Instead, they used her death as an example of an incident that could have helped him "fake" Kathleen's accident. In The Staircase, Patty recalls how they would all eat together and how Michael would regularly stay behind to help Elizabeth clean up and put her daughters to bed. by Monica Sisavat 1 day ago, by Chanel Vargas In the end, Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson. The next morning, the nanny, Barbara, discovered Elizabeth's body. First, her death was ruled natural After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. Sophie remained the editor for several months on the out-of-court stuff. According to the second autopsy, seven deep lacerations on Elizabeth's head - just like those found on Kathleen's - were concluded to have been sustained as a result of blunt force trauma. believed to have been the last person to see her alive, carried out a second autopsy on Elizabeth Ratliff's body. They were 2 and 1 years old when Ratliff died. She edited the scenes of us in the house, you know, meeting with experts, that sort of thing," he continued. In the end, Lestrade and Brunet won and the scene with Clayton Peterson was included in the documentary instead. 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. A widow, Elizabeth raised two daughters and her family grew close with the Petersons. At the hearing for the Alford plea, the courtroom is noticeably less full. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Elizabeth's updated autopsy report indicated that she died from homicidal assault. We didn't get paid anything for the appeal. However, back in Germany Michael Peterson's BFF Elizabeth Ratliff also happened to die in another "freak staircase accident" in 1995. Elizabeth Ratliff's daughter, Martha and Margaret Ratliff stood by Michael Peterson and believed him to be innocent. 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. What's eerily coincidental is the nature of her death: Elizabeth was found at the bottom of a staircase in her home with severe injuries to her head. The author's ex-wife, Patty, maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. Get the daily inside scoop right in your inbox. When producer Denis Poncet (Frank Feys) and director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (Vincent Vermignon) come across the Peterson story, they wonder if there is a story there. The News & Observer, Durham's local news outlet, reported how "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned" upon hearing their father's guilty verdict. Stuhlbarg is seen above with Tim Guinee and Colin Firth in a scene from "The Staircase" in which the men prepare for Peterson's trial. Elizabeth's death is a tragedy, but whether it was brought upon by an ill-fated accident or contemptuous murder, we'll never know. "They have a scene where Michael's brother is on the phone with me, telling me that he's selling all the furniture, to pay to write me checks for the appeal. The DAs case focuses mainly on Michael Petersons lifestyle. On November 25, 1985, she was found dead at the bottom of her staircase surrounded by pools of blood. However, he maintains adamantly that Kathleens death was an accident. So. They argued as he would not agree to this. Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. 'The Staircase' Ending Explained: What Is the Truth? However, there are no skull fractures, which is practically impossible. }else { Appel-Schumacher said the blood was mostly on a wall adjacent to the staircase and it stretched from the top landing to the bottom. Great, Click the Allow Button Above 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. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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. Michael Stuhlbarg portrayed Peterson's lawyer David Rudolf in the series. "It was a great blow to both of us, for which I feel not guilt, but sorrow," he continued. The night before Elizabeth's death, Michael Peterson and his wife had dinner with Elizabeth and her two young daughters. Killen ordered attack on civil rights worker, jury hears, Father convicted of murdering 9 of his children, Gov. The two were buried side by side after Ratlitt died. At their request, Ratliff's body was exhumed in Texas in April. A one-stop-shop for all things video games. And you can quote me on that. , Let's Break Down The Staircase's Deeply Frustrating 13 Episodes, The "Bel-Air" Cast Weren't Surprised by the Show's Success: "A Huge 'I Told You So' Moment", "Outer Banks" Had No Business Making Rafe Look This Fine With a Buzz Cut, Jazz Catches Hilary in a Lie in This Exclusive "Bel-Air" Season 2 Sneak Peek, Selena Gomez Says She Avoided Her "Wizards of Waverly Place" Costars After Series Due to Shame, "The Last of Us" Stars Storm Reid and Bella Ramsey Hit Back at Homophobes: "Don't Like It, Don't Watch", Jessica Chastain Tripped Over Her Dress at the SAG Awards, but It Didn't Take Away From Her Big Win, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. It's believed that Michael was the last. Did Michael Peterson Kill Elizabeth Ratliff? Patricia has always vehemently backed him up. Above, the real David Rudolf (R) and Michael Peterson (L) appear in court. Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. But the autopsies were enough to convince Kathleen Peterson's daughter Caitlin to change her mind about her stepfather. In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. "There was no pool of blood.". Authorities ruled Ratliff's death to be of natural causes, concluding that a cerebral hemorrhage caused her to fall and strike her head. In response, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, argued he had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before. "The worst of it, at least so far, is in Episode Five, when they paint a picture of Jean-Xavier, the director, and Sophie, conspiring to cut out a certain scene in order to make the documentary more favorable to Michael. