In 2001 the woman Ratliff called "mom," Kathleen Peterson, was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs in the family's Durham, North Carolina, home. 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. Peterson was reportedly the last person to see her alive. 'The Staircase': Who Are Michael and Kathleen Peterson's Children? Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. Who Was The Elizabeth Ratliff, Michael Peterson's Friend Found Dead In The Staircase launches on Netflix on 8 June. And as far as the girls, Margaret and Martha, Michael was the only parent they had been around the longest, they knew of their birth mothers death but couldnt associate with it as they were so young when it happened. Peterson's lawyers took issue with the examiner's assessment. The prosecution contended that the Petersons' marriage was far from happy, suggesting that Kathleen had discovered Michael's alleged secret gay life and wanted to end their marriage. "[8], The defense argued that Kathleen accepted Michael's bisexuality and that the marriage was very happy, a position supported by Michael and Kathleen's children and other friends and associates. Jurors Hear About Deaths Of Kathleen Peterson, Elizabeth Ratliff - WRAL.com Suspicion surrounding Elizabeth Ratliff's death, Neurosurgeon and owl expert Alan van Norman, Patrick T. Redig, a professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Minnesota, and Kate P. Davis, the director of Raptors of the Rockies, signed affidavits claiming that the evidence and injuries are consistent with an attack by an owl, possibly a. 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. German police arrived at the scene and quickly deemed Elizabeth's fall an accident. 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. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase alludes to the haunting centre of novelist Michael Peterson's infamous murder case. As we see in The Staircase, it's very clear that Michael Peterson is distressed at the thought of his family friend's body being dug up and re-examined. While looking for something in the study or den, Kathleen either stumbled upon the emails exposing Michaels bisexual desires either on the computer or possibly a hard copy of something. Our culture embraces individuals, in all their daring, passionate, ambitious glory. Both subsequently broke off from the rest of the family. However, it was carried out by Durham-based state pathologist Dr. Deborah L. Radisch. At the end of episode 3 of HBO Max's The Staircase, we learn a bit more about Elizabeth "Liz" Ratliff's death. Why?? What we do know is that he was found guilty of the first degree murder of his wife, Kathleen. The North Carolina medical examiner performed an autopsy and concluded that she died from blunt force injuries and that it was the result of a homicide. At its heart was a seemingly perfect marriage. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. [13] The Appeals' ruling said the evidence was fairly admitted. How Did Elizabeth Ratliff Die in The Staircase? - POPSUGAR The owl did it, and other reasons true crime fans love The Staircase - Vox Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. Her death was investigated by the U.S. military police in Germany at the time. Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. It's believed that Michael was the last. Her husband, George Ratliff, died shortly before her in a secret military operation overseas in 1983, according to CourtTV. Pollard subsequently filed affidavits[23] to support a motion that Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson order the state Medical Examiner's Office to turn over all documentation related to Kathleen's autopsy to Peterson's attorneys. 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. In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. Despite speculation that Peterson may have killed Elizabeth Ratliff 16 years before Kathleen's death, something he has always strongly denied, the prosecution in Michael Peterson's trial didn't accuse Peterson of being responsible for Elizabeth Ratliff's death. The SBI cited the bloodstain analysis given in the fourth case as the reason for firing Deaver. [35] The judge sentenced him to a maximum of 86 months in prison, with credit for time previously served. . NC Supreme Court Opinions and Cases | FindLaw Now as both Elizabeth and her husband were both deceased, the girls Margaret and Martha would surely be left in the care of one of their relatives? It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. 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. Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth Ratcliff and Kathleen Peterson. 1985 death of teacher now ruled homicide | Stars and Stripes Who was Elizabeth Ratliff, and how did her 1985 death become part of Michael Peterson's trial? Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. The Scene of Her Death The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany and was found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino. Her death had been investigated by both the German police and U.S. military police. As Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. He approached the police suggesting an owl might have been responsible after reading the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) evidence list and finding a feather listed. The similarities between the deaths of Elizabeth Ratliff and Kathleen Peterson raised eyebrows among the Durham authorities. