Over the years, multiple theories regarding the cause of Kathleen's death persisted. Not one shred of evidence. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. Netflix. Investigators found out how Liz Ratliff, Margaret and Marthas mother, died. Peterson could have been sentenced to 64 to 86 months in prison, but the judge acknowledged the 89 months hed already been incarcerated, and thus, Peterson was made a free man. The defense, led by David Rudolf the same lawyer who represented NFL player Rae Carruth in his murder trial had some impressive courtroom drama to offer, too. They've [laid] off 45,000 people," he wrote. He told police she may have fallen after mixing alcohol and Valium but was unsure because he was outside when she fell. Toni Collette's emotional portrayal is bound to create even more interest in the real Kathleen Peterson. loans were so high they had no money left to live on. The man who claims hes a psychic and goes by the name Biond Fury has reportedly purchased the Durham home that sadly served as the murder site for Nortel executive Kathleen Peterson. Self-professed psychic Irene Lalagos testified Thursday that Stacy Peterson feared her police sergeant husband would carry out a murderous threat if she ended their . Kathleen Hunt was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 21, 1953. In December 2011, after spending eight years in prison for Kathleen's murder, Michael was granted a new trial. A 2009 motion for a new trial based on the owl attack theory was unsuccessful. 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. According to the show's director, Jean-Xavier Lestrade, this relationship had no influence on how Brunet edited the series. Then, yet another bombshell came up. Her husband was the prime suspect. Also known as K Peterson. NC climate expert weighs in. Forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee testified that the blood found at the scene was indicative of a fall. It has been theorized that a Barred Owl attacked Kathleen. Michael claimed that Kathleen had been suffering from blackouts due to stress. After a stir in the local community, a 2004 true crime documentary titled The Staircase investigated the events leading to Kathleen Petersons death and the subsequent murder trial. During the trial, evidence suggested she was hit with a fire poker after a heated argument about Michael Petersons closeted sexuality. Previously, Michael had told people Liz Ratliff died from a brain hemorrhage, never mentioning a fall on the stairs, according an interview with Kathleen Petersons sister, Candace Zamperini, on Power, Privilege, and Justice. I provide empathic and compassionate care in a safe space for individuals to explore . The site of Kathleen Peterson's death in 2001 a nearly 9,500-square-foot mansion on a sprawling 3.4-acre lot in the heart of Durham has become a point of interest for true-crime fans and. Although Michael was still married with four children of his own, the new couple merged their families in 1987. Bylines in the Daily Beast, Seattle Times, Classic Rock Magazine, LouderSound. Irresistible deal. The other thing is red neurons, Jones continued. Kathleen married Michael in 1997, and the couple proceeded to merge their two families. The Petersons' neighbour, lawyer Larry Pollard came up with a theory that a barred owl, a breed that's native to the area, may have been responsible for Kathleen's death. Will a warm February mean a brutal spring or summer? Like the fact the couple were in a lot of debt when Kathleen died. However, with Michael's Alford plea, the case has legally been put to rest. The Cedar Street colonial was purchased by a local couple, one of whom was Jason Balius, a former co-owner of the Mad Hatter Bakeshop in Durham, for $640,000 in 2004, per WRAL News. Until next time, cheers. He and Patricia split up, and he began a relationship with his neighbor Kathleen Hunt Atwater in Durham, North Carolina, in 1992. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in October 2003. However, Michael Peterson was released from prison to serve house arrest in 2011 after a judge found that a witness had misrepresented facts at the trial. Michael Peterson while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution, 2003. 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. NetflixKathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson in an undated photograph. By then, one of Michaels books, A Time for War, had made its way onto the New York Times bestseller list and generated enough cash to pay for the Colonial Revival-style house containing the now-famous staircase. Nonetheless, all five of Michaels children believed in his innocence at first. We know he stepped in her blood and stepped on her. Heres how Raleigh ranks among US metros for first-time homebuyers, 74,000 & growing: Some NC police departments stockpile guns rather than release them. The authorities exhumed Liz Ratliffs body in 2003 and discovered multiple scalp lacerations, similar to those found on Kathleen Peterson. 