Michael Peterson and his first wife, Patricia Peterson, were living in West Germany at the time. Related:Why Landscapers' Real Life Origins Create A Common True Crime Problem. In the weeks leading up to her death, Elizabeth reported suffering from severe headaches. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Peterson admitted that he had affairs with both men and women when he was married to his first wife, Patricia Peterson. The circumstances in which their mother died. Caitlin Atwater, Clayton Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, Michael Peterson, Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret Ratliff. The Kathleen Peterson murder case was also explored by a number of popular American true-crime television series, includingForensic Files, Dateline NBC, andCold Case. Kathleen Peterson was a loving mother and had a successful career. The Staircase Cast Guide: What Every Real Life Person Looks Like, Why Landscapers' Real Life Origins Create A Common True Crime Problem, Best True Crime Shows On Netflix Right Now, Under The Banner Of Heaven Cast & Real Life Character Comparison Guide, Catching Killers Season 2 Avoids Netflix's Usual True Crime Mistake. Aside from the obvious, striking, physical resemblance of Margaret to MP, Todd, and Clayton, here are five points that suggest that Margaret is MPs biological daughter. Margaret and Martha Ratliff have since tried their best to move on with their lives while also maintaining strong relationships with their father as well as their siblings (except Caitlin Atwater). 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. Though neither young woman testified during the trial, they were both integral to the case, because the circumstances of their adoption were brought up by the prosecution to point towards Michael's possible guilt. The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. Press J to jump to the feed. When a lifetime of fandom met a journalism degree, a ScreenRant writer was born. Michael Stuhlbarg is a well-known character actor with avery successful career. A fervent supporter of his father while he was on trial, Newsweek reported that Peterson's second son is currently living somewhere in Tennessee. Seems like something to be explored. Emily Clute is a features writer based out of New York. Rudolf firmly believed in Michael's innocence, continuing to represent him long after his client could afford his services. 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. Theseries was updated again when thedocumentary was released onNetflix, with another three episodes tacked on in 2018. Lips. The drama series has stirred up a lot of controversy with the artistic license it takes, and the real Todd has opened up on social media recently about what it allegedly gets wrong about his family. Above (L-R): The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, and Clayton Peterson. Jump To Who Is Margaret Ratliff? After making her start in Australian television, Odessa Young broke out into the world of film withThe Daughteralongside Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill. Kathleen had a $1.4 million life insurance policy that Michael stood to benefit from. Michael Peterson stayed behind afterward to help her clean up and put her girls, Margaret and Martha, to bed (NBC). Kathleen was only 48 years old when she died of blood loss at the bottom of the stairs in the Petersons' mansionin North Carolina. This was the prosecution's theory, but the defense argued that a bludgeoning of that type would have produced skull fractures and brain injuries.The defense attempted to discredit the prosecution's blow poke theory by producing a blow poke during the trial. They still believed he was innocent, with Margaret stating in The Staircase, "The bottom line is I just don't care. ", Since his release from prison in 2017, he has written two independently published books about his case, Behind the Staircase (2019) and Beyond the Staircase (2020), donating all of the profits to charity. In 2017, he was granted a new trial, and just last year, Peterson took an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Related:The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? Sophie Turner wears a cute daisy crocheted bucket hat while out to lunch at Wally's with husband Joe Jonas on Tuesday afternoon (May 17) in Beverly Hills, Calif.. When the Ratliffs both died in the 1980s, Michael adopted their daughters, Margaret and Martha, per Newsweek. Following her husband's death, Elizabeth became reliant on the Petersons. 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? Liz names Michael and Patty in her willas the custodians of her daughters despite having two living sisters. Todd was the first person to see Michael after Kathleen died, as shown in the first episode of HBO Maxs new series. She seethes with rage her body held tight, lips a straight line, hair mercilessly sprayed into shape As an angry, older woman, Candace is made an easy foil to the complexities of the men in the film., Michael Petersons Children: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. This was the main motive that the prosecution argued. Margaret Ratliff and her young sister Martha Ratliff were adopted by Michael Peterson after their parents, Elizabeth and George Ratliff, died. Kathleen's sister, Candace Zamperini, changed her mind about his innocence after learning of his bisexuality.More recently, Michael Peterson's son, Todd Peterson, released a video in December 2021 in which he states that he changed his mind about his father's innocence. David Rudolf served as Michael Peterson's defense attorney during his trial. Thats especially because while Elizabeths death was initially ruled to be from an intracerebral hemorrhage, a second autopsy (from her exhumed body) in 2003 updated her manner of death to homicide. A possible scenario is that he knocked up Margaret's mom (Liz), who gave birth to Margaret but not Martha. He helped to overturn the wrongful conviction of Alan Gell, return hard-earned money to Vietnamese immigrants Hai and Oanh Le Nguyen after it was seized by the federal government, and got several accused murderers acquitted. While the plea is technically a guilty one, it is not an admission of guilt. Michael and Patricia divorced in 1987 and Kathleen and her daughter Caitlin moved in with Michael and his children. Todd Peterson with father Michael Peterson in an undated photo, left; Patrick Schwarzenegger as Todd on HBO's "The Staircase," right. However, the similarities between Elizabeth's death and Kathleen's were too hard to ignore, and Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out by the Durham Medical Examiner. 