Today, Caitlin is married and is now known as . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Paramedics said that Kathleens blood had congealed, suggesting she died hours before he called 911. Peterson is now serving a life term. After breaking up with Sophie ( Juliette Binoche) and refusing to move to Paris, Michael went to live with his ex-wife Patty ( Trini Alvarado ). He also explained that after Kathleens death, he engaged legal help immediately a move that raised suspicion at the time only because his son insisted upon it, calling in Michaels lawyer brother, Bill Peterson. At addition, she enrolled in Duke University's engineering school. Caitlin then moved in with her mum Kathleen and her new husband Michael Peterson after. Investigators found out how Liz Ratliff, Margaret and Marthas mother, died. So who really was she? But first, heres a recap of A Novel Idea along with extra information drawn from internet research: Full house. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in October 2003. Michael Peterson was so worried, in fact, he emailed his first wife Patty eleven days before Kathleen's death to ask her to take a $30,000 home equity loan to help their sons out because he was unable to do so. There are the believers: In terms of the owl suspect, witnesses have helped the Durham County Police come up with a composite drawing, now being distributed widely throughout the region: If you see him, dont attempt to apprehend him as hes armed and dangerous, but do contact the Durham County Police Department immediately. While strictly circumstantial, the prosecution still achieved a guilty verdict, but many who have followed the case or have now learned about it from the series were never convinced that her husband Michael killed her OR that she fell down a flight of stairs. We know she lived at 1810 Cedar Street in a well to-do suburb of Durham, North Carolina. This story was originally published July 18, 2018, 11:15 AM. Theory 1: Murder. Around 2:40 a.m. on December 9, 2001, Michael Peterson called 911 to report finding Kathleen at the bottom of the back staircase in their million-dollar mansion. Lawyer Larry Pollard, who wasnt on the case but was a neighbor of Petersons, brought up this idea. Kathleen married Michael in 1997, and the couple proceeded to merge their two families. Instead, Michael laid the blame for his murder conviction on humans. She confronted Michael about cheating on her, there was an argument, and he beat her to death with a fireplace implement, they alleged. her blood-alcohol level was just below 0.08, the level at which a person in North Carolina is considered too drunk to drive. Michael Iver Peterson "Mike" to his friends is a 78-year-old novelist and decorated military veteran who once ran for mayor of Durham, North Carolina. We know he stepped in her blood and stepped on her. And a 2009 forensic analysis detailed traces of wood splinters and cedar needles in her hair, along with microscopic bits of feather. This week Sandy and I tackle a cold case from 2007 of Missing Mom Stacy Peterson who went missing from the home she shared with her abusive husband, former police officer Drew Peterson, who was later convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen. The defendant had hired criminal defense attorney David Rudolf two days prior, following extensive searches and seizures taking place at his home. The documentary director told Metro that he began filming Peterson in February 2002 and didn't wrap until 2018. Kathleen Peterson's life insurance was later split between her daughter, Caitlin Atwater, and her first husband Fred Atwater. What has yet to be determined was exactly how Kathleen met her demise. The report also noted that she had been found holding clumps of her hair when she died. NetflixKathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson in an undated photograph. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. The home was originally built in 1940 by architect George Watts Carr, who constructed the house for a wealthy businessman by the name of John Adams Buchanan. Her husband, Mike, was convicted of her murder in a case that made national news on Court TV. Three small feathers were found in the hair strands in Kathleens hand, and Pollard said the lacerations on her scalp were consistent with owl talons. She had a net worth of around $2 million, according to Forensic Files. On October 10, 2003, Michael Peterson was sentenced to life without parole for Kathleen's murder, via The New York Times. A video accompanying the in-depth News & Observer piece gave Michael an opportunity to talk about his everyday post-prison life. During their 22-year marriage from 1965 to 1987, the pair welcomed two sons, Clayton and Todd. RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube, a rogue owl played a role in Kathleens death, NFL player Rae Carruth in his murder trial, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Ron Gillette: An Air Force Man Who Didnt Exactly Aim High. Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson (February 21, 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina - December 9, 2001 in Durham, North Carolina) was an American business executive, engineer, and philanthropist.She is well known as the subject of the documentary series The Staircase, which addresses the circumstances surrounding her death.. She was married twiceto Fred Atwater in 1977 and to Michael Peterson . The interest on the twenty-something boys' loans were so high they had no money left to live on, and their father was concerned. He needed her money to survive the way he wanted to survive," she said. As one of their friends told CBS News in 2003, "They had all the appearances and trappings of happiness. You'd think this would have been a major point of evidence, but for some reason, up until then it had never been referenced in the docuseries. Will a warm February mean a brutal spring or summer? The Petersons were close friends with Elizabeth Ratliff, who had two young daughters, Martha and Margaret. Charnel house. Kathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson in an undated photograph. During the trial, evidence suggested she was hit with a fire poker after a heated argument about Michael Petersons closeted sexuality. View Kathleen Peterson results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Kathleen Peterson Born: February 21, 1953 Birthplace: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Death: December 9, 2001, Durham, North Carolina, USA (lacerations to skull) Bio: Michael Peterson's Second Wife Olivia DeJonge Born: April 30, 1998 Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia Caitlin Atwater Born: April 27, 1982 Birthplace: North Carolina Like the fact the couple were in a lot of debt when Kathleen died. Plus the death of Liz Ratliff in Germany was deemed inadmissible. By Amy . %PDF-1.6
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The most recent Durham County tax appraisal is $1.9 million. Of course, none of this absolutely *proves* it was a barred owl that inflicted the initial wounds on Kathleen Peterson. It does resist clarity. Though one of their sons was at the scene before police, and the tree branch would have been easy to dispose of and could explain the needles and feathers, many of these and other theories do not have enough evidence to hold up to scrutiny. It was determined that Kathleen died because of blood loss 90 minutes to two hours after she received several blows to the back of the head with a blunt object. You can see the back of the property from the Kent Street side, which has barbed wire above the gate and No Trespassing signs. However, as Snell told jurors, "the seven wounds he observed while watching other forensic pathologists perform the autopsy were a major reason he changed his initial finding of 'accident' to homicide from a beating.". Netflix. In 2003, Peterson was found guilty in the initial trial. Kathleen had also had a $1.4 million life insurance policy, which would be paid to Michael in the event of her death. However, with Michael's Alford plea, the case has legally been put to rest. Still, there was no serious drama until Dec. 9, 2001, when Michael Peterson made a desperate 911 call to report his wife had fallen down the stairs but was still breathing. And as CNN reported, Kathleen apparently had a $1.8 million life insurance policy, and prosecutors argued that Michael might have killed his wife for financial gain. The couple threw dinner parties for dozens of friends at their spread, which included a swimming pool with decorative fountains. In the first 911 call, Michael Peterson frantically tells the operator that Kathleen is "still breathing" and urges them to hurry. The occupants of the home are not known; however, as HBO Maxs series unfolds, more information may come to light. Drew is serving a 38 year sentence in prison after he was found guilty of murdering his third wife Kathleen Savio. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in 2001. Psychic Discusses Kathleen Peterson Murder In this special episode of Reality Life with Kate Casey podcast a medium is asked to discuss the unsolved mysteries of the murders of Sister Cathy Cesnik and Kathleen Peterson, the kidnapping of Sherri Papini, and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. What really happened in the Peterson household in the early hours of December 9 will likely always remain a mystery. While Michael was a novelist and newspaper columnist of varying success, Kathleen was an executive at communications firm Nortel, earning around $150,000 per year, via NBC News. As the story is once again brought to living rooms across the nation with HBOs dramatized telling of The Staircase, Kathleen Peterson, the scholar, mother, and advocate, may finally get the attention she deserves. On Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson found his wife, Kathleen, dead at the bottom of the back staircase. Pollard theorised that Kathleen could have been attacked outside by one of these owls, which would account for