'The Staircase': Where Is Michael Peterson Now? (2024)

FAQs

'The Staircase': Where Is Michael Peterson Now? ›

He resides in Durham, N.C., but has since sold the house where Kathleen died. (The house was on the market for $1.9 million, according to ABC 11 News.) He had been living with his ex-wife, Patricia, for two years until her death from a heart attack, his son Clayton told The News & Observer in 2021.

Now 80 years old, he lives alone in a ground-floor apartment in Durham, North Carolina, and has since sold the house he shared with Kathleen. He got back to writing and released two books telling his side of the story: 2019's Behind the Staircase and 2020's Beyond the Staircase.

Today, Margaret resides in California, and Martha relocated to Colorado. If the footage from the later episodes of Netflix's The Staircase from 2012 and 2016 are anything to go by, they are still close with Michael Peterson.

However, Kathleen's autopsy report also made clear that she'd endured severe head-and-neck trauma consistent with being intentionally and furiously beaten by a blunt object, and that she actually died after bleeding out for more than 90 minutes.

The judge sentenced him to a maximum of 86 months in prison, with credit for time previously served. Because Peterson had already served more time than the sentence (98.5 months), he did not face additional prison time.

No, Michael Peterson does not have a new wife today. The woman who The Staircase viewers may be mistaking for Peterson's new wife could well be Sophie Brunet (played by Juliette Binoche), an executive producer of the Jean-Xavier de Lestrade documentary, also titled The Staircase. They dated until 2017.

Clairvoyant and medium Biond Fury purchased the house from Balius in 2008, and paid $1.3 million for it. In late 2018, Fury started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for repairs at the home.

Kathleen's daughter and her biological father inherited the $1.4 million life insurance policy, which helped the two out tremendously during this time. Two days later Michael's legal team started arguing that the case verdict was wrong and Michael took the Alford plea.

Martha and Michael kept fans up to date throughout the nine months, sharing their experience of putting together a nursery, their surprise baby shower and their gender reveal. The first-time parents announced the safe arrival of their little one via Instagram, on the 28th of February 2023.

Now, Martha and Michael are still going strong, and even share a child together, Lucius.

Was Kathleen attacked by an owl? ›

At least two of the wounds on Kathleen Peterson's scalp are in the shape of the talons of a barred owl, as shown on autopsy photos. The tiny wounds on Kathleen's face are consistent with the tip of an owl's beak. A feather was found on Kathleen Peterson's body.

Other significant omissions include Caitlin's testimony on the stand and the fact that Rudolf's wife, Sonya Pfeiffer, was actually a journalist who covered the case. Kathleen's sister Candace Zamperini accused Pfeiffer of misconduct during her testimony — a fact left out of both the documentary and the drama.

Kathleen and Michael Peterson had the real-life Modern Family. Michael Peterson had two sons, Clayton and Todd, from his previous marriage, and Kathleen Peterson had one daughter, Caitlin Atwater, from her first marriage. Michael Peterson also had two adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff.

The criminal defense team from the Los Angeles Innocence Project requested retesting of 14 pieces of evidence collected during the original investigation. However, a California judge allowed new DNA testing on only one item: a 15.5-inch-long piece of duct tape found on Laci Peterson's pants.

Michael was resentenced to 86 weeks in prison but was officially freed in 2017 since he had already served more than that time. He resides in Durham, N.C., but has since sold the house where Kathleen died.

Clayton and Todd Peterson

Peterson's sons have always stood by their father, who has maintained his innocence for the past twenty years. According to The News & Observer, Clayton now lives in Maryland with his wife and children, and Todd lives in Tennessee.

Clayton and Todd Peterson

Peterson's sons have always stood by their father, who has maintained his innocence for the past twenty years. According to The News & Observer, Clayton now lives in Maryland with his wife and children, and Todd lives in Tennessee.

In the fall of 2021, Peterson retired from the University of Toronto, becoming professor emeritus. In May 2022, he became chancellor of Ralston College, an unaccredited liberal arts education project.

On December 9, 2001, according to Peterson, he was having a glass of wine with his wife by the pool of his home in Durham, North Carolina after watching a Blockbuster rental, “America's Sweethearts,” together. Kathleen went into the house and was later found dead in a sea of blood at the bottom of a staircase.

Scott Peterson has maintained his innocence in the crime, and is currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. While in prison, he sat for his first interview in more than 20 years for the Peaco*ck documentary.