Tragedy struck, however, in 1983, when Elizabeth's husband George was killed in a secret military operation overseas. Regardless, Rudolf believes the damage has been done, describing it as "defamation" towards Brunet and de Lestrade. She continued: "Rather, they are indicative of multiple blunt force impacts, either from blows to the head caused by a blunt object or by the head being forcibly struck against a hard surface. Under no circumstances would they have had a sexual relationship.". More importantly, both Margaret and Martha Ratliff, whose custody was awarded to the Petersons as per their biological mothers final will, also support their father through and through. But two years after George's death, as if the Ratliff family hadn't suffered enough trauma, Elizabeth too was found dead - at the bottom of the staircase at her home in Germany. Meanwhile, in France, two filmmakers are searching for their next project. Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Staircase on HBO Max. Why? However, Rudolf and the real Lestrade have both taken issue with how Peterson's romance with Brunet has been portrayed, believing some scenes implied her relationship with Peterson impacted her neutrality whilst editing the documentary. Rudolf pointed out how in one scene, Peterson's brother is seen selling the Peterson family belongings in order to pay for his appeal, an "offensive" detail Rudolph wants to correct. A retrial is granted, and Michael is released from prison and sentenced to house arrest with an ankle bracelet. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. Liz Ratliff also died under mysterious circumstances. Elizabeth Ratliff and. So you know, I'm sorry that I have to say this, but I think Antonio Campos [The Staircase on HBO Max director] went way beyond what was ethical for him as a filmmaker to do just in order to either sell this film, or to pump its ratings, and that in my judgment is despicable. Chief among them: A close friend of Peterson's, Elizabeth Ratliff, had also been found dead at the bottom of a staircase, in 1985. With two young children (Martha, the youngest, was just months old when her father passed away), Elizabeth relied on Michael and Patty's support more than ever. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He was released on bond in 2011 pending a retrial. Michael wasn't accused of murdering Elizabeth outright, but the fact that her daughters who he, again, adopted after her death were the recipients of a hefty life insurance policy was enough to cast doubt in the jurors of his case. Elizabeth's death is a tragedy, but whether it was brought upon by an ill-fated accident or contemptuous murder, we'll never know. When re-examined, Elizabeth's relationship with Michael's family and the details of her passing thicken the plot of this engrossing true-crime case. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, Texas. Furious she confronts Michael with her findings. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Despite a large amount of blood, witness Cheryl Appel-Schumacher testified Monday, Ratliff's death didn't pique the interest of German and U.S. investigators, and they left the house without the body and without taking any photographs. Nearly two decades before Michael's wife Kathleen was found lifeless at the bottom of a staircase, there was a woman named Elizabeth Ratliff whose death would become crucial to the prosecution's story. Colin Firth as Michael Peterson in "The Staircase." Elizabeth Ratliff's Time of Death According to David Rudolf, the biggest flaw in the prosecution's theory regarding ER's death is the timeline and moreover that no one observed rigor mortis when they arrived on the scene. The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. The series takes great inspiration from de Lestrade's documentary and even includes the director (played by Vincent Vermingon) and his documentary team. Often, he'd help with the dishes or read to Ratliff's two young daughtersbefore returning home, according to the documentary series. In 1985, a few years after George Ratliff's death, Elizabeth was found at the bottom of the stairs by the nanny, Barbara Malagnino. During Michael's trial, Cheryl Appel-Schumacher, one of the late schoolteacher's friends, recalled that Elizabeth had severe headaches a few days before she was found dead. After receiving permission from Elizabeth's mother and sister, authorities went ahead with the exhumation. When watching The Staircase, it might be hard to keep track of the complicated Peterson family tree. She'd reportedly died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, secondary to a blood clot disorder. Fear of this realization getting out, Michael possibly grabbed and shook Liz, his anger finally caused him to push her hard and she fell down the stairs to her demise. German investigators ruled Ratliff had died due to a cerebral hemorrhage. Peterson had been at her house the night before her death. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting center of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. You know, I mean, all you have to do is watch the documentary to know that that's not true. It took weeks for all the blood to be cleaned up, according to "The Staircase. The final episode of the series is told through three time periods 2001, the day before Kathleens death, 2011, the night before Michaels retrial, and 2017, when Michael is contemplating the Alford plea. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. I don't speak French. Period. The author's ex-wife Patty maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. That is f***ing defamation because Sophie was off the project," Rudolf said. Did Michael Peterson Kill Elizabeth Ratliff? Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. Viewers new to The Staircase story may have been surprised to learn Peterson dated Sophie Brunet, the editor of Lestrade's first documentary. Both the German officials as well as the United States military police conducted investigations into Elizabeths case, and their autopsy ruled her manner of death an accident. Shed reportedly died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, secondary to a blood clot disorder. Elizabeth's updated autopsy report indicated that she died from homicidal assault. Michael is having a rough time in prison. On November 25, 1985, Elizbeth Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of her staircase in an eerily similar way to the way Kathleen Peterson was found on December 9, 2001. And then when the appeal was over, for the next, whatever, eight years, I represent them for free, and never charge them a penny, I paid my own expenses. Appel-Schumacher will return to the stand for more questions from the defense when the hearing continues Wednesday at 3 p.m. However as Kathleen was not having any of it, I believe she decided to storm out and go to a relatives house or even a hotel, just to get out as some people do in the onset of a huge argument-just need to get out even to go for a drive. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Great, Click the Allow Button Above The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. The Staircase will be your new fav true crime show, The legal age you can get married has just changed, Charles & Camilla break major royal tradition, Courteney Cox speaks on Harry magic mushroom claim, Harry 'adding at least one more chapter' to memoir, Dylan responds to being misgendered on Instagram. At the time, her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany and an autopsy concluded she had died from an intracerebral hemorrhage. All Rights Reserved. How much, I can't say," Appel-Schumacher testified outside the jury's presence. An autopsy at the time of her death concluded Ratliff died from an intra-cerebral haemorrhage secondary to the blood coagulation disorder Von Willebrand's disease, based on blood in her cerebrospinal fluid and reports that she had been suffering severe, persistent headaches in the weeks leading up to her death. German officials declared that she died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the scene of her death. Michael and his ex-wife, Patty (Trini Alvarado), had become the legal guardians of Margaret and Martha after both of their parents died. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. The defense would go on to use Elizabeth Ratliff's death as part of their case against Michael Peterson, which also led to tensions within his own family, particularly between his adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff. ", Speaking separately to Vanity Fair about the scenes in the fifth episode of HBO Max's The Staircase, Lestrade said: "We gave [Campos] all the access he wanted, and I really trusted the man. 11 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat I believe that Patty suspected Michaels infidelity with Liz, and with the girls left to Michael, this probably only reinforced her suspicions. I do not think that the girls could mentally handle it if they allowed their minds to go to the place of believing he did it. With The Staircase retelling the tale of Michael Peterson and his alleged hand in wife Kathleen Petersons bizarre December 2001 demise, several related matters are coming back into the spotlight. The author's ex-wife, Patty, maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. The jury finds Michael guilty and sentences him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Her life was thus incredibly different from her Rhode Island farm upbringing, especially as shed eventually found herself working at an elementary school at the Rhein-Main Air Force Base in West Germany. Judge Orlando Hudson Jr. will rule on whether the similarities between Ratliff's death and Kathleen Peterson's are sufficiently similar that jurors should hear the evidence. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. In that case, it's thought that Ratliff succumbed to her blood clotting disorder via an intra-cerebral hemorrhage and then fell down the stairs after she was already deceased. A friend of Elizabeth Ratliff's also testified about a bloody death scene. host = new String(location.hostname); It is only natural that a mother want custody of her children, but why not the girls as their mother was supposedly her best or very close friend?? Inevitably, the series includes elements of fiction, particularly the flashback scenes to Kathleen (Toni Collette) and Michael Peterson's marriage and the days leading up to her death. To begin with, he said that the scene where he was introduced to Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth) in a diner while eating pastrami did not happen in real life. The filmmakers, with Michael's permission, are granted 24/7 access to document the entire process from prepping for the trial, the trial itself, and after the jury verdict is announced. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Since his guilty conviction, much has happened in Michael Peterson's case, from a retrial in 2011 to being officially released from prison in 2017 after entering an Alford Plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. They fought and it turned physical. As both their families grew, so did the bonds between them. 1 week ago, by Joely Chilcott As it came to light that Kathleen was not the first woman associated with Michael to be found dead at the bottom of the staircase, Elizabeths remains were exhumed for more information. The medical examiner rules that the cause of death was blunt force trauma. The DAs case focuses mainly on Michael Petersons lifestyle. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Elizabeth's death is a tragedy, but whether it was brought upon by an ill-fated accident or contemptuous murder, we'll never know. Jennifer McHugh is a Los Angeles-based writer. Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband George, who was a captain in the military. The Netflix series, originally a documentary produced by a French company, examines his original trial. The details of Elizabeth Ratliff's second autopsy were submitted as prosecuting evidence in Michael Peterson's trial for the murder of his wife, Kathleen. The real-life Rudolph is seen above. Either of these scenarios give him time, time in which the blood to dry to the point it did when the EMTs got there and noticed it was not wet as it should be, had it just happened. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. It's believed that Michael was the last person to see . 15 hours ago, by Chandler Plante Then I went and realized, no, I can't. two adorable daughters into their lives Margaret and Martha Ratliff. Elizabeth's Ratliff's sudden death in November 1985 became of great significance in the case against Michael Peterson during his trial for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. They believe their adopted father is innocent of killing both of their moms, according to the documentary. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident, and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. The medical examiner found Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratcliffe suffered similar blows to the head, including seven lacerations which were sustained by blunt force trauma. The defence countered these claims, arguing that half of Elizabeth's brain was missing during the new autopsy and pushing against the idea that Michael was the last person to see her alive. After knocking Kathleen out (with what exactly, there are so many possibilities-afterall if all your kids were no longer living at home, would they be able to identify what things were or werent missing? document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 10:40 PM HKT (1440 GMT) <\/span>'); Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. U.S. Army doctor Dr. Larry A. Barnes carried out an autopsy on Elizabeth and confirmed that a cerebral haemorrhage was her cause of death. "She wasn't actively dating, if that's the question," Appel-Schumacher said. Rudolf first took issue with some of the smaller details in the series. Although the 13-part programme centres around the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson at her home in Durham, North Carolina, she wasn't the only woman linked to Michael Peterson to have been found dead at the bottom of a staircase. "And you never saw any kind of indication that she had any kind of romantic relationship with Michael Peterson?" "There was nothing out of place, except that she was no longer living," she recalled almost two decades later. In 2001, Kathleen calls Candace to apologize for their argument over Thanksgiving and Michael notices a bunch of owls above their home. Some may criticize them as to why they cant see he did it. Rudolf is highly skeptical of the documentary crew following their every move but eventually has to relent. "What's the fucking grounds?" Margaret and Martha lived with Michael Peterson but were never adopted by him. Sophie is skeptical hearing about this theory at first, but soon leans in and pushes for a re-examination of the body. Aside, from being untrue, it's completely offensive.". One year on, how to donate to help Ukraine. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth worked in the same school as Michael's then-wife, Patty. Sophie remained the editor for several months on the out-of-court stuff. }else { He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in October 2003. (We dont know if this is factual or just a dramatized coincidence.) "She hadn't gotten to the point where she was seeing other men?" Elizabeth Ratliff became good friends with Michael Peterson after meeting his first wife, Patty, when the women worked together at a school in Germany. Where is Morgan from the Murdaugh Murders now? Lestrade appears throughout the series, filming Michael in the most mundane and dramatic of moments, capturing his family and his entire trial, appeal, and release. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck in her children at bedtime. With The Staircase's true-crime drama available to watch on HBO Max now and the original The Staircase documentary streaming on Netflix, it is ultimately up to viewers to form their own opinion on what they believe happened on the evening Kathleen Peterson died. Three, she never wrote to Michael while she was working on the project, never ever, ever. Colin Firth & Toni Collette on 'The Staircase' and What They Hope Audiences Take Away From It. Above, the real David Rudolf (R) and Michael Peterson (L) appear in court. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting centre of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. The SBI, the organization that recreated the crime scene, is placed under investigation for unethical practices, which opens up another opportunity for an appeal in Michael's case. He has since insisted she was completely okay when he walked out the door, yet the following morning, the girls nanny found her dead at the bottom of the stairs Elizabeth passed away on November 25, 1985. Elizabeth Ratliff's daughter, Martha and Margaret Ratliff stood by Michael Peterson and believed him to be innocent. All external sites will open in a new browser. In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". Authorities in Germany had determined that Ratliff's death was the result of a fatal stroke that sent her toppling down the stairs. "There was no pool of blood.". "Prosecutors spent thousands of dollars transporting her boy 12,000 miles from Bay City, Texas to Chapel Hill," Defense AttorneyDavid Rudolf said on "The Staircase." She was found dead at the bottom of a staircase, Ratliff was found tilted sideways at the bottom of a wooden staircase inside her home, according to "The Staircase.". However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. DA Hardin and ADA Black really hammer home that they found it difficult to believe that Kathleen knew anything about this, alleging that upon discovery of photos and messages on his computer, it led to a confrontation that ended in Michael brutally beating Kathleen to death at the bottom of the staircase. But . After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. Now at this time a few things couldve happened-whatever he struck her with at the front door, he now needed to get rid of, so as she lay dying at the bottom of the stairs, he changed out of any bloodied clothes and got rid of them with the item he struck her with. A few people have suspected an affair between Michael and Elizabeth turning sour as his motive for murder, but the novelists former wife Patricia has always vehemently backed him up. Firth portrayed Peterson for eight episodes of the HBO Max drama based on the documentary of the same name. I completely feel for his family, especially the kids. DURHAM, North Carolina (Court TV) -- Author Michael Peterson is charged with killing his wife in their home here 18 months ago, but it was the death of a neighbor in Germany 18 years ago that took center stage at Peterson's first-degree murder trial Monday. Michael struggles with life outside of prison and sees his children are struggling as well. She agrees to help them and tips them off that the SBI is very corrupt and should be looked into. Elizabeth's death was initially ruled an accident, but when her body was exhumed during the trial for a second autopsy in April 2003, the coroner found sufficient evidence to categorize it as a . As per reports, Elizabeth often had dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would stay back to clean up or tuck her little girls to bed, which is precisely what they unwittingly did on her last evening alive. The prosecutors have also hypothesized that Elizabeths perplexing 1985 passing inspired Michael to fake Kathleens accident in 2001, yet there has never been any direct evidence to back it up. He was sentenced to time already served and freed from prison. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America," he said. } As Todd tries to explain social media followers to Clay and Martha finally comes out to Margaret, the family tries desperately to maintain a sense of normalcy. Is watch the documentary focuses mainly on Michael Petersons lifestyle point where she was n't actively dating, that. Remained the editor for several months on the out-of-court stuff regardless, Rudolf believes the damage has been done describing. 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