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 The Staircase documentary is a vehicle for Michael Peterson, said Jones. That description would fit with writer Aphrodite Jones' revelation in her book on the case, A Perfect Husband, that Michael Peterson had a book deal ready and raring to go after the trial - if he was found not guilty. Peterson subsequently ended up raising Ratliffs young daughters, alongside his own two sons, as Ratliffs husband had died previously. &"|)Y*>aB\#x@ }793K{&Doep GT@E! The couple threw dinner parties for dozens of friends at their spread, which included a swimming pool with decorative fountains. But after eight years in prison, he was released after it was found that a key witness had given misleading testimony. Forensic Files produced A Novel Idea back in 2006, but any murder story that includes well-educated mansion owners plus a cheerful male escort on the witness stand is sure to be revisited many times. Much of that footage would be used for the construction of the original Staircase documentary. "[Dr. Radisch, the state pathologist] moved her examination to the internal neck area, and discovered a bloodied fracture with haemorrhage on the small extension off of the left thyroid cartilage," the crime author wrote. We know she had one biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, two adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, and two step-sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson. They ranged from simple companionship to just about anything under the sun sexually. "Throughout the weeks and weeks of testimony, Michael Peterson had taken extensive notes on legal pads," Aphrodite wrote, explaining that this was likely because of the book deal he had with Harper Collins. Autopsyfiles.org - Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson Autopsy Report Keywords: Autopsyfiles.org; kathleen hunt atwater peterson; autopsy report; homicide; blunt force trauma to the head; subarachnoid hemorrhage; michael peterson; veronica hunt; director of informational services; nortel; fallen down stairs; alcohol; xanax; december \ 9; 2011 But other evidence pointed convincingly to Michaels guilt. The couple married in 1997 creating a very blended family. Licensed Professional Counselor providing individual mental health therapy to adolescents and adults. Following the show's airing, though, some want to learn more about the real details of . For this week, I looked into whats happened to Michael Peterson since the Netflix series ended in 2018 and whether a theory that a rogue owl played a role in Kathleens death ever got any traction. Red neurons were present in her brain when the autopsy was done. He made a futile attempt to get rid of blood evidence and then called 911, the prosecution contended. But perhaps the most shocking element of the trial revolved around the mother of Michael Peterson's two adopted children. 9 comments 45% Upvoted Sort by: best level 1 Per ABC News, Michael reported watching America's Sweethearts earlier that evening with his wife, then drinking some wine and sitting by the pool. During their 22-year marriage from 1965 to 1987, the pair welcomed two sons, Clayton and Todd. He'd previously spent time behind bars for reportedly placing a bomb in a Duke University office, according . For instance, one theory suggested that the lacerations on the victim's head were caused by an owl, as "a microscopic feather was found in Kathleen Peterson's hand with some of her hair," via The News & Observer. Ratliff had assigned Michael as guardian of her kids and left him her entire estate. Many people are already familiar with the tragic death of Kathleen Peterson, who in 2001 was dead at the bottom of a staircase in her North Carolina home . Email trail. But Michael hit a rough patch when he decided to run for mayor of Durham. Jones isnt buying that. Soon after entering prison, Michael was injured in a fight, something HBO Max's adaptation explores in depth. Fk2 0yl0S] n[IEz T The New York Times would later describe Michael as having a theatrical personality. Kathleen was a live wire, too. Nonetheless, in the end, there was just too much evidence against Michael Peterson. It was in 1986 that Kathleen first met novelist Michael Peterson. We know she lived at 1810 Cedar Street in a well to-do suburb of Durham, North Carolina. In 2017, the then-73-year-old avoided a second trial by taking an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter in return for six years of house arrest. While the prosecution argued that Michael most likely murdered Kathleen with a fireplace blow poke that was deemed missing from their Durham home at the time of her death, Michael's defense attorney argued that Kathleen died from a fall down the stairs. Others theorize that one of Michael Petersons sons may have killed her out of jealousy or that a tree branch may have been the actual murder weapon. The prosecution put forth several possible motives for Kathleen's murder. Information which may sway your opinion about how Kathleen Peterson died one way or another Kathleen was Director of Information Services at the Canadian firm Nortel Networks Corporation when she died. The report also noted that she had been found holding clumps of her hair when she died. Theory 1: Murder. Whats more, the raptors are known to dive-bomb humans when they feel threatened, almost always targeting the head.. Hes a SHU-in. Although the case is more than two decades old now, Kathleen Peterson's death and the trial that followed are still a subject of fascination for many. About. Fury is the second post-Peterson owner. According to Esquire, the couple moved in together three years later. Over the years, Dateline has continually covered the case of how writer Michael Petersons wife, Kathleen, ended up dead at the base of a staircase in their 14-room house. The couple had three daughters in college and credit card debt of $142,000. Shortly afterwards, Peterson, then still Kathleen Atwater, moved to Durham, North Carolina, and met Michael Peterson, a local novelist and occasional columnist for The Durham