Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner portrays Margaret Ratliff in HBO Max's The Staircase. With that said, both Margaret and Martha, who grew up under Michaels care following his divorce from Patty, have always believed in his innocence, whether it be in their mothers case or their stepmother Kathleens. . Posey has also lent her voice to animated series, performingcameos forThe Simpsons,Futurama,andSkylanders Academy. "So that's why today I'm very uncomfortable because I feel that I've been betrayed in a way. Anyone have any theories as to whether or not shes actually a Peterson/potential motivation for the death (murder?) Also, Patty goes back to Germany with Clayton and Todd but not the girls. Michael and Kathleens marriage was the second for both of them. Pictured, l-r: Todd Peterson and Patrick Schwarzenegger AP, HBO Max Todd Peterson is the second of Michael's two sons from his marriage to Patricia Peterson. Michael Peterson was connected to the 1985 death of Elizabeth Ratliff, an elementary school teacher who taught military children on Rhein-Main Air Force base in West Germany. In 2006, Michael commented, "We lived together for 14 years, and we were happy every one of those years" (ABC News). However, his attorney David Rudolf denied that when speaking with the News and Observer, saying: Elizabeth's alleged murder remains unsolved, but the coincidences in both cases might have swayed the jury. In June of 2003, Margaret Ratliff sent a letter to Jim Hardin demanding the D.A. Their father reportedly passed away during a secret overseas operation in 1983, whereas their mother was unexpectedly found dead at the bottom of her stairs on November 25, 1985. She said that the Alford plea he eventually submitted was meaningless. Kathleen's sister, Candace Zamperini, changed her mind about his innocence after learning of his bisexuality.More recently, Michael Peterson's son, Todd Peterson, released a video in December 2021 in which he states that he changed his mind about his father's innocence. And Michael jokes that "well, it's in the genes". Colin Firth is a well-established actor in the world of film and television. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. "The Staircase" revolves around the death of Peterson's wife Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of a . Next:How Catching Killers Differs From Other True Crime Shows. Neither has public social media accounts, and many of the details of their personal lives are similarly private. Press J to jump to the feed. Kathleen Peterson was a loving mother and had a successful career. The Petersons, by every account, were lively and loving: Michael, Kathleen, and her daughter by a previous marriage, Caitlin, Michael's two sons, Todd and Clayton, and their adopted daughters . However, he was given credit for time already served, which amounted to more than the sentence (98.5 months), so he was freed. After Peterson was freed in 2017, Caitlin's lawyer filed another complaint against him. Related:Why Landscapers' Real Life Origins Create A Common True Crime Problem. They claimed that Michael's son, Clayton Peterson, found it in the garage and that the police had overlooked it. are you kidding? Michael loved his wife and children, and for all intents and purposes lived an average life. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In 2003, however, information related to Elizabeth Ratliff that was brought up in court persuaded her to think otherwise about her stepfathers role in her mothers death. Todd and Clayton are Michael Peterson's sons from his first marriage to. Caitlin Atwater, Clayton Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, Michael Peterson, Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret Ratliff. This is one of the motives put forward in the HBO Max miniseries, as it was in real life. They had befriended Elizabeth and her husband, Captain George Ratliff, before he lost his life in a covert overseas military operation in 1983. The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? It came from a letter sent by Margaret Ratliff, the daughter of Elizabeth Ratliff. Because, call me a conspiracy nut but Clayton looks a LOT like Martha. This response confuses me because Michaels first wife isnt blood related to himso how would that affect Margarets features being almost identical to Michael. Margaret more closely resembles Todd and Clayton than she does Martha. Today, Martha lives in Colorado and Margaret lives in California. Soon after that, Michael and Patricia split up. In researching how accurate is The Staircase on HBO Max, we confirmed that this was the argument put forward by the defense. Michael and Patty, along with their young boys, reportedly resided in Germany for quite a while around the 1980s, where they befriended their . George passed away in 1983, and Elizabeth not long after in 1985; she wanted the Petersons to care for her children in the event of her death. "I'm trying to be my mother," Caitlin Clark, as Kathleen Peterson's daughter now goes by, once said. In trial, according to the AP News, Zamperini described Petersons account of Kathleens death as a fictionalized story. Above (L-R): The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, and Clayton Peterson. Lightning doesnt strike twice- they even laughedabout this in the documentary- I personally think if it can be linked that one or both of the girls are his biologically- we can button this case up once and for all. Powered by. It appeared as if Kathleen had used her hands to try and free her hair from her killer's hand. Related:The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? He tried to stress that he was never engaged in extramarital relationships, only sex. When the police arrived on the scene at the Petersons' mansion in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham, North Carolina, they noted that the blood around Kathleen Peterson's dead body was mostly dry, indicating that she had been lying there for some time. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Caitlin Atwater is the biological daughter of Kathleen Peterson and her ex-husband, Fred Atwater. Schwarzenegger has also been cast to appear as Golden Boy inThe Boys'spinoffseries. Yes. Michael Peterson stayed behind afterward to help her clean up and put her girls, Margaret and Martha, to bed (NBC). However, the medical examiner determined that her blood alcohol level was so low she would have passed a breathalyzer test at the time of her death. Prosecutors believe Mike Peterson not only killed his wife, but also Ratliff. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Michael Peterson and his first wife, Patricia Peterson, were living in West Germany at the time. Son Todd Peterson said that on the surface, his parents seemed like they were the perfect couple. Just because state had her tested, just because they may have used a competent third party lab, and just because the defense is clinging to the fact that the results were negative, there is no proof that Margaret licked either the stamp or envelope. Margaret has a few IMDB credits to her name, having appeared as an actress in A Minority Report and Piranha-Man vs. Werewolf Man: Howl of the Piranha. Disturbing. With time served, Peterson was a free man . She's still breathing. The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. Margaret Ratliff, Clayton Peterson, Todd Peterson, and Martha Ratliff in Dateline NBC (1992) People Margaret Ratliff, Clayton Peterson, Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff. Michael apparently is attracted to people who resemble himself. The TV drama miniseries focuses on the real-life 2003 murder trial that saw Michael accused of . Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. District Attorney (now Judge) Jim Hardin said that her body had been there for roughly two hours (NBC). Yes. At the time of the incident, Toddran a websitecalled Futazi, which provided advice on various topics to teenagers. It was reportedly covered in cobwebs and dust and had been unmoved for too long to have been the murder weapon. (2013-2017) WRAL Murder Trials Self - Audience Member / Self. [L-R] Margaret and Martha Ratliff during their father, Michael Peterson's trial. He said that while he was married to Kathleen, his second wife, he only had affairs with men. In this video, Martha and Margaret Ratliff discuss their father Mike Peterson. As the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger is no stranger to Hollywood. 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. Todd Peterson lives in Tennessee. In 2007, according to the AP, Atwater reached a $25 million wrongful death settlement, though he did not acknowledge any guilt in the case. Candace Zamperini, Kathleens sister, does not believe that Michael is innocent. Liz names Michael and Patty in her willas the custodians of her daughters despite having two living sisters. They did an inconclusive surreptitious one where they confiscated an apparent envelop Margaret allegedly licked. I only came upon the site last night, so I cant vouch for its credibility. Netflix Together, Elizabeth and George Ratliff had two daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff, who Michael Peterson . Schwarzeneggerwenton to star in such moviesasMidnight Sun,Daniel Isn't Real, andMoxie. The next morning, Elizabeth was found dead at the bottom of her staircase by a nanny, in an eerily similar way to how Kathleen Peterson would be found sixteen years later. Yes. So could each kid be the result of parental swapping? Would love your thoughts, please comment. Liz names Michael and Patty in her will as the custodians of her daughters despite having two living sisters. In 2001 the woman Ratliff. I truly think the Germany link is KEY to this- I truly believe hes guilty. It could have been Martha who licked it. Todd says that his father is not only responsible for Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratliff's deaths, he is also responsible for the death of Patricia Peterson, Todd's mother and his father's first wife who passed away in July 2021 after suffering a massive heart attack. Read on to learn more about Michael Petersons children. Peterson's high-profile murder trial that began on July 1, 2003 was the subject of French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's Netflix docuseries The Staircase, which began filming shortly after Peterson's 2001 arrest and followed him until his Alford plea in 2017. We may never know. DeWitt also starred in the 2015 Poltergeist remake. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the entire case, Michael took an Alford deal in 2017, declaring guilt without sufficient evidence in order to go free without serving additional time. Why not just ask for a swab of her inner cheek like most DNA testers? Thats especially because while Elizabeths death was initially ruled to be from an intracerebral hemorrhage, a second autopsy (from her exhumed body) in 2003 updated her manner of death to homicide. Both Margaret and Martha appeared frequently in interviews and documentaries in support of their father. Per The News & Observer, Clay Peterson has two children and lives in Maryland. I also wanted to disparagingly compare your post to posts made by those "everyone's a crisis actor" loons, who seem to believe that every Earthling with brown hair is really just one person playing 2 billion roles. Yes. An image of a chain link. While The Staircase miniseries on HBO Max is based on Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's Netflix docuseries of the same name, the director told Vanity Fair that he feels "betrayed in a way" by Antonio Campos, the director of the HBO miniseries. It explores the life of crime novelist Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth), his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette). Holland's written notes reveal: "Michael Peterson was excluded as being the biological father of Margaret Ratliff. Like in the HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase true story confirms that Peterson said he was outside by the pool smoking a pipe and didn't come back inside until 2:40 a.m., at which time he discovered his wife Kathleen at the bottom of the service staircase. In November of 1985, Michaels family had dinner with Elizabeth and her daughters, Margaret and Martha. At one point in Netflixs documentary, Martha says of her father, Sometimes it gets to us all, and thats when everybody starts worrying about everyone else. Yes. Todd Peterson with father Michael Peterson in an undated photo, left; Patrick Schwarzenegger as Todd on HBO's "The Staircase," right. Autopsy reports determined that she died from an intra-cerebral hemorrhage as well as the blood disorder Von Willebrands disease. 2 of 35. As is portrayed in the HBO Max miniseries, the story was firstchronicled in a French documentary,also called The Staircase,whichwas later followed up whentwo new episodes were added to the original eight in 2013. Margaret Ratliff was born on December 10, 1981 in Germany. Basically twins. I sat there and I was sort of waiting for my turn [laughs]. Its so fekking creepy. In one of the longest trials in the history of North Carolina, Kathleen's husband, Michael Peterson, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for her murder. Margaret and Martha, who were in full support of their father throughout his trial, were adopted. Like Caitlin Atwater, Candace Hunt Zamperini firmly believed that Michael had caused the death of Kathleenher sister. It's a common thought. 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