The Truth About Michael And Kathleen Peterson's Marriage
North Carolina novelist Michael Peterson served eight years in jail and another three years under house arrest in connection with the 2001 death of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, who was found in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs. But the details of "the staircase murder" continue to baffle the nation, partly because no clear motive has ever been established. To complicate things further, the 2003 trial proceedings included a series of judicial errors that increased public interest in the case, along with its notoriety.
After a judge ruled in 2011 that a key prosecution expert gave false testimony about bloodstain evidence, Michael was released from prison and placed under house arrest to await a new trial, ABC News reported. Instead of facing a new jury, Michael opted to enter an Alford plea in 2017, allowing him to continue to assert his innocence but reduce the charges against him to manslaughter, according to ABC 7 Chicago. He was sentenced to a maximum of 86 months — a little over seven years — and freed of time he had already served, per WRAL-TV.
But interest in the case didn't end there. As the Charlotte Observer pointed out, at least 15 books, TV series, podcasts, and documentaries about the crime have been released over the years, most notably Netflix's "The Staircase." The public continues to question why Michael would want to kill the wife he apparently loved. Keep reading to learn details about Michael and Kathleen's marriage.
Prosecutors argued the marriage broke down for this reason
Michael and Kathleen Peterson purchased their infamous Durham, N.C. mansion in August 1992, according to Dirt, where they lived until the 48-year-old was found dead on December 9, 2001. "We lived together for 14 years, and we were happy every one of those years," Michael said, per ABC News. Many friends and acquaintances agreed, Court TV News reported ahead of Michael's 2003 trial. "Their affection for each other was freely expressed," one supporter wrote in a letter to a judge.
But the prosecution team argued the marriage was struggling. During the investigation, detectives found "pornographic images of men" on Michael's computer, and email communications with a male escort, per ABC. Kathleen "would have been infuriated at learning that her husband, who she truly loved, was bisexual and having an extramarital relationship," then-Assistant District Attorney Freda Black said. "We believe ... that an argument ensued and a homicide occurred." In "The Staircase," Michael contended Kathleen knew about and accepted his bisexuality, per Bustle.
Meanwhile, prosecutors claimed Michael was indebted, which led him to go after a life insurance policy on Kathleen — a successful executive — and making her death seem like an accident, per Midland Daily News. "Michael Peterson, with that money, was going to be able to pull himself out of the financial fire that he had built for himself," said District Attorney Jim Hardin.
With such contradictory evidence, the public never had a clear picture.
Kathleen and Michael met after she moved onto his street
Before she became Kathleen Peterson, she was known as Kathleen Atwater, after marrying Fred Atwater in 1977, according to Collider. By the mid-1980s, Kathleen and Fred's marriage was over. Around the same time, Michael Peterson and his first wife Patricia were also in process of dissolving their marriage. Following their separation in 1987, Michael and his four children moved to Durham, North Carolina, according to the The News & Observer.
After separating from Fred, Kathleen and her daughter Caitlin had to find a place to live. Kathleen found a home on the same street where the Petersons were living, Esquire noted. Caitlin and Michael's adopted daughters Margaret and Martha became close friends, setting up the stage for Kathleen and Michael to meet. It took them just a couple of years to move their family under the same roof, doing so that same year, NBC News reported in 2006. "They all sat me down and said: 'How would you like it if Martha and Margaret come live with you?' And I immediately thought — 'a permanent sleepover!'" Caitlin said.
The girl was excited to have a group to call hers once again. "Mom pulled me aside in the beginning and said, 'This is going to be our family now,'" Caitlin recalled. Kathleen and Michael made their union legally binding when they married in 1997, after their divorces were finalized, People reported in 2002.
Loved ones believed Michael and Kathleen were happy together
Kathleen and Michael Peterson's children remember their childhood largely as a happy time. "My parents Michael and Kathleen had the most loving relationship ever. They were the most ideal parents," Caitlin Atwater told NBC News in 2006. That was also the notion held by other family members and friends, who believed Michael and Kathleen were a great pairing. "I thought that they were an extraordinary couple, a loving couple," family friend Nick Galifianakis told CBS News in 2003. "They had all the appearances and trappings of happiness. Totally compatible with one another."
Their respective families also approved of the couple. "I think she was spontaneous. She was a lot of fun. She had a tremendous sense of humor," Michael's brother Bill Peterson told NBC. But with the benefit of hindsight, many remembered signs that indicated the marriage was far from perfect. Caitlin told NBC arguments between them often turned into screaming matches. But they always made up.
Caitlin initially supported Michael's innocence, Esquire noted. But after learning evidence that surfaced during the investigation, particularly regarding Michael's supposed bisexuality and financial troubles, Caitlin began to suspect he could have killed her. She even acted as a witness for the prosecution during trial. Before then, in 2002, she also filed a wrongful death suit against her stepfather, resulting in a $25 million settlement in 2007, WRAL-TV reported. "I can only hope I'll be able to put some of this behind me," she said.