@@crimescenemary420 Agreed. That was one thing that distracted me at times from seeing Firth as Michael. Michael was like a tiny little elf man and Firth was taller than everyone in his scenes
I was both thoroughly impressed and deeply disturbed by the "reenactments" of the different theories as to how she may have fallen and died. They were so impressively done, and quite gruesome, to the point where immediately after I watched each of them I had to press pause and just sort of sit there, taking in and processing what I'd just seen. And the one where Michael killed her, I kinda felt like throwing up. Colin Firth did a great job as Michael Peterson. However, Toni Collette absolutely blew me away! I just felt this authenticity coming from her. It made me feel like she did a lot of incredible research in trying to really represent Kathleen and who she was. I would say that, for me, everyone was great; great acting across the board!
Me too. It took me months to get through this series because it was so well done and disturbing. At the end of it, I still don't know if he's innocent or guilty. I'm leaning towards guilty but I don't know. Toni Collette, if those women doesn't one day win an Oscar it will be an injustice. Collin was amazing to but Toni Collette. It was hard seeing her die over and over again in the different scenarios. So difficult because you loved the character and the kids so much, and ugh, it was all so heartbreaking.
Dont u like Meryl Streep ? She's THE Actress. Toni gave me pleasure in "the sixth sens" and "Hereditary" that's all . I do prefer Vera Farmiga which is very similar with Toni physically.
If you watch the "Staircase" documentary episode 8 3 mins 1 second in, you hear David Rudolf slip while talking to Michael Peterson about the blow poke. He says on a phone call there's no blood on it (blow poke)"Whatever you used that's not it" David Rudolf words on record.
Such a weird guy. A moocher and very self-centered. Kathleen was the only one in the whole family who worked. She was totally exhausted and taking advantage of. Shameful.
I do think that Michael is deceptive, he's not really a "good person" and he's probably lying about quite a few things, but as for just looking at the evidence I think the owl theory makes the most sense, especially considering how the wounds are basically in the shape of an owl talon, and tiny scratches Kathleen had on her face, and the fact that they found tiny feathers wrapped into her hair
No f ing way,owls ,an animal with vision humans can't even imagine don't fly into houses. And if an owl with sharp powerful talons attacks a person would have puncture wounds.
@@mrlafayette1964 I don't know if you watched the tv show but it showed that the owl attacked the woman outside the house, when she went out to put up garden decorations, not inside the house
I found the Netflix documentary soo one sided, so much was omitted, the financial issues, the legal battle with Caitlyn and the issue with clayton's past. It's felt more like a Michael Peterson story rather than the staircase documentary.
No the lawyers didn’t have anything to do with it. It was an independent French documentarian. Peterson was also not dating a producer. He did have a “relationship” with the editor but that began after the documentary was initially released which came after his last appeal had been exhausted.
Michael Peterson lied about receiving a Purple Heart for being injured in the Vietnam war. He is definitely capable of lying, and surely knows how to make up stuff. He’s a writer, duh.
He also lied about Kathleen knowing about him being bi in recent interviews he admits they never talked about it she never knew I believe that night when she went to check her emails she saw the escorts confronted him and said she was leaving she was tired he would be left with nothing the truth would come out and he would be more shamed than lying about aa purple heart she worked ND did everything while she was just a beard even had his name on her and the other wife who died the same way estates so he had the most to gin the son todd haas come put ND said he did it and his mother patty wwho stood by him thru this passed he has her estate as well andd took them off heath insurance and other things
@@elainehiggins713 it's what you lie about see he initially said Kathleen knew about him being bisexual when we know now she didn't know that's how we know the night of the murder she went and saw what she saw in that computer and didn't like it and he killed her
I don't have HBO 😭😭😭 but these clips of Colin Firth as Michael Peterson look great. He really captured Michael's accent and mannerisms well. Colin is such a talented actor
Great miniseries. I just started reading Written in Blood, about the crime (free on Kindle Unlimited) and I learned A LOT of details neither the doc or miniseries did not reveal. Recommend! One thing -- Petersons involvement in running Liz Ratcliffe's financial life. And much more detail on the blood and where it was. He's guilty.
@@neildown7231 Of course he did it. The man is good at lying and was guy without her knowing and he was in debt and wanted the money. Michael was very manipulative and would easy been making a fake murder scene just hear the fake 911 call. Nobody would say "she is breathing" when call for help he would say she is bleeding and we need help right now. He kinda revealing himself. This man properly also killed his first wife the same way and got away with it and thought he could do the same again and get away with it and he kinda did. He also manipulative Sophie to help him so many years and when he got out he didnt want her anyway. ALL the evidence point to Michael did it. He also lied about him receiving that medal in war which also was a lie. The man only cares about himself and knows how to fake it in life to make people believe in him
He could have done it, but they certainly did not have enough evidence of it. However, this HBO series is great, but they have also left out lots of important information, for instance about Liz' autopsy and that also American doctors at the time said she had a stroke. IT forensics said nobody had been on the computer that evening, so the theory that Kathleen found those images only then isn't plausible either, and they left out how badly done the new autopsy of Liz was. This, coupled with how the police deliberately lied in court, and made grave mistakes during the investigation and also after it (like the bags with evidence are contaminated), just goes to show what a mess this case was and still is.
@@DavidKen878 My point is to the Peterson defenders that she was killed. So if it wasn't him than it must have been a damn owl. The biased documentary makes the owl theory seem like gospel.
I saw the docu-series on netflix about this. My theory - Michael Peterson had an affair with George Ratliff, when stationed in Germany. After George died, Michael and Elizabeth had a falling out. Maybe she was going to out him to the Marines about the relationship he had with her husband, so Michael killed her. Out of love for George, he adopted Margaret and Martha. Kathleen found out about Michael's homosexuality. Instead of getting a divorce and having his private life exposed (which ended up getting exposed anyway), Michael chose to kill her the same way he killed Elizabeth. It's not a coincidence that two women in his life died the exactly same death. In the last show of the series, Kathleen's sister mentioned in court that Kathleen's voice box was crushed. That was the first and only time that was mentioned. He strangled her, bashed her head in and used the staircase as a smoke screen.
That sounds like the best theory yet..never thought about it!..and im sure the defence and prosecution didnt either...im thinking he thought im going to do the same i did in Germany..i got away with before!!
It's unfair to assume that because someone has an affair that they would murder to get around it. Michael was super arrogant and not very likeable, but that doesn't make him a murderer. Plus, the SISTER said the voice box was crushed. No coroner said that, and no coroner agreed that there was evidence of strangulation.
as much as I totally agree she did not "FALL" the Owl Theory seems SO PLAUSIBLE...look at her Talon Like Cuts on her head and arms...Feathers...already seeking help for Owls living in attic or roof...???? I am surprised they did not investigate that further...
Right? The dude is shady but those injuries are inconsistent with beatings, like how would he scratch her scalp. I mean if he did find her on the stairs what would he assume. I fell on my face as a kid and bleed a river from my nose, wasn't even broken. I've seen crows attacking people in the same manner so they fell and got injured. Idk if they tested the feathers, but unplausible for her to get a wild bird one from a pillow, in her bloody hand.
its not plausible unless you're only looking at it from a superficial pov. both defenses for peterson (accidental fall and owl) dont explain how and why there's as much blood as there was and how it got everywhere. not to mention a scrap with a large animal such as an owl would leave forensic evidence behind and defense wounds on her hands and arms. and how would an owl fracture her thyroid cartilage? a neck injury common in cases of strangulation? he killed her, there's no getting around it.
@@milannoelle1576 yeah but its so weird cause the scrapes were at the back of the skull, and they did find feathers eventualy in her hand along with her own hair and blood(why would she pluck her own hair?). No one would assume that cause she was found indoors. I also dont get how would he kill her like that. She didnt die from strangulation, so did he half assedly try to choke her then gave up? How did she bleed out from scrapes and no fractures? Those stairs looked dingy, narrow and unsafe but they were lined and not sharp enough so that doesn't make sense either. Everything is just so weird, no one made a viable explanation. So that irks me logicaly, not that I cant accept him as a killer and call it a day.
@@dianekeegan5250 how long did it take for the ambulance to come? And the police. You see if he was a moocher husband that stayed by the pool for hours while the whiwe went back for work emails and Christmas decorations it's not that unusual for the blood to dry out. How much time has passed between injury, him calling 911 and them arriving? Blood dries pretty fast, coagulation is literally body's defence mechanism against trauma. So as a female that bled a lot through life let me tell you it isn't consistently bright red and the ambulance doesn't come in 5 minutes like they do on TV shows.
I've been watching The Staircase, mesmerized by the story, and this sad family being torn apart. I believe Michael killed both women, and it disgusts me that he got away with his horrendous murders. Colin and Toni, as well as the rest of this cast, give STELLAR performances. I LOVE Colin Firth, BUT HATE him portraying an evil person.
