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. They still believed he was innocent, with Margaret stating in The Staircase, "The bottom line is I just don't care. Olivia DeJonge began a career in the world of film and television starting withher 2014 feature film debut,The Sisterhood of Night. They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was. So, where is Todd Peterson today? It didn't sound that nice Near the beginning they try to test whether Mike could have heard Kathleen yelling for help. At some point, the sons stop living with Patty. Both Margaret and Martha Ratliff seem to have moved on with their lives as much as they were able to after what happened. In researching how accurate is The Staircase on HBO Max, we confirmed that this was the argument put forward by the defense. Yes. Rosemarie DeWitt has appeared in many films and television series throughout her career, ranging from horror to comedy. I'm innocent. Colin Firth is a well-established actor in the world of film and television. Though Margaret and Martha appear to be firmly on their father's side, they don't seem to be seeking much of a public presence outside of their appearances in The Staircase. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. Michael, Kathleen, and their children toast to each otherseeming a happy, loving blended family. It was Elizabeth Ratliffs death, which occurred not long after George Ratliffs death, that became a turning point in Michaels case. It was reportedly covered in cobwebs and dust and had been unmoved for too long to have been the murder weapon. I was under the impression that it wasnt the same year Kathleen died. He served an honorable military career and became a published author, newspaper columnist, and mayoral candidate. Peterson entered an Alford plea in February 2017 while awaiting a new trial, allowing him to plead guilty to manslaughter while maintaining his innocence. Todd dialed 911 within minutes of arriving on the scene. It had been a gift from Kathleen's sister, Candace Zamperini, and had not been found in the Petersons' home during the investigation. And guess what?.sounds like he was gay too! Thats not a definitive test considering the source isnt 100% for sure to have been Margarets DNA. I think the three Peterson brothers actually reference Margaret's genes the night before the verdic. Just the fact they did that so sneakily makes this look even more suspicious. Yes. -Esquire. In 2017, he was granted a new trial, and just last year, Peterson took an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. In July 2018, Michaels lawyer throughout the trial, David Rudolf, sat down with Digital Spy for a candid interview about the case. While Caitlin first supported her stepfather in the immediate days after her mothers death, she later turned suspicious of Peterson, and ended up becoming a key witness in the prosecution against him. Netflix 5. Michael claimed that she was fine when he left the night before. 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. They claimed that Michael's son, Clayton Peterson, found it in the garage and that the police had overlooked it. Her narrow eyes and thin long nose are IDENTICAL to Michael Peterson. 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. As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. 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. 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. Growing up, Caitlin was close with Martha and Margaret. Brunet told Vanity Fair that the HBO Max miniseries depicts them as beginning their relationship earlier than they did in real life. Kathleen Peterson was a loving mother and had a successful career. -Esquire, Yes. She's still breathing. The bruising on her wrists and hands further supports this theory.Kathleen also had contusions on her back and posterior arms, which make sense if the back of her head was being repeatedly thrust into a step. Three of his novels were inspired by his time serving in the Vietnam War as a member of the United States Marine Corps. of Elizabeth Ratliff? The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. Margaret and Martha Ratliff were adopted by Michael Peterson after their mothers death, and actually introduced him to his next wife Kathleen, who was their friend Caitlins mother. The cute couple were spotted . Netflixs latest true-crime series, The Staircase, began filming after novelist Michael Petersons arrest in 2001 and continued until 2017. Here's what you need to know. The medical examiner, Deborah Radisch, concluded that Kathleen Peterson's injuries revealed that she had been bludgeoned to death and had sustained seven deep lacerations to the top and back of her scalp. An image of a chain link. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Harry Lynch File photo. Published on May 12, 2022 In the HBO Max series The Staircase, Sophie Turner plays Margaret Ratliff, one of Michael Peterson's adopted daughters. Margaret and Martha look nothing alike. Given the evidence, it seems plausible that Michael Peterson murdered his wife Kathleen with his bare hands. 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. He killed Liz and adopted her daughters. I sat there and I was sort of waiting for my turn [laughs]. Press J to jump to the feed. 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. According to Michael's son, Todd Peterson, his father was indeed broke at the time of Kathleen's death. He appears often in The Staircase in which he supports his father's innocence. Like Caitlin Atwater, Candace Hunt Zamperini firmly believed that Michael had caused the death of Kathleenher sister. His bond restrictions were eased in July 2014.As we explored The Staircase fact vs. fiction, we discovered that he remained on bail until February 2017 when he entered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter. Netflix's The Staircase might be listed as a true-crime documentary, but it's a tragic family drama above all else. The drama series has stirred up a lot of controversy with the artistic license it takes, and the real Todd has opened up on social media recently about what it allegedly gets wrong about his family. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Your IP: Assistant North Carolina medical examiner Deborah Radisch determined that "the manner of death in Mrs. Ratliff's case was homicide," per CNN. 