircase is true?

Yes, The Staircase is a true story.

Investigators believed Kathleen's injuries weren't consistent with an accident. While police claimed that Michael bludgeoned her to death with a blow poke that was missing from their home, and charged him with first-degree murder.

Who was the cop that killed his wife Peterson?

Drew Walter Peterson (born January 5, 1954) is an American convicted murderer and former police sergeant who was found guilty in 2012 of the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, a few months after their 2003 divorce.

Are the Peterson siblings still close?

Today, Margaret resides in California, and Martha relocated to Colorado. If the footage from the later episodes of Netflix's The Staircase from 2012 and 2016 are anything to go by, they are still close with Michael Peterson.

Is Michael Peterson in a relationship?

No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. The woman who The Staircase viewers may be mistaking for Peterson's new wife could well be Sophie Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche), an executive producer of the Jean-Xavier de Lestrade documentary, also titled The Staircase.

Which of Michael Peterson's children still support him?

Clayton and Todd Peterson

Clay is the oldest son. Prior to Kathleen's death, Clay was sentenced to four years in federal prison for attempting to bomb Duke University in 1994. As seen in the Netflix documentary The Staircase, both sons continue to support their father.