(Source: www.esquire.com) Kathleen's Death: On the night of Kathleen's death, according to Peterson, the two had eaten dinner, watched a movie and then sat by the pool. Since MP picks women who looks like his mom, their children can look like his mom also. Elizabeth Ratliff's children Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore and Martha Ratliff. In 2011, a judge found that testimony given by blood splatter analyst Duane Deaver at the original trial was false and misleading, as it focused only on the droplets that fit the defense's theory while failing to address the blood at the scene that didn't. At this point I don't know who anyone's kids are except that Margaret looks exactly like Liz as she gets older. After his sentencing, he commented, "I didn't do anything. Did you see this photo? It symobilizes a website link url. Although Margaret Ratliff was not the biological child of either Michael or Kathleen Peterson, she loved her adoptive mother and remained loyal to her adoptive father throughout the trial. They claimed that Michael's son, Clayton Peterson, found it in the garage and that the police had overlooked it. Michael loved his wife and children, and for all intents and purposes lived an average life. They claimed that Kathleen had attempted to walk up a poorly lit stairwell after drinking wine and taking valium. Or a more sincere joke? My body and my whole nervous system will think that something like the trial is happening. Michael and Patricia divorced in 1987 and Kathleen and her daughter Caitlin moved in with Michael and his children. The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. I thought that was the weirdest exchange Was he implying that Elizabeth had been a show-girl, or something of the sort? I only came upon the site last night, so I cant vouch for its credibility. Rosemarie DeWitt has appeared in many films and television series throughout her career, ranging from horror to comedy. Im at a talk by David Rudolph and he states that they had them DNA tested and he is NOT her father!!! A fervent supporter of his father while he was on trial, Newsweek reported that Peterson's second son is currently living somewhere in Tennessee. Margaret and Martha Ratliff were adopted by Michael Peterson after their mothers death, and actually introduced him to his next wife Kathleen, who was their friend Caitlins mother. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Michael knows about Liz collecting Rosenthal wine glasses which he still has in his home. Michael Peterson has spent the last 20 years explaining the death of his wife Kathleen. Although they did not share any biological children, their children from previous marriages and even a completely separate marriage allowed them to come together to form a family. After Kathleen Petersons strange, untimely death on the staircase in the couple's home, Michael and Kathleens children would each take a stance on whether or not they believed that Michael was involved in Kathleens death, and play a role in his trial. Its so fekking creepy. Liz names Michael and Patty in her willas the custodians of her daughters despite having two living sisters. Todd and Clayton are the sons of Patricia Peterson. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Patricia was known for being supportive of Michael and believing he was innocent.Todd says that his father saw that Patricia was having a heart attack and waited three hours without calling for an ambulance. Also, Patty goes back to Germany with Clayton and Todd but not the girls. Furthermore, the judge found that Deaver had exaggerated his professional experience and had lied a number of times before. Growing up, Caitlin was close with Martha and Margaret. Her Bio, Today, Biological Father, Husband, Michael Peterson Daughter, Age Now, Job, HBO Max's The Staircase! As for Todd, little information is known about his whereabouts today. The prosecutor suggested that Kathleen had found the photos and emails accidentally (NBC). He said that his father's books "were getting rejected left and right" and weren't bringing in much money. I knew what happened to my mom. But where are Martha and Margaret Ratliff today? However, he was given credit for time already served, which amounted to more than the sentence (98.5 months), so he was freed. He continues to do so . [Elizabeth's death] happened 18 years ago, and our dad had nothing to do with it.". What the fuck?! Michael was coincidently the last person to see Elizabeth alive, leading many to speculate an affair or some conflict between the two once Kathleens case came around over 15 years later. In trial, according to the AP News, Zamperini described Petersons account of Kathleens death as a fictionalized story. A combination of biology and psychology. I'm not sure if I heard any of this correctly so would love someone else's take on this. Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret Ratliff, Clayton Peterson, and his wife and son. 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. The Staircase true story reveals that Michael Peterson and Kathleen Atwater, a telecommunications executive, were introduced to each other by Michael's adopted daughters, Margaret and Martha, who were playmates of Kathleen's daughter, Caitlin. It was Elizabeth Ratliffs death, which occurred not long after George Ratliffs death, that became a turning point in Michaels case. After all, just like The Staircase illustrates, while her husband Michael Peterson alleged her passing was the direct result of an accidental fall, the officials soon accused him of definite murder. Did he kill Liz's husband? Per The News & Observer, Clay Peterson has two children and lives in Maryland. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Michael Peterson stayed behind afterward to help her clean up and put her girls, Margaret and Martha, to bed (NBC). Michael Stuhlbarg is a well-known character actor with avery successful career. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Yes. It appeared as if Kathleen had used her hands to try and free her hair from her killer's hand. Unfortunately, owing to the way everything played out, as per Netflixs The Staircase, Martha began dealing with anxiety. Yes. While theres no true closure that can ever come for an event like this, for a loss this deep, I was ready to walk away and start moving forward with my life.. At the time of the incident, Toddran a websitecalled Futazi, which provided advice on various topics to teenagers. 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. Read on to learn more about Michael Petersons children. Therefore the children of the women he picks can look like him. -Esquire. Michael Petersonappeared to be a happy and successful man. What if Michael and the girls father were homosexual lovers? While Caitlin first supported her stepfather in the immediate days after her mothers death, she later turned suspicious of Peterson, and ended up becoming a key witness in the prosecution against him. DeWitt is best known for her roles in television series likeStandoff, in whichshe co-starred alongside her future husband, Ron Livingston, andThe United States of Tara. The Bizarre True Story Behind 'The Staircase', Caitlin's lawyer filed another complaint against him, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. I suspect (without a shred of evidence) that there was a lot of free lovin' going on overseas and in the military and I wouldn't be surprised if George Ratliff (Liz's husband) was involved with BOTH MP and Patty. In 2001 the woman Ratliff. Perhaps to have all of the siblings together? Also found in the hair in her hand was a sliver of wood from a tree limb. George Ratliff sadly died two years after his wife, and Michael Peterson went on to adopt the couple's two daughters Margaret and Martha Ratliff. His sons, Clayton and Todd, also appear in the show. The Owl Theory would explain why Kathleen had sustained no fractures to her skull or brain damage. She looks so much like Todd and Clay too. Peterson entered an Alford plea in February 2017 while awaiting a new trial, allowing him to plead guilty to manslaughter while maintaining his innocence. Todd is in Tennessee, according to Romper. Michael Peterson Is Writing. Toni Collette is another established veteran in the world of acting. Lestrade said that HBO's The Staircase falsely depicts him and editor Sophie Burnet (portrayed by Juliette Binoche) as being opposed to including in the documentary courtroom footage discussing possible strangulation attempts, despite their producer pushing for the footage to be included. Cosmopolitan also reported that Margaret married Neil Blakemore and goes by the name Margaret Blakemore now. The movie was rented on December 9, 2001. And why he originally only wanted to take Margaret in.. Elizabeth's daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff, were adopted by the Petersons and they moved back to the United States with Michael, settling in North Carolina. When the Ratliffs both died in the 1980s, Michael adopted their daughters, Margaret and Martha, per Newsweek. In 2003, Michael was put on trial and then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. (2013-2017) WRAL Murder Trials Self - Audience Member / Self. Little did anyone know at that time that on December 9, 2001, it would all fall apart. She also worked as an uncredited production assistant on Star Trek: Into Darkness and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. While the plea is technically a guilty one, it is not an admission of guilt. He killed Liz and adopted her daughters. Dane DeHaan has appeared in a variety of films and television series throughout his career. Kathleen and Caitlin lived down the street in Durham, North Carolina. For one of his books, he received an advance of more than half a million dollars from his publisher. The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. They commented in a episode how similar Elizabeth and Patty looked around the time of her death. And Michael jokes that "well, it's in the genes". I think the three Peterson brothers actually reference Margaret's genes the night before the verdic. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. Lips. She can be found on Twitter @ejclute. Michael Peterson had something with Liz Ratliff, no doubt. Like her sister and adoptive brothers, Margaret is convinced that her father is innocent. He said that while he was married to Kathleen, his second wife, he only had affairs with men. It is possible that the claw-like hook at the end of a blow poke could have torn into Kathleen Peterson's scalp without causing fractures to her skull, which are normally associated with a bludgeoning. According to Michael's son, Todd Peterson, his father was indeed broke at the time of Kathleen's death. Family (1) Spouse Neil Blakemore (? Michael then married Kathleen. -Esquire, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Candace became an integral force in the case against Michael, even raising the possibility herself that the fire poker she had gifted her sister had been used as a murder weapon. First of all, if we are to accept the paternity test, then they are not genetically related. Michael claimed that she was fine when he left the night before. Caitlin is portrayed by Olivia DeJonge in The Staircase HBO Max miniseries. Michael seems to almost be in the spectrum, imho. But yes, there are tons of threads in this sub covering how Margaret looks like Michael. "So that's why today I'm very uncomfortable because I feel that I've been betrayed in a way. So much so that several times watching this I forgot that she wasn't. He and his first wife, schoolteacher Patricia Sue Peterson, had sons Todd and Clayton then acquired two daughters, Margaret and Martha, when the couple's friend Liz McKee Ratliff died. According to News & Observer, he has come to terms with his fathers multiple hearings over the past few years. It's crazy sometimes . Hewas by his father's side from the very beginning of the case, helping him navigate both the immediate aftermath of Kathleen's death and the trial process. Margaret Ratliff, Clayton Peterson, Todd Peterson, and Martha Ratliff in Dateline NBC (1992) Close. The defense team maintained that an accidental fall killed Kathleen, but the fact that the Ratliffs' biological mother died in a very similar way raised suspicions. Not much is known about their lives outside of the glimpses provided in The Staircase. In 2017, he was granted a new trial, and just last year, Peterson took. The most baffling aspect, though, is that a similar 1985 demise of Elizabeth Ratliff is what led to Michael gaining custody of his daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff so lets find out more about them, shall we? It could be as simple as that. He appears often in The Staircase in which he supports his father's innocence. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Michael and Patti Peterson had been living in Germany with their sons Todd and Clayton when they became good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff. A friend pointed it out as I started watching The Staircase that Margaret Ratliff looks suspiciously like MP, Todd and Clayton. Todd Peterson 5 of 35 Michael Peterson , Margaret Ratliff , Todd Peterson , Martha Ratliff , Jim Dornfried , and Mary Jude Darrow in WRAL Murder Trials (2003) People Michael Peterson , Margaret Ratliff , Todd Peterson , Martha Ratliff , Jim Dornfried , Mary Jude Darrow And he always references the two girls before his sons. He supports his father in the . David Rudolf served as Michael Peterson's defense attorney during his trial. This theory is supported by the fact that hairs from the front of her head were found on her hands, as well as on Michael Peterson's Diet Coke can discovered on the patio. (2013) Dateline NBC Self. Here's what you need to know. Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner portrays Margaret Ratliff in HBO Max's The Staircase. In 2002, she filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him, which they settled for $25 million in 2007. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Your IP: 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Born two years apart to Air Force Captain George Ratliff and military teacher Elizabeth Ratliff in Germany in the early 1980s, Margaret and Martha lost both their biological parents as toddlers. So why does she look like him? This was the main motive that the prosecution argued. Instead, it is an acknowledgment that the prosecution still has enough evidence to likely get a first-degree murder conviction. "My mom would be alive today if it weren't for my father," he said. Related:The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? Today, Atwater is married with two children. I can't believe this hasn't been all over this case or doc. Explaining why Margaret Ratliff looks like Michael Peterson First of all, if we are to accept the paternity test, then they are not genetically related. So, where is Todd Peterson today? Yes. He was eventually released on bail and wore an ankle monitor in 2011 after the validity of the trial was brought into question. Seems like something to be explored. It's a common thought. 2 of 35. I did not believe until the jury clerk read the sentence that I would be convicted." Who Is John Dutton's Grandfather in '1923'? Caitlin Atwater is the biological daughter of Kathleen Peterson and her ex-husband, Fred Atwater. The Staircase Netflix Documentary and HBO Max series about the death of Kathleen Peterson and which follows the trial of Michael Peterson. All, if we are to accept the paternity test, then they not. Goes by the name Margaret Blakemore now and son living sisters homosexual lovers genetically related in with Michael and divorced... Used her hands to try and free her hair from her killer 's hand exactly like Liz as gets! In Michaels case walk up a poorly lit stairwell after drinking wine and valium. Of Kathleens death as a fictionalized story whole nervous system will think that something like the trial of Michael had... 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