Todd Peterson 2 of 35. -Esquire. Stuhlbarg has alsoplayedroles in various television series, including Sy Feltz inFargoand Richard Sackler inDopesick. After becoming the first woman to be accepted into the Duke University engineering program, shebecamea telecommunications executive. CNN reported that Kathleen had been found at the foot of the stairs in the Peterson home with seven lacerations on the back of her head, bruising on her arms that might have been defensive wounds, and fractured thyroid cartilage in her throat that may have been a sign of attempted strangulation. In July 2018, Michaels lawyer throughout the trial, David Rudolf, sat down with Digital Spy for a candid interview about the case. 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. 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. I also wanted to disparagingly compare your post to posts made by those "everyone's a crisis actor" loons, who seem to believe that every Earthling with brown hair is really just one person playing 2 billion roles. However, the medical examiner determined that her blood alcohol level was so low she would have passed a breathalyzer test at the time of her death. -Esquire. Margaret Ratliff and her young sister Martha Ratliff were adopted by Michael Peterson after their parents, Elizabeth and George Ratliff, died. Yes. Basically twins. Margaret and Martha's involvement with the Peterson family is a key part of the storyline, including Kathleen's death. 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. The Staircase Netflix Documentary and HBO Max series about the death of Kathleen Peterson and which follows the trial of Michael Peterson. It came from a letter sent by Margaret Ratliff, the daughter of Elizabeth Ratliff. Kathleen had a $1.4 million life insurance policy that Michael stood to benefit from. This was the main motive that the prosecution argued. In exploring how accurate is The Staircase on HBO Max, we confirmed that Peterson has never admitted to killing his wife Kathleen. Margaret Ratliff, Clayton Peterson, Todd Peterson, and Martha Ratliff in Dateline NBC (1992) Close. I did not believe until the jury clerk read the sentence that I would be convicted." Michael and Patricia divorced in 1987 and Kathleen and her daughter Caitlin moved in with Michael and his children. Growing up, Caitlin was close with Martha and Margaret. Wait - there was a DNA test done in Margaret? They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was. A joke on the fact that she is not really his biological daughter? 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. The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? 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. 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. Who Are Margaret and Martha Ratliff? 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. 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. Colin Firth is a well-established actor in the world of film and television. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. In June of 2003, Margaret Ratliff sent a letter to Jim Hardin demanding the D.A. 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. Streamlined nose. He supports his father in the . 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.. He is not the father, as Maury would say. Todd Peterson, Clayton Peterson, Martha Ratliff and Margaret Ratliff. The prosecution also brought up how Martha and Margaret Ratliff's mother Elizabeth, a friend of Michael, had been found dead at the bottom of a staircase too. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Michael Peterson stayed behind afterward to help her clean up and put her girls, Margaret and Martha, to bed (NBC). [L-R] Margaret and Martha Ratliff during their father, Michael Peterson's trial. From her first marriage to Fred Atwater, Kathleen had a daughter named Caitlin. Harry Lynch File photo. At one point in Netflixs documentary, Martha says of her father, Sometimes it gets to us all, and thats when everybody starts worrying about everyone else. As the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger is no stranger to Hollywood. She'd join them for dinner and Michael would help her with various chores.In researching The Staircase true story, we learned that in late November 1985, Elizabeth and the Petersons had dinner at Elizabeth's home. Like her sister Margaret, Martha was not the biological daughter of the Petersons, but she too remains loyal to her adoptive father to this day. Michael Peterson and his first wife, Patricia Peterson, were living in West Germany at the time. The News & Observer reported that Martha had settled down in Colorado and Margaret moved to California, which meant both of them had decided to leave their home in Durham, North Carolina after their dad was convicted and sent to prison. Kathleen and Caitlin lived down the street in Durham, North Carolina. She could well be his first biological daughter. The TV drama miniseries focuses on the real-life 2003 murder trial that saw Michael accused of . Olivia DeJonge began a career in the world of film and television starting withher 2014 feature film debut,The Sisterhood of Night. Caitlin would go on to file a wrongful death claim against Michael Peterson, and she was awarded $25 million in 2008. But they're not all irrelevant. Im at a talk by David Rudolph and he states that they had them DNA tested and he is NOT her father!!! Today, Martha lives in Colorado and Margaret lives in California. (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. Like Caitlin Atwater, Candace Hunt Zamperini firmly believed that Michael had caused the death of Kathleenher sister. According to his lawyer, David Rudolf, Peterson lives in Durham, North Carolina in a ground-floor apartment with no stairs. Thats confusing. He said that his father's books "were getting rejected left and right" and weren't bringing in much money. They did a DNA test. Just the fact they did that so sneakily makes this look even more suspicious. Three of his novels were inspired by his time serving in the Vietnam War as a member of the United States Marine Corps. Its so fekking creepy. It looks like Todd eschews the public eye, so there isn't much information available . Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Yes. After her death, Peterson raised Ratliff's two girls. The Staircase: A Complete Breakdown of the Peterson Family. While The Staircase miniseries on HBO Max is based on Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's Netflix docuseries of the same name, the director told Vanity Fair that he feels "betrayed in a way" by Antonio Campos, the director of the HBO miniseries. Though they had divorced decades ago, Michael and Patricia had been living together in an apartment for the two years up until her death. Martha had left for college in San Francisco shortly before their lives were turned upside down by Kathleen's death and the resulting fallout. Following her husband's death, Elizabeth became reliant on the Petersons. It could have been Martha who licked it. (2007-2016) Like in the HBO Max miniseries, The Staircase true story confirms that Peterson said he was outside by the pool smoking a pipe and didn't come back inside until 2:40 a.m., at which time he discovered his wife Kathleen at the bottom of the service staircase. This response confuses me because Michaels first wife isnt blood related to himso how would that affect Margarets features being almost identical to Michael. - July 2016) (divorced) Trivia (4) Elder sister of Martha Ratliff. They still believed he was innocent, with Margaret stating in The Staircase, "The bottom line is I just don't care. 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. On April 18, 2001, Peterson wrote to a paternal uncle of Margaret and Martha Ratliff, the two young women whom Peterson reared after their father died in war and their mother was found dead at the . According to News & Observer, he has come to terms with his fathers multiple hearings over the past few years. When rescue workers arrived at the home, Peterson's wife was lying dead on the floor. Michael Peterson was connected to the 1985 death of Elizabeth Ratliff, an elementary school teacher who taught military children on Rhein-Main Air Force base in West Germany. Related:Under The Banner Of Heaven Cast & Real Life Character Comparison Guide. . Thanks to the Netflix series of the same name. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. Their father reportedly passed away during a secret overseas operation in 1983, whereas their mother was unexpectedly found dead at the bottom of her stairs on November 25, 1985. He claims to have bid goodnight to his wife as she . Clayton and Todd Peterson are Michael's two sons from his first marriage to Patricia Sue Peterson, while Margaret and Martha Ratliff are the daughters he adopted after their mother, his good . 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