(We dont know if this is factual or just a dramatized coincidence.) By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. Aside, from being untrue, it's completely offensive.". Following Kathleen's death, which didn't look much like the accident Michael Peterson made it out to be, police almost immediately zoned in on him as the prime suspect. Elizabeth Ratliff, shown in the Netflix docu-series "The Staircase.". After Vietnam, retired Marine Captain Michael joined Patty in Germany and the couple quickly became good friends with Elizabeth Ratliff and her husband George, also a Captain in the military. She filed a . 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. 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. "There was nothing out of place, except that she was no longer living," she recalled almost two decades later. I feel here is where things took a turn. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." I talked to the witnesses, I got the German police report and the DA's file. I believe that the 2 were out by the pool having a glass or 2 of wine as they often did. A retrial is granted, and Michael is released from prison and sentenced to house arrest with an ankle bracelet. Ratliff taught second grade at a U.S. Department of Defense School. Seeing Margaret everyday no doubt caused her much stress and probably was the reason for many arguments that eventually led to the divorce. Shortly after Michael and Patty married, Michael went to fight in Vietnam while Patty headed to the Rhein-Main Air Base near Frankfurt, where she worked as a second-grade teacher. By John SpringerCourt TV.com 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. Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. The defense would go on to use Elizabeth Ratliff's death as part of their case against Michael Peterson, which also led to tensions within his own family, particularly between his adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff. 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. I believe they had been around Michael long enough to possibly take on his ability of telling stories, the more they told themselves he did not do it or that he could not have done it, the more they believed it. 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. 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. Todd, who has always been the responsible one, starts to unravel under the pressure of the trial. He later adopted Ratliff's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. Here's the OTHER Death at the Center of Netflix's The Staircase. The Staircase airs Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. 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. 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. } else if ( host.indexOf("edition.") In the end, Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson. 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. Therefore, when the Captain suddenly lost his life during a secret overseas operation in 1983, his widows connection with them only furthered she even began relying on Michael for some help in daily chores. 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 described the scene as "complete fiction" adding that "for anybody who knows anything about the criminal justice system, it totally undermines the credibility of the entire film.". Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Elizabeth Ratliff and. Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters continue to believe Mike Peterson. The medical examiner found Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratcliffe suffered similar blows to the head, including seven lacerations which were sustained by blunt force trauma. Michael struggles with life outside of prison and sees his children are struggling as well. 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. Period. Three episodes in, drops a major bombshell: Peterson was the last person to see another woman who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in Germany in 1985. Ultimately, Michael decides not to move to Paris in order to start a new life elsewhere with Sophie, and their relationship ends. Just like with Peterson's wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. 10 votes, 25 comments. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. Just like with Petersons wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. 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. He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. The similarities between the deaths of Elizabeth Ratliff and Kathleen Peterson raised eyebrows among the Durham authorities. Chief among them: A close friend of Peterson's, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also been found dead at the bottom of a staircase, in 1985. Where is Morgan from the Murdaugh Murders now? The Staircase is the latest true-crime drama to land on HBO Max and viewers are still trying to process the jaw-dropping story of Michael Peterson who, in 2003, was found guilty of killing his wife Kathleen Peterson at their home on December 9, 2001. 11 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat It was a unanimous decision by all 12 jury members. At least, until tragedy struck. It also includes imagined dialogue for dramatic purposes but stays grounded in court documents, meticulous research by the team behind the show, and of course, content from Lestrade's 13-part documentary. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth had worked in the same school as Michael's then wife Patty. But two years after George's death, as if the Ratliff family hadn't suffered enough trauma, Elizabeth too was found dead - at the bottom of the staircase at her home in Germany. "She hadn't gotten to the point where she was seeing other men?" 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). 15 hours ago, by Chandler Plante But they need to put themselves in their shoes, think if you already came from a broken home, wouldnt you try to believe in every last possibility that your parent could not do something so horrific, even if similar circumstances also involved that parent many years before? Peterson was the. An autopsy at the time of her death concluded Ratliff died from an intra-cerebral haemorrhage secondary to the blood coagulation disorder Von Willebrand's disease, based on blood in her cerebrospinal fluid and reports that she had been suffering severe, persistent headaches in the weeks leading up to her death. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. At the hearing for the Alford plea, the courtroom is noticeably less full. The best face wash for every single skin type. 1 week ago, by Kelsie Gibson It's all in the documentary, it's there. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. 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. 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. "Because I know all aspects of his personality. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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. Death: July 29, 2018, Durham, North Carolina, USA (end-stage liver disease from alcoholism) Bio: Assistant District Attorney / Prosecutor Cullen Moss Born: July 8, 1975 Birthplace: Buffalo, New York, USA Jim Hardin Born: February 1957 Birthplace: Durham, North Carolina, USA Bio: District Attorney / Lead Prosecutor Rosemarie DeWitt In shock of what just transpired, Michael returned home where he would await news of Liz being found dead. As per reports, Elizabeth often had dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would stay back to clean up or tuck her little girls to bed, which is precisely what they unwittingly did on her last evening alive. "We made plans to live in Paris. Newsweek has everything you need to know. 43-year-old Elizabeth Ratliff was found dead in her home in Graefenhausen, Germany. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Those who were there in the aftermath of Elizabeth's death were called as witnesses, and the the state pathologist took to the stand to confirm Elizabeth Ratliff had sustained similar injuries to the ones Kathleen Peterson suffered. he continued. 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