Herald-Sun who had served in Vietnam with the Marines. When the jury found Michael Peterson guilty of first-degree murder in October 2003, however, the offer was immediately withdrawn. Shortly after the tragedy, Peterson allowed French documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade to conduct interviews with him, his kids, and his attorneys, most of which took place in the Peterson household. Related To Heather Peterson, Tiffany Peterson, Michael Peterson, Ronald Peterson. The front of the house at 1810 Cedar St. is visible from the street, but the entire 3.4-acre property is gated. In the last two episodes of The Staircase, filmed in 2016 as Michael Peterson's legal case finally drew to a close, you might have noticed the lawyers mentioning "strangulation" injuries discovered in Kathleen Peterson's autopsy. This, they said, led to a heated argument that ended with Michael pushing Kathleen down the stairs. Another motive suggested by the prosecution hinged on the Peterson family's tenuous financial situation. Lived In Hayward WI, Pine City NY, Pine City PA, Saginaw MI. Woman killed in double shooting on Durham highway, Chatham County housing authority director arrested, accused of $200,000+ in wire fraud, Alligator living at Walmart in NC stirs debate, as many demand it be allowed to stay. Its not what [de Lestrade] included, its what he did not include, Jones whose 2004 book A Perfect Husband profiles the case and became the basis for the 2007 Lifetime movie The Staircase Murders, starring Treat Williams told The Post. the beliefs you hold dear into a tangible, results-oriented set of $.5.99 / minute. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Also known as Cathleen Peterson, Cathy Peterson, Kathy M Peterson. So, what do fans of The Staircase have to say about all of this? One thing that absolutely wasn't mentioned in The Staircase is that Michael Peterson didn't remain single for all the years following his wife Kathleen's death. Gates bought the house in June 1989. There's a lot of information that wasn't shared about Michael and Kathleen's life in The Staircase. Off he went to North Carolinas Correctional Facility in Nash. Kathleen Peterson had been drinking some, and her flimsy sandals were nearby - the scene looked to be the outcome of a tragic accident. If Forensic Files got an annual performance review, it would always exceed expectations in telling a story in 22 minutes without making viewers feel cheated but at the same time leaving them interested in finding out more. But despite a 10-part Netflix documentary about Kathleen Petersons death and now an HBO miniseries called The Staircase, starring Colin Firth as Michael and Toni Collette as Kathleen, the circumstances surrounding her fall remain a mystery. So who really was she? But there was one circumstance that Michael Peterson couldnt explain away. In 1992, they bought a 14-room mansion on three acres in the Forest Hills neighborhood. The most recent Durham County tax appraisal is $1.9 million. She was the first woman accepted into Duke Universitys school of engineering. The interest on the twenty-something boys' loans were so high they had no money left to live on, and their father was concerned. Author, freelance writer and self-employed recruiter. At the time of her death, she was a vice president at Nortel Networks at the companys Research Triangle Park offices. Margaret, Martha, Todd, and Clayton also believe the justice system failed their father. Totally compatible with one another.". The exterior shots are very recognizable from The Staircase, but also the scenes inside the wood-paneled study inside the home. It riveted viewers even as it wrapped up with the conclusion that, well, we can really never know whether Michael did it or not. Their marriage, a second for both, seemed happy. 1y. 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. While Ratliff's daughters stood by their adopted father throughout his trial and imprisonment, Kathleen's daughter, Caitlin Atwater sided with the prosecution. At a news conference, Michael said, "Accepting this Alford plea has been the hardest thing I've ever done," via ABC11, as he had hoped to clear his name. Over the years, there had been some tense moments over money and Michaels mayoral election bid, and the two frequently fought and made up. According to the BBC's Beyond Reasonable Doubt podcast, which also investigates the crime, Kathleen was a big earner making a six-figure salary. Before marrying Kathleen, Michael Peterson was married to Patricia Peterson. Homicide detectives were called to the Peterson residence. Includes Address (7) Phone (5) Email (5) See Results. Call-guy talks. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Kathleen worried that she would lose her own $145,000-a-year job amid the downsizing, the AP reported. Now her grave is a destination. Ultimately, no charges involving Ratliff were brought, but North Carolina used the information about her death to strengthen the Kathleen Peterson case, which lacked a murder weapon. Kathleen was always an accomplished student, engineer, volunteer and leader. The ensuing case would become the subject of one of the defining true-crime documentaries in the genre: Jean-Xavier de Lestrades The Staircase. The eight-part series debuted in France in 2004 and in America in 2005, then arrived on Netflix in 2013 with additional episodes shot by de Lestrade in the years after the initial case. Her husband, novelist Michael Peterson, became the center of the investigation and was. Peterson was arrested May 7th, 2009, in connection with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 70s Kathleen K Peterson Nappanee, IN Aliases Peterson Kathleen View Full Report Addresses "Michael Peterson knew that the amount of money he was bringing in through his writing had plummeted down to next to nothing," author of a book on Kathleen's death entitled Written In Blood, Diane Fanning, said on the Beyond Reasonable Doubt podcast. HBO Max's The Staircase adapts the documentary of the same name into a television series, and even brings the documentary filmmakers in as major characters. Oh, and one more little thing: Investigators found thousands of gay male porn images and hookup conversations on Michaels computer. Kathleen is an acclaimed Contact Center consultant and recognized industry visionary. fbZC\/>W2n[Fi RzN`s_`%KZ@VZ!