And what disgusts me (as well as any thinking person) is how you can judge someone guilty and turn against them when a.) you weren't there, b) you have no proof of your belief and c) you could wish someone the loss of their freedom for the rest of their lives on a belief, rather than on proof. Shame on you.
I believe he killed them both too! I thought that after the original documentary and that was presented by the defence! Watching the fictional account that was more evenly presented just convinced me further.
I've just recently watched the Netflix version and my god it was long and laborious. It was a lot of Petersons monologing. Unnecessary 11 episodes. I really think he did it. And if I never hear the words blow pipe again, it'll be too soon.
There was a 13 part documentary. It got criticized for being too long. Now there is an 8 episode miniseries starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette. I thought both were on HBO but I could be mistaken. The miniseries is worth a watch.
This man used women to support him, but preferred men sexually. He even used Sophie from the documentary to help get him off and then dropped her. I find it tremendously sad that some of their children still can’t see through him.
I believe Amber Heard more than this goofy....all the drama he put his family/friends thru.... waisting boatloads of the tax payers money and what does this clown do in the end? Cop an Alford plea...I never not once thought he was innocent?
He said in the 911 call that she was still breathing but when the paramedics arrived, approx 10 mins later if I remember correctly, the blood was already dry! She wasn’t legally intoxicated though he had stressed how much she had been drinking. It was not full feathers that were found but just a couple of fragments. Kathleen was the wage-earner and the sole owner of the house and had, more than likely, just found out he was having affairs and those affairs were with men. There was a large life insurance policy on her. The girls’ mother had also died “falling down stairs”. And even if an owl had attacked her, the owl did not fracture the extension of her left thyroid cartilage. I’m sure he killed her, whether it happened after an owl attack or not, I don’t think we’ll ever know but I’m positive he killed her!
@@SD-ik1xf I knew he did it once the detectives discovered that of the two wine glasses sitting on the counter...only his glass had his fingerprints on it.... the other glass which he said was Kathleen's glass...had no fingerprints... that's all I needed to hear..
I watched this recently; if you're into crime docus it's stellar but very long. Lots of court and legal parts not all re-enactments etc but definitely worth the watch.
"not all re-enactments etc but definitely worth the watch" "but"? : ) i think you might be surprised how many viewers (this includes me) do like the court and legal parts, and wouldn't prefer "all re-enactments" instead.
@@vibovitold obviously there's a market for it, but when you compare it to other similar shows on Netflix, which are often portrayed with the drama and theatrics of an A&E hourly special, the format of this series is much different than what I was expecting.
@@FionaApplewright it's always a matter of taste, HOWEVER according to statistics (by Parrot Analytics) it ranked in the top 2.7% of shows for demand, and top 1% in the Drama genre, go figure. apparently the market for that is quite substantial actually : ) perhaps people are somewhat fed up with these similar, by-the-numbers / drama-packed shows. i found it refreshing (and i've binge-watched the latest "Stranger Things" yesterday, so it's not like i'm immune to the thrills of incessant screen action) : )
There are owl warning signs in the community, feathers, and talon scratches on her head, clumps of her own hair in her hands, what else could cause that? Coupled with the fact that there are more than 12,000 stairway deaths annually…seems like a series of unfortunate circumstances to me.
@@linaaviles1971 I bet most of the stairway deaths in the USA were not this bloody. The death in England, there were no owls. That guy is a killer. No one will convince me otherwise. The documentary on Netflix is abhorrent. They are all just having a good time. No thought to the murdered wife who also had a job in the community.
@@speteydog2260 also how did it happen to someone else Michael knew 20 something years before? Same exact lacerations on their heads and they looked so much alike
Im surprised that even aside from the super strong case for the Owl theory, the jury could find without a reasonable doubt that she was the first human being ever killed by blunt force trauma with no fractures or brain injury, if youre not hit in the head hard enough to cause brain injury, you'd be conscious enough to be fighting back, but the only wounds on her whole body are on the back/top of her head. Makes absolutely no sense that she was killed by anyone. It was an owl. The feathers found in her hair were microscopic, and only found on the feet of an owl. I mean just look at her wounds, its LITERALLY in the shape of an owl talon.
if I were attacked by an owl, you would find parts (larger than microscopic) of that owl all around my dead body. I fear for the intelligence of the human species. We are doomed.
@@elainehiggins713 She was likely attacked outside, ran inside holding her head, and fell down the stairs while already with the lacerations. They found feathers in her hair and she was clutching pieces of hair in her hand. Even if you dont believe the owl theory its still more plausible then beating someone in the back of the head enough o make them bleed out but not cause any skull fractures or brain injury. there wasnt even a sign she got knocked out, yet she has zero defensive wounds and all her wounds are just on the back of her head. So unless MP cut her head up while she was sleeping and then she ran down the stairs it wouldnt make sense
There are a lot of inconsistencies but those cuts on her head look like talons from sort of bird, owl etc. while reaching up to free whatever was attacking her, she has lumps of her own hair in her hands and feathers were found in her hair🤔
Yep. As a kid, we had a huge owl get stuck in our chimney, and the game wardens who got it out had to wear special gear to protect themselves from the talons.
For me personally it’s is something I watched with great interest. I can honestly say having weighed it all up I haven’t a clue if he did or didn’t do it. Maybe that’s my limited ability or there was no way of proving he did or didn’t do it.
you have a great perspective that a lot of people cant seem to grasp. there isnt much proof one way or another - therefore, he goes free - plus the whole mistrial angle
agreed! Too much "reasonable doubt" therefore not guilty. Again, that doesn't mean innocent. The burden is on the prosecution; they didn't do a good job. They botched it. They had experts purger themselves. They didn't hand over all the evidence. ie blow poke pictures etc. Strangely the owl attack makes sense to me. It would also explain her trying to get up and keep falling. Only Michael really knows.
Not one expert has ever been able to tell us what exactly caused those head lacerations and they never looked at any other theories. If she was hit with a blunt object then she should have had fractures.
How did an owl get into the house and back out again? I like the theory because of the scratches and feathers but I don’t understand why the owl wasn’t around? Why would it leave when it had successfully defended its territory? I think it’s crazy to believe the owl 🦉 would not still be around. Did they keep pigeons or rats in their house? Did they find an owl nest it was defending? I’d have believed it was an owl attack if he was attacked too or the owl was still hanging out there when police arrived. The owl broke in the house to attack her then escape?
How could he be so sure it was an accident? If he does not know what has happened? I should have started wondering if there was someone in the house (from outside) who murdered her considering all the blood? Did he think it was the owl? Why didnt he mentioned all the blood when he called the emergency number? Did he mention that he had been in a similar accident? (which probably been mentioned because it would be a strange coincidence? -mentioned after a while at least? Gets weird vibes from him.
I think he just wanted help and he was not looking at the blood ,he was actually looking at his wife.She was at the bottom of the stairs and he just assumed she fell. That staircase was so dimly lit as the light was not on which is actually very interesting.I want people to actually look at her injuries and then think about it.There is zero way that any human could have done that unless she was held down or highly sedated and did he use an instrument to the make talon looking deep scrapes in the same width of an owl then scrape them across he scalp which severed the two massive veins on each side of her head? That’s more ridiculous as he couldn’t have done it. The Judge during his Alfred plea actually said .. “Are you sure you don’t want to have a retrial as I feel like there’s evidence of innocence in your case”. He had done many years in Jail and he just wanted to see his kids and grandchildren.When you have those injuries, owl feathers, scratches instead of bruises on her knuckles then that spatter which makes sense if you have a large bird of prey flapping around in your hair you are going to see really bizarre cast off from its wings flapping.Michael Peterson may be quirky and odd but he just couldn’t do those very tell tale injuries. Also he was not the person who said that it was an owl. The people had put signs up warning ⚠️ others to be mindful of them as they were having problems with one . That’s the neighbors that said that.Not him
I think it was his legal team that suggested the accident. I got the impression that in the state where the trial took place, the defense must provide an explanation for the death. Where I live, you are innocent until proven guilty. You only have to show that you did not commit the crime. You are not required to solve the crime. The prosecution could not prove Peterson murdered his wife but, as the defense could not explain how she died, Peterson had to be found guilty. My personal opinion is that Peterson probably murdered his wife for the insurance money but there is not enough evidence to be sure.
He doesn’t know what happened and he also thinks the owl theory is bunk . One thing that I have noticed is he doesn’t go on and on about his innocence unless asked . This with him being against another theory is unusual and it pointed to his innocence. I just know that her injuries are so odd that no way was that made be a human.
@@charisselinnell-morton4137 The autopsy and medical investigation were done by the county medical examiner who was working with the prosecution. I would have expected independent experts from the FBI or other qualified organization to be involved. From what I saw in the series, the defense did not try to get independent expert medical opinions either. Given these facts, I consider the medical evidence almost worthless. I believe Peterson killed his wife but this was not proven in court.
