During the defense's cross-examination of E. Jean Carroll, Trump's attorney asked the writer why she "did not scream" when she was "supposedly raped.". All Rights Reserved. There are theories he had been in an illicit relationship with Elizabeth, although this is something his first wife Patty strenuously denies. Amongst them is the 1985 death of Elizabeth Ratliff, primarily because of the way she was found and how her two orphaned daughters soon ended up being adopted by the Petersons. He was sentenced to time already served and freed. 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. Elizabeth died in 1985. Her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany at the time. Patricia Peterson and Elizabeth Ratliff had worked together at an elementary school on a U.S. Air Base and lived close by with their families in the town of Graefenhausen. 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. Storyville Death on . 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. 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. 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. [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]. What will the King Charles era be called? . By being summoned to the scene in Germany and living at the scene in Durham, the Defendant is then present on the scene . How we got here, what's new and why they face resistance, 7 arrested after ALE search at illegal business in Raleigh, Texas man fatally shoots 5 people, including 8-year-old. Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. Instead, they used her death as an example of an incident that could have helped him "fake" Kathleen's accident. Spittle testified that he could not recall mentoring Deaver who, since completing a two-day training course in the 1980s, had testified in only four cases, the Peterson case being the third. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, Texas. 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. "What's the fucking grounds?" 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.". After Michael and Patricia divorced in 1987, Clayton and Todd lived with Patricia, and Margaret and Martha stayed with Michael, who then moved to Durham, North Carolina. As seen on The Staircase, both girls publicly supported Peterson during his trial and became inconsolable when he was convicted. The medical examiner found Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratcliffe suffered similar blows to the head, including seven lacerations which were sustained by blunt force trauma. 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. Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed in 2003. Here's what we know about the real-life events. 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. Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Staircase on HBO Max. Michael moved back to the United States, taking his adopted daughters with him, and met Kathleen Peterson in 1986. The Creators Weigh In, The Bizarre True Story Behind Rachel Weisz's "Dead Ringers" Remake. At its heart was a seemingly perfect marriage. Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband George, who was a captain in the military. He graduated from Duke University with a bachelor's degree in political science. Often, he'd help with the dishes or read to Ratliff's two young daughtersbefore returning home, according to the documentary series. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting centre of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. 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. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. 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. Peterson was reportedly the last person to see her alive. But they need to put themselves in their shoes, think if you already came from a broken home, wouldnt you try to believe in every last possibility that your parent could not do something so horrific, even if similar circumstances also involved that parent many years before? She'd reportedly died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, secondary to a blood clot disorder. However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. But . Yet in the early hours of a cold December morning in 2001 Kathleen. Elizabeth Ratliff's children Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore and Martha Ratliff. Now, if you wish to learn more about this nearly four-decade-old matter, including the undeniable suspicions surrounding the same, dont worry; weve got all the essential details for you. "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. What happened to Elizabeth Ratliff? It was a unanimous decision by all 12 jury members. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. two adorable daughters into their lives Margaret and Martha Ratliff. We challenge each other, collaborate and come together, just as a family does; winning as a team and celebrating as one too. Elizabeth died in 1985. 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. 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. ]]> After eight years, Peterson was granted a new trial after the judge ruled a critical prosecution witness gave misleading testimony. 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? "The embarrassment is just going to keep growing over this," Laura Harth, the campaign director at Safeguard Defenders, told Newsweek. 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. found sufficient evidence drawn from the results of the second autopsy, along with new witness statements describing the scene,[10] to overturn the earlier findings and list Ratliff's cause of death as "homicide". The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. Under no circumstances would they have had a sexual relationship.". Absent a reconsideration of the ruling or the raising of a federal issue, Peterson had exhausted his appeals of the verdict. Elizabeth's updated autopsy report indicated that she died from homicidal assault. 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. Peterson lived next door to Ratliff when she died. Peterson also worked as a newspaper columnist for The Herald-Sun, where his columns became known for their criticism of police and of Durham County district attorney James Hardin Jr., who would later prosecute Peterson for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen. The ME overturned Elizabeth's original autopsy and concluded she also died by homicide. 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. 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. The pair "had a loving, almost familial relationship," Patty described. Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." 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. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. After George's death, the Peterson and Ratliff families became very close. Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. 