>W/wkUCenGU8vTO[&()wn %~*J%O1U`Yow O0?v_.^{Le#}k2^-@0\Lk 'k0nBtn9]IV^KA='9os7" Before Michael met Kathleen in 1986, he was living in Germany with his first wife, Patricia Sue, and their two sons. The site of Kathleen Petersons death in 2001 a nearly 9,500-square-foot mansion on a sprawling 3.4-acre lot in the heart of Durham has become a point of interest for true-crime fans and viewers of the popular Netflix documentary series The Staircase.. Perhaps he was trying to delete some files. We want certainty. However, when he called back minutes later, he claimed that she was no longer breathing. .css-1xok8cp{background-color:#242424;border-radius:0;color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:HarmoniaSans,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.03rem;padding:0.5rem 0.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-transform:uppercase;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;width:auto;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1xok8cp{font-size:0.875rem;line-height:1.1;padding:0.5rem 0.6rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1xok8cp{padding:0.5rem 0.6rem;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-1xok8cp{font-size:0.9375rem;line-height:1.1;padding:0.5rem 0.6rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1xok8cp{font-size:0.9375rem;line-height:1.1;}}.css-1xok8cp:focus-visible{outline-color:body-cta-btn-link-focus;}.css-1xok8cp:hover{color:#fff;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:#B30010;border:none;}WATCH THE STAIRCASE ON HBO MAX. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. endstream endobj 83 0 obj <>stream Kathleens career as a telecommunications executive was thriving, and Michael had received a half-million-dollar advance on a book deal. Kathleen Peterson, 48, who was a successful business executive and was Michael's second wife, was found dead on 9 December 2001. Regardless of the truth, the similarities between Kathleen and Ratliff's deaths didn't help Michael's case. You can see from recent drone video that the house still has the swimming pool where Michael Peterson said he was sitting alone the night Kathleen died. Born and raised in Greensboro, N.C., Kathleen was the first woman admitted to Duke University's school of engineering, from which she went on to jobs with a pharmaceutical company and, more. This, however, barely featured in The Staircase's depiction of the trial. But by the time paramedics arrived, they couldnt find a pulse. 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 . Kathleen Peterson. Caitlin then moved in with her mum Kathleen and her new husband Michael Peterson after. Kathleen Hunt grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and was so bright that she took advanced Latin classes at a nearby college while still in McCaskey High School, according to the Lancaster New Era newspaper. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. He needed her money to survive the way he wanted to survive," she said. Now, the case becomes a dramatization on HBO Max as a miniseries titled, once again, The Staircase. Premiering May 5, it stars Colin Firth as Michael, Toni Collette as Kathleen, Michael Stuhlbarg as defense attorney David Rudolf and Parker Posey as prosecutor Freda Black. The defense challenged this version of events. 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. It was ruled in 2004 that Atwater and her biological father would be awarded the $1.5 million life insurance policy in Kathleen's name, which was initially would go to Peterson, WRAL reports.. Forensic Files produced "A Novel Idea" back in 2006, but any murder story that includes well-educated mansion owners plus a cheerful male escort on the witness stand is sure to be revisited many times.. Pop-culture phenom. 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. Kathleen's autopsy later concluded that the manner of her death was homicide, due to "multiple blunt force impacts to [the] back of the head." 