Exactly.. How do you see someone in that state, with that amount of blood and come to the conclusion that she fell off the stairs, and he sounded so sure about it
Collins performance was so good it was eerie. He portrayed the Main suspect and imo murderer perfectly. Hidden affairs, false claims and lies plus the time it took him to call the ambulance. The suspicious death of the adopted girls Mother Elizabeth at the bottom of a staircase....🤔🧐 Kathleen and Elizabeth both falling to their deaths down a convinient set of staircases? Yup horrid coincidence 😞😒😒😒😶😢😡
I watched the documentary on netflix. Something didnt seem right with Michael to me but i dont think he killed his wife. Theres a reason hes free. Too many things didnt add up it did seem like evidence wasnt handled correctly ect
Too much "reasonable doubt" therefore not guilty. Again, that doesn't mean innocent. The burden is on the prosecution; they didn't do a good job. They botched it. They had experts purger themselves. They didn't hand over all the evidence. ie blow poke pictures etc. Strangely the owl attack makes sense to me. It would also explain her trying to get up and keep falling. Only Michael really knows.
@@leanneferriday3067 ; the "reason he's free" is because he took an alford plea after finally getting an appeal approved due to a witness lying under oath about his level of expertise, not because anyone found him innocent. he was LITERALLY tried and found GUILTY of premeditated murder! and he DID basically admit to it by taking the plea bc if there's no evidence against you, there's no reason to take it.
Many people were displeased at how the series portrayed them. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade was one of the first to say he was upset at the portrayal of him. Michael Peterson’s sons were upset as well. I really do recommend people watch the actual documentary as opposed to just the dramatization and then make up your mind. The series, while good, took a lot of liberties. Almost no one was likeable.
Man!!!!! I am from Durham and remember when all this happened have lived here all my life and I have NEVER......never ever heard about any "aggressive owls"......wtf dude come up with something else he did it
I may sound crazy but I actually lean more towards the “owl theory” Her head had no bruising or fractures, which I’d expect to see if he had hit her on the head repeatedly. The blood splatter didn’t align with blunt force trauma either. She had her own hair in her hands like she was trying to remove something from her head and mixed on with that were pine needles and owl feathers. I know it initially sounds far fetched and ridiculous but I think it’s actually a good theory when you dig deeper. It does sound like something from a movie though 😆
I’m with you girl! For people who don’t know shit about proofs. Why would she have an owl leaf? Why did they not have proof he did it! If she had scratches why didn’t he have it in his nails! WHY BLAME HIM! His so innocent 😇 to me
@@windenfalls That’s why I was trying to stay away from the whole theory, I’m not one for conspiracy theories either. But when you actually give it a chance and match it with literal evidence it does seem more plausible
@@Areniapixie They weren't owl feathers. They were never tested. Pollard came up with this theory after the trial was over. I DID dig deeper. There is zero evidence it was an owl. Owl strikes have never killed any person nor caused the kind of avulsions she had
OK so started watching the mini series .. since I watched the original documentary.. a while ago . And was scratching my head with some of the DA stuff .. what I do ? Went back and watched the 13 episode. And I whole heartily believe this was a big scandal..whether or not he had anything to do with the deaths of the victims. And at the end of the series the judge believes Micheal would have been acquitted. But he was so over all this he finally took the deal after 8 years in prison.. the DA team should have been charged just like the blood analyst.
I did the same thing, rewatched the documentary series between episodes. Juries are too emotionally driven and ignore the "reason" in "reasonable doubt" and anything short of ironclad proof of innocence often results in a guilty verdict.
The docu was extremely bias. A lot of things that made Peterson look guilty where left out. The hbo series Also is rather friendly for Michael, they try to make it 50/50 chance that he did it or not. When u look into unbiased info about the case, it's more like 99 procent he did it, 1 procent he didn't. But that's just not the viewpoint hbo wanted.
@@rubenaerts7284 the big question is, should 99% probability be enough to convict in court? what about 95%? what is the threshold for "reasonable doubt" in your mind? every 1% we concede means (statistically, of course) one innocent person convicted for every 100 cases what Blackstone's ratio should we be aiming at?
@@vibovitold I get what you are saying. I just said I was 99 procent sure, cause I didn't sit in the jury and saw every detail of the trial. For as much as I know I'm 99 procent sure. I would not want to convict any man based on the knowledge I have about his case, I know a lot, but not 100 procent. I hope I will never have to sit in a jury by the way,seems terrible to make such a decision.
Brilliant acting by Toni and Colin. I do find it a little troublesome that these things are re-constructed as possible fact, exactly like The Crown, most of which is complete fabrication. I don't think we will ever know what really happened.
It's still shocking to me, how Elizabeth Ratliff's death was labeled a homicide, only from the prosecution in Durham. Don't get me wrong, but Germany isn't notorious for being lazy and taking their jobs less seriously. So, i trust their way of handling things 🤷
I admit I don’t like the guy, but I watched the trial live and it was presented in court that there was blood spattered on the inside of his shorts leg, also a bloody imprint of a shoe on her back. I don’t hear much about that evidence now , but I saw it in the trial. I believe he is guilty.
I watched this series before finding out it was based on a true story that happened in Durham, NC. I was even more surprised because I was living not far from Durham when I watched it and worked nearby. My coworkers and I discussed what we thought really happened.
Just watched this on Sky Atlantic. MP was portrayed as a very arrogant person whether he was really like this is another question. I personally believe the jury reached a correct decision.
Too many points of evidence that point to the fact that he DIDN'T do it. The only suspicious behavior on his part was being a pathological lier who lied pretty much to everybody (including his defense team) about everything. But the wounds on her head were simply not consistent with any murder weapon known to man. Would you risk sending a man to prison for LIFE based simply on a HUNCH that he may have done it? No, you need undeniable proof: murder weapon, DNA evidence or a witness; ideally, you would have all three, and in Peterson's case the prosecutors didn't have a single one. This was totally a misuse of our justice system.
MP calls 911 and says his wife fell down the stairs. He did not witness her fall but finds her barely alive with blood everywhere. How did he know she wasn't assaulted by an insane house intruder who could possibly still be lurking upstairs ? If he murdered his wife just after midnight, he would have plenty of time to dispose of the weapon if there was one.
@@marniecotter5058 He apparently had blood splatter in and around the crotch area and i believe in the upper inside parts of the shorts as well. This is highly suspect and purely indicative of a homicidal beating.
I have watched that documentary series about 3 times now and I still think he is innocent. The owl theory is ridiculous sounding, but why did they find feathers among other small things imbedded in her? It's extremely unlikely. I think her falling down the stairs backwards is the truth. 100%. It's very unlikely that his neighbour and friend, Elizabeth Ratliff, and his wife, Kathleen, both fell down the stairs and passed away, but I honestly think that's what happened. His friend (Elizabeth) did have a hemorrhage in the brain while atop the stairs, hence why she fell. The stairs Kathleen were on, had a very steep angle, there were a lot of stairs to walk up, and it was a very small, enclosed area where she had nothing to grab onto as she fell or before she fell. The blood spatter evidence done by the actual expert on the defense side, proved that he did not beat on her or create those wounds while she lay there dying at the bottom of the stairs. It's an extremely sad story.
The first person to fall was his neighbor and friend not his wife, fyi. Also there are more issues that aren't dealt with by either owl or fall theory. for instance How did she get a bloody foot print on the back of her clothes if he just found her at the bottom of the stairs?
She'd been lying on a sun chair outdoors - her hair may have picked up things like twigs and microscopic feather fragments. Men kill their wives on the regular, he'd already lied about a suspicious death before, one strikingly similar to this one, too, and he lied to 911 operators about her still breathing. He was also exploting her (she was the only earner) AND cheating on her. Not to mention things like the broken cartilage and the spatter up his shorts. I'm amazed people are willing to believe him. I'm also astounded at the lengths people would go through to come up with any alternative explanation. And btw things can be true even if there's no definitive proof.
@@dansmart3182 oh, I thought it was his first wife. He did adopt her two daughters though. Secondly, I didn’t know about the bloody footprint because it was never mentioned in the documentary.
@@clivebaxter6354 Not really. His wife was the breadwinner. He was unemployed. But even then, they still were heavily in debt and by the time he went to prison he had no money. He had to sell his house just to pay for his lawyers.
Yes! Came to the comment section looking for this. In my understanding it was fairly recently revealed he had an on-going relationship with the director of the documentary, which (to me) made it very difficult to know how reliable it was. I know all documentaries are skewed somewhat and will have interaction with director and subjects, but a year-long sexual relationship as they were filming is a step too far.
@@alexcuevas8924 wtf are you talking about?!! He had a love affair with the French woman who filmed and edited the freaking documentary. It’s completely biased!
