Michael and Kathleen Peterson seemed to live a normal life in Durham, North Carolina, but when she wasfound dead at the bottom of their staircase on the evening of December 9, 2001, the tragedy turned their family upside down. As for Todd, little information is known about his whereabouts today. Rewatching the documentary Im really noticing that he seems obsessed with Margaret. -Esquire, Yes. Petersons son Clay lives in Maryland with his two children. Martha Ratliff Born: January 3, 1983 Birthplace: Germany Bio: Michael Peterson's Adopted Daughter Trini Alvarado Born: January 10, 1967 Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA Patricia Peterson Born: March 12, 1943 Birthplace: Paris, Arkansas, USA Death: July 8, 2021, Durham, North Carolina, USA (heart attack) Bio: Michael Peterson's First Wife A fervent supporter of his father while he was on trial, Newsweek reported that Peterson's second son is currently living somewhere in Tennessee. It looks like Todd eschews the public eye, so there isn't much information available . Rudolf specializes in covering high-profile cases. 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. Michael Peterson had something with Liz Ratliff, no doubt. But yeah I agree I think hes her father! Defendant Michael Peterson uses a magnifying glass to look at an evidence photo Monday, Aug. 18, 2003, during his murder trial in Durham, N.C. Peterson is accused in the . Theseries was updated again when thedocumentary was released onNetflix, with another three episodes tacked on in 2018. It should also be noted that Colin Firth is not as physically imposing as the real Michael Peterson was, who certainly had the strength to confidently commit the murder without a weapon. While they all initially believed he was innocent, Kathleen's biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, changed her mind after reading her mother's autopsy report. As for Martha, it is believed that she has taken inspiration from her own experiences and is thus focusing on helping others by serving as a mental health counselor/psychotherapist in Colorado these days. So. Yes. For me, its like [my] heart beats faster, I cant breathe, and I worry that Im going to pass out. Hence, it was only after matters settled for good that she and her sister were able to grieve the woman they genuinely considered their mother, Kathleen. However, his attorney David Rudolf denied that when speaking with the News and Observer, saying: Elizabeth's alleged murder remains unsolved, but the coincidences in both cases might have swayed the jury. With time served, Peterson was a free man . Yes. Published on May 12, 2022 In the HBO Max series The Staircase, Sophie Turner plays Margaret Ratliff, one of Michael Peterson's adopted daughters. 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Dropped Its First Trailer, 'Outer Banks' Season 4 Is Already In the Works, 'The Last of Us' Ep. What do you think? Netflix 5. Today, Caitlin Atwater lives in northern Virginia with her family. He and his first wife, schoolteacher Patricia Sue Peterson, had sons Todd and Clayton then acquired two daughters, Margaret and Martha, when the couple's friend Liz McKee Ratliff died. Press J to jump to the feed. The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, Clayton Peterson. She is also a cosplayer who has attended conventions of all kinds for almost ten years. The judge accepted the plea and sentenced Peterson to a maximum of 86 months in prison. Todd is played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, the son of Hollywood legend Arnold, whose screen credits include Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Moxie and Scream Queens. Caitlin is portrayed by Olivia DeJonge in The Staircase HBO Max miniseries. And guess what?.sounds like he was gay too! -Esquire, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The HBO Max miniseriesThe Staircaseis based on a true story, and its all-star castlooks uncannily similar when compared to their characters' real-life counterparts. The next morning, the girls' nanny found Elizabeth's body at the bottom of the stairs. Ratliff had assigned Michael as guardian of her kids and left him her entire estate. But I wouldnt say I worry about my dad. Michael apparently is attracted to people who resemble himself. So much so that several times watching this I forgot that she wasn't. 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Bustle quotes her as saying about the trials she experienced, The only thing that I have to say about the trial and all the subsequent fallout is that, if there was any closure to possibly come from all of this, it came after sitting through the entire trial and listening day after day to all the evidence on both sides, she said. Related:Why Landscapers' Real Life Origins Create A Common True Crime Problem. Both Margaret and her husband. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the entire case, Michael took an Alford deal in 2017, declaring guilt without sufficient evidence in order to go free without serving additional time. Interesting reading. They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was being tried for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen. Michael knows about Liz collecting Rosenthal wine glasses which he still has in his home. Powered by. Michael Peterson has spent the last 20 years explaining the death of his wife Kathleen. The eldest of Michael and Kathleen Peterson's two adopted daughters, Margaret, now 36, got married in her late twenties and is now known as Margaret Blakemore. I just recently found out MP was friends with Tom Radliff (Liz's George's brother) and was still in touch with him at the time of Kathleen's death. It could be as simple as that. Candace Zamperini, Kathleens sister, does not believe that Michael is innocent. Therefore, the plea to the reduced charge is the better option. Would love your thoughts, please comment. This was the main motive that the prosecution argued. They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was. The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? Ratliff was Mike Peterson's friend who died in Germany nearly two decades ago. He claims that his father killed his mother for financial reasons, as he had done with Kathleen. According to public record, Michael and Kathleen purchased their mansion in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Durham for $600,000 in 1992. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. There, he and his first wife became good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff. Margaret and Martha Ratliff are the adopted daughters of Michael and Patricia Peterson. Since MP picks women who looks like his mom, their children can look like his mom also. MP's sexual selection of women explains it. The coroner concluded that Elizabeth, 42, died from an intracerebral hemorrhage stemming from a blood clot disorder. I would prefer that all personal/private/intimate details be declared irrelevant and therefore off-limits for discussion. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The bruises on her wrists and hands could have occurred as she was trying to shield herself from the blow poke or a similar murder weapon. Press J to jump to the feed. It was Elizabeth Ratliffs death, which occurred not long after George Ratliffs death, that became a turning point in Michaels case. She was neighbors with Peterson and his ex-wife and they adopted the girls after her death. This response confuses me because Michaels first wife isnt blood related to himso how would that affect Margarets features being almost identical to Michael. Since then, shehas appeared inmovies across a wide variety of genres, such asRian Johnson's KnivesOut, as well asLittle Miss SunshineandHereditary. of Elizabeth Ratliff? If so, he most likely grabbed her by the hair on the front of her head with his right hand and then used his left hand to help repeatedly slam the back of her head into the wooden step at the bottom of the service stairs. 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. Seems like something to be explored. Here's what gets me: the fountain in the pool is left on although it's a late evening. Aside from the obvious, striking, physical resemblance of Margaret to MP, Todd, and Clayton, here are five points that suggest that Margaret is MP's biological daughter. Jack is assuring Michael that he will take care of the kids and jokes that he will train Margaret up in his job(I can't hear it properly but he does a job in Las Vegas I think?) Olivia DeJonge began a career in the world of film and television starting withher 2014 feature film debut,The Sisterhood of Night. Since he is the son of his own mother, he can look like his mom. I knew what happened to my mom. By that time in the mid-1980s, Michael's marriage to his first wife, Patricia Peterson, was in shambles. He killed Liz and adopted her daughters. . His time already served allowed him to walk away a free man. In other words, the girls were just 4 and 2 when Michael and his then-wife Patricia Patty Peterson became their guardians, in accordance with Elizabeths will they were neighbors as well as close friends. Michael Peterson's five children are featured in Netflix's latest true-crime drama, 'The Staircase'. Patricia was known for being supportive of Michael and believing he was innocent.Todd says that his father saw that Patricia was having a heart attack and waited three hours without calling for an ambulance. Shealso lent her voice to the HBO Max Original animated seriesThe Prince. And he always references the two girls before his sons. Michael loved his wife and children, and for all intents and purposes lived an average life. Candace became an integral force in the case against Michael, even raising the possibility herself that the fire poker she had gifted her sister had been used as a murder weapon. The December 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson at the bottom of her stairs is a case that is as messy and intriguing as it is brutal and dramatic, especially considering the ambiguous evidence involved. Michael and Patty, along with their young boys, reportedly resided in Germany for quite a while around the 1980s, where they befriended their . 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. In 2007, according to the AP, Atwater reached a $25 million wrongful death settlement, though he did not acknowledge any guilt in the case. No but there are a LOT of secrets between everyone that's for sure. Parker Posey is a veteran actress with a very impressive filmography. 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. He appears often in The Staircase in which he supports his father's innocence. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. It could have been Martha who licked it. Though they had divorced decades ago, Michael and Patricia had been living together in an apartment for the two years up until her death. What the fuck?! 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. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a110e3c1ce407a7 . Emily is an avid fan of Marvel, anime, and horror (especially Stephen King), and is always willing to discuss Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Yes. Although DNA testing seems to show shes not his biological daughter, he might be especially caring toward her BECAUSE she reminds him of himself and hes a bit of a narcissist. Yes. Three of his novels were inspired by his time serving in the Vietnam War as a member of the United States Marine Corps. Here is a cast and character guide. It didn't sound that nice Near the beginning they try to test whether Mike could have heard Kathleen yelling for help. And shes incredibly cold and lacking in empathy for her birth mother to the point of saying she didnt care about the circumstances of her death. However, underneath, that wasn't the case. The judge ordered a new trial and Michael Peterson was released from prison on December 16, 2011 on $300,000 bail (Newsweek). From what we can tell, Caitlin has done her best to move on from the past, but of course, she hasn't let go of her mother, her memories, or her legacy. Caitlin Atwater is the biological daughter of Kathleen Peterson and her ex-husband, Fred Atwater. Michael Peterson was the guardian of Margaret and her sister Martha, played by The Stands Odessa Young . Many opinions on this subject here. So, where is Todd Peterson today? Margaret has a few IMDB credits to her name, having appeared as an actress in A Minority Report and Piranha-Man vs. Werewolf Man: Howl of the Piranha. His sons, Clayton and Todd, also appear in the show. The HBO show seems to portray her as the favorite daughter so far. Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner portrays Margaret Ratliff in HBO Max's The Staircase. They did a DNA test. Her narrow eyes and thin long nose are IDENTICAL to Michael Peterson. George passed away in 1983, and Elizabeth not long after in 1985; she wanted the Petersons to care for her children in the event of her death. Todd Peterson is the youngest son of Michael Peterson and his ex-wife, Patricia Sue. The deaths of Elizabeth Ratliff and Kathleen Peterson were so similar that that prosecution had Ratliffs body exhumed during Michael Petersons trial in the death of Kathleen, and the nanny who discovered Ratliffs body testified against Peterson. 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. [L-R] Margaret and Martha Ratliff during their father, Michael Peterson's trial. When a lifetime of fandom met a journalism degree, a ScreenRant writer was born. Michael Peterson called their son Todd Peterson, who lives nearby, who came over and called 911, Clayton said. Caitlin Atwater, Clayton Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, Michael Peterson, Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret Ratliff. They still believed he was innocent, with Margaret stating in The Staircase, "The bottom line is I just don't care. Here's a breakdown of the family depicted in the new HBO Max series. Im at a talk by David Rudolph and he states that they had them DNA tested and he is NOT her father!!! 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