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. Where are Michael & Kathleen Peterson's kids now? Lawyer Larry Pollard, who wasnt on the case but was a neighbor of Petersons, brought up this idea. He claimed he found her after lingering outside for several hours after dinner, but the police soon arrested him, and he was found guilty of Kathleens murder in 2003. Her life insurance would have ensured Peterson would be able to maintain his public persona. Michael Ivor Peterson graduated from Duke University, where he was editor of the school newspaper, then joined the Marines and earned silver and bronze stars for service in Vietnam. Kathleen Peterson and her then husband Fred Atwater, a physicist, welcomed Caitlin on April 27 1982. Kathleen M Peterson, 74. The Petersons were close friends with Elizabeth Ratliff, who had two young daughters, Martha and Margaret. Today, Caitlin is married and is now known as . We know Kathleen Peterson was 48-years-old when she died. Case Notes: On December 9th 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found by her husband, Michael Peterson, at the bottom of the stairs in the home that they shared in Durham. As mentioned above, Kathleen's high powered, high earning job meant she could afford to take out a hefty life insurance sum, which totalled $1.4 million. The house was listed at $1.175 million, but reduced to $975,000 in 2003. The couple originally moved into the home in 1997, four years before the incident. Michael Peterson was a writer, and many said he has the kind of ego which craves the spotlight. Kathleen Peterson, when she died on December 9, 2001, was 48 years old. Call 1-888-626-7386 Advisor Id: 42767. Michael sold the house he shared with Kathleen in 2004, and a subsequent owner re-sold the property for $1.6 million in 2020. A medical examiner testified that Ratliffs cause of death was homicide via blunt force trauma. By all reports, Michael and Kathleen enjoyed a close, happy marriage and were sought-after guests on the local social scene. The ending of Netflix's Triptych explained, Khlo Kardashian is living her best life on TikTok, Period-proof activewear to stop the leakage fear. But, as the prosecution pointed out in the trial, Kathleen was actually the sole owner of the house and the car. And it speaks to our desire for clarity. Despite living what looked like a lavish lifestyle from the outside, Michael and Kathleen Peterson were in a lot of debt. "Without Kathleen's job and her pay check, he could not continue to support his two adult sons, he could not continue to maintain that home, he could not live the lifestyle he'd grown accustomed to. 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. Paramedics said that Kathleens blood had congealed, suggesting she died hours before he called 911. We want it. Peterson, then 58, was a successful writer; Kathleen, then 48, a telecommunications executive. What really happened in the Peterson household in the early hours of December 9 will likely always remain a mystery. But public interest in the case didnt really explode until the following year, when Netflix expanded and updated a documentary by French director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade to create a 13-part bingefest called The Staircase. Two Ukrainian women look back at one year of war, Why you shouldn't go into TikTok's "monk mode", 9 interesting things about Kathleen and Michael Peterson that were left out of 'The Staircase'. Kathleen Winell Peterson, 73. And the long, narrow marks found on her scalp appeared to be consistent with those of an owls talons. When will the curtain come down? 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. On top of that, there had been reports of owl activity in the neighborhood only weeks prior. "It was an injury unlikely to occur in a fall. According to Cosmopolitan, barred owls are native to the area and known to attack joggers with some frequency. However, NBC News reported that a medical examiner ruled that Kathleen's blood alcohol level was very low at the time of her death, so much so that she'd have been able to pass a breathalyzer test. Early on in The Staircase, a 13-part docu-series originally produced in 2004 in France that both confuses, confuddles, frustrates and leaves us longing for more, we learn that Kathleens apparent tumble down a flight of stairs looked a lot more like a murder then a fall. Kathleen Peterson had consumed alcohol and the autopsy report shows that she was almost in a state where she was too drunk to drive. He met his first wife, Patricia Sue, in West Germany, according to . He stayed outside to smoke for 45 minutes or so and found her at the bottom of the stairs when he came back in. Convicted murderer and former police officer Drew Peterson was sentenced to 38 years in prison back in 2012 in connection to the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. It is the second double shooting in the city in the past week. 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 Hunt was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 21, 1953. Copyright 2023 The John Locke Foundation, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Leandro v. State of North Carolina Explained. "It would be a huge relief off my [shoulders] because I am worried sick about them," Michael's email read. The home, built in 1940, was designed by Durham architect George Watts Carr Sr., who also designed buildings at N.C. Central University, N.C. State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. Photo of Kathleen and Caitlyn, from the Indyweek article linked below. Tide turns. And the happy hustler was off the table too the seizure of Petersons computer messages was ruled unlawful, so Brad couldnt testify again. Instead, Michael laid the blame for his murder conviction on humans. Michael's sons, Clayton and Todd Peterson, were also in severe debt. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. In the early hours of Dec. 9, 2001, novelist Michael Peterson made a panicked, tearful 911 call: He had found his wife Kathleen unconscious and bloody at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina, house. Then, after serving eight years in prison, Michael got a huge break. , the offer was immediately withdrawn neighborhood only weeks prior you hold dear a. 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