@@kated2195 Oh that's news to me. Wasn't he dating the lawyer tho during the documentary? This fucking guy gets around where does he find the time? Anyway the state had a weak case against him and they used the media to skew it against him way before the documentary.
I have been following this case for years now. First of all she was drunk and on vallium. No one has explained how she died of blunt force trauma to the head yet had no skull fractures! Lacerations to her scalp caused her to bleed out. Yes you read that right, she bled out. There is NO proof blunt force trauma caused the lacerations. Then of course there's the very odd shape of the lacerations. Clearly they were not made by a long rod shaped implement. And best of all there are the feathers clutched in her hands and found on her body. You think an owl couldn't have attacked her? While she was in a drunken, valliun induced stupor? Ok, well there's as much evidence for that as there is for murder.
Even a small amount of alcohol plus vallium equals a drunken stupor. And I just love how everyone completely skips over the fact that she had "blunt force trauma" yet no skull fractures, the very odd shape of the lacerations, and the feathers. I'm glad you're not in forensics!
@@brightmoon7132 not when someone does that on a regular basis as she did. The 8 hour documentary shows the guy was a real scumbag, and the theory of his innocence is less than convincing. *Most of all, this is the 2nd wife he had die by falling down the stairs!* Nobody's luck is that bad lady, you're a crackpot leftist.
I have watched both Netflix’s and HBO’s series, and I think my time was worth watching so good series based on a true incident. I will say that both platforms nailed it in direction and production.
I don’t think he is a good guy… but i think the criminal justice system is deeply flawed and that he probably didn’t kill the wife. It was a terrible accident! Plus she was supporting him financially. Why would he kill her?
After watching the series, I feel like Michael is too smart to murder his wife and then try to pass it off as a slip and fall. Especially, with all of the scratches on her face and arms. I actually think the owl attack is more realistic. This actually shows he really didn’t know what actually happened to his wife. Kathleen was found on the steps so it is assumed she fell down the steps. I would have made the same assumption. However, I do think he murdered the girls mother.
She was attacked by something or someone. It is to do with peterson and he is trying to cover that part.. not sure if he was actually involved but he let it happen. Why isn't anyone talking about ...what if they never went to the pool?? It is only him who says they went to the pool. They may have never went to the pool and something might have happened inside the house. Maybe it was pure accident and she was left to bleed on the spot. Maybe he helped her get up few times which explains why she has blood on her feet.
The blood spatter analysis proves she died from falling down the stairs. I guess he could have pushed her, but she died from the molding on the stairs. I have tripped and slammed into molding before and split my head open pretty good. Wood is sharper than you think.
Strange because I was convinced he did it and also convinced the owl did it. 🦉 after watching a documentary on owls and learning they are more aggressive in winter etc etc I am convinced it was an owl attack. 🙏
She's being attacked by a, large raptor and she doesn't cry out? She doesn't scream, and he hears nothing? An owl makes all that blood? She was dead for several hours before he called 911. Yet he said she was still breathing? He has blood splatters on the inside of his shorts from just standing over her body? There's blood splatters on his shoes - but the responders find him bare foot? "Owl theory" my butt!
Candace was one of the most unlikable people I've ever seen...She was so annoying about the the whole "he plead guilty" when he kept saying over and over again that he's only pleading to be done with it and not actually saying he's guilty.
Ok it might just be me but doesn’t this sound exactly like the first season of the show trial and error? Like the wife was killed and everyone thought it was the husband but it did end up happening to be a bird
I've watched the documentary, and I believe he did it......I believe that she did find some information of his sexual orientation with men. And ofcourse, their debt issues.
How could he knew that it was an accident (on the 911 phone call) ? with all that blood it could have been an intruder...but obviously she had an accident...
Colin Firth was absolutely amazing in the dramatized series!! He just nailed Peterson’s voice and mannerisms. It was almost uncanny.
I KNOW!....the way he has been able to mimic Petersons inflections and even the way he walks....absolutely brilliant
I always thought MP was a small man, like small in stature. Firth is great, but too tall?
he killed it
Colin’s portrayal is hauntingly accurate. Excellent work.
@@crimescenemary420 Agreed. That was one thing that distracted me at times from seeing Firth as Michael. Michael was like a tiny little elf man and Firth was taller than everyone in his scenes
I was both thoroughly impressed and deeply disturbed by the "reenactments" of the different theories as to how she may have fallen and died. They were so impressively done, and quite gruesome, to the point where immediately after I watched each of them I had to press pause and just sort of sit there, taking in and processing what I'd just seen. And the one where Michael killed her, I kinda felt like throwing up.
Colin Firth did a great job as Michael Peterson. However, Toni Collette absolutely blew me away! I just felt this authenticity coming from her. It made me feel like she did a lot of incredible research in trying to really represent Kathleen and who she was.
I would say that, for me, everyone was great; great acting across the board!
Me too. It was better than I thought it would be
same here!!!!
Me too. It took me months to get through this series because it was so well done and disturbing. At the end of it, I still don't know if he's innocent or guilty. I'm leaning towards guilty but I don't know. Toni Collette, if those women doesn't one day win an Oscar it will be an injustice. Collin was amazing to but Toni Collette. It was hard seeing her die over and over again in the different scenarios. So difficult because you loved the character and the kids so much, and ugh, it was all so heartbreaking.
So did Parker. It’s uncanny how much she looked like the prosecutor and no easy task because just the way she held herself is strenuous.
One day we all will realize that Toni collette is the greatest actress to ever live…
Dont u like Meryl Streep ? She's THE Actress. Toni gave me pleasure in "the sixth sens" and "Hereditary" that's all . I do prefer Vera Farmiga which is very similar with Toni physically.
You're wicked Muriel!!!
@@richgirl6329 oh...Sorry i can't judge,i didn't watch this Movie but i've Always heard GREAT critics about that.
@@richgirl6329 You're "Terrible" Muriel. Not wicked! 😏
@@Keith_M00N66 I would say Toni Collette is her generation’s Meryl.
If you watch the "Staircase" documentary episode 8 3 mins 1 second in, you hear David Rudolf slip while talking to Michael Peterson about the blow poke. He says on a phone call there's no blood on it (blow poke)"Whatever you used that's not it" David Rudolf words on record.
noticed that as well. They have an antagonistic relationship so it could possibly be chalked up to them being assholes to each other.
Ok I am gonna watch it again.
Such a weird guy. A moocher and very self-centered. Kathleen was the only one in the whole family who worked. She was totally exhausted and taking advantage of. Shameful.
Yes and that's why she kild her self...michael is inosente..and children are fucking crazy and this attorneys is fucking wtf....
Agreed
He s a superb actor but just can't pull off an American accent
you dont know any of that as fact
I never understood her attraction to him.
I do think that Michael is deceptive, he's not really a "good person" and he's probably lying about quite a few things, but as for just looking at the evidence I think the owl theory makes the most sense, especially considering how the wounds are basically in the shape of an owl talon, and tiny scratches Kathleen had on her face, and the fact that they found tiny feathers wrapped into her hair
No f ing way,owls ,an animal with vision humans can't even imagine don't fly into houses.
And if an owl with sharp powerful talons attacks a person would have puncture wounds.
@@mrlafayette1964 I don't know if you watched the tv show but it showed that the owl attacked the woman outside the house, when she went out to put up garden decorations, not inside the house
Yup, exactly
@@mrlafayette1964not in the house and it couldnt punture her skull!
@@mrlafayette1964it kills me when people like u state matter of factly when u have ZERO clue what u are talking about
I found the Netflix documentary soo one sided, so much was omitted, the financial issues, the legal battle with Caitlyn and the issue with clayton's past. It's felt more like a Michael Peterson story rather than the staircase documentary.
Wasn’t that the one that he and his lawyers produced though? I saw that too and agree that it was very one sided.
Peterson looked most of the time as if he was playing to the camera
Peterson was dating the producer at the time. of course it was one-sided.
@@kaylabarbee7304 Yeah doing his usual job of using women. What did she see in him? All I saw was a lying creep
No the lawyers didn’t have anything to do with it. It was an independent French documentarian. Peterson was also not dating a producer. He did have a “relationship” with the editor but that began after the documentary was initially released which came after his last appeal had been exhausted.
Michael Peterson lied about receiving a Purple Heart for being injured in the Vietnam war. He is definitely capable of lying, and surely knows how to make up stuff. He’s a writer, duh.
He also lied about Kathleen knowing about him being bi in recent interviews he admits they never talked about it she never knew I believe that night when she went to check her emails she saw the escorts confronted him and said she was leaving she was tired he would be left with nothing the truth would come out and he would be more shamed than lying about aa purple heart she worked ND did everything while she was just a beard even had his name on her and the other wife who died the same way estates so he had the most to gin the son todd haas come put ND said he did it and his mother patty wwho stood by him thru this passed he has her estate as well andd took them off heath insurance and other things
So, being a liar means you are capable of killing?