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. [31] In July 2014, Peterson's bond restrictions were eased.[32]. Peterson claimed he had received one Purple Heart after being hit by shrapnel when another soldier stepped on a land mine, and the other when he was shot. Elizabeth Ratliff, a friend of the Petersons, who died in Germany in 1985, had also been found dead at the foot of her staircase with injuries to the head. [4] The News & Observer said records did not contain any mention of the two Purple Hearts that Peterson said he had received. The medical examiner, Deborah Radisch, concluded that Kathleen had died from lacerations of the scalp caused by a homicidal assault. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. If Mike believed Liz's death was a fall, and if he remembered seeing lots of blood, there must be a reason that he now lies to say there was little blood. In 1989, Michael moved in with Kathleen Atwater, a successful Nortel business executive. Forensic tests revealed that it had been untouched and unmoved for too long to have been used in the murder. He was released on bond in 2011 pending a retrial. 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. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. So. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck in her children at bedtime. Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband, George, who was a captain in the military. When Elizabeth Ratliff died in 1985, Michael became the guardian of her two children. Shortly before Elizabeth passed away, George died of a heart attack during the US invasion of Grenada. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. Ratliff, a. 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. These similarities include: . He was sentenced to time already served and freed from prison. Those who were there in the aftermath of Elizabeth's death were called as witnesses, and the the state pathologist took to the stand to confirm Elizabeth Ratliff had sustained similar injuries to the ones Kathleen Peterson suffered. However, Radisch's opinion was challenged by other experts in three separate affidavits filed in 2010. . . Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. On November 12, 2008, attorneys J. Burkhardt Beale and Jason Anthony of Richmond, Virginia, who were now representing Peterson, filed a motion for a new trial in Durham County court on three grounds: that the prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence about the blow poke, that the prosecution used an expert witness whose qualifications were disputed, and that one juror based his judgment on racial factors. The autopsy report concluded that the 48-year-old woman sustained a matrix of severe injuries, including a fracture of the superior cornu of the left thyroid cartilage and seven lacerations to the top and back of her head, consistent with blows from a blunt object, and had died from blood loss ninety minutes to two hours after sustaining the injuries. The body was then transported from Texas to Durham. Whether or not Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth Ratliff remains unknown. At the time of the exhumation, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, requested that a "neutral" pathologist from Texas carry out the second autopsy. Because Peterson had already served more time than the sentence (98.5 months), he did not face additional prison time. I completely feel for his family, especially the kids. In response, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, argued he had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before. We want to be famous for creating and sharing stories that matter unique, trusted, entertaining, everywhere. Autopsy Report Reveals Ratliff Was Homicide Victim - WRAL.com After Michael and Patricia divorced in 1987, Clayton and Todd lived with Patricia, and Margaret and Martha stayed with Michael, who then moved to Durham, North Carolina. As both their families grew, so did the bonds between them. A+E Networks EMEA Expands its FAST Footprint with Amagi, A+E NETWORKS EMEA AND BBC STUDIOS TO MAKE PODCAST-INSPIRED TV SERIES EVIL GENIUS WITH AWARD-WINNING COMEDIAN AND PODCASTER RUSSELL KANE FOR SKY HISTORY, A+E NETWORKS EMEA ANNOUNCES BRAND REFRESH FOR THE HISTORY CHANNEL ACROSS EMEA, COSMO earns three awards at the Promax Global Excellence Awards. ]]> "It is further my opinion that these injuries were incurred while Mrs. Ratliff was alive and are of sufficient severity to have caused her death.". Elizabeth Holmes has 11-year jail sentence delayed, Woman leaves husband over 'inattentive parenting', Women awoke to naked man beside her on the train, Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. Elizabeth Ratliff's death had a huge impact on her youngest daughter, Martha ( Odessa Young ). for those who arent familiar with the case: He wasconvicted of first-degree murder in 2003 and spent nearly a decade behind bars. Henry Lee, however, had testified at the trial that the amount of blood was irrelevant, as the blood spatter indicated most of it was spattered as she coughed as the blood ran down her face from the injuries. It wasn't until after Kathleen's death in December 2001 that the circumstances surrounding Elizabeth Ratliff's fall and subsequent death were re-evaluated. [26] A bloodstain-analysis team that Deaver had trained was suspended and disbanded. 