Michael and Kathleen Peterson. This article was originally published on June 8, 2018, Heres What Happened To Riley In 'The Last Of Us' Video Game, Twitter Is Losing It Over Succession Ending With Season 4, Everything To Know About 'And Just Like That' Season 2, This 'The Last Of Us' Filming Error Reminds Fans Of 'Game Of Thrones' Mistakes, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. The couple combined their families into one household in the 5-bedroom 5-bath abode in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham. May 5, 2022, 9:41 AM PDT. In 2003, Peterson was found guilty in the initial trial. Peterson could have been sentenced to 64 to 86 months in prison, but the judge acknowledged the 89 months hed already been incarcerated, and thus, Peterson was made a free man. Michael Peterson was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder on December 20, 2001, via WRAL.com. The other theory about Kathleen Peterson's death, Harry and Meghan 'evicted' from Frogmore Cottage. Missing murder weapon. What? 2 popular chain restaurants get B grades: Triangle sanitation scores (Feb. 28), Repealing North Carolinas pistol permit law makes everyone less safe | Opinion. Caitlin changed her mind after seeing the autopsy report, and ended up siding with the prosecution. actions. Her husband was the prime suspect. Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson (February 21, 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina - December 9, 2001 in Durham, North Carolina) was an American business executive, engineer, and philanthropist.She is well known as the subject of the documentary series The Staircase, which addresses the circumstances surrounding her death.. She was married twiceto Fred Atwater in 1977 and to Michael Peterson . Jessica O'Connor is a public historian focusing on Deep South Black History with degrees from Winston-Salem State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Now her grave is a destination. In one of his messages, Michael wrote that he was happily married to a dynamite wife but that he was very bisexual. "It is simply not possible for me to discuss this with Kathleen.". Off he went to North Carolinas Correctional Facility in Nash. Also in 2019, Michael Peterson made a two-part appearance on Dr. Phil. The Horrific Autopsy Report Of Staircase Murder Victim Kathleen Peterson. Kathleen Peterson Born: February 21, 1953 Birthplace: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Death: December 9, 2001, Durham, North Carolina, USA (lacerations to skull) Bio: Michael Peterson's Second Wife Olivia DeJonge Born: April 30, 1998 Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia Caitlin Atwater Born: April 27, 1982 Birthplace: North Carolina He's currently behind bars in California's San Quentin prison. However, when he called back minutes later, he claimed that she was no longer breathing. The theory, left out of the 2018 Netflix documentary The Staircase, posits that the lacerations found on Kathleen Petersons scalp were caused by the talons of an owl that attacked her outside. The interest on the twenty-something boys' loans were so high they had no money left to live on, and their father was concerned. While Michael was a novelist and newspaper columnist of varying success, Kathleen was an executive at communications firm Nortel, earning around $150,000 per year, via NBC News. At 2:40 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Peterson called 911 to say he'd found his wife's body at the bottom of a staircase. The man who claims he's a psychic and goes by the name Biond Fury has reportedly purchased the Durham home that sadly served as the murder site for Nortel executive Kathleen Peterson. An agent from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Raymond Young, assessed the couples finances and discovered that they had more than $142,000 in debt spread across 20 different accounts. Just after 2:30 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson called 911 to report that he'd found his wife unconscious at the bottom of the stairs in their home, according to The News & Observer. make North Carolina more free. "Poor Kathleen is undergoing the tortures of the damned at Nortel. Kathleen Hunt grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and was so bright that she took advanced Latin classes at a nearby college while still in McCaskey High School, according to the Lancaster New Era newspaper. Everyone knows at least one wacky guy who wears shorts in cold weather. The front of the house at 1810 Cedar St. is visible from the street, but the entire 3.4-acre property is gated. Although the case is more than two decades old now, Kathleen Peterson's death and the trial that followed are still a subject of fascination for many. Author, freelance writer and self-employed recruiter. At the time of her death, she was a vice president at Nortel Networks at the companys Research Triangle Park offices. At