@@jendesimone9053 Being a liar comes in handy when you want to cover up a crime.
@@elainehiggins713 it's what you lie about see he initially said Kathleen knew about him being bisexual when we know now she didn't know that's how we know the night of the murder she went and saw what she saw in that computer and didn't like it and he killed her
And he lied about a lot more than that. The list is very long.
I don't have HBO 😭😭😭 but these clips of Colin Firth as Michael Peterson look great. He really captured Michael's accent and mannerisms well. Colin is such a talented actor
serialeonline
@@saraho9568 Sometimes different media are on different streaming services in other countries in the world, so yes.
@@saraho9568 is it?? or do you mean the original documentary?
Great miniseries. I just started reading Written in Blood, about the crime (free on Kindle Unlimited) and I learned A LOT of details neither the doc or miniseries did not reveal. Recommend! One thing -- Petersons involvement in running Liz Ratcliffe's financial life. And much more detail on the blood and where it was. He's guilty.
he definitely is GUILTY
What makes you so sure?
@@neildown7231 try looking at the walls next to the stairs, for starters
@@jv-ep2tc And?
@@neildown7231 Of course he did it. The man is good at lying and was guy without her knowing and he was in debt and wanted the money. Michael was very manipulative and would easy been making a fake murder scene just hear the fake 911 call. Nobody would say "she is breathing" when call for help he would say she is bleeding and we need help right now. He kinda revealing himself. This man properly also killed his first wife the same way and got away with it and thought he could do the same again and get away with it and he kinda did. He also manipulative Sophie to help him so many years and when he got out he didnt want her anyway. ALL the evidence point to Michael did it. He also lied about him receiving that medal in war which also was a lie. The man only cares about himself and knows how to fake it in life to make people believe in him
He could have done it, but they certainly did not have enough evidence of it. However, this HBO series is great, but they have also left out lots of important information, for instance about Liz' autopsy and that also American doctors at the time said she had a stroke. IT forensics said nobody had been on the computer that evening, so the theory that Kathleen found those images only then isn't plausible either, and they left out how badly done the new autopsy of Liz was. This, coupled with how the police deliberately lied in court, and made grave mistakes during the investigation and also after it (like the bags with evidence are contaminated), just goes to show what a mess this case was and still is.
....and the bottom line is he got a shitty trial and that's all that matters - there is no proof he killed her. nothing else in the story matters.
She didn't sustain the massive amount of damage and blood loss from a fall down the stairs. So either he killed her or an owl did.
@@dmartig1 An owl? You serious believe that?
@@DavidKen878 My point is to the Peterson defenders that she was killed. So if it wasn't him than it must have been a damn owl. The biased documentary makes the owl theory seem like gospel.
@@dmartig1 isn't it? You just said it must've been an owl. So you clearly believe that theory.
I saw the docu-series on netflix about this. My theory - Michael Peterson had an affair with George Ratliff, when stationed in Germany. After George died, Michael and Elizabeth had a falling out. Maybe she was going to out him to the Marines about the relationship he had with her husband, so Michael killed her. Out of love for George, he adopted Margaret and Martha. Kathleen found out about Michael's homosexuality. Instead of getting a divorce and having his private life exposed (which ended up getting exposed anyway), Michael chose to kill her the same way he killed Elizabeth. It's not a coincidence that two women in his life died the exactly same death. In the last show of the series, Kathleen's sister mentioned in court that Kathleen's voice box was crushed. That was the first and only time that was mentioned. He strangled her, bashed her head in and used the staircase as a smoke screen.
Patricia was his first wife. *_Kathleen_* was his second wife and the one that was murdered. 💁🏻♀
That sounds like the best theory yet..never thought about it!..and im sure the defence and prosecution didnt either...im thinking he thought im going to do the same i did in Germany..i got away with before!!
And now as with any theory, you don't get to just decide that it's true. You have to prove that it's true. I look forward to your research.
THIS!!!!🙌
It's unfair to assume that because someone has an affair that they would murder to get around it. Michael was super arrogant and not very likeable, but that doesn't make him a murderer. Plus, the SISTER said the voice box was crushed. No coroner said that, and no coroner agreed that there was evidence of strangulation.
as much as I totally agree she did not "FALL" the Owl Theory seems SO PLAUSIBLE...look at her Talon Like Cuts on her head and arms...Feathers...already seeking help for Owls living in attic or roof...???? I am surprised they did not investigate that further...
Right? The dude is shady but those injuries are inconsistent with beatings, like how would he scratch her scalp. I mean if he did find her on the stairs what would he assume. I fell on my face as a kid and bleed a river from my nose, wasn't even broken. I've seen crows attacking people in the same manner so they fell and got injured. Idk if they tested the feathers, but unplausible for her to get a wild bird one from a pillow, in her bloody hand.
its not plausible unless you're only looking at it from a superficial pov. both defenses for peterson (accidental fall and owl) dont explain how and why there's as much blood as there was and how it got everywhere. not to mention a scrap with a large animal such as an owl would leave forensic evidence behind and defense wounds on her hands and arms. and how would an owl fracture her thyroid cartilage? a neck injury common in cases of strangulation? he killed her, there's no getting around it.
@@milannoelle1576 yeah but its so weird cause the scrapes were at the back of the skull, and they did find feathers eventualy in her hand along with her own hair and blood(why would she pluck her own hair?). No one would assume that cause she was found indoors. I also dont get how would he kill her like that. She didnt die from strangulation, so did he half assedly try to choke her then gave up? How did she bleed out from scrapes and no fractures? Those stairs looked dingy, narrow and unsafe but they were lined and not sharp enough so that doesn't make sense either. Everything is just so weird, no one made a viable explanation. So that irks me logicaly, not that I cant accept him as a killer and call it a day.
@@JB-tt6ct the blood was dried when the police came..very odd if he only found her ..so many inconsistencies
@@dianekeegan5250 how long did it take for the ambulance to come? And the police. You see if he was a moocher husband that stayed by the pool for hours while the whiwe went back for work emails and Christmas decorations it's not that unusual for the blood to dry out. How much time has passed between injury, him calling 911 and them arriving? Blood dries pretty fast, coagulation is literally body's defence mechanism against trauma. So as a female that bled a lot through life let me tell you it isn't consistently bright red and the ambulance doesn't come in 5 minutes like they do on TV shows.
I've been watching The Staircase, mesmerized by the story, and this sad family being torn apart. I believe Michael killed both women, and it disgusts me that he got away with his horrendous murders.
Colin and Toni, as well as the rest of this cast, give STELLAR performances. I LOVE Colin Firth, BUT HATE him portraying an evil person.
If he had killed the two women, what do you personally think was the motive for killing the first woman?
You can believe all you want, but if you could prove it, then good for you.
@@andyliu1296 your comment is very silly. Can I ask you not to comment online if you’re going to say silly things?
And what disgusts me (as well as any thinking person) is how you can judge someone guilty and turn against them when a.) you weren't there, b) you have no proof of your belief and c) you could wish someone the loss of their freedom for the rest of their lives on a belief, rather than on proof. Shame on you.
I believe he killed them both too! I thought that after the original documentary and that was presented by the defence! Watching the fictional account that was more evenly presented just convinced me further.
I've just recently watched the Netflix version and my god it was long and laborious. It was a lot of Petersons monologing. Unnecessary 11 episodes. I really think he did it. And if I never hear the words blow pipe again, it'll be too soon.
Blow poke*
There was a 13 part documentary. It got criticized for being too long.
Now there is an 8 episode miniseries starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette. I thought both were on HBO but I could be mistaken. The miniseries is worth a watch.
This man used women to support him, but preferred men sexually. He even used Sophie from the documentary to help get him off and then dropped her. I find it tremendously sad that some of their children still can’t see through him.
On point. He knows how to fake it in life and now have gotten away with two murders
@@mixedpleasure4324 that’s just ridiculous. He had zero reason to murder Ratliff.
I remember hearing about this years ago I believe that Michael killed Kathleen it's sad that he basically got away with it and is living his life
That’s your believe! But there was never proof he did it! They just thought! If his out is because there was no proof.
Keyword being “believe”, and if you feel “sad” about the “got away”, that’s your own problem.
I believe Amber Heard more than this goofy....all the drama he put his family/friends thru.... waisting boatloads of the tax payers money and what does this clown do in the end? Cop an Alford plea...I never not once thought he was innocent?
He said in the 911 call that she was still breathing but when the paramedics arrived, approx 10 mins later if I remember correctly, the blood was already dry! She wasn’t legally intoxicated though he had stressed how much she had been drinking. It was not full feathers that were found but just a couple of fragments. Kathleen was the wage-earner and the sole owner of the house and had, more than likely, just found out he was having affairs and those affairs were with men. There was a large life insurance policy on her. The girls’ mother had also died “falling down stairs”. And even if an owl had attacked her, the owl did not fracture the extension of her left thyroid cartilage. I’m sure he killed her, whether it happened after an owl attack or not, I don’t think we’ll ever know but I’m positive he killed her!