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. [3] He attended classes at the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. [6], The prosecution said that Kathleen's murder was most likely committed with a custom-made fireplace poker called a blow poke. On February 1, 2007, Caitlin and Peterson settled the wrongful death claim for $25 million, pending acceptance by the courts involved; finalization of the settlement by the court was announced on February 1, 2008. Why I believe Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth Ratliff - Reddit What happened to Elizabeth Ratliff? 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. They wanted to reassess her injuries, to make sure her death really was the tragic accident it had been accepted as for 17 years. He had all the medals, but said he did not have the documentation for them. A medical examiner who examined her body at the scene concurred that the death was probably an accident. Doubt as to the admissibility of the Ratliff evidence in court was one of the grounds for the subsequent appeal against his conviction, lodged by Peterson's lawyers in 2005. How Accurate Is 'The Staircase' on HBO Max? - Newsweek 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. Three episodes in, drops a major bombshell: Peterson was the last person to see another woman who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in Germany in 1985. In the end, Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson. He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Hardin and his prosecution team (among them Mike Nifong) attacked Peterson's credibility, focusing on his alleged misreporting of his military service and what they described as a gay life he led and kept secret. [19], Despite interest in this theory among some outside advocates, no motion for a new trial was filed on this point in 2009. Peterson wrote three novels based "around his experiences during the Vietnamese conflict":[3] The Immortal Dragon, A Time of War, and A Bitter Peace. The author's ex-wife, Patty, maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. As Peterson was the only person at the residence at the time of Kathleen's death, he was the prime suspect and was soon charged with her murder. It's believed that Michael was the last person to see . A friend of Elizabeth Ratliff's also testified about a bloody death scene. 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?? Netflix's 'The Staircase': How did Elizabeth Ratliff really die? Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Two weeks later, Caitlin filed an objection to the bankruptcy. The exhumation of Elizabeth Ratliff. The pair "had a loving, almost familial relationship," Patty described. I believe that Patty suspected Michaels infidelity with Liz, and with the girls left to Michael, this probably only reinforced her suspicions. The last person believed to see her alive was Michael Peterson the night before when their families had dinner together in her home. In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". Media reports explained this by suggesting he probably changed his clothes, but investigators determined very early that he had not. [1] In 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. 'The Staircase': Money, Sex and Secrets - ABC News On October 10, 2003, after one of the longest trials in North Carolina history, a Durham County jury found Peterson guilty of the murder of Kathleen,[11] and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In late 2009, a new theory of Kathleen's death was raised: that she had been attacked by a barred owl outside, fallen after rushing inside, and been knocked unconscious after hitting her head on the first tread of the stairs. [39][40] The film documents Peterson's family and his legal team's arguments in seeking a retrial, in which they succeed.[41]. Despite the jury accepting the murder as a "spur-of-the-moment" crime, they also found it was premeditated. "I looked around and there was a lot of blood on the floor. Her name was Elizabeth Ratliff (shown above in the blue shirt) and she died at the age of 43. [20][21] On March 2, 2017 (following his Alford plea), Peterson's attorney filed a motion to allow him to pay for a bird expert at the Smithsonian Institution to examine feather fragments found in Kathleen's hair to determine whether or not she had been attacked by an owl. "I've read 260 autopsies from blunt trauma to the head, and never once did I see any of your people say the inflicted trauma is clearly from a homicidal assault," Rudolf is heard saying in the documentary. Furious she confronts Michael with her findings. With offices in London, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, Munich and Johannesburg, we are a truly international company that celebrates difference and diversity. Radisch's reported concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's death had actually been as a result of a "homicidal assault", and not an accident as was previously determined.