the seven unexplained lacerations to her head. Michael's sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson, were also in severe debt. Kathleen M Peterson, 74. Her hands and arms had contusion bruises but not her legs, which suggests evidence of a struggle. He and Patricia split up, and he began a relationship with his neighbor Kathleen Hunt Atwater in Durham, North Carolina, in 1992. When there weren't many jobs in education in New York in the 70s, Kathleen Peterson, an aspiring high school teacher, took some advice and chased down an opportunity in an emerging field where she could apply her skills in science and data. Kathleen was dead by the time first responders got there. Jury selection began in May 2003, and the State vs. Michael Peterson trial started on July 1, 2003, via The News & Observer. She was the first woman accepted into Duke Universitys school of engineering. Not one.. Although skeptical, the TV psychologist gave Michael a chance to defend himself. Then 68-years-old, Michael was released from prison pending a new trial, and after posting a $300,000 bond, via The News & Observer. The couple renovated and resold the house to a New York psychic medium by the name of Biond Fury for $1.3 million in 2008. But the autopsy also revealed she sustained several lacerations on her head as a result of beating and died from blood loss hours after she fell. His fourth wife, Stacy. According to the show's director, Jean-Xavier Lestrade, this relationship had no influence on how Brunet edited the series. While Ratliff's daughters stood by their adopted father throughout his trial and imprisonment, Kathleen's daughter, Caitlin Atwater sided with the prosecution. Where are Michael & Kathleen Peterson's kids now? Her husband was the prime suspect. 'The Staircase' has put Kathleen Peterson in the spotlight. Gates bought the house in June 1989. Durham County Tax AdministrationThe exterior of the Peterson home in 2017. The couple had three daughters in college and credit card debt of $142,000. Whats more, the raptors are known to dive-bomb humans when they feel threatened, almost always targeting the head.. Heres how Raleigh ranks among US metros for first-time homebuyers, 74,000 & growing: Some NC police departments stockpile guns rather than release them. While Kathleen wasn't one of the employees to have been laid off, she reportedly told her sister Candace she was concerned that by the end of the year she wouldn't have a job. Chief among them: A close friend of Petersons, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also been found dead at the bottom of a staircase, in 1985. Perhaps he was trying to delete some files. During his initial 911 call, Michael said that Kathleen was still breathing, per official court documents. According to Power, Privilege, and Justice, which produced a 2004 episode about the case titled Murder He Wrote, Peterson went upstairs to work on the computer while police were still on the murder scene. In response, the prosecution also argued that the motive could have been money. It riveted viewers even as it wrapped up with the conclusion that, well, we can really never know whether Michael did it or not. She enrolled in Franklin & Marshall College and began taking Latin classes after finishing her basic studies. And then there was the owl theory, introduced late in the documentary. He did find himself a post-lockup girlfriend, however, in one of the editors of The Staircase. According to the houses current Zillow description, the 9,500-square-foot house sits on 3.5 acres, stands behind wrought iron gates, and is complete with stonewall walkways. make North Carolina more free. Other online correspondence allegedly proved he was trying to hook up with men on the side, including a chipper prostitute called Brad. Caitlin Atwater, Katherines daughter from her first marriage, later switched sides. Peterson, then 58, was a successful writer; Kathleen, then 48, a telecommunications executive. But there was no 9,429-square-foot palatial home with a redwood-paneled authors study for Michael to return to. We know she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at her home on 1810, Cedar Street, covered in blood, with seven lacerations to her head. But, as the prosecution pointed out in the trial, Kathleen was actually the sole owner of the house and the car. Per ABC News, "From the beginning Peterson maintained that Kathleen had simply slipped on the stairs in a tragic accident after drinking wine and taking valium." However, despite the houses dark history, it remains occupied. 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. The New York Times would later describe Michael as having a theatrical personality. Kathleen was a live wire, too. Brainy bunch. She found more than 2,000 photos of naked men and emails between Michael and a male escort on Michael's computer, which led her to death. Bits of feather 2009 forensic analysis detailed traces of wood splinters and Cedar needles in home... 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