least one person was swayed by the physical evidence: Kathleens daughter Caitlin, who had initially supported Petersons claims of innocence, along with his children. Its not what [de Lestrade] included, its what he did not include, Jones whose 2004 book A Perfect Husband profiles the case and became the basis for the 2007 Lifetime movie The Staircase Murders, starring Treat Williams told The Post. Evidence was found of Peterson soliciting male escorts and was paying for sex when Kathleen was murdered. Lestrade's access to Michael Peterson means the HBO Max adaptation has a wealth of source material to draw upon. Michael Peterson and David Rudolf in court in 2017. Also known as K Peterson. August 8, 2008 What? We know she lived at 1810 Cedar Street in a well to-do suburb of Durham, North Carolina. And thats exactly what Larry Pollard, a friend and neighbor of the now-free but convicted felon Michael Peterson, says he believes happened to Kathleen Peterson on the night a jury was led to believe her husband, Michael, killed her. Includes Address (6) Phone (4) Email (4) See Results. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. Despite the fact Michael was the one to call 911 the night Kathleen allegedly fell down the stairs, Michael soon . Chief among them: A close friend of Petersons, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also been found dead at the bottom of a staircase, in 1985. Her life insurance would have ensured Peterson would be able to maintain his public persona. By 1997, Michael had finally divorced his wife, and he and Kathleen officially married. Durham County Tax AdministrationThe exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. Todd Peterson, 25, was at the house when the police came but refused to talk to them, according to Forensic Files. So whats happened to Michael Peterson since the 2018 Netflix series turned his story into an international entertainment sensation? &"|)Y*>aB\#x@ }793K{&Doep GT@E! Michael was sentenced to 64 to 86 months in prison; having already spent 89 months in prison, he was deemed a free man. The family had sold the Cedar Street showplace, reportedly the largest house in Durham. Charnel house. Autopsyfiles.org - Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson Autopsy Report Keywords: Autopsyfiles.org; kathleen hunt atwater peterson; autopsy report; homicide; blunt force trauma to the head; subarachnoid hemorrhage; michael peterson; veronica hunt; director of informational services; nortel; fallen down stairs; alcohol; xanax; december \ 9; 2011 The accident scene was a bloodbath inconsistent with a tumble down the stairs. We are all Light Beings who have chosen to experience life on the earth plane. The Cosmopolitan story includes information from ornithology experts who believe a barred owl could have tangled its claws in Kathleens hair and made the gashes in her head that prosecutors alleged came from a metal implement. Monday, July 13, 2020. So who really was she? Author, freelance writer and self-employed recruiter. Her husband, Mike, was convicted of her murder in a case that made national news on Court TV. Sociological errands. In April 2019, an extensive News & Observer story by Andrew Carter reported that Michael had written an e-book titled Behind the Staircase to exonerate himself, with any profits going toward charity. Wikimedia CommonsIt has been theorized that a Barred Owl attacked Kathleen. Upon seizing Michael's computer, investigators found as many as 2000 images of naked men, along with email exchanges between Michael and a male escort, via NBC News. That means a decreased flow of blood to the brain, and it takes hours for that to happen. Michael Peterson, now 78, moved in with the then Kathleen Atwater in 1989, two years after the break-up of his first marriage. Born Kathleen Hunt on February 21, 1953, she graduated first in her class from J.P. McCaskey High School andreports Indy Week"became the first female student accepted into Dukes engineering school." She was an executive at Nortel, mother to Caitlyn, step-mother to Clayton and Todd (Mike's kids from a previous marriage . Copyright 2023 The John Locke Foundation, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Leandro v. State of North Carolina Explained. Fury is the second post-Peterson owner. Michael Peterson is an author and a military veteran who served in the Vietnam War. Michael Ivor Peterson graduated from Duke University, where he was editor of the school newspaper, then joined the Marines and earned silver and bronze stars for service in Vietnam. Much of that footage would be used for the construction of the original Staircase documentary. Day 26: Alex Murdaugh jury to visit Moselle Wednesday before closing arguments, SC attorney general steps in to close out states murder case against Alex Murdaugh. As of 2022, its hard to say exactly who occupies the Petersons former home. Kathleen died on December 9, 2001, so she never reached