Together, Elizabeth and George Ratliff had two daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff, who Michael Peterson would adopt following their deaths. The defense maintains that the deaths are only similar on the surface, and Peterson plans to prove that to the judge--and the jury, if he rules against them--if necessary. Her husband, George Ratliff, died shortly before her in a secret military operation overseas in 1983, according to CourtTV. The DAs case focuses mainly on Michael Petersons lifestyle. 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. 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. He has since insisted she was completely okay when he walked out the door, yet the following morning, the girls nanny found her dead at the bottom of the stairs Elizabeth passed away on November 25, 1985. The DA contracts the SBI (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation) to recreate the scene and figure out exactly how the murder took place. , Awesome, Youre All Set! Since his guilty conviction, much has happened in Michael Peterson's case, from a retrial in 2011 to being officially released from prison in 2017 after entering an Alford Plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. (We'll get back to that.). If you've reached episode three of Netflix's latest true crime addition, The Staircase, you'll have discovered one of many plot twists in the documentary series. The defense will cross-examine Deaver Tuesday. Editor Sophie Brunet (Juliette Binoche) finds herself so entranced with Peterson she begins reaching out to him via letters to prison. Three, she never wrote to Michael while she was working on the project, never ever, ever. Inside, he and Kathleen have quite a makeup session after their own argument the night before at dinner. "There was no pool of blood.". All Rights Reserved. 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. Who was Elizabeth Ratliff, and how did her 1985 death become part of Michael Peterson's trial? Both declined to comment directly on Rudolf's statements. Elizabeth died in 1985. Meanwhile, in France, two filmmakers are searching for their next project. However, things changed once her embalmed body was exhumed nearly two decades later, in April 2003. I completely feel for his family, especially the kids. In the fifth episode, Brunet and Lestrade are seen arguing with their producer over which clip to delete from the documentary. "We made plans to live in Paris. Michael and his ex-wife, Patty (Trini Alvarado), had become the legal guardians of Margaret and Martha after both of their parents died. He hires David Rudolf (Michael Stuhlbarg) whose price tag is as big as his reputation. 17 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat She filed a . 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. 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. 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. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery. 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. Right about the time the trial ended, they didn't start putting the cuts together," Rudolph explained. Sam Smith is going to be in And Just Like That s2! 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. Meanwhile, Michael's defense attorneys hire their own blood spatter experts, who testify that the blood patterns are just not consistent with a brutal strike to the head. Sophie is skeptical hearing about this theory at first, but soon leans in and pushes for a re-examination of the body. 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. His analysis of the crime scene suggested that most of the blood splatter on the . 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. They were 2 and 1 years old when Ratliff died. host = new String(location.hostname); He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. 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. The prosecution also discovers that back when Michael and Patty lived in Germany, Michael found ANOTHER woman at the bottom of a staircase Elizabeth Ratliff, the biological mother of Margaret and Martha. For exhumation, she has to receive permission from Caitlin, who vehemently denies her request. Peterson and friends maintained that their friendship was purely platonic. "Even from this distance I could see that it did not look clear, and that's when he made the statement, right there by her body in my presence, that she had died of a cerebral haemorrhage.". Or anyone else for that matter-NO ONE knows exactly what someone has in their home-their own or someone elses) he then went into self-preservation mode-his mind took him back to what happened with Elizabeth Ratliff and so he carried Kathleen or even helped guide her up the stairs, if she was still conscious, telling her he would help her and not to worry, however after climbing a certain amount of stairs, he then ended up heaving her down the stairs. 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. After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. Appel-Schumacher recalled that Ratliff had a severe headache four days before she died, severe enough that she made an appointment to see a doctor the following week. In that case, it's thought that Ratliff succumbed to her blood clotting disorder via an intra-cerebral hemorrhage and then fell down the stairs after she was already deceased. 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 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. Either of these scenarios give him time, time in which the blood to dry to the point it did when the EMTs got there and noticed it was not wet as it should be, had it just happened. The night before Elizabeth's death, Michael Peterson and his wife had dinner with Elizabeth and her two young daughters. In the end, Lestrade and Brunet won and the scene with Clayton Peterson was included in the documentary instead. She was not close to her sisters, Appel-Schumacher said on cross-examination, and thought it would be good for the girls to live with the Petersons in Europe if anything ever happened to her. 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. In 2017, Michael is contemplating taking the Alford plea, in which he would have to plead guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for a reduced sentence, but he could not be retried. Ratliff's two young daughters ended up living with Michael Peterson, and he raised them in North Carolina with his two sons from his first marriage. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. Jean and Sophie dont know what to think anymore. There is also an alternate theory put forth by Petersons neighbor Larry (Joel McKinnon Miller) that Kathleen was viciously attacked by an owl. 13 hours ago, by Chanel Vargas 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. "First of all, Sophie didn't edit any of the courtroom scenes. Why would you do that just to sort of create a negative impression about Michael Peterson?". 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. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. Elizabeth Ratliff, a family friend of Michael Peterson and his first wife, Patricia, died in 1985, just two years after her husband, George. 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. Fear of this realization getting out, Michael possibly grabbed and shook Liz, his anger finally caused him to push her hard and she fell down the stairs to her demise. Shortly before Elizabeth passed away, George died of a heart attack during the U.S. invasion of Grenada. Aside, from being untrue, it's completely offensive.". 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. It also includes imagined dialogue for dramatic purposes but stays grounded in court documents, meticulous research by the team behind the show, and of course, content from Lestrade's 13-part documentary. 1 week ago, by Kelsie Gibson It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. ", Speaking separately to Vanity Fair about the scenes in the fifth episode of HBO Max's The Staircase, Lestrade said: "We gave [Campos] all the access he wanted, and I really trusted the man. It is unknown if their disagreement happened in real life. And she said to me, 'So you're going to be content just being an old grandfather?' He later adopted Ratliff's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. As seen on The Staircase, both girls publicly supported Peterson during his trial and became inconsolable when he was convicted. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. But . Peterson was the. (We dont know if this is factual or just a dramatized coincidence.) 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. I feel here is where things took a turn. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck in her children at bedtime. 1 day ago, by Chanel Vargas The best face wash for every single skin type. Although I do feel that the police did not act in all honesty with some of their actions, I do feel that no matter what, the jury saw through the shoddy case and found him guilty anyway. 10 votes, 25 comments. Todd, who used to be the responsible son, now seems to be falling apart as Clay, who used to be the irresponsible one, has fallen into the role of caretaker. host = host.toLowerCase(); It's believed that Michael was the last person to see . When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth had worked in the same school as Michael's then wife Patty. They fought and it turned physical. More importantly, both Margaret and Martha Ratliff, whose custody was awarded to the Petersons as per their biological mothers final will, also support their father through and through. 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. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in October 2003. 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. RELATED: Colin Firth & Toni Collette on 'The Staircase' and What They Hope Audiences Take Away From It. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The nanny who found Elizabeth Ratliff's body in 1985 also took to the stand at Michael Peterson's murder trial and testified to witnesses about a large amount of blood at the scene. In her report, Dr. Deborah L. Radisch concluded that Elizabeth Ratliff's injuries were "inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs.". 1 day ago. Later, Jean-Xavier shows Sophie the latest footage of his chat with Michael, where he explains his bisexuality. Why? One year on, how to donate to help Ukraine. Rudolf first took issue with some of the smaller details in the series. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. Elizabeth Ratliff, shown in the Netflix docu-series "The Staircase.". Regardless, Rudolf believes the damage has been done, describing it as "defamation" towards Brunet and de Lestrade. Peterson lived next door to Ratliff when she died. "There are many things in the first five episodes, which I've seen that are inaccurate, misleading, and outright false," Rudolph told Newsweek. I believe that Patty suspected Michaels infidelity with Liz, and with the girls left to Michael, this probably only reinforced her suspicions. I believe they had been around Michael long enough to possibly take on his ability of telling stories, the more they told themselves he did not do it or that he could not have done it, the more they believed it. And you can quote me on that. Great, Click the Allow Button Above Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide." Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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. "The blood was all the way up the staircase.". But the autopsies were enough to convince Kathleen Peterson's daughter Caitlin to change her mind about her stepfather. The pair "had a loving, almost familial relationship," Patty described. Michael is convinced that the DA is on a witch hunt since Michael had written critical columns on the DA in the past. 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. It was a unanimous decision by all 12 jury members. To begin with, he said that the scene where he was introduced to Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth) in a diner while eating pastrami did not happen in real life. document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 10:40 AM EDT (1440 GMT)
<\/span>'); 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. 1 day ago, by Njera Perkins I do feel that Michael was in a bit of shock as to what happened, it probably all happened very fast as it did back in 1985 with Liz. "Can people just go dig up graves?". It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. She was found by her children's nanny, Barbara Malagnino, who sought help from Patty shortly after making the grim discovery.. However, he maintains adamantly that Kathleens death was an accident. Peterson has to hire a high-powered defense team for his trial. 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