In 2019, he released his own account of his life since his wife's death in an independently published memoir, Behind the Staircase. 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. [16][17] A re-examination of the hair in September 2008 had found two more microscopic owl feathers. With The Staircase retelling the tale of Michael Peterson and his alleged hand in wife Kathleen Petersons bizarre December 2001 demise, several related matters are coming back into the spotlight. Nearly two decades before Michael's wife, Kathleen, was found lifeless at the bottom of a staircase, there was a woman named Elizabeth Ratliff, whose death would become crucial to the prosecution's story. 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. But . Join our global team of talent. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck her children to sleep. The prosecution contended that the Petersons' marriage was far from happy, suggesting that Kathleen had discovered Michael's alleged secret gay life and wanted to end their marriage. Michael Peterson reacts to the news that his old friend Elizabeth's body is to be exhumed and examined as part of his murder trial. [2] The Staircase, a 2022 miniseries featuring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, also covers the murder case and its aftermath. Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. . When Elizabeth Ratliff died in 1985, Michael became the guardian of her two children. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. 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. Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth Ratcliff and Kathleen Peterson. But most of all, we will support you to develop and grow throughout your time with us. After George's death, the Peterson and Ratliff families became very close. As both their families grew, so did the bonds between them. Michael Iver Peterson (born October 23, 1943) is an American novelist who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, on December9, 2001. Shortly before Elizabeth passed away, George died of a heart attack during the U.S. invasion of Grenada. He later claimed that he had been outside by the pool and had come in at 2:40am to find Kathleen at the foot of the stairs. 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.". "It is further my opinion that these injuries were incurred while Mrs. Ratliff was alive and are of sufficient severity to have caused her death.". On November 9, the Court announced that it affirmed the decision of the appeals. On November 12, 2008, attorneys J. Burkhardt Beale and Jason Anthony of Richmond, Virginia, who were now representing Peterson, filed a motion for a new trial in Durham County court on three grounds: that the prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence about the blow poke, that the prosecution used an expert witness whose qualifications were disputed, and that one juror based his judgment on racial factors. Prosecutors asked for Elizabeth's body to be exhumed in light of the murder charges against her former friend. In shock of what just transpired, Michael returned home where he would await news of Liz being found dead. "I looked around and there was a lot of blood on the floor. A+E Networks EMEA Expands its FAST Footprint with Amagi, A+E NETWORKS EMEA AND BBC STUDIOS TO MAKE PODCAST-INSPIRED TV SERIES EVIL GENIUS WITH AWARD-WINNING COMEDIAN AND PODCASTER RUSSELL KANE FOR SKY HISTORY, A+E NETWORKS EMEA ANNOUNCES BRAND REFRESH FOR THE HISTORY CHANNEL ACROSS EMEA, COSMO earns three awards at the Promax Global Excellence Awards. [18], According to Pollard, had a jury been presented with this evidence it would have "materially affected their deliberation and therefore would have materially affected their ultimate verdict". She'd reportedly died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, secondary to a blood clot disorder. The SBI cited the bloodstain analysis given in the fourth case as the reason for firing Deaver. When Elizabeth Ratliff died in 1985, Michael became the guardian of her two children. [4] The News & Observer said records did not contain any mention of the two Purple Hearts that Peterson said he had received. His release on bond followed a judicial order for a new trial after Judge Hudson found that Deaver had given "materially misleading" and "deliberately false" testimony about bloodstain evidence, and had exaggerated his training, experience, and expertise. 4 days ago, by Chanel Vargas We believe that once she learned this information that an argument ensued and a homicide occurred. Although she died in 1985, the death . In October 2002, acting as administrator of Kathleen's estate, Caitlin filed a wrongful death claim against Peterson. Exposing Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's tendentious film, the Peterson murder documentary: Death on the Stairacse. Her life was thus incredibly different from her Rhode Island farm upbringing, especially as shed eventually found herself working at an elementary school at the Rhein-Main Air Force Base in West Germany. The medical examiner, Deborah Radisch, concluded that Kathleen had died from lacerations of the scalp caused by a homicidal assault. As it came to light that Kathleen was not the first woman associated with Michael to be found dead at the bottom of the staircase, Elizabeths remains were exhumed for more information. [13] The Appeals' ruling said the evidence was fairly admitted. 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. by Kirbie Johnson In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, Texas. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. An autopsy at the time of her death concluded Ratliff died from an intra-cerebral hemorrhage 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. he spits. We challenge each other, collaborate and come together, just as a family does; winning as a team and celebrating as one too. Just like with Peterson's wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of theTerms and Conditions. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Absent a reconsideration of the ruling or the raising of a federal issue, Peterson had exhausted his appeals of the verdict. [4][37][38], In November 2012, de Lestrade released a sequel, The Staircase 2: The Last Chance, which premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. No, the will of the Ratliffs stated the girls would be left in the care of Michael Peterson. There was a lot of blood on the walls . Her death had been investigated by both the German police and U.S. military police. What happened to Elizabeth Ratliff? Pollard subsequently filed affidavits[23] to support a motion that Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson order the state Medical Examiner's Office to turn over all documentation related to Kathleen's autopsy to Peterson's attorneys. Under no circumstances would they have had a sexual relationship.". Instead, they used her death as an example of an incident that could have helped him "fake" Kathleen's accident. