While looking for something in the study or den, Kathleen either stumbled upon the emails exposing Michaels bisexual desires either on the computer or possibly a hard copy of something. Despite speculation that Peterson may have killed Elizabeth Ratliff 16 years before Kathleen's death, something he has always strongly denied, the prosecution in Michael Peterson's trial didn't accuse Peterson of being responsible for Elizabeth Ratliff's death. Jean and Sophie dont know what to think anymore. Just like with Peterson's wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. Candace makes an impassioned plea for a dismissal, but the judge overrules her. It is unknown if their disagreement happened in real life. 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. Elizabeth had been complaining of severe headaches in the weeks before her death, and it was believed she suffered the haemorrhage while on the staircase, causing her to fall. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. . But two years after George's death, as if the Ratliff family hadn't suffered enough trauma, Elizabeth too was found dead - at the bottom of the staircase at her home in Germany. Click Here to try 4 Free Trial Issues of Time! 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. Her name was Elizabeth Ratliff (shown above in the blue shirt) and she died at the age of 43. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. The medical examiner found Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratcliffe suffered similar blows to the head, including seven lacerations which were sustained by blunt force trauma. Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters continue to believe Mike Peterson. defense lawyer Thomas Maher asked. Where is Morgan from the Murdaugh Murders now? At the hearing for the Alford plea, the courtroom is noticeably less full. Colin Firth as Michael Peterson in "The Staircase." So Im sure there is some emotion heard in the 911 call, Im sure he did love Kathleen and Elizabeth. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. She agrees to help them and tips them off that the SBI is very corrupt and should be looked into. I believe that Kathleen excused herself to go get ready for a meeting the next morning. 13 hours ago, by Chanel Vargas "What's the fucking grounds?" Elizabeth Ratliff, a family friend of Michael Peterson and his first wife, Patricia, died in 1985, just two years after her husband, George. They wanted to reassess her injuries, to make sure her death really was the tragic accident it had been accepted as for 17 years. On April 16, 2003, the state medical examiner's office carried out a second autopsy on Elizabeth Ratliff's body. We didn't get paid anything for the appeal. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery. In 2011, a retrial hearing is granted after Duane Deaver, the analyst that had given the damning evidence against Michael at the first trial, finds himself under investigation. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. The similar nature of Elizabeth's and Kathleen's deaths was enough to leave the jury serving on Michael's trial in Durham significantly suspicious. The medical examiner found Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratcliffe suffered similar blows to the head, including seven lacerations which were sustained by blunt force trauma. 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. 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. Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. A second autopsy, conducted by Durham, North Carolina officials this time, revealed sufficient evidence to suspect the manner of death being clear homicide. With that said, no charges against Michael have ever been brought in connection to this matter, and he maintains his innocence. Sam Smith is going to be in And Just Like That s2! By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. And then when the appeal was over, for the next, whatever, eight years, I represent them for free, and never charge them a penny, I paid my own expenses. Colin Firth & Toni Collette on 'The Staircase' and What They Hope Audiences Take Away From It. Although Ratliff lost a lot of weight and mourned her husband's death deeply, Appel-Schumacher said Ratliff's mood lifted during 1985. The filmmakers, with Michael's permission, are granted 24/7 access to document the entire process from prepping for the trial, the trial itself, and after the jury verdict is announced. 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. She refuses to binge-watch anything. He was released on bond in 2011 pending a retrial. She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Peterson subsequently ended up raising Ratliff's young. His appeal is rejected, but the documentary is a huge hit and renews interest in his case. As Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. Bill Peterson (Tim Guinee), Michaels brother, is his biggest ally and works with the lawyers and the family to try and keep everything in order while it feels like chaos. Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Staircase on HBO Max. Newsweek has everything you need to know. I'm too old. } else if ( host.indexOf("asia.cnn.com") != -1 ) { 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. They argued to keep the clip showing Peterson interacting with his son, Clayton Peterson (Dane DeHaan), whereas their producer wanted to include a scene that covered evidence presented at Peterson's trial that Kathleen Peterson may have been strangled. } else if ( host.indexOf("edition.") You know, I mean, all you have to do is watch the documentary to know that that's not true. The defense countered these claims, arguing that half of Elizabeth's brain was missing during the new autopsy and pushing against the idea that Michael was the last person to see her alive. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Aside, from being untrue, it's completely offensive.". Michael had also been caught in a lie in the press when he claimed he won a Purple Heart in Vietnam when he had not. I believe that the 2 were out by the pool having a glass or 2 of wine as they often did. 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. It's believed that Michael was the last. 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. 