@@SD-ik1xf I knew he did it once the detectives discovered that of the two wine glasses sitting on the counter...only his glass had his fingerprints on it.... the other glass which he said was Kathleen's glass...had no fingerprints... that's all I needed to hear..
I watched this recently; if you're into crime docus it's stellar but very long. Lots of court and legal parts not all re-enactments etc but definitely worth the watch.
"not all re-enactments etc but definitely worth the watch"
"but"? : ) i think you might be surprised how many viewers (this includes me) do like the court and legal parts, and wouldn't prefer "all re-enactments" instead.
@@vibovitold obviously there's a market for it, but when you compare it to other similar shows on Netflix, which are often portrayed with the drama and theatrics of an A&E hourly special, the format of this series is much different than what I was expecting.
@@FionaApplewright it's always a matter of taste, HOWEVER according to statistics (by Parrot Analytics) it ranked in the top 2.7% of shows for demand, and top 1% in the Drama genre, go figure.
apparently the market for that is quite substantial actually : ) perhaps people are somewhat fed up with these similar, by-the-numbers / drama-packed shows.
i found it refreshing (and i've binge-watched the latest "Stranger Things" yesterday, so it's not like i'm immune to the thrills of incessant screen action) : )
There are owl warning signs in the community, feathers, and talon scratches on her head, clumps of her own hair in her hands, what else could cause that? Coupled with the fact that there are more than 12,000 stairway deaths annually…seems like a series of unfortunate circumstances to me.
I would be interested to know how many stairway deaths result in a bloody mess. ?
@@speteydog2260 that’s where the owl thing comes into play
@@linaaviles1971 I bet most of the stairway deaths in the USA were not this bloody. The death in England, there were no owls. That guy is a killer. No one will convince me otherwise. The documentary on Netflix is abhorrent. They are all just having a good time. No thought to the murdered wife who also had a job in the community.
Agreed.
@@speteydog2260 also how did it happen to someone else Michael knew 20 something years before? Same exact lacerations on their heads and they looked so much alike
Im surprised that even aside from the super strong case for the Owl theory, the jury could find without a reasonable doubt that she was the first human being ever killed by blunt force trauma with no fractures or brain injury, if youre not hit in the head hard enough to cause brain injury, you'd be conscious enough to be fighting back, but the only wounds on her whole body are on the back/top of her head. Makes absolutely no sense that she was killed by anyone. It was an owl. The feathers found in her hair were microscopic, and only found on the feet of an owl. I mean just look at her wounds, its LITERALLY in the shape of an owl talon.
if I were attacked by an owl, you would find parts (larger than microscopic) of that owl all around my dead body. I fear for the intelligence of the human species. We are doomed.
@@elainehiggins713 She was likely attacked outside, ran inside holding her head, and fell down the stairs while already with the lacerations. They found feathers in her hair and she was clutching pieces of hair in her hand. Even if you dont believe the owl theory its still more plausible then beating someone in the back of the head enough o make them bleed out but not cause any skull fractures or brain injury. there wasnt even a sign she got knocked out, yet she has zero defensive wounds and all her wounds are just on the back of her head. So unless MP cut her head up while she was sleeping and then she ran down the stairs it wouldnt make sense
@@imetzl9340 When someone hits you from behind, it’s difficult to defend yourself. That’s why they do it.
@@elainehiggins713 But she never lost consciousness, meaning she didnt turn around for 7 strikes? nah
@@imetzl9340 When you get hit in the head, you don’t do things you normally do. Surely, you know this.
There are a lot of inconsistencies but those cuts on her head look like talons from sort of bird, owl etc. while reaching up to free whatever was attacking her, she has lumps of her own hair in her hands and feathers were found in her hair🤔
Yep. As a kid, we had a huge owl get stuck in our chimney, and the game wardens who got it out had to wear special gear to protect themselves from the talons.
Yeah and I also have a bridge I’d like to sell you guys. That massive, gruesome bloody scene was caused by an owl….lol
@@KDub-1 No one said that.
For me personally it’s is something I watched with great interest. I can honestly say having weighed it all up I haven’t a clue if he did or didn’t do it. Maybe that’s my limited ability or there was no way of proving he did or didn’t do it.
you have a great perspective that a lot of people cant seem to grasp. there isnt much proof one way or another - therefore, he goes free - plus the whole mistrial angle
agreed! Too much "reasonable doubt" therefore not guilty. Again, that doesn't mean innocent. The burden is on the prosecution; they didn't do a good job. They botched it. They had experts purger themselves. They didn't hand over all the evidence. ie blow poke pictures etc. Strangely the owl attack makes sense to me. It would also explain her trying to get up and keep falling. Only Michael really knows.
@@robi6317 exactly!!
Not one expert has ever been able to tell us what exactly caused those head lacerations and they never looked at any other theories. If she was hit with a blunt object then she should have had fractures.
The Owl theory was the most likely.
@@cindyneff6499 I completely agree that it’s very likely!
@@cindyneff6499 lmao the owl theory is ridiculous
@@arrynbeacon8077 why?
She was pushed onto the ground and then her head was beaten against it repeatedly. She died in a very slow manner.
How did an owl get into the house and back out again? I like the theory because of the scratches and feathers but I don’t understand why the owl wasn’t around? Why would it leave when it had successfully defended its territory? I think it’s crazy to believe the owl 🦉 would not still be around. Did they keep pigeons or rats in their house? Did they find an owl nest it was defending? I’d have believed it was an owl attack if he was attacked too or the owl was still hanging out there when police arrived. The owl broke in the house to attack her then escape?
How could he be so sure it was an accident? If he does not know what has happened? I should have started wondering if there was someone in the house (from outside) who murdered her considering all the blood? Did he think it was the owl? Why didnt he mentioned all the blood when he called the emergency number? Did he mention that he had been in a similar accident? (which probably been mentioned because it would be a strange coincidence? -mentioned after a while at least? Gets weird vibes from him.
I think he just wanted help and he was not looking at the blood ,he was actually looking at his wife.She was at the bottom of the stairs and he just assumed she fell. That staircase was so dimly lit as the light was not on which is actually very interesting.I want people to actually look at her injuries and then think about it.There is zero way that any human could have done that unless she was held down or highly sedated and did he use an instrument to the make talon looking deep scrapes in the same width of an owl then scrape them across he scalp which severed the two massive veins on each side of her head? That’s more ridiculous as he couldn’t have done it. The Judge during his Alfred plea actually said .. “Are you sure you don’t want to have a retrial as I feel like there’s evidence of innocence in your case”. He had done many years in Jail and he just wanted to see his kids and grandchildren.When you have those injuries, owl feathers, scratches instead of bruises on her knuckles then that spatter which makes sense if you have a large bird of prey flapping around in your hair you are going to see really bizarre cast off from its wings flapping.Michael Peterson may be quirky and odd but he just couldn’t do those very tell tale injuries. Also he was not the person who said that it was an owl. The people had put signs up warning ⚠️ others to be mindful of them as they were having problems with one . That’s the neighbors that said that.Not him
I think it was his legal team that suggested the accident. I got the impression that in the state where the trial took place, the defense must provide an explanation for the death. Where I live, you are innocent until proven guilty. You only have to show that you did not commit the crime. You are not required to solve the crime. The prosecution could not prove Peterson murdered his wife but, as the defense could not explain how she died, Peterson had to be found guilty.
My personal opinion is that Peterson probably murdered his wife for the insurance money but there is not enough evidence to be sure.
He doesn’t know what happened and he also thinks the owl theory is bunk . One thing that I have noticed is he doesn’t go on and on about his innocence unless asked . This with him being against another theory is unusual and it pointed to his innocence. I just know that her injuries are so odd that no way was that made be a human.
@@charisselinnell-morton4137 The autopsy and medical investigation were done by the county medical examiner who was working with the prosecution. I would have expected independent experts from the FBI or other qualified organization to be involved. From what I saw in the series, the defense did not try to get independent expert medical opinions either. Given these facts, I consider the medical evidence almost worthless. I believe Peterson killed his wife but this was not proven in court.
Exactly.. How do you see someone in that state, with that amount of blood and come to the conclusion that she fell off the stairs, and he sounded so sure about it
Collins performance was so good it was eerie. He portrayed the Main suspect and imo murderer perfectly. Hidden affairs, false claims and lies plus the time it took him to call the ambulance. The suspicious death of the adopted girls Mother Elizabeth at the bottom of a staircase....🤔🧐 Kathleen and Elizabeth both falling to their deaths down a convinient set of staircases? Yup horrid coincidence 😞😒😒😒😶😢😡
Colin great acting.
Michael absolutely killed ger.