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. Michael then married Kathleen. As the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger is no stranger to Hollywood. She had sustained a fracture to the superior cornu of the left thyroid cartilage of her throat, consistent with the type of wound a thumb could make if a hand had grabbed her throat to help control her head or try to strangle her. The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? Also found in the hair in her hand was a sliver of wood from a tree limb. In another post, the poster says that there was discussion of Martha Blair adopting Martha but not Margaret who would stay with MP. (Netflix) Michael Peterson's adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, were front and center in The Staircase. 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. He was eventually released on bail and wore an ankle monitor in 2011 after the validity of the trial was brought into question. The medical examiner, Deborah Radisch, concluded that Kathleen Peterson's injuries revealed that she had been bludgeoned to death and had sustained seven deep lacerations to the top and back of her scalp. Lead investigator, Art Holland was trying to find out if Ratliff, who was raised by Peterson, was his biological daughter, so he sent the letter to LABCORP to check Margaret Ratliff's DNA. She is an actress and assistant director, known for Subject (2022), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). -Inside the Staircase. Yes. So why does she look like him? I can't believe this hasn't been all over this case or doc. Lizs brother had the same last name as married Liz? Patty Peterson reportedly lived with ex-husband Michael Peterson at the time of her death Ratliff's housekeeper found her body near the bottom of the stairs. Lauren Kranc is the assistant content strategy editor at Esquire, where she runs the brands social media accounts and covers pop culture and television, with entirely too narrow an expertise on true crime shows, .css-gk9meg{display:block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding-top:0.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-gk9meg:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.15;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}Celebrities Who Voice Cartoon Characters, 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 is About to Commence, The Underworld Crossover of the Century Is Coming. Schwarzeneggerwenton to star in such moviesasMidnight Sun,Daniel Isn't Real, andMoxie. The next morning, the girls' nanny found Elizabeth's body at the bottom of the stairs. The prosecution asserted that the murder weapon was a missing blow poke, a fireplace tool similar to a metal fire iron except that a blow poke is hollow so that you can blow through it to send oxygen to precise points of the fire. Just the fact they did that so sneakily makes this look even more suspicious. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He appears often in The Staircase in which he supports his father's innocence. Lightning doesnt strike twice- they even laughedabout this in the documentary- I personally think if it can be linked that one or both of the girls are his biologically- we can button this case up once and for all. Rudolph never questions if the fountain is ever turned off or if it was turned off that night. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. Ratliff was Mike Peterson's friend who died in Germany nearly two decades ago. especially when she is sitting behind him at a diagonal in court and you can really see their faces almost side by side. "I'm trying to [pass on the way I grew up] to my kids. Black played an instrumental role in securing the murder conviction, playing on Peterson's bisexuality to create a strong motive that won over the jury. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Known for his roles insuch movies asA Single Man,The King's Speech,and his recent role inOperation Mincemeat, Firth isvery familiar with dramatic roles. I used to suffer a lot from really bad nightmares; I used to have really bad panic attacks in public spaces because of being in the trial, she said. Todd and Clayton are Michael Peterson's sons from his first marriage to. . Her narrow eyes and thin long nose are IDENTICAL to Michael Peterson. According to Michael, they did. Since MP picks women who looks like his mom, their children can look like his mom also. Son Todd Peterson said that on the surface, his parents seemed like they were the perfect couple. Margaret and Martha Ratliff Michael and his first wife Patricia had been good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff throughout the 1980s, and George Ratliff died in a military operation. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a110e3c1ce407a7 He is the second of Michael's two sons from his marriage to Patricia. Like his older brother, Todd Peterson supported his father throughout the documentary series. of Elizabeth Ratliff? The Staircase Self / Self - Michael Peterson's Adopted Daughter. And after the closing arguments, when all was said and done, I felt confident that I knew what happened. Posey has also lent her voice to animated series, performingcameos forThe Simpsons,Futurama,andSkylanders Academy. The death of his wife Kathleen, however, sent his life into turmoil. In 2003, however, information related to Elizabeth Ratliff that was brought up in court persuaded her to think otherwise about her stepfathers role in her mothers death. Here is a look at how the real Michael Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, and other persons involved in the case compare physically to the actors portraying them in HBO Max'sThe Staircase. The prosecutor suggested that Kathleen had found the photos and emails accidentally (NBC). It came from a letter sent by Margaret Ratliff, the daughter of Elizabeth Ratliff. He served an honorable military career and became a published author, newspaper columnist, and mayoral candidate. I wholeheartedly believe she is Michael's biological daughter. At this point I don't know who anyone's kids are except that Margaret looks exactly like Liz as she gets older. Related:Tiger King Makes Netflixs True Crime Problems So Much Worse. As for Todd, little information is known about his whereabouts today. Margaret and Martha's involvement with the Peterson family is a key part of the storyline, including Kathleen's death. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Did you see this photo? KATHLEEN PETERSON, (born Kathleen Hunt) wife of Michael Peterson, was found dead early Sunday morning (December 9, 2001) at the base of a staircase in their Forest Hills home. His firstmovie appearance was at age 10, inThe Benchwarmers. A friend pointed it out as I started watching The Staircase that Margaret Ratliff looks suspiciously like MP, Todd and Clayton. It is perhaps these puzzling details that could've potentially led Caitlin and Candace to remain convinced of Michael Peterson's guilt despite the eventual judgment. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Closing arguments, when all was said and done, I felt confident I... Certain word or phrase, a ScreenRant writer was born man, he divided his time between North Carolina Germany. 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