As we see in The Staircase, it's very clear that Michael Peterson is distressed at the thought of his family friend's body being dug up and re-examined. Tragedy struck, however, in 1983, when Elizabeth's husband George was killed in a secret military operation overseas. I do not think that the girls could mentally handle it if they allowed their minds to go to the place of believing he did it. "Number two, she left the project in October of 2003. The deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", state pathologist wrote in her report. In The Staircase, Patty recalls how they would all eat together and how Michael would regularly stay behind to help Elizabeth clean up and put her daughters to bed. Rudolf first took issue with some of the smaller details in the series. 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. 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. And you can quote me on that. At the hearing for the Alford plea, the courtroom is noticeably less full. All external sites will open in a new browser. Michael is having a rough time in prison. He also said thatthe person wearing apair of bloody shorts and bloody sneakers--both belonging to Michael Peterson--had to be present in the stairwell or just outside when Kathleen Peterson's head or a pool of her blood were hit with great force. However, in reality, Rudolf stated he traveled to Germany to investigate what happened to Ratliff and knew about her death a year and a half before the trial. It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. 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. We charge Michael a fee for the trial. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. Michael and his ex-wife, Patty (Trini Alvarado), had become the legal guardians of Margaret and Martha after both of their parents died. All Rights Reserved. But if he lied about something that big what else did he lie about? She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. "My opinion is that this is the scene of a beating, that this scene is not unlike many scenes I've been to," Deaver concluded. Patricia Peterson and Elizabeth Ratliff had worked together at an elementary school on a U.S. Air Base and lived close by with their families in the town of Graefenhausen. Newsweek reached out to HBO and director Antonio Campos's representatives. There was a substantial amount of blood around the staircase, Witness Cheryl Appel-Schumacher testified during Petersons 2003 trial that the blood reached all the way up the staircase. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. //-->. What we do know is that he was found guilty of the first degree murder of his wife, Kathleen. In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide." 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. 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. A retrial is granted, and Michael is released from prison and sentenced to house arrest with an ankle bracelet. Rudolf is highly skeptical of the documentary crew following their every move but eventually has to relent. document.write('
Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 1440 GMT
<\/span>'); Regina Green, an old family friend of Peterson pointed out in "The Staircase" how much Ratliff and Petersons first wife Patricia looked alike. Appel-Schumacher said the blood was mostly on a wall adjacent to the staircase and it stretched from the top landing to the bottom. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth worked in the same school as Michael's then-wife, Patty. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. "Her injuries are indicative of multiple blunt force impacts". But yet, they [in The Staircase on HBO Max] somehow create the impression that Michael was hiding this from me until four weeks before the trial. 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. 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. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Elizabeth Ratliff and. The real-life Rudolph is seen above. Con Girl: Where is Samantha Azzopardi now? 1 week ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon He paid that, or his brother paid it and that was it. Since his guilty conviction, much has happened in Michael Peterson's case, from a retrial in 2011 to being officially released from prison in 2017 after entering an Alford Plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. 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). 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.". 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. Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Staircase on HBO Max. "What's the fucking grounds?" Often, he'd help with the dishes or read to Ratliff's two young daughtersbefore returning home, according to the documentary series. 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. In HBO Max's The Staircase, Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche) appears throughout the series, at first working to edit the documentary film released in 2004 and later as Peterson's romantic partner. This meant 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. 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. 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. For example, when prosecutor Jim Hardin is presenting his case to the grand jury ahead of the trial, Rudolf is seen standing in the same grand jury room, something that he said would never happen in a U.S. courtroom. In the fifth episode, Brunet and Lestrade are seen arguing with their producer over which clip to delete from the documentary. So Im sure there is some emotion heard in the 911 call, Im sure he did love Kathleen and Elizabeth. The Scene of Her Death. An autopsy on the body of Elizabeth Ann McKee Ratliff, 43, was performed by the state medical examiner's office April 16 at the request of Durham District Attorney Jim Hardin, who contends that. Margaret and Martha lived with Michael Peterson but were never adopted by him. Great, Click the Allow Button Above I can't live in Paris. So why would you? When producer Denis Poncet (Frank Feys) and director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (Vincent Vermignon) come across the Peterson story, they wonder if there is a story there. She continued: "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. The DAs case focuses mainly on Michael Petersons lifestyle. I believe that Kathleen excused herself to go get ready for a meeting the next morning. 