I watched the documentary on netflix. Something didnt seem right with Michael to me but i dont think he killed his wife. Theres a reason hes free. Too many things didnt add up it did seem like evidence wasnt handled correctly ect
He basically admitted he did 🤷♀️
@@annielane1843 no he didnt hes been adamant hes innocent since day 1
Too much "reasonable doubt" therefore not guilty. Again, that doesn't mean innocent. The burden is on the prosecution; they didn't do a good job. They botched it. They had experts purger themselves. They didn't hand over all the evidence. ie blow poke pictures etc. Strangely the owl attack makes sense to me. It would also explain her trying to get up and keep falling. Only Michael really knows.
@@leanneferriday3067 ; the "reason he's free" is because he took an alford plea after finally getting an appeal approved due to a witness lying under oath about his level of expertise, not because anyone found him innocent. he was LITERALLY tried and found GUILTY of premeditated murder! and he DID basically admit to it by taking the plea bc if there's no evidence against you, there's no reason to take it.
@@milannoelle1576 taking a plea doesnt mean your guilty. In his case old, broke and tired??
Many people were displeased at how the series portrayed them. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade was one of the first to say he was upset at the portrayal of him. Michael Peterson’s sons were upset as well. I really do recommend people watch the actual documentary as opposed to just the dramatization and then make up your mind. The series, while good, took a lot of liberties. Almost no one was likeable.
Man!!!!!
I am from Durham and remember when all this happened have lived here all my life and I have NEVER......never ever heard about any "aggressive owls"......wtf dude come up with something else he did it
There's suppsedly signs all over Durham regarding owl attacks?
I haven't seen any
Great series, what a story. The main character is so unapologetically duplicitous. It’s unnerving 😳🫣🧐
Weird timing, I just watched a 2018 documentary on Netflix last night. I don’t think he did it, I did at first but ended up thinking he’s innocent
I may sound crazy but I actually lean more towards the “owl theory” Her head had no bruising or fractures, which I’d expect to see if he had hit her on the head repeatedly. The blood splatter didn’t align with blunt force trauma either.
She had her own hair in her hands like she was trying to remove something from her head and mixed on with that were pine needles and owl feathers.
I know it initially sounds far fetched and ridiculous but I think it’s actually a good theory when you dig deeper. It does sound like something from a movie though 😆
I’m with you girl! For people who don’t know shit about proofs. Why would she have an owl leaf? Why did they not have proof he did it! If she had scratches why didn’t he have it in his nails! WHY BLAME HIM! His so innocent 😇 to me
@@patriciaojeda7218 I’m relieved I’m not the only one 😅 ❤️
@@windenfalls That’s why I was trying to stay away from the whole theory, I’m not one for conspiracy theories either. But when you actually give it a chance and match it with literal evidence it does seem more plausible
@@Areniapixie They weren't owl feathers. They were never tested. Pollard came up with this theory after the trial was over. I DID dig deeper. There is zero evidence it was an owl. Owl strikes have never killed any person nor caused the kind of avulsions she had
OK so started watching the mini series .. since I watched the original documentary.. a while ago . And was scratching my head with some of the DA stuff .. what I do ? Went back and watched the 13 episode. And I whole heartily believe this was a big scandal..whether or not he had anything to do with the deaths of the victims. And at the end of the series the judge believes Micheal would have been acquitted. But he was so over all this he finally took the deal after 8 years in prison.. the DA team should have been charged just like the blood analyst.
Plus the exhumed autopsy should have never been done by the people in this case it should have been done in texas
I did the same thing, rewatched the documentary series between episodes. Juries are too emotionally driven and ignore the "reason" in "reasonable doubt" and anything short of ironclad proof of innocence often results in a guilty verdict.
The docu was extremely bias. A lot of things that made Peterson look guilty where left out. The hbo series Also is rather friendly for Michael, they try to make it 50/50 chance that he did it or not. When u look into unbiased info about the case, it's more like 99 procent he did it, 1 procent he didn't. But that's just not the viewpoint hbo wanted.
@@rubenaerts7284 the big question is, should 99% probability be enough to convict in court?
what about 95%?
what is the threshold for "reasonable doubt" in your mind?
every 1% we concede means (statistically, of course) one innocent person convicted for every 100 cases
what Blackstone's ratio should we be aiming at?
@@vibovitold I get what you are saying. I just said I was 99 procent sure, cause I didn't sit in the jury and saw every detail of the trial. For as much as I know I'm 99 procent sure. I would not want to convict any man based on the knowledge I have about his case, I know a lot, but not 100 procent. I hope I will never have to sit in a jury by the way,seems terrible to make such a decision.
Brilliant acting by Toni and Colin. I do find it a little troublesome that these things are re-constructed as possible fact, exactly like The Crown, most of which is complete fabrication. I don't think we will ever know what really happened.
OH, what an intriguing and difficult story.thanks......
He did it !!!
I might look into this, thanks ms mojo for introducing me to this:)
What do you mean might look into this? What planet do you live on.
It's still shocking to me, how Elizabeth Ratliff's death was labeled a homicide, only from the prosecution in Durham. Don't get me wrong, but Germany isn't notorious for being lazy and taking their jobs less seriously. So, i trust their way of handling things 🤷
I admit I don’t like the guy, but I watched the trial live and it was presented in court that there was blood spattered on the inside of his shorts leg, also a bloody imprint of a shoe on her back. I don’t hear much about that evidence now , but I saw it in the trial. I believe he is guilty.
for me, the problem isn't that he's bi, but that he's a liar, a manipulator and a cheater
Guilty as sin
This case seems like the inspiration of season 1 of trial and error
well if he takes a third wife and she takes a tumble down the stairs it's gonna look really bad for him.
I watched this series before finding out it was based on a true story that happened in Durham, NC. I was even more surprised because I was living not far from Durham when I watched it and worked nearby. My coworkers and I discussed what we thought really happened.
And what did y’all come up with?!
Just watched this on Sky Atlantic.
MP was portrayed as a very arrogant person whether he was really like this is another question.
I personally believe the jury reached a correct decision.
you are confusing arrogant with educated
i dont see how anyone cant see it was a bogus trial , and THAT THEY FULLY DESCRIBE WHY, and how you cant see any reasonable doubt.
He did it. I'll never believe otherwise.
Same here fam!
Too many points of evidence that point to the fact that he DIDN'T do it. The only suspicious behavior on his part was being a pathological lier who lied pretty much to everybody (including his defense team) about everything. But the wounds on her head were simply not consistent with any murder weapon known to man. Would you risk sending a man to prison for LIFE based simply on a HUNCH that he may have done it? No, you need undeniable proof: murder weapon, DNA evidence or a witness; ideally, you would have all three, and in Peterson's case the prosecutors didn't have a single one. This was totally a misuse of our justice system.
Same
Believe what you want. There's still no evidence.
@@liambrannelly45 I agree totally Liam. There was not sufficient from the start to go to trial. It was a witch hunt built on air.
I remember watching this as an episode on Forensic Files/Medical Detectives (Season 10, I think).. Now I know why the thumbnail looked familiar..
I've Almost Been Attacked By an Owl, & All Ya Hear is Wings & Air From Those Wings!
I never realized that Colin firth is so handsome 😙😚
That was the first thing I ever noticed about him. I take it you never saw Pride and Prejudice 1995.
And Peterson is so unattractive!
MP calls 911 and says his wife fell down the stairs. He did not witness her fall but finds her barely alive with blood everywhere. How did he know she wasn't assaulted by an insane house intruder who could possibly still be lurking upstairs ? If he murdered his wife just after midnight, he would have plenty of time to dispose of the weapon if there was one.
I was thinking the same. How did he know she fell down the stairs right away? It could have been a mad man. There is something fishy with his story 🤔🤔
@@marniecotter5058 He apparently had blood splatter in and around the crotch area and i believe in the upper inside parts of the shorts as well. This is highly suspect and purely indicative of a homicidal beating.
@@globetrotter6219 Except the beating was done by being slammed against the ground with nothing but barehands
I have watched that documentary series about 3 times now and I still think he is innocent. The owl theory is ridiculous sounding, but why did they find feathers among other small things imbedded in her? It's extremely unlikely. I think her falling down the stairs backwards is the truth. 100%.
It's very unlikely that his neighbour and friend, Elizabeth Ratliff, and his wife, Kathleen, both fell down the stairs and passed away, but I honestly think that's what happened. His friend (Elizabeth) did have a hemorrhage in the brain while atop the stairs, hence why she fell. The stairs Kathleen were on, had a very steep angle, there were a lot of stairs to walk up, and it was a very small, enclosed area where she had nothing to grab onto as she fell or before she fell. The blood spatter evidence done by the actual expert on the defense side, proved that he did not beat on her or create those wounds while she lay there dying at the bottom of the stairs. It's an extremely sad story.
The first person to fall was his neighbor and friend not his wife, fyi. Also there are more issues that aren't dealt with by either owl or fall theory. for instance How did she get a bloody foot print on the back of her clothes if he just found her at the bottom of the stairs?
