An acclaimed HBO true crime series is now available to stream for free in the UK on ITVX. The Staircase, a 2022 limited series, stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette and is based on the 2004 French docuseries of the same name.
Plot and Cast
The series follows Michael Peterson, a crime novelist accused of killing his wife Kathleen after she is found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina home. The synopsis reads: "As the investigation continues, the family is thrown into a tumultuous legal battle. Meanwhile, a French documentary team takes an interest in the story."
The cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Odessa Young, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Parker Posey.
Background of the Case
Born in 1943 in Nashville, Tennessee, Michael Peterson worked for the U.S. Department of Defense after college. He shared two children with his first wife, Patricia Sue. The couple became friends with their neighbours George and Elizabeth Ratliff. After George died in a military accident, Elizabeth was found dead at the foot of her staircase with head injuries in 1985. Peterson and Patricia divorced shortly after.
Peterson married telecoms executive Kathleen Atwater in 1997. On December 9, 2001, Kathleen was found unconscious at the bottom of their staircase and pronounced dead. Peterson became the prime suspect due to similarities to Elizabeth's death. He claimed his wife fell after drinking wine, but prosecutors argued she was bludgeoned to death, citing lacerations on her scalp.
Trial and Release
During the trial, the prosecution suggested Peterson killed Kathleen over images of men found on his computer; the defence said she accepted his bisexuality. In 2003, a jury found Peterson guilty of murder and sentenced him to life without parole. A retrial was ordered in 2011 after testimony from State Bureau of Investigation agent Duane Deaver was deemed "materially misleading" and "deliberately false."
In 2017, Peterson entered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter, acknowledging sufficient evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt. He was sentenced to time served and freed. He spent two years with his first wife Patricia, who died of a heart attack in 2021. Appearing on This Morning, Peterson said of Kathleen's death: "I think she fell. She had alcohol, she had Valium. I don't know, I really wish I could tell you."
