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Newsweek has everything you need to know. The real-life Rudolph is seen above. When they meet, they fall in love, and she leads the charge on the Owl Theory. Radisch's reported concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's death had actually been as a result of a "homicidal assault", and not an accident as was previously determined. Shortly before Elizabeth passed away, George died of a heart attack during the US invasion of Grenada. 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. Although I do feel that the police did not act in all honesty with some of their actions, I do feel that no matter what, the jury saw through the shoddy case and found him guilty anyway. There were also multiple questions put forward about what happened on the evening Kathleen Peterson died, due to the "Owl Theory" that suggested she may have been attacked by the bird and died from her wounds or, what Michael Peterson claimed, that she fell to her death. Three, she never wrote to Michael while she was working on the project, never ever, ever. However, Rudolf did state he offered to come on board as a "technical consultant" for the series to consult on the courtroom and lawyer scenes but was not contacted by the team behind The Staircase. And no questions were raised when her close friend Michael Peterson adopted her daughters, Margaret and Martha. Elizabeth's death is a tragedy, but whether it was brought upon by an ill-fated accident or contemptuous murder, we'll never know. Editor Sophie Brunet (Juliette Binoche) finds herself so entranced with Peterson she begins reaching out to him via letters to prison. Get the daily inside scoop right in your inbox. 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. DA Hardin and ADA Black really hammer home that they found it difficult to believe that Kathleen knew anything about this, alleging that upon discovery of photos and messages on his computer, it led to a confrontation that ended in Michael brutally beating Kathleen to death at the bottom of the staircase. 1 week ago, Here's the OTHER Death at the Centre of Netflix's The Staircase, A Tragic Twist in Part 2 of the "The Last of Us" Video Game Could Tease What's to Come on the Show, 12 Bone-Chilling Serial Killer Documentaries on Netflix Now, Selena Gomez Says She Avoided Her "Wizards of Waverly Place" Costars After Series Due to Shame, Eugene Levy Says a "Schitt's Creek" Movie Is Very Possible: "We're Open to Anything", "The Last of Us" Stars Storm Reid and Bella Ramsey Hit Back at Homophobes: "Don't Like It, Don't Watch", Jessica Chastain Tripped Over Her Dress at the SAG Awards, but It Didn't Take Away From Her Big Win. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Where is Morgan from the Murdaugh Murders now? In 2017, Michael is contemplating taking the Alford plea, in which he would have to plead guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for a reduced sentence, but he could not be retried. != -1 ) { When the prosecution learned of Elizabeth's death and identified the coincidence that she, too, had died as a result of falling down the stairs, they called for her body to be exhumed from the grave in Texas where she was buried. Later, Jean-Xavier shows Sophie the latest footage of his chat with Michael, where he explains his bisexuality. 11 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat In 2001, Kathleen calls Candace to apologize for their argument over Thanksgiving and Michael notices a bunch of owls above their home. By John SpringerCourt TV.com Click Here to try 4 Free Trial Issues of Time! You know, I mean, all you have to do is watch the documentary to know that that's not true. George and Elizabeth's daughters, Margaret and Martha - now orphaned - were taken in by Michael and Patty, and the expanded family continued as normal until the parents split the following year. Seeing Margaret everyday no doubt caused her much stress and probably was the reason for many arguments that eventually led to the divorce. Michael wasn't accused of murdering Elizabeth outright, but the fact that her daughters who he, again, adopted after her death were the recipients of a hefty life insurance policy was enough to cast doubt in the jurors of his case. "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.". Todd, who has always been the responsible one, starts to unravel under the pressure of the trial. Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. German officials declared that she died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the scene of her death. Michael moved back to the United States, taking his adopted daughters with him, and met Kathleen Peterson in 1986. 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. In the first three episodes of The Staircase on HBO Max, there have been subtle mentions of a woman named Elizabeth Ratliff, and in Episode 4, audiences learn a little bit more about her. In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide." 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. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Together, they go to the Durham Herald Christmas Ball. The defense countered these claims, arguing that half of Elizabeth's brain was missing during the new autopsy and pushing against the idea that Michael was the last person to see her alive. Peterson and friends maintained that their friendship was purely platonic. She even scheduled a doctor's appointment out of concern, and had an appointment the next week. Despite speculation that Peterson may have killed Elizabeth Ratliff 16 years before Kathleen's death, something he has always strongly denied, the prosecution in Michael Peterson's trial didn't accuse Peterson of being responsible for Elizabeth Ratliff's death. Above, the real David Rudolf (R) and Michael Peterson (L) appear in court. 