Michael is convinced that the DA is on a witch hunt since Michael had written critical columns on the DA in the past. However, he maintains adamantly that Kathleens death was an accident. Instead, they used her death as an example of an incident that could have helped him "fake" Kathleen's accident. 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. Do any of us? According to the second autopsy, seven deep lacerations on Elizabeth's head - just like those found on Kathleen's - were concluded to have been sustained as a result of blunt force trauma. Bush: Prosecutor taking up Schiavo inquiry. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery.. 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. . A medical examiner who examined her body at the scene concurred that the death was probably an accident. But . 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. 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. He did meet with Michael Stuhlbarg who portrayed him in the series and even lent him his real glasses to wear during the film. The real-life Rudolph is seen above. In the fifth episode, Brunet and Lestrade are seen arguing with their producer over which clip to delete from the documentary. It is true that Peterson and Brunet did date, with Peterson confirming to The News and Observer they went their separate ways in 2017. And you can quote me on that. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. Did Michael Peterson Kill Elizabeth Ratliff? George and Elizabeth's daughters, Margaret and Martha - now orphaned - were taken in by Michael and Patty, and the expanded family continued as normal until the parents split the following year. 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. Colin Firth as Michael Peterson in "The Staircase." 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. Todd, who used to be the responsible son, now seems to be falling apart as Clay, who used to be the irresponsible one, has fallen into the role of caretaker. In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. The SBI, the organization that recreated the crime scene, is placed under investigation for unethical practices, which opens up another opportunity for an appeal in Michael's case. 17 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat In response, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, argued he had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before. George Ratliff died in a military operation in 1983, and two years later, Elizabeth Ratliff, 43, was found dead by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, at the bottom of her staircase on November 25, 1985. Under no circumstances would they have had a sexual relationship.". We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. I'm too old. In 2017, Michael is contemplating taking the Alford plea, in which he would have to plead guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for a reduced sentence, but he could not be retried. "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," Radisch concluded. When watching The Staircase, it might be hard to keep track of the complicated Peterson family tree. With two young children (Martha, the youngest, was just months old when her father passed away), Elizabeth relied on Michael and Patty's support more than ever. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery. I believe that Kathleen excused herself to go get ready for a meeting the next morning. Regina Green, an old family friend of Peterson pointed out in "The Staircase" how much Ratliff and Petersons first wife Patricia looked alike. She refuses to binge-watch anything. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. The similarities between the deaths of Elizabeth Ratliff and Kathleen Peterson raised eyebrows among the Durham authorities. Michael is having a rough time in prison. Elizabeth died in 1985. Despite Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, requesting that a "neutral" pathologist from Texas carried out the autopsy, the District Attorney had Dr. Deborah L. Radisch, the state pathologist, do it instead. The author's ex-wife, Patty, maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. 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. 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. "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.". document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 1440 GMT (10:40 PM HKT)
<\/span>'); Judge Orlando Hudson Jr. will rule on whether the similarities between Ratliff's death and Kathleen Peterson's are sufficiently similar that jurors should hear the evidence. Ratliff taught second grade at a U.S. Department of Defense School. Exposing Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's tendentious film, the Peterson murder documentary: Death on the Stairacse. So you know, I'm sorry that I have to say this, but I think Antonio Campos [The Staircase on HBO Max director] went way beyond what was ethical for him as a filmmaker to do just in order to either sell this film, or to pump its ratings, and that in my judgment is despicable. Although she died in 1985, the death of Elizabeth Ratliff played a key role in Michael Peterson's trial after he was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen Peterson on December 9, 2001. He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. Ratliff's two young daughters ended up living with Michael Peterson, and he raised them in North Carolina with his two sons from his first marriage. All external sites will open in a new browser. 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. Right about the time the trial ended, they didn't start putting the cuts together," Rudolph explained. Elizabeth Ratliff, 43, was a close Peterson family friend who died in Germany in 1985. She was not close to her sisters, Appel-Schumacher said on cross-examination, and thought it would be good for the girls to live with the Petersons in Europe if anything ever happened to her. No, the will of the Ratliffs stated the girls would be left in the care of Michael Peterson. "Number two, she left the project in October of 2003. Inevitably, the series includes elements of fiction, particularly the flashback scenes to Kathleen (Toni Collette) and Michael Peterson's marriage and the days leading up to her death. 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. At least, until tragedy struck. Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." The two were buried side by side after Ratlitt died. I feel here is where things took a turn. He and Patty later adopted two young daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, after their mother, Elizabeth Ratliff (a Peterson family friend), died in Germany in 1985. His appeal is rejected, but the documentary is a huge hit and renews interest in his case. 13 hours ago, by Njera Perkins 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. How is The Last of Us TV series different to game? The series takes great inspiration from de Lestrade's documentary and even includes the director (played by Vincent Vermingon) and his documentary team. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Authorities in Germany had determined that Ratliff's death was the result of a fatal stroke that sent her toppling down the stairs. 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. It took weeks for all the blood to be cleaned up, according to "The Staircase. by Lindsay Kimble The Staircase addresses both of those theories, and just like the documentary of the same name by Oscar-winning filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade on which the show is based, whether you believe Michael Peterson is a killer is your own decision to make. Seeing Margaret everyday no doubt caused her much stress and probably was the reason for many arguments that eventually led to the divorce. We never charge him another cent and the appeal was done on a court-appointed basis.". "Once the trial started, they hired [film editor] Scott Stevenson to edit the trial footage. More importantly, both Margaret and Martha Ratliff, whose custody was awarded to the Petersons as per their biological mothers final will, also support their father through and through. 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. A widow, Elizabeth raised two daughters and her family grew close with the Petersons. So much so, that Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out by the Durham Medical Examiner. I do however wished that Michaels lawyer wouldve let him testify because the jurors would've seen his true colors, but as seen in The Staircase on Netflix, even his lawyers knew his personality as they stated it would not be in his best interest to take the stand because his personality would be off-putting to the jury (Im not quoting, but basically they knew the jury would hate him). Around that same time, Elizabeth and George grew close to the Petersons, their neighbors, bonding over Michael being a Vietnam War veteran and his then-wife Patricia being her coworker. 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. Elizabeth's death was initially ruled an accident, but when her body was exhumed during the trial for a second autopsy in April 2003, the coroner found sufficient evidence to categorize it as a homicide. 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. As HBOs hit limited series The Staircase comes to a close, it is time to take a look back and assess what we just witnessed. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. Speaking to Newsweek, Rudolf raised several concerns he had about the show's accuracy, including its representation of Lestrade and documentary editor Sophie Brunet, and some small details in the earlier episodes. 1 week ago, by Joely Chilcott I believe that the 2 were out by the pool having a glass or 2 of wine as they often did. By John SpringerCourt TV.com Editor Sophie Brunet (Juliette Binoche) finds herself so entranced with Peterson she begins reaching out to him via letters to prison. "So to create the impression that somehow I'm this greedy lawyer, who's forcing my client to sell his furniture in order to write me checks to do his appealI mean that is sort of offensive to me. I don't speak French. Peterson has to hire a high-powered defense team for his trial. document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 10:40 PM HKT (1440 GMT)
<\/span>'); ), I believe Michael and Elizabeth were upstairs in her home, possibly having a romantic interlude, when the conversation turned more serious as Elizabeth asked Michael to leave his wife (Patty) at the time. He was released on bond in 2011 pending a retrial. "What's the fucking grounds?" He hires David Rudolf (Michael Stuhlbarg) whose price tag is as big as his reputation. 13 hours ago, by Chanel Vargas In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". Then I went and realized, no, I can't. Colin Firth & Toni Collette on 'The Staircase' and What They Hope Audiences Take Away From It. Margaret and Martha lived with Michael Peterson but were never adopted by him. Although the original autopsy concluded Ratliff died of a brain aneurysm, the coincidence of Peterson being the last known person to see two different women alive before they both wound up dead. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! You know, I mean, all you have to do is watch the documentary to know that that's not true. host = host.toLowerCase(); Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 15 hours ago, by Chandler Plante He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. Peterson's lawyers took issue with the examiner's assessment. In the first three episodes of The Staircase on HBO Max, there have been subtle mentions of a woman named Elizabeth Ratliff, and in Episode 4, audiences learn a little bit more about her. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Although Ratliff lost a lot of weight and mourned her husband's death deeply, Appel-Schumacher said Ratliff's mood lifted during 1985. There is also an alternate theory put forth by Petersons neighbor Larry (Joel McKinnon Miller) that Kathleen was viciously attacked by an owl. "She wasn't actively dating, if that's the question," Appel-Schumacher said. 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 Ratliff's Time of Death According to David Rudolf, the biggest flaw in the prosecution's theory regarding ER's death is the timeline and moreover that no one observed rigor mortis when they arrived on the scene. 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. We didn't get paid anything for the appeal. In that case, it's thought that Ratliff succumbed to her blood clotting disorder via an intra-cerebral hemorrhage and then fell down the stairs after she was already deceased. (We dont know if this is factual or just a dramatized coincidence.) So much so, that the court in Durham ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's body from her grave in Texas. Peterson was the. But if he lied about something that big what else did he lie about? Tragedy struck, however, in 1983, when Elizabeth's husband George was killed in a secret military operation overseas. RELATED: Colin Firth & Toni Collette on 'The Staircase' and What They Hope Audiences Take Away From It. I can't live in Paris. 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. David Rudolf represented Michael Peterson in the real-life murder trial depicted in the HBO Max series "The Staircase." 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. They wanted to reassess her injuries, to make sure her death really was the tragic accident it had been accepted as for 17 years. 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