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. SCOTUS Now Just Another Congressional Committee, Secret Chinese Police Stations in Europe Are 'Tip of the Iceberg', Trump's Attorney Just Blew Carroll Rape Case, King Charles Says Royals Require 'Acting Ability', Ukraine Will Regain 'Significant Territory' From Russia, Florida GOP Paves the Way to Help Ron DeSantis Challenge Trump. The News & Observer, Durham's local news outlet, reported how "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned" upon hearing their father's guilty verdict. 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. Scan this QR code to download the app now. It was one of America's most gripping murder trials of the last two decades. 1987-United States-Michael and Patty have now since divorced (funny how so soon after this all happened) And in the divorce, the Petersons boys went with Patty while the Ratliff girls remained with Michael. 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. They argued as he would not agree to this. Peterson's appeal was filed by his defense counsel, with Thomas Maher now serving as his court-appointed attorney, and was argued before the North Carolina Court of Appeals on April 18, 2006. "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.". When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. In June 2006, he voluntarily filed for bankruptcy. They fought and it turned physical. The last person believed to see her alive was Michael Peterson the night before when their families had dinner together in her home. When re-examined, Elizabeth's relationship with Michael's family and the details of her passing thicken the plot of this engrossing true-crime case. Media reports explained this by suggesting he probably changed his clothes, but investigators determined very early that he had not. [5], Peterson and his first wife Patricia lived in Germany for some time. 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. She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. We want to be famous for creating and sharing stories that matter unique, trusted, entertaining, everywhere. . Everyone has a voice and should feel proud and free to run with their ideas, enjoying their successes and journey with us. Amybeth Berner, Ratliff's friend, described the scene at Ratliff's house in 1985 for jurors. On September 19, the Court of Appeals rejected Peterson's arguments that he did not get a fair trial because of repeated judicial mistakes. Learning is part of the journey at A+E Networks EMEA and youll be offered personal and professional development opportunities throughout your career with us. Forensic tests revealed that it had been untouched and unmoved for too long to have been used in the murder. The Staircase airs Thursdays on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic. Or anyone else for that matter-NO ONE knows exactly what someone has in their home-their own or someone elses) he then went into self-preservation mode-his mind took him back to what happened with Elizabeth Ratliff and so he carried Kathleen or even helped guide her up the stairs, if she was still conscious, telling her he would help her and not to worry, however after climbing a certain amount of stairs, he then ended up heaving her down the stairs. The murder weapon was never identified. 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). At A+E Networks EMEA youll find a team of innovative, creative and collaborative people who embrace change and want to continually try new things. 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. Both subsequently broke off from the rest of the family. At A+E Networks EMEA, we share stories that matter. Our stories are global and local, linear and digital, and always compelling. T he death of Elizabeth Ratliff was brought into the Peterson case. In the end, Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson. In 1971, he received an honorable discharge with the rank of captain after a car accident left him with a permanent disability. 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 Petersons had dinner with Ratliff and her daughters, and Peterson had stayed and helped Ratliff put the children to bed before going home. he spits. He co-wrote the biographical Charlie Two Shoes and the Marines of Love Company with journalist David Perlmutt, and co-wrote Operation Broken Reed with Arthur L. Boyd. Either of these scenarios give him time, time in which the blood to dry to the point it did when the EMTs got there and noticed it was not wet as it should be, had it just happened. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. In response, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, argued he had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before. The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. Ratliff taught second grade at a U.S. Department of Defense School. At the end of episode 3 of HBO Max's The Staircase, we learn a bit more about Elizabeth "Liz" Ratliff's death. What's the deal with Pret's new club subscription? In 2001 the woman Ratliff called "mom," Kathleen Peterson, was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs in the family's Durham, North Carolina, home. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. When Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed from a Texas grave and autopsied by the North Carolina medical examiner's office in 2003, it was determined she had been murdered. Here's the OTHER Death at the Center of Netflix's The Staircase. Newsweek has everything you need to know. The Durham M.E. [39][40] The film documents Peterson's family and his legal team's arguments in seeking a retrial, in which they succeed.[41]. The Scene of Her Death. On April 16, 2003, the state medical examiner's office carried out a second autopsy on Elizabeth Ratliff's body. He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court, but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. 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. 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. The coroner determined that the hemorrhage resulted in immediate death followed by Ratliff falling down the stairs after collapsing. 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. So is Michael Peterson guilty? "There was nothing out of place, except that she was no longer living," she recalled almost two decades later. Despite police reports that there was very little blood at the scene of Ratliff's death, the nanny, who was the first to discover Ratliff's body in 1985, took the stand at Peterson's trial and testified that there was a large amount of blood at the scene. 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. [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. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Elizabeth's death is a tragedy, but whether it was brought upon by an ill-fated accident or contemptuous murder, we'll never know. It was directed by French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and released by Maha Productions in October 2004. 