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. The couple also were legal guardians to Margaret and Martha, who lost their . But they're not all irrelevant. Rewatching the documentary Im really noticing that he seems obsessed with Margaret. They always sat right behind their dad in the courtroom where he was being tried for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen. He was later criticized for not answering all of the dispatcher's questions, which some say further points to his guilt in Kathleen Peterson's murder. Todd Peterson 2 of 35. Liz names Michael and Patty in her will as the custodians of her daughters despite having two living sisters. From her first marriage to Fred Atwater, Kathleen had a daughter named Caitlin. Schwarzenegger has also been cast to appear as Golden Boy inThe Boys'spinoffseries. Per Todd's Instagram, he's the president and founder of American Industries . And first, Caitlin also believed in Michaels innocence. Margaret and Martha Ratliff have since tried their best to move on with their lives while also maintaining strong relationships with their father as well as their siblings (except Caitlin Atwater). Michael seems to almost be in the spectrum, imho. From the psychological horrorA Cure for Wellnessto the space operaValerian and the City of a Thousand Planetsto playing the villainous Green Goblin inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2,DeHaan hasactedin a wide spectrum of roles. Disturbing. Yes. Petersons sons have always stood by their father, who has maintained his innocence for the past twenty years. Rudolf specializes in covering high-profile cases. Michael and Patti Peterson had been living in Germany with their sons Todd and Clayton when they became good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The next morning, Elizabeth was found dead at the bottom of her staircase by a nanny, in an eerily similar way to how Kathleen Peterson would be found sixteen years later. Lead investigator, Art Holland was trying to find out if Ratliff, who was raised by Peterson, was his biological daughter, so he sent the letter to LABCORP to check Margaret Ratliff's DNA. And why he originally only wanted to take Margaret in.. Above (L-R): The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, and Clayton Peterson. Related:Best True Crime Shows On Netflix Right Now. Lads. Having appeared in a wide variety of films and television series,she is best known for her roles inScream 3, Dazed and Confused,andBlade: Trinity. While they all initially believed he was innocent, Kathleen's biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, changed her mind after reading her mother's autopsy report. Though Martha and Margaret struggled with allowing their biological mother to be exhumed, the information didn't alter their opinion of Michael. While the plea is technically a guilty one, it is not an admission of guilt. Yes. What do you think? A combination of biology and psychology. A joke on the fact that she is not really his biological daughter? His firstmovie appearance was at age 10, inThe Benchwarmers. Lizs brother had the same last name as married Liz? Margaret Ratliff A friend pointed it out as I started watching The Staircase that Margaret Ratliff looks suspiciously like MP, Todd and Clayton. In November of 1985, Michaels family had dinner with Elizabeth and her daughters, Margaret and Martha. ", Since his release from prison in 2017, he has written two independently published books about his case, Behind the Staircase (2019) and Beyond the Staircase (2020), donating all of the profits to charity. Cosmopolitan also reported that Margaret married Neil Blakemore and goes by the name Margaret Blakemore now. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 2 of 35. The judge accepted the plea and sentenced Peterson to a maximum of 86 months in prison. Michael and Patty, along with their young boys, reportedly resided in Germany for quite a while around the 1980s, where they befriended their . Posey has also lent her voice to animated series, performingcameos forThe Simpsons,Futurama,andSkylanders Academy. A combination of biology and psychology. Today, Atwater is married with two children. 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. This was the main motive that the prosecution argued. Furthermore, the judge found that Deaver had exaggerated his professional experience and had lied a number of times before. After making her start in Australian television, Odessa Young broke out into the world of film withThe Daughteralongside Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill. In 2003, Michael was put on trial and then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In exploring how accurate is The Staircase on HBO Max, we confirmed that Peterson has never admitted to killing his wife Kathleen. The hemorrhage caused her to fall down the stairs. First of all, if we are to accept the paternity test, then they are not genetically related. Streamlined nose. At the time of the incident, Toddran a websitecalled Futazi, which provided advice on various topics to teenagers. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The HBO show seems to portray her as the favorite daughter so far. And who knows where Tom Ratliff comes in. if at all! Dane DeHaan has appeared in a variety of films and television series throughout his career. His, Todd's, and Margaret's very strong resemblance is what tipped the scales for me. Although Margaret Ratliff was not the biological child of either Michael or Kathleen Peterson, she loved her adoptive mother and remained loyal to her adoptive father throughout the trial. Click to reveal 123.31.41.38 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. Did novelist Michael Peterson batter his 'beloved' wife to death with a poker in their luxury mansion asks @BBC5livehttps://t.co/qNEnibgT3z pic.twitter.com/oyi0U6J264, Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) June 20, 2017. To portray her as the favorite daughter so far with Patty to you. Technologies to provide you with a better experience with Elizabeth and her daughters, Margaret ( Ratliff Blakemore... 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