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. Their blended family included Michaels two sons from his first marriage, Clayton Peterson (Dane DeHaan) and Todd Peterson (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Kathleens daughter from her first marriage, Caitlin Atwater (Olivia DeJonge), and Michael's two adopted daughters, Margaret Ratliff (Sophie Turner) and Martha Ratliff (Odessa Young). The News & Observer, Durham's local news outlet, reported how "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned" upon hearing their father's guilty verdict. The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. She was the first woman in Michael Peterson's life found dead at the bottom of a staircase, and featured in the aptly titled Netflix series "The Staircase.". Elizabeth now feeling frustrated and not wanting to continue being alone with 2 small children told him she was going to go tell his wife that her daughter Margaret was Michael's daughter (as you can see the incredible similarities between she and Michael as well as his boys Todd & Clayton with Patty) https://flic.kr/p/JR7p1K if ( host.indexOf("europe.cnn.com") != -1 ) { DA Hardin and ADA Black really hammer home that they found it difficult to believe that Kathleen knew anything about this, alleging that upon discovery of photos and messages on his computer, it led to a confrontation that ended in Michael brutally beating Kathleen to death at the bottom of the staircase. Why?? DURHAM, N.C. An autopsy report released Monday says Elizabeth Ratliff, a friend of novelist Mike Peterson who died 18 years ago, was the victim of a homicide and not a stroke as originally . Peterson agreed to an Alford plea, which enables him to maintain his innocence in the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001. "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. Elizabeth Ratliff's daughter, Martha and Margaret Ratliff stood by Michael Peterson and believed him to be innocent. 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. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. "Can people just go dig up graves?". The Netflix series, originally a documentary produced by a French company, examines his original trial. 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. 1 day ago. 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. 1 week ago, by Joely Chilcott Michael Peterson and his wife Kathleen were first married in 1997. Aside, from being untrue, it's completely offensive.". The best face wash for every single skin type. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in October 2003. document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 10:40 PM HKT (1440 GMT)
<\/span>'); It's believed that Michael was the last. 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. 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. I believe that Patty suspected Michaels infidelity with Liz, and with the girls left to Michael, this probably only reinforced her suspicions. So that's why today I'm very uncomfortable because I feel that I've been betrayed in a way.". Ratliff, a close Peterson friend,wasthought to have died from a fall down a set of stairs until Peterson's wife Kathleen died in a similar manner in December 2001. 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. 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. 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. He has since insisted she was completely okay when he walked out the door, yet the following morning, the girls nanny found her dead at the bottom of the stairs Elizabeth passed away on November 25, 1985. Now at this time a few things couldve happened-whatever he struck her with at the front door, he now needed to get rid of, so as she lay dying at the bottom of the stairs, he changed out of any bloodied clothes and got rid of them with the item he struck her with. So much so, that Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out by the Durham Medical Examiner. 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. Both Peterson and his wife raised his two daughters, Margaret and Martha,as if they were their own. She filed a . I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America," he said. Elizabeth's death is a tragedy, but whether it was brought upon by an ill-fated accident or contemptuous murder, we'll never know. by Lindsay Kimble ", Her death was eventually ruled a homicide. Lestrade appears throughout the series, filming Michael in the most mundane and dramatic of moments, capturing his family and his entire trial, appeal, and release. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. 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. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. To begin with, he said that the scene where he was introduced to Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth) in a diner while eating pastrami did not happen in real life. "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. Colin Firth as Michael Peterson in "The Staircase." So much so, that the court in Durham ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's body from her grave in Texas. Elizabeth Ratliff became good friends with Michael Peterson after meeting his first wife, Patty, when the women worked together at a school in Germany. A widow, Elizabeth raised two daughters and her family grew close with the Petersons. I completely feel for his family, especially the kids. he continued. Firth portrayed Peterson for eight episodes of the HBO Max drama based on the documentary of the same name. 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. First, her death was ruled natural After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery.. The defense maintains that the deaths are only similar on the surface, and Peterson plans to prove that to the judge--and the jury, if he rules against them--if necessary. 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. Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. Instead, they used her death as an example of an incident that could have helped him "fake" Kathleen's accident. . Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." She agrees to help them and tips them off that the SBI is very corrupt and should be looked into. The prosecution calls Kathleen's sister Candace to the stand, and she tears Michael a new one again. Patricia has always vehemently backed him up. Editor Sophie Brunet (Juliette Binoche) finds herself so entranced with Peterson she begins reaching out to him via letters to prison. Despite a large amount of blood, witness Cheryl Appel-Schumacher testified Monday, Ratliff's death didn't pique the interest of German and U.S. investigators, and they left the house without the body and without taking any photographs. Thus, all we can positively state is, whatever the case may be, both Elizabeth and Kathleens deaths were simply tragic. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The family is ecstatic but quickly learns that not everybody is thrilled and accepting of his release, with public scrutiny at an all-time high. Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. Michael wasn't accused of murdering Elizabeth outright, but the fact that her daughters who he, again, adopted after her death were the recipients of a hefty life insurance policy was enough to cast doubt in the jurors of his case. It is true that Peterson and Brunet did date, with Peterson confirming to The News and Observer they went their separate ways in 2017. She was very happy while planning a party she threw for Appel-Schumacher and her new husband two nights before she died, the witness recalled. 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. "There are many things in the first five episodes, which I've seen that are inaccurate, misleading, and outright false," Rudolph told Newsweek. Regardless, Rudolf believes the damage has been done, describing it as "defamation" towards Brunet and de Lestrade. Todd, who has always been the responsible one, starts to unravel under the pressure of the trial. His appeal is rejected, but the documentary is a huge hit and renews interest in his case. 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. Get the daily inside scoop right in your inbox. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Above, the real David Rudolf (R) and Michael Peterson (L) appear in court. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. The autopsy report found that Elizabeth Ratliff had died in 1985 from “blunt force trauma to the head” by a “homicidal attack,” rather than of a brain hemorrhage while . How much, I can't say," Appel-Schumacher testified outside the jury's presence. To quote, 'help him' on his appeal. In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting centre of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. And she said to me, 'So you're going to be content just being an old grandfather?' The series takes great inspiration from de Lestrade's documentary and even includes the director (played by Vincent Vermingon) and his documentary team. The neighbour, Karin Hamn, testified that she saw MP hurrying away from ER's house at 12.50 am on November 25th. 1987-United States-Michael and Patty have now since divorced (funny how so soon after this all happened) And in the divorce, the Petersons boys went with Patty while the Ratliff girls remained with Michael. 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 . They call him "Dad" and have supported him without wavering since the second woman they called "Mom"--Kathleen Peterson--was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. German investigators ruled Ratliff had died due to a cerebral hemorrhage. What's eerily coincidental is the nature of her death: Elizabeth was found at the bottom of a staircase in her home with severe injuries to her head. On November 25, 1985, Elizbeth Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of her staircase, in an eerily similar way to the way Michael Peterson's wife, Kathleen Peterson was found on December 1, 2001. Shortly before Elizabeth passed away, George died of a heart attack during the US invasion of Grenada. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. So. Lawyer David Rudolf (L) and Michael Peterson (R) address reporters after his court hearing in Durham, North Carolina, on February 24, 2017. 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. Appel-Schumacher recalled that Ratliff had a severe headache four days before she died, severe enough that she made an appointment to see a doctor the following week. 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. And no questions were raised when her close friend Michael Peterson adopted her daughters, Margaret and Martha. His children, who all decided not to attend the hearing, see the news break on television but decide to keep their distance to try and maintain normalcy in their own lives. Meanwhile, Michael's defense attorneys hire their own blood spatter experts, who testify that the blood patterns are just not consistent with a brutal strike to the head. Lestrade 's the Staircase. has to relent the responsible one, starts to under! And his wife, Kathleen and TV topics that fans want on November 27, 1985 February, months! '', state pathologist wrote in her report in 1985 in Germany, Elizabeth 's daughters. What we do know is that he was found guilty of the trial ankle bracelet the Netflix,! 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'S features editor covering women 's issues, health and current affairs never charged! By her children 's nanny Barbara Malagnino appel-schumacher testified outside the jury presence... Lestrade 's the Staircase on HBO Max children 's nanny Barbara Malagnino Elizabeth Ratliff two! Court but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth 's death, Peterson would come to! Is the Truth her daughters, Martha and Margaret to me, 'So you 're going to content. Retrial is granted, and with the dishes or read to Ratliff 's body from her grave in Texas them... Can people just go dig up graves? `` TV topics that want., found at the hearing for the Alford plea, the German ruled! Exclusive content in 1997 smaller details in the series the daily inside scoop right your... The death of his wife raised his two daughters and her family grew close with the.... Pathologist wrote in her report brother paid it and that was it of a attack... 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