1 week ago, Here's the OTHER Death at the Centre of Netflix's The Staircase, "Saint X" Isn't a True Story, but It Parallels the Tragic Disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Watch Natalie Portman Act Out Her Movie Career in Just 7 Minutes With James Corden, Adele Joins James Corden For His Final "Carpool Karaoke": "I'm Going to Miss You So Much", The Future of Netflix's "Beef" Currently Remains Unclear, Will There Be a "Jury Duty" Season 2? In October 2002, acting as administrator of Kathleen's estate, Caitlin filed a wrongful death claim against Peterson. Toxicology results showed that Kathleen's blood alcohol content was 0.07 percent (70mg/100mL), her alcohol in urine was 0.11 and she had taken between 5 and 15mg of Valium. ", "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. First, her death was ruled natural After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. While there, Peterson was president of Sigma Nu fraternity and was editor of The Chronicle, the daily student newspaper, from 1964 to 1965. Our people are our strength, and our differences are celebrated. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Netflix's 'The Staircase': How did Elizabeth Ratliff really die? German police arrived at the scene and quickly deemed Elizabeth's fall an accident. 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. "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. Doubt as to the admissibility of the Ratliff evidence in court was one of the grounds for the subsequent appeal against his conviction, lodged by Peterson's lawyers in 2005. Elizabeth Ratliff, a family. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. Blood at Liz Ratliff's death Story goes there was a lot of blood at the scene of Liz's death, according to the three women who testified at the trial (however, not enough to be reported or photographed by German authorities and American military). 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. So much so, that Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out by the Durham Medical Examiner. Eight 45-minute episodes of the documentary were assembled from more than 600 hours of footage. Just like with Petersons wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. According to Radisch, the total of seven lacerations to the top and back of Kathleen's head were the result of repeated blows with a light, yet rigid, weapon. [33] On November 14, 2016, Peterson's request for the second trial to be dismissed was refused, and a new trial was scheduled to begin on May 8, 2017. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery. 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. Hardin and his prosecution team (among them Mike Nifong) attacked Peterson's credibility, focusing on his alleged misreporting of his military service and what they described as a gay life he led and kept secret. [10] Arrangements were made for the Durham medical examiner, who had initially performed Kathleen's autopsy, to perform this reevaluation, over the objections of defense counsel who argued that the autopsy should be performed by Texas medical examiners. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of theTerms and Conditions. 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. . When re-examined, Elizabeth's relationship with Michael's family and the details of her passing thicken the plot of this engrossing true crime case. The staircase in Germany where Elizabeth Ratliff was found dead, Michael Peterson with Elizabeth Ratliffs daughter, Martha. As Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. Our culture embraces individuals, in all their daring, passionate, ambitious glory. The. More importantly, both Margaret and Martha Ratliff, whose custody was awarded to the Petersons as per their biological mothers final will, also support their father through and through. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth had worked in the same school as Michael's then wife Patty. There they befriended Elizabeth and George Ratliff and their two children, Margaret and Martha. During the retrial hearing, SBI Assistant Director Eric Hooks testified that Deaver had written only 47 reports. He was sentenced to time already served and freed from prison. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Despite the jury accepting the murder as a "spur-of-the-moment" crime, they also found it was premeditated. At the time of the exhumation, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, requested that a "neutral" pathologist from Texas carry out the second autopsy. The trial drew increasing media attention as details of Peterson's private life emerged. Kathleen discovered his secret gay life, confronted him, threatened divorce, they were in . 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. When Elizabeth Ratliff died in 1985, Michael became the guardian of her two children. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident, and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth worked in the same school as Michael's then-wife, Patty. [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. Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. 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 author's ex-wife, Patty, maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. Several similarities exist between the death of Elizabeth Ratliff in Germany in 1985 and the subject of this trial, which is the death of Kathleen Peterson in Durham, North Carolina in 2001. Peterson's attorneys had determined that the SBI crime lab report listed a microscopic owl feather and a wooden sliver from a tree limb entangled in a clump of hair that had been pulled out by the roots found clutched in Kathleen's left hand. So much so, that the court in Durham ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's body from her grave in Texas. Peterson had been at her house the night before her death. Her name was Elizabeth Ratliff (shown above in the blue shirt) and she died at the age of 43. It's believed that Michael was the last. Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. A+E Networks EMEA is an amalgamation of A+E Networks UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Nordics, Benelux, Spain and Africa. Peterson's case is the subject of the French documentary miniseries The Staircase, which started filming soon after his arrest in 2001 and followed events until his eventual Alford plea in 2017. [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. Elizabeth Ratliff Autopsy - 4 Autopsy Report -- Elizabeth Ratliff Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. We believe that once she learned this information that an argument ensued and a homicide occurred. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. 43-year-old Elizabeth Ratliff was found dead in her home in Graefenhausen, Germany. news, features and health.