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Who was Elizabeth Ratliff, and how did her 1985 death become part of Michael Peterson's trial? So that's why today I'm very uncomfortable because I feel that I've been betrayed in a way.". 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. For exhumation, she has to receive permission from Caitlin, who vehemently denies her request. He explained that he first met Peterson at this house in Durham, North Carolina, and holding a meeting in a diner with a client would just never happen. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". Story goes there was a lot of blood at the scene of Liz's death, according to the three women who testified at the trial 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. Elizabeth Ratliff Wasn't Murdered It's been incredibly infuriating that people keep insisting that Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth. 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. 1 day ago. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. It was a unanimous decision by all 12 jury members. He said they wanted the same medical examiner who claimed that Peterson's wife wasn't accidental to perform the autopsy rather than a neutral pathologist in Texas as he suggested. That is f***ing defamation because Sophie was off the project," Rudolf said. deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", "Margaret and Martha Ratliff wrapped their arms around each other and mourned". "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.". } They believe their adopted father is innocent of killing both of their moms, according to the documentary. A medical examiner who examined her body at the scene concurred that the death was probably an accident. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Their mom, Patty, decides to relocate back to NC to be near Michael and the boys. 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. 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. At the age of 43, Elizabeth Liz Ratliff had created a good life for herself as a teacher for military children, signifying that she often got the chance to travel across the globe for work. 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 . Michael and his ex-wife, Patty (Trini Alvarado), had become the legal guardians of Margaret and Martha after both of their parents died. 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. When watching The Staircase, it might be hard to keep track of the complicated Peterson family tree. During her testimony, Appel-Schumacher told Hudson that Ratliff was happily married to George Ratliff, who died in a secret military operation overseas in 1983, and was devastated when he died. 1 day ago, by Njera Perkins 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. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. He later adopted Ratliff's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. Michael Peterson is believed to have been the last person to see her alive. ", Her death was eventually ruled a homicide. I can't live in Paris. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. The author's ex-wife Patty maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. As Peterson was being investigated for the staircase death of his wife in the early 2000s, Ratliffs body was exhumed in Texas in 2003. There was a substantial amount of blood around the staircase, Witness Cheryl Appel-Schumacher testified during Petersons 2003 trial that the blood reached all the way up the staircase. Its construction of the case emphasized prejudicial aspects, like the judge allowing evidence of Ratliff's death, which a state medical examiner also deemed a homicide, and the prosecution exposing Peterson's sex life so as to use jurors' potentially anti-gay attitudes against him. At least, until tragedy struck. 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. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. Whether the evidence about Elizabeth Ratliff's death had a particularly swaying influence on the jury or not is impossible to know - but Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson in October 2003. Im also sure as he is a master storyteller, that he convinced himself the story he told was the truth and his mind believed it, thus giving his consciousness the ability to feel he was innocent and then able to act the part of the victim as well. Their blended family included Michaels two sons from his first marriage, Clayton Peterson (Dane DeHaan) and Todd Peterson (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Kathleens daughter from her first marriage, Caitlin Atwater (Olivia DeJonge), and Michael's two adopted daughters, Margaret Ratliff (Sophie Turner) and Martha Ratliff (Odessa Young). 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?? Additionally, at the beginning of each episode, there is a disclaimer stating the show is "a dramatization based on certain facts. Rudolf first took issue with some of the smaller details in the series. She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. He and Patty later adopted two young daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff, after their mother, Elizabeth Ratliff (a Peterson family friend), died in Germany in 1985. Elizabeth now feeling frustrated and not wanting to continue being alone with 2 small children told him she was going to go tell his wife that her daughter Margaret was Michaels daughter (as you can see the incredible similarities between she and Michael as well as his boys Todd & Clayton with Patty). 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