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. He later adopted Ratliff's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. But . There were also multiple questions put forward about what happened on the evening Kathleen Peterson died, due to the "Owl Theory" that suggested she may have been attacked by the bird and died from her wounds or, what Michael Peterson claimed, that she fell to her death. Elizabeth's Ratliff's sudden death in November 1985 became of great significance in the case against Michael Peterson during his trial for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. "They have a scene where Michael's brother is on the phone with me, telling me that he's selling all the furniture, to pay to write me checks for the appeal. Why?? Fear of this realization getting out, Michael possibly grabbed and shook Liz, his anger finally caused him to push her hard and she fell down the stairs to her demise. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. It wasn't until after Kathleen's death in December 2001 that the circumstances surrounding Elizabeth Ratliff's fall and subsequent death were re-evaluated. So why would you? Three, she never wrote to Michael while she was working on the project, never ever, ever. The story follows author Michael Peterson (portrayed by Colin Firth) who finds his wife, Kathleen (Toni Collette) dead at the bottom of the staircase in their Durham, NC home in 2001. ", Her death was eventually ruled a homicide. Michael ultimately takes the Alford plea, which involves the defendant acknowledging there is enough evidence to find him guilty of charges while also maintaining innocence, and is sentenced to time already served. From Rudolf's perspective, in HBO Max's The Staircase, it is implied Rudolf found out about Ratliff only a few weeks before the trial. Additionally, he was unimpressed with some of the early court scenes. Additionally, at the beginning of each episode, there is a disclaimer stating the show is "a dramatization based on certain facts. "For another year, she was gone. Con Girl: Where is Samantha Azzopardi now? It has been quite a ride, so before we discuss how it ended, lets look at how we got here. So you know, the bottom line of all of that, is it creates this impression that this Academy Award-winning director, a documentarian was twisting his film for a completely unethical purpose to help the subject. He paid that, or his brother paid it and that was it. In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide". On November 25, 1985, she was found dead at the bottom of her staircase surrounded by pools of blood. Michael Stuhlbarg portrayed Peterson's lawyer David Rudolf in the series. In response, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, argued he had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. David Rudolf represented Michael Peterson in the real-life murder trial depicted in the HBO Max series "The Staircase." , Awesome, Youre All Set! We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Prosecutors say the similarities are too many to be coincidental. Seeing Margaret everyday no doubt caused her much stress and probably was the reason for many arguments that eventually led to the divorce. Peterson had been at her house the night before her death. Great, Click the Allow Button Above But if he lied about something that big what else did he lie about? Like Kathleen, she'd been found at the bottom of a staircase. Now, if you wish to learn more about this nearly four-decade-old matter, including the undeniable suspicions surrounding the same, dont worry; weve got all the essential details for you. Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. The Staircase airs Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. "Even from this distance I could see that it did not look clear, and that's when he made the statement, right there by her body in my presence, that she had died of a cerebral haemorrhage.". His analysis of the crime scene suggested that most of the blood splatter on the . , Let's Break Down The Staircase's Deeply Frustrating 13 Episodes, The "Bel-Air" Cast Weren't Surprised by the Show's Success: "A Huge 'I Told You So' Moment", "Outer Banks" Had No Business Making Rafe Look This Fine With a Buzz Cut, Jazz Catches Hilary in a Lie in This Exclusive "Bel-Air" Season 2 Sneak Peek, Selena Gomez Says She Avoided Her "Wizards of Waverly Place" Costars After Series Due to Shame, "The Last of Us" Stars Storm Reid and Bella Ramsey Hit Back at Homophobes: "Don't Like It, Don't Watch", Jessica Chastain Tripped Over Her Dress at the SAG Awards, but It Didn't Take Away From Her Big Win, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. DURHAM, North Carolina (Court TV) -- Author Michael Peterson is charged with killing his wife in their home here 18 months ago, but it was the death of a neighbor in Germany 18 years ago that took center stage at Peterson's first-degree murder trial Monday. Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. Two Ukrainian women look back at one year of war, Why you shouldn't go into TikTok's "monk mode". Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. "I don't know that you could possibly make a more serious and damaging claim against a documentarian than that, especially when it's completely and utterly false and demonstrably false. 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. 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. Michael Peterson is believed to have been the last person to see her alive. The last person believed to see her alive was Michael Peterson the night before when their families had dinner together in her home. The Staircase will be your new fav true crime show, The legal age you can get married has just changed, Charles & Camilla break major royal tradition, Courteney Cox speaks on Harry magic mushroom claim, Harry 'adding at least one more chapter' to memoir, Dylan responds to being misgendered on Instagram. "First of all, Sophie didn't edit any of the courtroom scenes. Brunet also stressed in the same article that her relationship with Peterson began later than depicted in the series and that her editorial decisions were not affected. "She hadn't gotten to the point where she was seeing other men?" That was then confirmed by another doctor and the military police. 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. "There was nothing out of place, except that she was no longer living," she recalled almost two decades later. The final episode of the series is told through three time periods 2001, the day before Kathleens death, 2011, the night before Michaels retrial, and 2017, when Michael is contemplating the Alford plea. She was found dead at the bottom of a staircase, Ratliff was found tilted sideways at the bottom of a wooden staircase inside her home, according to "The Staircase.". We charge Michael a fee for the trial. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court, but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. 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