Patricia has always vehemently backed him up. In 1985, a few years after George Ratliff's death, Elizabeth was found at the bottom of the stairs by the nanny, Barbara Malagnino. Michael moved back to the United States, taking his adopted daughters with him, and met Kathleen Peterson in 1986. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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.". 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. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, Texas. It was a unanimous decision by all 12 jury members. 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. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Authorities ruled Ratliff's death to be of natural causes, concluding that a cerebral hemorrhage caused her to fall and strike her head. 1 week ago, by Joely Chilcott The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. 43-year-old Elizabeth Ratliff was found dead in her home in Graefenhausen, Germany. Michael placed two 911 calls, and emergency services attended the scene soon after. She refuses to binge-watch anything. 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. The family is ecstatic but quickly learns that not everybody is thrilled and accepting of his release, with public scrutiny at an all-time high. At the time, the German police ruled her death an accident and an autopsy concluded that she died of a brain hemorrhage. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Liz Ratliff also died under mysterious circumstances. The prosecution calls Kathleen's sister Candace to the stand, and she tears Michael a new one again. "And you never saw any kind of indication that she had any kind of romantic relationship with Michael Peterson?" Sophie is skeptical hearing about this theory at first, but soon leans in and pushes for a re-examination of the body. 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. A friend of Elizabeth Ratliff's also testified about a bloody death scene. Firth portrayed Peterson for eight episodes of the HBO Max drama based on the documentary of the same name. I couldn't afford to live in Paris and my children, and grandchildren were in America," he said. 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 . "She wasn't actively dating, if that's the question," Appel-Schumacher said. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The series takes great inspiration from de Lestrade's documentary and even includes the director (played by Vincent Vermingon) and his documentary team. Inevitably, the series includes elements of fiction, particularly the flashback scenes to Kathleen (Toni Collette) and Michael Peterson's marriage and the days leading up to her death. He was granted a new trial in 2011, which was scheduled to begin in May 2017. Jean and Sophie dont know what to think anymore. However, there are no skull fractures, which is practically impossible. Did Michael Peterson Kill Elizabeth Ratliff? In 2003, Michael Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Kathleen Peterson after she was found dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the staircase in their home on December 9, 2001. The 43-year-old died in 1985 in Germany, found at the bottom of her stairs by her children's nanny Barbara Malagnino. document.write('Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Posted: 10:40 PM HKT (1440 GMT)
<\/span>'); Michael, a Vietnam War vet, bonded with Elizabeth's husband George, who was a captain in the military. So why would you? Elizabeth Ratliff, shown in the Netflix docu-series "The Staircase.". 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. Elizabeth was just 43 years old when she died on November 27, 1985. 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. He later adopted Ratliff's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. 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. In the end, Michael Peterson was convicted of murdering Kathleen Peterson. 1 day ago, by Njera Perkins Above, the real David Rudolf (R) and Michael Peterson (L) appear in court. Despite speculation that Peterson may have killed Elizabeth Ratliff 16 years before Kathleen's death, something he has always strongly denied, the prosecution in Michael Peterson's trial didn't accuse Peterson of being responsible for Elizabeth Ratliff's death. This meant he admitted the evidence against him would likely lead to a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but he did not have to admit he committed the crime. She often ate dinner with the Petersons, and Michael would help her clean up and tuck in her children at bedtime. It is unknown if their disagreement happened in real life. In April 2003, a second autopsy was carried out by a Durham medical examiner, who concluded Ratliff's cause of death was "homicide". We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Lawyer David Rudolf (L) and Michael Peterson (R) address reporters after his court hearing in Durham, North Carolina, on February 24, 2017. They argued as he would not agree to this. 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. I believe that the 2 were out by the pool having a glass or 2 of wine as they often did. Like Peterson, Ratliff was found at the bottom of her stairs with injuries to her head. 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. It's believed that Michael was the last person to see her alive. Editor Sophie Brunet (Juliette Binoche) finds herself so entranced with Peterson she begins reaching out to him via letters to prison. 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. 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. But, in February, just months before the scheduled retrial, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. The similar nature of Elizabeth's and Kathleen's deaths was enough to leave the jury serving on Michael's trial in Durham significantly suspicious. 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?? We charge Michael a fee for the trial. He hires David Rudolf (Michael Stuhlbarg) whose price tag is as big as his reputation. The Staircase is the latest true-crime drama to land on HBO Max and viewers are still trying to process the jaw-dropping story of Michael Peterson who, in 2003, was found guilty of killing his wife Kathleen Peterson at their home on December 9, 2001. 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. The coroner determined that she fell down the stairs after the brain bleed caused her immediate demise. Kathleen even has a brief run-in with Freda Black. 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. German investigators ruled Ratliff had died due to a cerebral hemorrhage. On November 25, 1985, Elizbeth Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of her staircase in an eerily similar way to the way Kathleen Peterson was found on December 9, 2001. Netflix's 'The Staircase': How did Elizabeth Ratliff really die? Just like with Petersons wife Kathleen, she suffered lacerations to the head which were attributed to her fall. I don't speak French. 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 . In 2017, he entered an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter, meaning he admitted the evidence against him would likely lead to a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but he did not have to admit he committed the crime. Get the daily inside scoop right in your inbox. Michael and his ex-wife, Patty (Trini Alvarado), had become the legal guardians of Margaret and Martha after both of their parents died. 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. His only respite is his new relationship with Sophie, the documentary editor, and her letters. 10 votes, 25 comments. Why? Do any of us? 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. 1 week ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon 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. Thats where she first came across Captain George Ratliff, a navigator, only to tie the knot with him in 1981 before welcoming two adorable daughters into their lives Margaret and Martha Ratliff. Both Peterson and his wife raised his two daughters, Margaret and Martha,as if they were their own. 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. Michael had also been caught in a lie in the press when he claimed he won a Purple Heart in Vietnam when he had not. 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. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. Some speculate that Michael shared an illicit affair with Elizabeth. The Scene of Her Death. "It was a great blow to both of us, for which I feel not guilt, but sorrow," he continued. 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. 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. Although Ratliff lost a lot of weight and mourned her husband's death deeply, Appel-Schumacher said Ratliff's mood lifted during 1985. Investigators exhumed her grave in Bay City, TX. He continued: "In other words, by that point, Michael didn't have any assets and the court appointed us to represent him on appeal and paid U.S. court-appointed rates. But if he lied about something that big what else did he lie about? Newsweek reached out to HBO and director Antonio Campos's representatives. 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. host = new String(location.hostname); After her passing, Michael adopted Elizabeth's two daughters, Martha and Margaret. "First of all, Sophie didn't edit any of the courtroom scenes. Upon examination, forensic pathologist Deborah Radisch, who also worked on Kathleen's case, said that Elizabeth's injuries were inconsistent with an accident. ", Her death was eventually ruled a homicide. 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. Her to fall and strike her head dead in her children at bedtime caused her demise. 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