"There was blood splatter all over those walls. There were also multiple questions put forward about what happened on the evening Kathleen Peterson died, due to the "Owl Theory" that suggested she may have been attacked by the bird and died from her wounds or, what Michael Peterson claimed, that she fell to her death. She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. But if he lied about something that big what else did he lie about? Aside, from being untrue, it's completely offensive.". In the documentary, Michael remembers he and his then-wife, Patricia, had dinner at the Ratliff home and he stayed behind to help Elizabeth put Martha and Margaret to. You know, I mean, all you have to do is watch the documentary to know that that's not true. However, in reality, Rudolf stated he traveled to Germany to investigate what happened to Ratliff and knew about her death a year and a half before the trial. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. 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. 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. The medical examiner rules that the cause of death was blunt force trauma. At their request, Ratliff's body was exhumed in Texas in April. It is unknown if their disagreement happened in real life. However, there are no skull fractures, which is practically impossible. . Michael is convinced that the DA is on a witch hunt since Michael had written critical columns on the DA in the past. I do however wished that Michaels lawyer wouldve let him testify because the jurors would've seen his true colors, but as seen in The Staircase on Netflix, even his lawyers knew his personality as they stated it would not be in his best interest to take the stand because his personality would be off-putting to the jury (Im not quoting, but basically they knew the jury would hate him). 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. 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. Michael is having a rough time in prison. So much so, that the court in Durham ordered the exhumation of Ratliff's body from her grave in Texas. Occasionally wiping tears from her eyes, Appel-Schumacher testified about the large amount of blood she and her husband cleaned up after Ratliff's body was moved. She refuses to binge-watch anything. From Rudolf's perspective, in HBO Max's The Staircase, it is implied Rudolf found out about Ratliff only a few weeks before the trial. In the fifth episode, Brunet and Lestrade are seen arguing with their producer over which clip to delete from the documentary. I'm too old. She even scheduled a doctor's appointment out of concern, and had an appointment the next week. Three, she never wrote to Michael while she was working on the project, never ever, ever. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. document.write('
Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 10:40 PM HKT (1440 GMT)
<\/span>'); "We made plans to live in Paris. 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. However, back in Germany Michael Peterson's BFF Elizabeth Ratliff also happened to die in another "freak staircase accident" in 1995. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Authorities in Germany had determined that Ratliff's death was the result of a fatal stroke that sent her toppling down the stairs. Newsweek has everything you need to know. Peterson subsequently ended up raising Ratliff's young. 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. "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.". 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. I can't live in Paris. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. 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. 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. On the prosecution side, Durham County District Attorney Jim Hardin (Cullen Moss) and Assistant District Attorney, Freda Black (Parker Posey) take on the case. Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband, George, who was a captain in the military. The defense will cross-examine Deaver Tuesday. 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 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. 1 day ago, by Njera Perkins Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth had worked in the same school as Michael's then wife Patty. The family is ecstatic but quickly learns that not everybody is thrilled and accepting of his release, with public scrutiny at an all-time high. ", However, for Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, HBO Max's The Staircase fell short at moments surrounding its accuracy, describing moments as "inaccurate," "misleading" and "outright false". Just like with Peterson's wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court, but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. "I was sitting here directly observing when the German medical examiner took the spinal tap and held the contents up so that he could view [it]," said Patty. In the footage, Michael also admits Kathleen never knew about his affairs with men or that he was bisexual. 17 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat Following Kathleen's death, which didn't look much like the accident Michael Peterson made it out to be, police almost immediately zoned in on him as the prime suspect. 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. Do any of us? Michael and his ex-wife, Patty (Trini Alvarado), had become the legal guardians of Margaret and Martha after both of their parents died. Thus, all we can positively state is, whatever the case may be, both Elizabeth and Kathleens deaths were simply tragic. 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. Elizabeth Ratliff and her husband, George Ratliff, were close friends of Peterson and his first wife, Patricia Peterson, when they lived in Germany in the 1980s. Regardless, Rudolf believes the damage has been done, describing it as "defamation" towards Brunet and de Lestrade. Despite the evidence submitted during the trial, Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters, Margaret and Martha - who had been brought up by Michael and Kathleen - stood by their adoptive father and continued to protest his innocence. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. Elizabeth Ratliff and her husband, George Ratliff, were close friends of Michael Peterson and his first wife Patricia Peterson when they lived in Germany in the 1980s. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, TX. All Rights Reserved. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! He also has the option of pleading not guilty and again facing a new trial in front of a jury. 15 hours ago, by Chandler Plante 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. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. Just like with Petersons wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. On November 25, 1985, Elizbeth Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of her staircase, in an eerily similar way to the way Michael Peterson's wife, Kathleen Peterson was found on December 1, 2001. 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. "It was a platonic relationship," she told documentary makers. Like Kathleen, she'd been found at the bottom of a staircase. Inside, he and Kathleen have quite a makeup session after their own argument the night before at dinner. The DAs case focuses mainly on Michael Petersons lifestyle. For example, when prosecutor Jim Hardin is presenting his case to the grand jury ahead of the trial, Rudolf is seen standing in the same grand jury room, something that he said would never happen in a U.S. courtroom. 1 day ago, by Chanel Vargas , Awesome, Youre All Set! ", Her death was eventually ruled a homicide. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. The autopsy report found that Elizabeth Ratliff had died in 1985 from “blunt force trauma to the head” by a “homicidal attack,” rather than of a brain hemorrhage while . Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. ), I believe Michael and Elizabeth were upstairs in her home, possibly having a romantic interlude, when the conversation turned more serious as Elizabeth asked Michael to leave his wife (Patty) at the time. In the first three episodes of The Staircase on HBO Max, there have been subtle mentions of a woman named Elizabeth Ratliff, and in Episode 4, audiences learn a little bit more about her. However, Rudolf did state he offered to come on board as a "technical consultant" for the series to consult on the courtroom and lawyer scenes but was not contacted by the team behind The Staircase. Todd, who has always been the responsible one, starts to unravel under the pressure of the trial. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, Texas. (We dont know if this is factual or just a dramatized coincidence.) He described the scene as "complete fiction" adding that "for anybody who knows anything about the criminal justice system, it totally undermines the credibility of the entire film.". Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Did Michael Peterson Kill Elizabeth Ratliff? Just four days before her death, she was complaining of severe headaches. Elizabeth Ratliff Autopsy - 4 Autopsy Report -- Elizabeth Ratliff He did meet with Michael Stuhlbarg who portrayed him in the series and even lent him his real glasses to wear during the film. Period. Then I went and realized, no, I can't. Bush: Prosecutor taking up Schiavo inquiry. 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 homicide. "And you never saw any kind of indication that she had any kind of romantic relationship with Michael Peterson?" She was very happy while planning a party she threw for Appel-Schumacher and her new husband two nights before she died, the witness recalled. Who was Elizabeth Ratliff, and how did her 1985 death become part of Michael Peterson's trial? Where is Morgan from the Murdaugh Murders now? 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