In December of 2001, Kathleen Peterson’s body was discovered in a bloody scene at the foot of the stairs in the Durham, North Carolina, home where she and her husband Michael lived. While Michael claimed it must have been an accidental fall while he was outside, the police were immediately suspicious due to the amount of blood, and they homed in on Michael. Thanks to The Staircase documentary series on Netflix, this story has become one of the most talked about and baffling cases ever. In part one of this three-part episode, we talk about Michael's background, his first marriage, the death of Elizabeth Ratliff, and Kathleen's background.

Get access to parts 2 and 3 now on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lovemarrykill

Sources:

• Written in Blood, by Diane Fanning
• https://www.nbcnews.com/video/web-extra-michael-petersons-911-call-31968835518
• https://indyweek.com/culture/owl-theory-staircase-peterson-durham/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/TheStaircase/comments/12bksmx/a_comprehensive_guide_to_owl_theory/
• https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/06/the-staircase-hbo-michael-peterson-margaret-ratliff
• https://9thstreetjournal.org/2018/12/09/owls-wooden-reindeer-and-the-staircase-murder-inside-larry-pollards-quest-to-clear-michael-peterson/
• https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/nc-court-of-appeals/1435797.html
• https://wildbluepress.com/death-by-talons-gallery/
• https://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/key-aspects-%5Cmichael-peterson-case-not-included-netflixs-the-staircase
• The Staircase Editor Sophie Brunet on Her “Painful” Michael Peterson Years and HBO Max’s Series | Vanity Fair
• https://www.peterson-staircase.com/index.html
• Todd Peterson video from 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NI15RZN8wM