@@dansmart3182 I didn’t even think about that good point!!!
She'd been lying on a sun chair outdoors - her hair may have picked up things like twigs and microscopic feather fragments. Men kill their wives on the regular, he'd already lied about a suspicious death before, one strikingly similar to this one, too, and he lied to 911 operators about her still breathing. He was also exploting her (she was the only earner) AND cheating on her. Not to mention things like the broken cartilage and the spatter up his shorts. I'm amazed people are willing to believe him. I'm also astounded at the lengths people would go through to come up with any alternative explanation. And btw things can be true even if there's no definitive proof.
@@dansmart3182 oh, I thought it was his first wife. He did adopt her two daughters though. Secondly, I didn’t know about the bloody footprint because it was never mentioned in the documentary.
I heard of this story & it broke my heart 💔
The way he killed her in the series is just shocking and so real
Had I been a juror in this case my intelligence would have been insulted🤬 this man is so guilty, guilty! 👏
yeah but rich and white
@@clivebaxter6354 What does that have to do with anything? Also, he wasn't rich.
@@DavidKen878 He was rich
@@clivebaxter6354 Not really. His wife was the breadwinner. He was unemployed. But even then, they still were heavily in debt and by the time he went to prison he had no money. He had to sell his house just to pay for his lawyers.
Of course because your so much smarter then people with education and experience oh let me guess he's guilty because he's a white man
Wasn't he sleeping with the director of the documentary? So it was very skewed...
Yes! Came to the comment section looking for this. In my understanding it was fairly recently revealed he had an on-going relationship with the director of the documentary, which (to me) made it very difficult to know how reliable it was. I know all documentaries are skewed somewhat and will have interaction with director and subjects, but a year-long sexual relationship as they were filming is a step too far.
Nope it was his lawyer he had a relationship with.
@@alexcuevas8924 wtf are you talking about?!! He had a love affair with the French woman who filmed and edited the freaking documentary. It’s completely biased!
@@kated2195 Oh that's news to me. Wasn't he dating the lawyer tho during the documentary? This fucking guy gets around where does he find the time? Anyway the state had a weak case against him and they used the media to skew it against him way before the documentary.
@@kated2195 She was the editor, she didn’t film it.
There was no owl. He did it.
I have been following this case for years now.
First of all she was drunk and on vallium. No one has explained how she died of blunt force trauma to the head yet had no skull fractures! Lacerations to her scalp caused her to bleed out. Yes you read that right, she bled out. There is NO proof blunt force trauma caused the lacerations. Then of course there's the very odd shape of the lacerations. Clearly they were not made by a long rod shaped implement. And best of all there are the feathers clutched in her hands and found on her body.
You think an owl couldn't have attacked her? While she was in a drunken, valliun induced stupor? Ok, well there's as much evidence for that as there is for murder.
She wasn't drunk you don't think they tested her freaking blood alcohol? It was very low
She was below the legal limit. Never in a "stupor" as Michael Peterson claimed.
Even a small amount of alcohol plus vallium equals a drunken stupor.
And I just love how everyone completely skips over the fact that she had "blunt force trauma" yet no skull fractures, the very odd shape of the lacerations, and the feathers.
I'm glad you're not in forensics!
@@brightmoon7132 not when someone does that on a regular basis as she did. The 8 hour documentary shows the guy was a real scumbag, and the theory of his innocence is less than convincing. *Most of all, this is the 2nd wife he had die by falling down the stairs!*
Nobody's luck is that bad lady, you're a crackpot leftist.
She could have passed a breathalyzer they said
Amazing series on HBO!
We agree!
I have watched both Netflix’s and HBO’s series, and I think my time was worth watching so good series based on a true incident. I will say that both platforms nailed it in direction and production.
I don’t think he is a good guy… but i think the criminal justice system is deeply flawed and that he probably didn’t kill the wife. It was a terrible accident! Plus she was supporting him financially. Why would he kill her?
some good casting by HBO the actors really resemble their counterparts
Except CF is way more attractive than MP.
Colin firth 🤟
After watching the series, I feel like Michael is too smart to murder his wife and then try to pass it off as a slip and fall. Especially, with all of the scratches on her face and arms. I actually think the owl attack is more realistic. This actually shows he really didn’t know what actually happened to his wife. Kathleen was found on the steps so it is assumed she fell down the steps. I would have made the same assumption. However, I do think he murdered the girls mother.
So what happened to the "owl theory"?
I watched the hbo version
how does someone get droplets of blood on their shorts in between their legs?
She was attacked by something or someone. It is to do with peterson and he is trying to cover that part.. not sure if he was actually involved but he let it happen.
Why isn't anyone talking about ...what if they never went to the pool??
It is only him who says they went to the pool. They may have never went to the pool and something might have happened inside the house. Maybe it was pure accident and she was left to bleed on the spot. Maybe he helped her get up few times which explains why she has blood on her feet.
This looks very interesting
I somewhat remember this...I cannot recall though if this was done via A & E or Unsolved Mysteries. 🤷♀️
I'm pretty sure Unsolved mysteries never did a segment about this on the show
@@angelaholmes8888 Ok.
There have been multiple shows plus a longer documentary about it. It is really interesting.
Forensic Files had an episode on this case
This case looks like every other murder case, I mean do you really die just like that from stair fall??
if you bleed out you do
The blood spatter analysis proves she died from falling down the stairs. I guess he could have pushed her, but she died from the molding on the stairs. I have tripped and slammed into molding before and split my head open pretty good. Wood is sharper than you think.
Strange because I was convinced he did it and also convinced the owl did it. 🦉 after watching a documentary on owls and learning they are more aggressive in winter etc etc I am convinced it was an owl attack. 🙏
She's being attacked by a, large raptor and she doesn't cry out? She doesn't scream, and he hears nothing? An owl makes all that blood? She was dead for several hours before he called 911. Yet he said she was still breathing? He has blood splatters on the inside of his shorts from just standing over her body? There's blood splatters on his shoes - but the responders find him bare foot? "Owl theory" my butt!
No way!
It was an owl. 🦉 who would have thought but it makes more sense!!!!
I'm not but I'd love to! thanks for another great video ☺️
I hope you meet someone named Ken Adams
Hedwig did it!
Hahaha! Good one!
Twit Twoo 🦉
I seriously think it was an owl.
Her injuries { indicating blunt force trauma] and amount of blood in the stairwell . She was clearly battered to death in the stairwell .
Murderer. Liar who tried to fool the whole world about who he really is.
Never believed the phonecall. Didn't sound real.
We saw this dude at Costco today and we live really close to the house
What is up with the name Peterson and men? Scott Peterson, Drew Peterson, Michael Peterson....
Candace was one of the most unlikable people I've ever seen...She was so annoying about the the whole "he plead guilty" when he kept saying over and over again that he's only pleading to be done with it and not actually saying he's guilty.
The fact is he's guilty. There have been several videos of analysis of his body language. He is a story teller, but not as smart as he thinks he is.
That doesn’t prove his guilt , but yeah , he probably did it
@@chrismcconkey3793 Your body language gives you away and it's something that you can't control.
"several videos of analysis of his body language"
what do the horoscopes say though?
there’s a docuseries on netflix
I think he did in both cases.
Me too
I watched it it was pretty good even if it happend three years before i was born but i remember it was still everywhere when i was little
Ok it might just be me but doesn’t this sound exactly like the first season of the show trial and error? Like the wife was killed and everyone thought it was the husband but it did end up happening to be a bird
The first season was based on it.
Colin Firth does an excellent job sounding just like Michael Peterson.
A bird? A freaking bird come on
Ahhahahah you made me laugh
Believe it or not it has happened in that area but no death has resulted in it before
The owl theory is the one that makes more sense
Awesome movie!!
I've watched the documentary, and I believe he did it......I believe that she did find some information of his sexual orientation with men. And ofcourse, their debt issues.
Ditto. 100%. I can't believe anyone buys the owl theory. Anyone who has ever been around birds knows what a mess they leave.
@@VioletJoy that is very true!
I think he did it. But how?
Just like he did it when he was in Germany.
@@afroatheist-isnowafroantit6154 Perhaps Lizzy was killed for the reason
GUILTY.
How could he knew that it was an accident (on the 911 phone call) ? with all that blood it could have been an intruder...but obviously she had an accident...
Those lacerations on the head make no sense with a fall or murder. Maybe she was attacked by an owl. I don’t think he killed her.
he did it.
This guy is soooo guilty. I can hardly watch this when he’s talking..(lying)
Colin Flirt is my First Celeb crushes in the World.
I agree With him. My bedroom looks like Fantasyland
Hmm coincidents ....he was in touch or really close with two women's aand both of them end up dead from " fall from stairs"
I 'm also convinced that he did it but this sister of Kathleen annoys me very much, she is a strange person!