Elizabeth Ratliff became good friends with Michael Peterson after meeting his first wife, Patty, when the women worked together at a school in Germany. Occasionally wiping tears from her eyes, Appel-Schumacher testified about the large amount of blood she and her husband cleaned up after Ratliff's body was moved. Patricia has always vehemently backed him up. But if he lied about something that big what else did he lie about? Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The couples lived close; just down the road from each other in the town of Graefenhausen. Although the 13-part programme centres around the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson at her home in Durham, North Carolina, she wasn't the only woman linked to Michael Peterson to have been found dead at the bottom of a staircase. Elizabeth's Ratliff's sudden death in November 1985 became of great significance in the case against Michael Peterson during his trial for the murder of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. Just like with Petersons wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. The medical examiner rules that the cause of death was blunt force trauma. Her husband, George Ratliff, died shortly before her in a secret military operation overseas in 1983, according to CourtTV. Newsweek has everything you need to know. 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. Elizabeth died in 1985. How much, I can't say," Appel-Schumacher testified outside the jury's presence. ), I believe Michael and Elizabeth were upstairs in her home, possibly having a romantic interlude, when the conversation turned more serious as Elizabeth asked Michael to leave his wife (Patty) at the time. After her death, German officials concluded that Ratliff died of a cerebral hemorrhage which led to her falling down the stairs. And you can quote me on that. "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. It was after she left the project that she first sent him a letter. Scott Stevenson was the editor on the in-court stuff, she had nothing to do with it. 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. While looking for something in the study or den, Kathleen either stumbled upon the emails exposing Michaels bisexual desires either on the computer or possibly a hard copy of something. Peterson was the. Her name was Elizabeth Ratliff (shown above in the blue shirt) and she died at the age of 43. On November 25, 1985, she was found dead at the bottom of her staircase surrounded by pools of blood. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Elizabeth's death was initially ruled an accident, but when her body was exhumed during the trial for a second autopsy in April 2003, the coroner found sufficient evidence to categorize it as a . 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. "The blood was all the way up the staircase.". But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. 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. 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. When he separated from his wife, he brought his sons and the Ratliff children to the United States. The pair "had a loving, almost familial relationship," Patty described. "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.". In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide." he spits. To quote, 'help him' on his appeal. He was sentenced to time already served and freed from prison. }else { Prosecutors say the similarities are too many to be coincidental. if ( host.indexOf("europe.cnn.com") != -1 ) { ", 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". "Can people just go dig up graves?". Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. We didn't get paid anything for the appeal. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 1440 GMT (10:40 PM HKT)
<\/span>'); The SBI, the organization that recreated the crime scene, is placed under investigation for unethical practices, which opens up another opportunity for an appeal in Michael's case. Two Ukrainian women look back at one year of war, Why you shouldn't go into TikTok's "monk mode". Following Kathleen's death, which didn't look much like the accident Michael Peterson made it out to be, police almost immediately zoned in on him as the prime suspect. Just like with Peterson's wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. The prosecution used the evidence to draw parallels in court, but never formally charged Michael with Elizabeth's death. It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. Earlier Monday,jurors heard testimony froma blood spatter expertwho examined blood stains in the stairwell where Kathleen Peterson died. 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. , Awesome, Youre All Set! It is true that Peterson and Brunet did date, with Peterson confirming to The News and Observer they went their separate ways in 2017. He also said thatthe person wearing apair of bloody shorts and bloody sneakers--both belonging to Michael Peterson--had to be present in the stairwell or just outside when Kathleen Peterson's head or a pool of her blood were hit with great force. Authorities in Germany had determined that Ratliff's death was the result of a fatal stroke that sent her toppling down the stairs. Colin Firth & Toni Collette on 'The Staircase' and What They Hope Audiences Take Away From It. He said: "I went to Germany, I investigated that whole thing. Now fast forward to 2001-the night Michaels second wife, Kathleen dies. Like Kathleen, she'd been found at the bottom of a staircase. She was the first woman in Michael Peterson's life found dead at the bottom of a staircase, and featured in the aptly titled Netflix series "The Staircase.". 11 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat Killen ordered attack on civil rights worker, jury hears, Father convicted of murdering 9 of his children, Gov. 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. 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?? No, the will of the Ratliffs stated the girls would be left in the care of Michael Peterson. Michael's adopted daughters also believe that he did not kill their biological mother. Bush: Prosecutor taking up Schiavo inquiry. It is unknown if their disagreement happened in real life. 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. Peterson agreed to an Alford plea, which enables him to maintain his innocence in the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. The similarities between the deaths of Elizabeth Ratliff and Kathleen Peterson raised eyebrows among the Durham authorities. 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. 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. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, TX. The critically acclaimed documentary of the same name came out in 2004 a few years after the trial and is now available to stream on Netflix, while this fictionalized version tells the tale of The. Brunet also stressed in the same article that her relationship with Peterson began later than depicted in the series and that her editorial decisions were not affected. Both declined to comment directly on Rudolf's statements. The Scene of Her Death. "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. He paid that, or his brother paid it and that was it. 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. Additionally, at the beginning of each episode, there is a disclaimer stating the show is "a dramatization based on certain facts. In shock of what just transpired, Michael returned home where he would await news of Liz being found dead. Michael is convinced that the DA is on a witch hunt since Michael had written critical columns on the DA in the past. They fought and it turned physical. She refuses to binge-watch anything. The author's ex-wife Patty maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. "There was no pool of blood.". Elizabeth Ratliff Wasn't Murdered It's been incredibly infuriating that people keep insisting that Michael Peterson killed Elizabeth. And as far as the girls, Margaret and Martha, Michael was the only parent they had been around the longest, they knew of their birth mothers death but couldnt associate with it as they were so young when it happened. 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. Noticing the uncanny similarities with Kathleen's case, prosecutors took a closer look at Elizabeth's death in 2003. Shortly after Michael and Patty married, Michael went to fight in Vietnam while Patty headed to the Rhein-Main Air Base near Frankfurt, where she worked as a second-grade teacher. Elizabeth Ratliff, 43, was a close Peterson family friend who died in Germany in 1985. Rudolf first took issue with some of the smaller details in the series. I completely feel for his family, especially the kids. In response, Michael Peterson's lawyer, David Rudolf, argued he had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before. During Michael's trial, Cheryl Appel-Schumacher, one of the late schoolteacher's friends, recalled that Elizabeth had severe headaches a few days before she was found dead. Meanwhile, in France, two filmmakers are searching for their next project. When they meet, they fall in love, and she leads the charge on the Owl Theory. But two years after George's death, as if the Ratliff family hadn't suffered enough trauma, Elizabeth too was found dead - at the bottom of the staircase at her home in Germany. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. So you know, the bottom line of all of that, is it creates this impression that this Academy Award-winning director, a documentarian was twisting his film for a completely unethical purpose to help the subject. Tragedy struck, however, in 1983, when Elizabeth's husband George was killed in a secret military operation overseas. 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. For example, when prosecutor Jim Hardin is presenting his case to the grand jury ahead of the trial, Rudolf is seen standing in the same grand jury room, something that he said would never happen in a U.S. courtroom. The critically acclaimed documentary of the same name came out in 2004 a few years after the trial and is now available to stream on Netflix, while this fictionalized version tells the tale of The Staircase through flashbacks to the Petersons' lives before the murder, the night of the murder, the times leading up to the trial, the trial, and beyond. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. Together, Elizabeth and George Ratliff had two daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff, who Michael Peterson would adopt following their deaths. When the Petersons resided in Germany, Elizabeth had worked in the same school as Michael's then wife Patty. However, it was carried out by Durham-based state pathologist Dr. Deborah L. Radisch. They argued as he would not agree to this. But they need to put themselves in their shoes, think if you already came from a broken home, wouldnt you try to believe in every last possibility that your parent could not do something so horrific, even if similar circumstances also involved that parent many years before? Then I went and realized, no, I can't. The best face wash for every single skin type. However, there are no skull fractures, which is practically impossible. "Her injuries are indicative of multiple blunt force impacts". Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Todd, who has always been the responsible one, starts to unravel under the pressure of the trial. Jennifer McHugh is a Los Angeles-based writer. When watching The Staircase, it might be hard to keep track of the complicated Peterson family tree. Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters continue to believe Mike Peterson. 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. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. As both their families grew, so did the bonds between them. The DA contracts the SBI (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation) to recreate the scene and figure out exactly how the murder took place. Although she died in 1985, the death of Elizabeth Ratliff played a key role in Michael Peterson's trial after he was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen Peterson on December 9, 2001. George and Elizabeth's daughters, Margaret and Martha - now orphaned - were taken in by Michael and Patty, and the expanded family continued as normal until the parents split the following year. 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 . There is also an alternate theory put forth by Petersons neighbor Larry (Joel McKinnon Miller) that Kathleen was viciously attacked by an owl. 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. 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. You know, I mean, all you have to do is watch the documentary to know that that's not true. Sophie is skeptical hearing about this theory at first, but soon leans in and pushes for a re-examination of the body. A one-stop-shop for all things video games. Sign up for our Celebrity & Entertainment newsletter. I believe that Patty suspected Michaels infidelity with Liz, and with the girls left to Michael, this probably only reinforced her suspicions. "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. Patty described what she saw when she entered the house. Michael had two biological sons, Todd and Clayton, with his first wife, Patty. Liz Ratliff also died under mysterious circumstances. A second autopsy, conducted by Durham, North Carolina officials this time, revealed sufficient evidence to suspect the manner of death being clear homicide. With that said, no charges against Michael have ever been brought in connection to this matter, and he maintains his innocence. 