HBO Max just released a first look at their take on The Staircase, a true-crime conundrum that has baffled viewers for over a decade thanks in large part to an incredible docuseries that originally aired on the Sundance Channel before hitting Netflix a few years ago. With a star-studded cast that includes Collin Firth and Toni Collette, the dramatic retelling of the infamous murder case will air later this year. If you are unfamiliar with the story, here is a quick breakdown.
Michael Peterson was a novelist in the ’90s, publishing a handful of novels based on his experience in the Vietnam war. Peterson claimed to have earned multiple medals of honor in the Vietnam war, which turned out to be not entirely true, so already, there is a bit of shadiness surrounding this guy.
In 2001, Peterson called 911 after allegedly finding his wife Kathleen dead at the bottom of the stairs in their home. The investigation brought about many twists and turns, mostly due to mishandling of the case and the crime scene itself by authorities. Eventually, Peterson was tried for murder amid rumors of an unhappy marriage and a bad temper.
Coincidentally, Peterson had a friend, Elizabeth Ratliff, who was also found dead at the foot of a staircase nearly 15 years earlier. He was also the last person to see her alive, but was never found guilty of any wrongdoing. Prosecutors believed this is how he got the “idea” to stage his wife’s death.
Fast forward to 2003, Peterson was found guilty of the first-degree murder of his wife Kathleen, and sentenced to life in prison. But, in 2017, Peterson filed an Alford plea, which lessened his charge. Peterson has since written about his wife’s death, while insisting he is innocent.
Now, Peterson lives a quiet life in North Carolina, where he reportedly lives in a one-level apartment without stairs.
The circumstances surrounding Kathleen’s death are mysterious and upsetting, with new theories occasionally popping up, including what’s come to be known as “the owl theory“.