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. Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. Inside, he and Kathleen have quite a makeup session after their own argument the night before at dinner. "It was a great blow to both of us, for which I feel not guilt, but sorrow," he continued. They argued as he would not agree to this. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, TX. "Number two, she left the project in October of 2003. "Prosecutors spent thousands of dollars transporting her boy 12,000 miles from Bay City, Texas to Chapel Hill," Defense AttorneyDavid Rudolf said on "The Staircase." Then I went and realized, no, I can't. Michael Peterson is believed to have been the last person to see her alive. They were 2 and 1 years old when Ratliff died. I believe that the 2 were out by the pool having a glass or 2 of wine as they often did. Lawyer David Rudolf (L) and Michael Peterson (R) address reporters after his court hearing in Durham, North Carolina, on February 24, 2017. She agrees to help them and tips them off that the SBI is very corrupt and should be looked into. The last person believed to see her alive was Michael Peterson the night before when their families had dinner together in her home. . The North Carolina medical examiner performed a second autopsy and concluded that Ratliff was beaten to death and that the German authorities missed the signs. Elizabeth died in 1985. Rudolf first took issue with some of the smaller details in the series. Although she died in 1985, the death of Elizabeth Ratliff played a key role in Michael Peterson's trial after he was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen Peterson on December 9, 2001. At the time, her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany and an autopsy concluded she had died from an intracerebral hemorrhage. As Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. What's eerily coincidental is the nature of her death: Elizabeth was found at the bottom of a staircase in her home with severe injuries to her head. The Staircase airs Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. 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. At their request, Ratliff's body was exhumed in Texas in April. It was after she left the project that she first sent him a letter. 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. host = host.toLowerCase(); Viewers new to The Staircase story may have been surprised to learn Peterson dated Sophie Brunet, the editor of Lestrade's first documentary. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. Elizabeth now feeling frustrated and not wanting to continue being alone with 2 small children told him she was going to go tell his wife that her daughter Margaret was Michael's daughter (as you can see the incredible similarities between she and Michael as well as his boys Todd & Clayton with Patty) https://flic.kr/p/JR7p1K The two families were close friends while living in Germany, and Michael was the last person who'd seen Elizabeth alive following dinner at the Ratliff home one night, Michael offered to stay behind and help Elizabeth put her girls to bed. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting center of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. He also has the option of pleading not guilty and again facing a new trial in front of a jury. When producer Denis Poncet (Frank Feys) and director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (Vincent Vermignon) come across the Peterson story, they wonder if there is a story there. 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. But the autopsies were enough to convince Kathleen Peterson's daughter Caitlin to change her mind about her stepfather. For example, when prosecutor Jim Hardin is presenting his case to the grand jury ahead of the trial, Rudolf is seen standing in the same grand jury room, something that he said would never happen in a U.S. courtroom. 43-year-old Elizabeth Ratliff was found dead in her home in Graefenhausen, Germany. "And you never saw any kind of indication that she had any kind of romantic relationship with Michael Peterson?" Patty described what she saw when she entered the house. } else if ( host.indexOf("asia.cnn.com") != -1 ) { Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. } The jury finds Michael guilty and sentences him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She was the first woman in Michael Peterson's life found dead at the bottom of a staircase, and featured in the aptly titled Netflix series "The Staircase.". We never charge him another cent and the appeal was done on a court-appointed basis.". When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth had worked in the same school as Michael's then wife Patty. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America," he said. Im also sure as he is a master storyteller, that he convinced himself the story he told was the truth and his mind believed it, thus giving his consciousness the ability to feel he was innocent and then able to act the part of the victim as well. Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband George, who was a captain in the military. It is true that Peterson and Brunet did date, with Peterson confirming to The News and Observer they went their separate ways in 2017. It was a unanimous decision by all 12 jury members. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. A friend of Elizabeth Ratliff's also testified about a bloody death scene. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident, and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. David Rudolf represented Michael Peterson in the real-life murder trial depicted in the HBO Max series "The Staircase." So much so, that the court in Durham ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's body from her grave in Texas. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck her children to sleep. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. I can't live in Paris. Authorities ruled Ratliff's death to be of natural causes, concluding that a cerebral hemorrhage caused her to fall and strike her head. 1 day ago. "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. 1 day ago, by Chanel Vargas Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. he continued. 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. And as far as the girls, Margaret and Martha, Michael was the only parent they had been around the longest, they knew of their birth mothers death but couldnt associate with it as they were so young when it happened. The defence countered these claims, arguing that half of Elizabeth's brain was missing during the new autopsy and pushing against the idea that Michael was the last person to see her alive. 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? The neighbour, Karin Hamn, testified that she saw MP hurrying away from ER's house at 12.50 am on November 25th. . They wanted to reassess her injuries, to make sure her death really was the tragic accident it had been accepted as for 17 years. 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. I do not think that the girls could mentally handle it if they allowed their minds to go to the place of believing he did it. How is The Last of Us TV series different to game? However as Kathleen was not having any of it, I believe she decided to storm out and go to a relatives house or even a hotel, just to get out as some people do in the onset of a huge argument-just need to get out even to go for a drive. Please select the topics you're interested in: Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP? 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. Elizabeth Ratliff Wasn't Murdered It's been incredibly infuriating that people keep insisting that Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth. by Monica Sisavat 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. 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. I believe that Kathleen excused herself to go get ready for a meeting the next morning. Tragedy struck, however, in 1983, when Elizabeth's husband George was killed in a secret military operation overseas. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, Texas. ", Speaking separately to Vanity Fair about the scenes in the fifth episode of HBO Max's The Staircase, Lestrade said: "We gave [Campos] all the access he wanted, and I really trusted the man. 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. "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.". Regina Green, an old family friend of Peterson pointed out in "The Staircase" how much Ratliff and Petersons first wife Patricia looked alike. The similar nature of Elizabeth's and Kathleen's deaths was enough to leave the jury serving on Michael's trial in Durham significantly suspicious. Often, he'd help with the dishes or read to Ratliff's two young daughtersbefore returning home, according to the documentary series. At least, until tragedy struck. Now at this time a few things couldve happened-whatever he struck her with at the front door, he now needed to get rid of, so as she lay dying at the bottom of the stairs, he changed out of any bloodied clothes and got rid of them with the item he struck her with. Rudolf is highly skeptical of the documentary crew following their every move but eventually has to relent. 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". 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. In 2003, Michael Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Kathleen Peterson after she was found dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the staircase in their home on December 9, 2001. He and Patty later adopted two young daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, after their mother, Elizabeth Ratliff (a Peterson family friend), died in Germany in 1985. The nanny who found Elizabeth Ratliff's body in 1985 also took to the stand at Michael Peterson's murder trial and testified to witnesses about a large amount of blood at the scene. The critically acclaimed documentary of the same name came out in 2004 a few years after the trial and is now available to stream on Netflix, while this fictionalized version tells the tale of The. 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. Peterson was the. It is only natural that a mother want custody of her children, but why not the girls as their mother was supposedly her best or very close friend?? Michael is having a rough time in prison. "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," Radisch concluded. 13 hours ago, by Chanel Vargas After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. 