he spits. I believe that Kathleen excused herself to go get ready for a meeting the next morning. Aside, from being untrue, it's completely offensive.". In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". The night before Elizabeth's death, Michael Peterson and his wife had dinner with Elizabeth and her two young daughters. "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," Radisch concluded. The two were buried side by side after Ratlitt died. ", 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". The Netflix series, originally a documentary produced by a French company, examines his original trial. Three, she never wrote to Michael while she was working on the project, never ever, ever. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. 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. for those who arent familiar with the case: He wasconvicted of first-degree murder in 2003 and spent nearly a decade behind bars. "There was no pool of blood.". "There are many things in the first five episodes, which I've seen that are inaccurate, misleading, and outright false," Rudolph told Newsweek. 1 day ago, by Chanel Vargas 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. by Monica Sisavat Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 1440 GMT
<\/span>'); 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. Although Ratliff lost a lot of weight and mourned her husband's death deeply, Appel-Schumacher said Ratliff's mood lifted during 1985. 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. 1 week ago, Here's the OTHER Death at the Centre of Netflix's The Staircase, A Tragic Twist in Part 2 of the "The Last of Us" Video Game Could Tease What's to Come on the Show, 12 Bone-Chilling Serial Killer Documentaries on Netflix Now, Selena Gomez Says She Avoided Her "Wizards of Waverly Place" Costars After Series Due to Shame, Eugene Levy Says a "Schitt's Creek" Movie Is Very Possible: "We're Open to Anything", "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. However, it was carried out by Durham-based state pathologist Dr. Deborah L. Radisch. Together, they go to the Durham Herald Christmas Ball. 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). Elizabeth Ratliff Autopsy - 4 Autopsy Report -- Elizabeth Ratliff 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. They call him "Dad" and have supported him without wavering since the second woman they called "Mom"--Kathleen Peterson--was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Michael Peterson is believed to have been the last person to see her alive. 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). 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. Together, Elizabeth and George Ratliff had two daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff, who Michael Peterson would adopt following their deaths. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. And no questions were raised when her close friend Michael Peterson adopted her daughters, Margaret and Martha. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. He did meet with Michael Stuhlbarg who portrayed him in the series and even lent him his real glasses to wear during the film. The deceased's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs", state pathologist wrote in her report. After Kathleen's death, her two sisters, Candace (Rosemarie DeWitt) and Lori (Maria Dizzia) firmly believe Michael at first, but quickly switch sides, along with Caitlin, and stand with the prosecution. So much so, that Elizabeth Ratliff's body was exhumed and a second post mortem carried out by the Durham Medical Examiner. Speaking to Newsweek, Rudolf raised several concerns he had about the show's accuracy, including its representation of Lestrade and documentary editor Sophie Brunet, and some small details in the earlier episodes. Jennifer McHugh is a Los Angeles-based writer. 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. The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. Amongst them is the 1985 death of Elizabeth Ratliff, primarily because of the way she was found and how her two orphaned daughters soon ended up being adopted by the Petersons. Repeating testimonythe judgeheardThursday and Friday without the jury being present, witness Peter "Duane" Deaver said he concluded that Kathleen Peterson was beaten with a blunt object and was struck a minimum of four times. 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 author's ex-wife Patty maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. The Staircase addresses both of those theories, and just like the documentary of the same name by Oscar-winning filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade on which the show is based, whether you believe Michael Peterson is a killer is your own decision to make. 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. The jury finds Michael guilty and sentences him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. != -1 ) { She filed a . She refuses to binge-watch anything. Meanwhile, in France, two filmmakers are searching for their next project. 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. The family gathers in the courtroom for the retrial hearing. Right about the time the trial ended, they didn't start putting the cuts together," Rudolph explained. The couples lived close; just down the road from each other in the town of Graefenhausen. David Rudolf represented Michael Peterson in the real-life murder trial depicted in the HBO Max series "The Staircase." . It is unknown if their disagreement happened in real life. It has been quite a ride, so before we discuss how it ended, lets look at how we got here. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. In 2011, a retrial hearing is granted after Duane Deaver, the analyst that had given the damning evidence against Michael at the first trial, finds himself under investigation. Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. by Lindsay Kimble Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. Elizabeth Ratliff, shown in the Netflix docu-series "The Staircase.". 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 Michael's daughter (as you can see the incredible similarities between she and Michael as well as his boys Todd & Clayton with Patty) https://flic.kr/p/JR7p1K Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. , Awesome, Youre All Set! The North Carolina medical examiner performed a second autopsy and concluded that Ratliff was beaten to death and that the German authorities missed the signs. She even scheduled a doctor's appointment out of concern, and had an appointment the next week. Michael Peterson and his wife Kathleen were first married in 1997. 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. 1 week ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. "We made plans to live in Paris. 11 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat Michael had two biological sons, Todd and Clayton, with his first wife, Patty. "It was a great blow to both of us, for which I feel not guilt, but sorrow," he continued. The medical examiner rules that the cause of death was blunt force trauma. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. All Rights Reserved. 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.". 1987-United States-Michael and Patty have now since divorced (funny how so soon after this all happened) And in the divorce, the Petersons boys went with Patty while the Ratliff girls remained with Michael. Authorities ruled Ratliff's death to be of natural causes, concluding that a cerebral hemorrhage caused her to fall and strike her head. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. Who was Elizabeth Ratliff, and how did her 1985 death become part of Michael Peterson's trial? At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. Scott Stevenson was the editor on the in-court stuff, she had nothing to do with it. German investigators ruled Ratliff had died due to a cerebral hemorrhage. There are theories he had been in an illicit relationship with Elizabeth, although this is something his first wife Patty strenuously denies. He said: "I went to Germany, I investigated that whole thing. All external sites will open in a new browser. Kathleen even has a brief run-in with Freda Black. Both declined to comment directly on Rudolf's statements. 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". DURHAM, N.C. An autopsy report released Monday says Elizabeth Ratliff, a friend of novelist Mike Peterson who died 18 years ago, was the victim of a homicide and not a stroke as originally . She'd reportedly died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, secondary to a blood clot disorder. His only respite is his new relationship with Sophie, the documentary editor, and her letters. Ok so here is my theory for the Michael Peterson case-while I do not think he is a serial killer who always plans to kill women by the same method of throwing them down the stairs, I do think he has the personality of flying into a rage which ended with the deaths of 2 women and here is how I think it happened: 1985-Germany-Michael was carrying on an affair with family friend, Elizabeth Ratliff (he claims they never did but then he did look elsewhere who knows how many times during his marriages for other partners to satisfy his sexual desires, and as we cannot ask Elizabeth, I would say his ability to lie and tell stories, definitely does not add anything to his credibility. Some may criticize them as to why they cant see he did it. "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. That's number one. Ratliff, a close Peterson friend,wasthought to have died from a fall down a set of stairs until Peterson's wife Kathleen died in a similar manner in December 2001. On November 25, 1985, she was found dead at the bottom of her staircase surrounded by pools of blood. 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. The story follows author Michael Peterson (portrayed by Colin Firth) who finds his wife, Kathleen (Toni Collette) dead at the bottom of the staircase in their Durham, NC home in 2001. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Although the original autopsy concluded Ratliff died of a brain aneurysm, the coincidence of Peterson being the last known person to see two different women alive before they both wound up dead. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Elizabeth had been complaining of severe headaches in the weeks before her death, and it was believed she suffered the haemorrhage while on the staircase, causing her to fall. Regardless, Rudolf believes the damage has been done, describing it as "defamation" towards Brunet and de Lestrade. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America," he said. 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.