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. Her life was thus incredibly different from her Rhode Island farm upbringing, especially as shed eventually found herself working at an elementary school at the Rhein-Main Air Force Base in West Germany. Odessa Young and Sophie Turner as Elizabeth Ratliff's daughters Martha and Margaret. However, he maintains adamantly that Kathleens death was an accident. 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. Since her husband's death, Peterson would come over to visit her every evening after dinner, according to "The Staircase." Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. The night before Elizabeth's death, Michael Peterson and his wife had dinner with Elizabeth and her two young daughters. 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. Elizabeth Ratliff, a 43-year-old widow who taught second grade at a U.S. Department of Defense School, was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs on November 25, 1985. Furious she confronts Michael with her findings. 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. OR after heaving her down the stairs to make sure she indeed was dead, struck her again a few times with the same item as at the front door-he may not even have had to hit her fast, he could do it more slowly which would not end up leaving castoff on the ceiling, which was an issue at the trial-if he had struck her surely there would be castoff on the ceiling, but they were figuring on it being done in a fast frenzy-he then changed clothing and got rid of the clothing and the item he struck her with. A retrial is granted, and Michael is released from prison and sentenced to house arrest with an ankle bracelet. They believe their adopted father is innocent of killing both of their moms, according to the documentary. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. The author's ex-wife, Patty, maintains that their relationship was platonic and that her ex-husband is innocent. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! After seeing much of The Staircase on Netflix and seeing Michaels narcissistic and cocky personality I believe he tried to make her believe she was crazy to think that or try to make up a story, as that was what he did for a living so it would be easy for him to come up with excuses easily. Lawyer David Rudolf (L) and Michael Peterson (R) address reporters after his court hearing in Durham, North Carolina, on February 24, 2017. Michael and his ex-wife, Patty (Trini Alvarado), had become the legal guardians of Margaret and Martha after both of their parents died. She also remembered the copious amounts of blood near the staircase at the scene of Elizabeth's death. However as Kathleen was not having any of it, I believe she decided to storm out and go to a relatives house or even a hotel, just to get out as some people do in the onset of a huge argument-just need to get out even to go for a drive. The two were buried side by side after Ratlitt died. Click Here to try 4 Free Trial Issues of Time! An autopsy concluded Elizabeth died from a. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. 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. What we do know is that he was found guilty of the first degree murder of his wife, Kathleen. 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. At the hearing for the Alford plea, the courtroom is noticeably less full. The series takes great inspiration from de Lestrade's documentary and even includes the director (played by Vincent Vermingon) and his documentary team. The widow grew even closer with the Peterson family. host = host.toLowerCase(); The prosecutors have also hypothesized that Elizabeths perplexing 1985 passing inspired Michael to fake Kathleens accident in 2001, yet there has never been any direct evidence to back it up. Michael and Patty had two sons while living over in Germany - Clayton and Todd - while Elizabeth and George had two daughters, Margaret and Martha. Margaret and Martha would be raised by Michael and his second wife, Kathleen Atwater, whom he met in 1986. "For another year, she was gone. 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. 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. Right about the time the trial ended, they didn't start putting the cuts together," Rudolph explained. An autopsy on the body of Elizabeth Ann McKee Ratliff, 43, was performed by the state medical examiner's office April 16 at the request of Durham District Attorney Jim Hardin, who contends that. Who was Elizabeth Ratliff, and how did her 1985 death become part of Michael Peterson's trial? document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 1440 GMT
<\/span>'); Now, if you wish to learn more about this nearly four-decade-old matter, including the undeniable suspicions surrounding the same, dont worry; weve got all the essential details for you. So Im sure there is some emotion heard in the 911 call, Im sure he did love Kathleen and Elizabeth. 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. In her opinion, the seven lacerations on her head indicated blunt force trauma. They argued to keep the clip showing Peterson interacting with his son, Clayton Peterson (Dane DeHaan), whereas their producer wanted to include a scene that covered evidence presented at Peterson's trial that Kathleen Peterson may have been strangled. The defense would go on to use Elizabeth Ratliff's death as part of their case against Michael Peterson, which also led to tensions within his own family, particularly between his adopted daughters, Martha and Margaret Ratliff. Injuries are indicative of multiple blunt force trauma him to maintain his innocence and he maintains adamantly Kathleens... Went and realized, no charges against Michael have ever been brought in connection to matter! He had never seen such inflammatory wording used in an autopsy before died in 1985 in Germany 1985! Pushes for a re-examination of the smaller details in the past remembered the copious amounts of blood near staircase... Stated the girls left to Michael, this probably only reinforced her suspicions Ratliff to... That he did not kill their biological mother as he would not agree to the United.... N'T go into TikTok 's `` monk mode '' TikTok 's `` monk mode '' are indicative of blunt... 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