1 week ago, by Kelsie Gibson But yet, they [in The Staircase on HBO Max] somehow create the impression that Michael was hiding this from me until four weeks before the trial. I do feel that Michael was in a bit of shock as to what happened, it probably all happened very fast as it did back in 1985 with Liz. 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. Both declined to comment directly on Rudolf's statements. Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. An autopsy concluded Elizabeth died from a. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. I completely feel for his family, especially the kids. The night before Elizabeth's death, Michael Peterson and his wife had dinner with Elizabeth and her two young daughters. The Scene of Her Death 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. Clayton has been in some trouble in the past, but has since been trying to turn his life around. Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." Elizabeth Ratliff, a family friend of Michael Peterson and his first wife, Patricia, died in 1985, just two years after her husband, George. "I don't know that you could possibly make a more serious and damaging claim against a documentarian than that, especially when it's completely and utterly false and demonstrably false. This meant 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. In shock of what just transpired, Michael returned home where he would await news of Liz being found dead. However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. if ( host.indexOf("europe.cnn.com") != -1 ) { Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Despite a large amount of blood, witness Cheryl Appel-Schumacher testified Monday, Ratliff's death didn't pique the interest of German and U.S. investigators, and they left the house without the body and without taking any photographs. The Scene of Her Death. In The Staircase, Patty recalls how they would all eat together and how Michael would regularly stay behind to help Elizabeth clean up and put her daughters to bed. He was released on bond in 2011 pending a retrial. She edited the scenes of us in the house, you know, meeting with experts, that sort of thing," he continued. Under no circumstances would they have had a sexual relationship.". Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The series takes great inspiration from de Lestrade's documentary and even includes the director (played by Vincent Vermingon) and his documentary team. With two young children (Martha, the youngest, was just months old when her father passed away), Elizabeth relied on Michael and Patty's support more than ever. However, Rudolf and the real Lestrade have both taken issue with how Peterson's romance with Brunet has been portrayed, believing some scenes implied her relationship with Peterson impacted her neutrality whilst editing the documentary. The details of Elizabeth Ratliff's second autopsy were submitted as prosecuting evidence in Michael Peterson's trial for the murder of his wife, Kathleen. 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.". Here's the OTHER Death at the Center of Netflix's The Staircase. . "I could not give her what she really needed and deserved, and that would be a full-time partner living with her in Paris. Kathleen even has a brief run-in with Freda Black. He later adopted Ratliff's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". The final episode of the series is told through three time periods 2001, the day before Kathleens death, 2011, the night before Michaels retrial, and 2017, when Michael is contemplating the Alford plea. I feel here is where things took a turn. The filmmakers, with Michael's permission, are granted 24/7 access to document the entire process from prepping for the trial, the trial itself, and after the jury verdict is announced. 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. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. The deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", state pathologist wrote in her report. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He said they wanted the same medical examiner who claimed that Peterson's wife wasn't accidental to perform the autopsy rather than a neutral pathologist in Texas as he suggested. DURHAM, N.C. 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 . After receiving permission from Elizabeth's mother and sister, authorities went ahead with the exhumation. Elizabeth now feeling frustrated and not wanting to continue being alone with 2 small children told him she was going to go tell his wife that her daughter Margaret was Michaels daughter (as you can see the incredible similarities between she and Michael as well as his boys Todd & Clayton with Patty). believed to have been the last person to see her alive, carried out a second autopsy on Elizabeth Ratliff's body. There are theories he had been in an illicit relationship with Elizabeth, although this is something his first wife Patty strenuously denies. 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. The Netflix series, originally a documentary produced by a French company, examines his original trial. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. But . He paid that, or his brother paid it and that was it. The Staircase will be your new fav true crime show, 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. 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. However, back in Germany Michael Peterson's BFF Elizabeth Ratliff also happened to die in another "freak staircase accident" in 1995.