the end of the year to find out her fate. All was calm until the evening of Dec. 9, 2001, when Kathleen died. The defendant had hired criminal defense attorney David Rudolf two days prior, following extensive searches and seizures taking place at his home. That description would fit with writer Aphrodite Jones' revelation in her book on the case, A Perfect Husband, that Michael Peterson had a book deal ready and raring to go after the trial - if he was found not guilty. Whats more, the raptors are known to dive-bomb humans when they feel threatened, almost always targeting the head.. By the time Michael went to trial, Lestrade was already filming what would become his epic 13-episode documentary series. Kathleen M Peterson, 74. Members of law enforcement were reportedly suspicious of the scene at the Peterson residence in Durham, North Carolina, with NBC News reporting, "there was so much bloodeverywhereon the victim, splattered up the stairwellthat they couldnt rule out foul play." Another important element of Michael's case focused on blood spatter found at the scene. If Michael received any money for the literary effort, it would have to go toward a $25 million award Caitlin Atwater won against him, he said. But, as the prosecution pointed out in the trial, Kathleen was actually the sole owner of the house and the car. This, they said, led to a heated argument that ended with Michael pushing Kathleen down the stairs. His 2003 trial ended in a first-degree murder conviction and a sentence of life without parole. Although Michael was still married with four children of his own, the new couple merged their families in 1987. RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube, a rogue owl played a role in Kathleens death, NFL player Rae Carruth in his murder trial, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Ron Gillette: An Air Force Man Who Didnt Exactly Aim High. About. At the time of Peterson making the 911 call, he had claimed that Kathleen was "still breathing" however, when the authorities arrived, Kathleen had passed away from her injuries. And as the Audubon Society pointed out, An owl strike can definitely cause blunt-force trauma. During one of Michael Petersons appeals, an unusual theory emerged about Kathleen Petersons death: she was not murdered at all, but died after being attacked by a barred owl. "Michael Peterson knew that the amount of money he was bringing in through his writing had plummeted down to next to nothing," author of a book on Kathleen's death entitled Written In Blood, Diane Fanning, said on the Beyond Reasonable Doubt podcast. The Staircase main players: Where are they now? In 2017, Peterson entered an Alford plea, which acknowledges without admitting guilt that a trial had found enough evidence to convict him, and he was released on time already served. Thats all for this week. In Michael Peterson's murder trial, the prosecution's case focussed on money - or the couple's lack of it - as a motive. Though it is unknown how Kathleen may have felt about Michaels bisexuality, the prosecution argued that she would not have tolerated his infidelity. Michael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. This type of plea allows the accused to maintain their innocence while also acknowledging that the prosecution likely has sufficient evidence to convict. Other online correspondence allegedly proved he was trying to hook up with men on the side, including a chipper prostitute called Brad. I walked away with less of an opinion of what happened than when I went into it, Sophie Turner, who plays Ratliffs daughter Margaret, told ABC, with Firth echoing her sentiment. After learning about the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson, read the shocking story of Dalia Dippolito, whose murder-for-hire plot to kill her husband was caught on camera by police. But Kathleen had life insurance worth $1.2 million to $1.8 million, with Michael as the beneficiary. On February 1, 2007, Caitlin Atwater and Michael Peterson settled the wrongful death claim for $25 million, which was finalized on February 1, 2008. Kathleen has one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, from her first marriage. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Kathleen Peterson. Currently, Redfin estimates the home is worth just north of $2.3 million, whereas Zillow assesses the home at $3.3 million. Lived In Santa Ana CA, Irvine CA, Corona CA. Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. 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. It was ruled in 2004 that Atwater and her biological father would be awarded the $1.5 million life insurance policy in Kathleen's name, which was initially would go to Peterson, WRAL reports.. Inside Kathleen Petersons Mysterious Death And The True Story Behind The Staircase. Creative Innovator // Thought Leader // Speaker // Anesthesiologist . 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