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. ", "Novelist convicted of first-degree murder in wife's staircase death", Novelist Convicted of Beating Wife to Death, Three affidavits support Peterson's murderous owl theory, "Episode 1: Animal Instincts (1.31.2014)", Attorney wants owl theory reconsidered in Peterson murder case, "North Carolina vs Michael Peterson - Motion for order allowing transport of microslide to expert for inspection and testing", "DURHAM: Attorney forbidden from filing Michael Peterson motions | Crime", "Troubled SBI agent Duane Deaver fired - Politics - NewsObserver.com", Judge says Peterson must keep wearing ankle bracelet. We offer a range of benefits such as a generous pension plan, life assurance and holiday allowance, and there are useful local perks in various offices, and summer Fridays across the whole company. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. Clayton and Todd later also joined their father. Regina Green, an old family friend of Peterson pointed out in "The Staircase" how much Ratliff and Petersons first wife Patricia looked alike. While there, Peterson was president of Sigma Nu fraternity and was editor of The Chronicle, the daily student newspaper, from 1964 to 1965. Freda Black's closing argument October 3, 2003 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. As Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. Elizabeth's updated autopsy report indicated that she died from homicidal assault. So much so, that Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out by the Durham Medical Examiner. At the age of 43, Elizabeth Liz Ratliff had created a good life for herself as a teacher for military children, signifying that she often got the chance to travel across the globe for work. Henry Lee, however, had testified at the trial that the amount of blood was irrelevant, as the blood spatter indicated most of it was spattered as she coughed as the blood ran down her face from the injuries. Often, he'd help with the dishes or read to Ratliff's two young daughtersbefore returning home, according to the documentary series. Nearly two decades before Michael Peterson found his wife at the bottom of a staircase, a close friend of his in Germany, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also died after a fall down a staircase. The deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", state pathologist wrote in her report. 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. Later in the trial the defense team produced the missing blow poke, which they said had been overlooked in the garage by police investigators. [28][29][30] Former North Carolina Attorney General Rufus L. Edmisten said that any evidence gathered after Deaver arrived at the scene might be deemed inadmissible in a new trial. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. An oral argument was heard on September 10, 2007. Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." A global broadcaster since 1995, we reach audiences in over 100 countries, including the UK, Nordics, Benelux, Central & Eastern Europe, Spain, Italy, Germany, Africa and the Middle East. Why?? What we do know is that he was found guilty of the first degree murder of his wife, Kathleen. He later adopted Ratliff's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. In 2017, he entered an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter, meaning 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. 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 thought. "I've read 260 autopsies from blunt trauma to the head, and never once did I see any of your people say the inflicted trauma is clearly from a homicidal assault," Rudolf is heard saying in the documentary. 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. If Mike believed Liz's death was a fall, and if he remembered seeing very little blood, he wouldn't have believed it necessary to add lots of blood to the Kathleen crime scene. "I was sitting here directly observing when the German medical examiner took the spinal tap and held the contents up so that he could view [it]," said Patty. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck in her children at bedtime. "There was nothing out of place, except that she was no longer living," she recalled almost two decades later. After seeing much of The Staircase on Netflix and seeing Michaels narcissistic and cocky personality I believe he tried to make her believe she was crazy to think that or try to make up a story, as that was what he did for a living so it would be easy for him to come up with excuses easily. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in October 2003. According to their analysis, the lacerations were not consistent with blows of any sort, because there was a lack of underlying injury, such as skull fractures or bruising, swelling and hemorrhaging of the brain. Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. AETNUK. The exhumation of Elizabeth Ratliff. She even scheduled a doctor's appointment out of concern, and had an appointment the next week. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The Staircase director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade has opened up about the death of Elizabeth Ratliff, insisting that Michael Peterson had nothing to do with it. According to the second autopsy, seven deep lacerations on Elizabeth's head - just like those found on Kathleen's - were concluded to have been sustained as a result of blunt force trauma. Her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany at the time. Some may criticize them as to why they cant see he did it. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. If you've reached episode three of Netflix's latest true crime addition, .css-tjvzc4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;border-bottom:thin solid #6F6F6F;}.css-tjvzc4:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}The Staircase, you'll have discovered one of many plot twists in the documentary series. [citation needed] A juror contacted after the trial noted that the jury had dismissed the idea of the blow poke as the murder weapon.[9]. "My mom would . Striving to always do so requires passion. Wouldnt it make more sense to leave them with a relative.unless Elizabeth wanted Michael to know and raise his daughter along were her sister together. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Kathleen discovered his secret gay life, confronted him, threatened divorce, they were in . The route to her heart is a simple combination of pasta and cheese (somewhat ironic considering the whole health writing thing), and she finds it difficult to commit to TV series so currently has about 14 different ones on the go. U.S. Army doctor Dr. Larry A. Barnes carried out an autopsy on Elizabeth and confirmed that a cerebral haemorrhage was her cause of death. Seeing Margaret everyday no doubt caused her much stress and probably was the reason for many arguments that eventually led to the divorce. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Although the 13-part programme centres around the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson at her home in Durham, North Carolina, she wasn't the only woman linked to Michael Peterson to have been found dead at the bottom of a staircase. two adorable daughters into their lives Margaret and Martha Ratliff. Forensic tests revealed that it had been untouched and unmoved for too long to have been used in the murder. Just like with Petersons wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. And in such an evolving industry, tomorrow is always today. Tragedy struck, however, in 1983, when Elizabeth's husband George was killed in a secret military operation overseas. Ratliff taught second grade at a U.S. Department of Defense School. The owl theory was raised by Durham attorney T. Lawrence Pollard, a neighbor of the Petersons who was not involved in the case but had been following the public details. [39][40] The film documents Peterson's family and his legal team's arguments in seeking a retrial, in which they succeed.[41]. Elizabeth Ratliff, a friend of the Petersons, who died in Germany in 1985, had also been found dead at the foot of her staircase with injuries to the head. In the documentary, Michael remembers he and his then-wife, Patricia, had dinner at the Ratliff home and he stayed behind to help Elizabeth put Martha and Margaret to. In October 2014, the court appointed Mike Klinkosum to represent Peterson, replacing David Rudolf, who had been working pro bono on the case since Peterson's conviction was overturned. After Kathleen passed, the young woman developed a severe form of anxiety, aggravated by. 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. After receiving permission from Elizabeth's mother and sister, authorities went ahead with the exhumation. The Durham M.E. Will King Charles III get a coronation medal? 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. However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. At its heart was a seemingly perfect marriage. Elizabeth's updated autopsy report indicated that she died from homicidal assault. Thats where she first came across Captain George Ratliff, a navigator, only to tie the knot with him in 1981 before welcoming two adorable daughters into their lives Margaret and Martha Ratliff. The ME overturned Elizabeth's original autopsy and concluded she also died by homicide. The autopsy report concluded that the 48-year-old woman sustained a matrix of severe injuries, including a fracture of the superior cornu of the left thyroid cartilage and seven lacerations to the top and back of her head, consistent with blows from a blunt object, and had died from blood loss ninety minutes to two hours after sustaining the injuries. 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. The defense disputed this theory. Once the jury left for the day, testimony turned to a death scene from 18 years ago in Germany. A quick recap for those who arent familiar with the case: He wasconvicted of first-degree murder in 2003 and spent nearly a decade behind bars. deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, "Novelist Michael Peterson, Convicted of Wife's Murder, Is Released From Prison and Will Get New Trial", "Hollywood just can't seem to get enough of the Michael Peterson 'Staircase' story", "Guide to the Michael Peterson papers, 19612001 and undated, bulk 1972", "Durham mayoral candidate Michael Peterson fabricated war injury, admits falsehood", "Wife's staircase death at center of novelist's murder trial", "Who is Michael Peterson and why are people talking about him? . Both the German officials as well as the United States military police conducted investigations into Elizabeths case, and their autopsy ruled her manner of death an accident. Shed reportedly died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, secondary to a blood clot disorder. The two were buried side by side after Ratlitt died. Before Peterson's trial, the Durham court ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's embalmed body, buried in Texas, for a second autopsy in April 2003. He was sentenced to time already served and freed from prison. According to Assistant District Attorney Freda Black, Kathleen, "would have been infuriated by learning that her husband, who she truly loved, was bi-sexual and having an extramarital relationshipnot with another womanbut a man, which would have been humiliating and embarrassing to her. OR after heaving her down the stairs to make sure she indeed was dead, struck her again a few times with the same item as at the front door-he may not even have had to hit her fast, he could do it more slowly which would not end up leaving castoff on the ceiling, which was an issue at the trial-if he had struck her surely there would be castoff on the ceiling, but they were figuring on it being done in a fast frenzy-he then changed clothing and got rid of the clothing and the item he struck her with. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. Peterson claimed he had received one Purple Heart after being hit by shrapnel when another soldier stepped on a land mine, and the other when he was shot. She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. He was sentenced to time already served and freed. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) So much so, that the court in Durham ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's body from her grave in Texas. [22], In August 2010, following a series of newspaper articles critical of the SBI, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper led an investigation which resulted in the suspension of SBI analyst Duane Deaver, one of the principal witnesses against Peterson, after the report found his work among the worst done on scores of flawed criminal cases. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! All Rights Reserved. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery. [27], On December 16, 2011, Peterson was released from the Durham County jail on $300,000 bail and placed under house arrest with a tracking anklet. In 1989, Michael moved in with Kathleen Atwater, a successful Nortel business executive. In June 2006, he voluntarily filed for bankruptcy. At the time of the exhumation, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, requested that a "neutral" pathologist from Texas carry out the second autopsy. These similarities include: . Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. So is Michael Peterson guilty? Everyone has a voice and should feel proud and free to run with their ideas, enjoying their successes and journey with us. Peterson said she must have fallen down the stairs after consuming alcohol and Valium. 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. Whether or not Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth Ratliff remains unknown.
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