Caitlin is portrayed by Olivia DeJonge in The Staircase HBO Max miniseries. The biological parents of Margaret and her sister, Martha,died when the girls were young, and they were taken in by Michael and his then-wife, Patricia Peterson, while the couple was living in Germany. 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HOLY MOLY YES and it would make sense why he took them in ! Why wouldnt they leave their kids to family? Following her husband's death, Elizabeth became reliant on the Petersons. His firstmovie appearance was at age 10, inThe Benchwarmers. Michael had been the only person present in the house when Kathleen died, and it had long been speculated that he was also the last person to see Elizabeth alive. And shes incredibly cold and lacking in empathy for her birth mother to the point of saying she didnt care about the circumstances of her death. In 2001 the woman Ratliff. It is possible that the claw-like hook at the end of a blow poke could have torn into Kathleen Peterson's scalp without causing fractures to her skull, which are normally associated with a bludgeoning. Martha tells her it was a brain aneurysm, and that Patricia Peterson had been a mother to her, but mostly it was Kathleen. Jean-Xavier de . He said that while he was married to Kathleen, his second wife, he only had affairs with men. Her Bio, Today, Biological Father, Husband, Michael Peterson Daughter, Age Now, Job, HBO Max's The Staircase! This is one of the motives put forward in the HBO Max miniseries, as it was in real life. The News & Observer reported that Martha had settled down in Colorado and Margaret moved to California, which meant both of them had decided to leave their home in Durham, North Carolina after their dad was convicted and sent to prison. The series follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in 2003. Michael claimed that his wife had been aware of his extramarital affairs with men, an assertion Kathleen's sister disputed. Shealso lent her voice to the HBO Max Original animated seriesThe Prince. In November of 1985, Michaels family had dinner with Elizabeth and her daughters, Margaret and Martha. Apologies I just finished watching and maybe I missed something. The most baffling aspect, though, is that a similar 1985 demise of Elizabeth Ratliff is what led to Michael gaining custody of his daughters, Margaret and Martha Ratliff so lets find out more about them, shall we? As a young man, he divided his time between North Carolina and Germany. Yes. Aside from the obvious, striking, physical resemblance of Margaret to MP, Todd, and Clayton, here are five points that suggest that Margaret is MP's biological daughter. From her first marriage to Fred Atwater, Kathleen had a daughter named Caitlin. Theseries was updated again when thedocumentary was released onNetflix, with another three episodes tacked on in 2018. While theres no true closure that can ever come for an event like this, for a loss this deep, I was ready to walk away and start moving forward with my life.. Reportedly, the forensic examination revealed that her left hand contained three microscopic owl feathers. Todd is in Tennessee, according to Romper. Emily is an avid fan of Marvel, anime, and horror (especially Stephen King), and is always willing to discuss Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. He claims that his father killed his mother for financial reasons, as he had done with Kathleen. "The Staircase" revolves around the death of Peterson's wife Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of a . Margaret and Martha Ratliff were adopted by Michael Peterson after their mothers death, and actually introduced him to his next wife Kathleen, who was their friend Caitlins mother. The Petersons, by every account, were lively and loving: Michael, Kathleen, and her daughter by a previous marriage, Caitlin, Michael's two sons, Todd and Clayton, and their adopted daughters . I only came upon the site last night, so I cant vouch for its credibility. MP's sexual selection of women explains it. I would prefer that all personal/private/intimate details be declared irrelevant and therefore off-limits for discussion. (2013-2017) WRAL Murder Trials Self - Audience Member / Self. Althoughshe supported him in the beginning, autopsy photos of her mother's body turned her into a key witness for the prosecution. Her narrow eyes and thin long nose are IDENTICAL to Michael Peterson. I've finally found my people. Ratliff was Mike Peterson's friend who died in Germany nearly two decades ago. Prosecutors believe Mike Peterson not only killed his wife, but also Ratliff. Minutes later, he called 911 a second time and stated that his wife was dead. ", Since his release from prison in 2017, he has written two independently published books about his case, Behind the Staircase (2019) and Beyond the Staircase (2020), donating all of the profits to charity. Michael claimed that she was fine when he left the night before. For one of his books, he received an advance of more than half a million dollars from his publisher. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Pinterest. An initial autopsy ruled her death an "accident." 123.31.41.38 I think the three Peterson brothers actually reference Margaret's genes the night before the verdic. Candace has remained outspoken about her beliefs, appearing in frequent interviews and documentaries to tell her side of the story. good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff. 's office pay an overdue BlockBuster Video bill for a rented copy of "America's Sweethearts." In 2017, he was granted a new trial, and just last year, Peterson took an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. The Owl Theory would explain why Kathleen had sustained no fractures to her skull or brain damage. She'd join them for dinner and Michael would help her with various chores.In researching The Staircase true story, we learned that in late November 1985, Elizabeth and the Petersons had dinner at Elizabeth's home. So. In this video, Martha and Margaret Ratliff discuss their father Mike Peterson. Collette has also earned a variety of awards throughout her career, including a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe. Martha's going home to Durham for. Streamlined nose. While they all initially believed he was innocent, Kathleen's biological daughter, Caitlin Atwater, changed her mind after reading her mother's autopsy report. In trial, according to the AP News, Zamperini described Petersons account of Kathleens death as a fictionalized story. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It could have been Martha who licked it. Netflix 5. Anyone have any theories as to whether or not shes actually a Peterson/potential motivation for the death (murder?) They did an inconclusive surreptitious one where they confiscated an apparent envelop Margaret allegedly licked. Your IP: It symobilizes a website link url. He was . As is portrayed in the HBO Max miniseries, the story was firstchronicled in a French documentary,also called The Staircase,whichwas later followed up whentwo new episodes were added to the original eight in 2013. If true, this is something that must be weighed when evaluating the Germany murder. She was neighbors with Peterson and his ex-wife and they adopted the girls after her death. Today, Atwater is married with two children. Liz names Michael and Patty in her will as the custodians of her daughters despite having two living sisters. I dont think he picks up on all social cues normally like most people do. -Esquire. The bruises on her wrists and hands could have occurred as she was trying to shield herself from the blow poke or a similar murder weapon. The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? In 2003, Michael was put on trial and then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The real Todd Peterson, Martha Ratliff, Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore, Clayton Peterson. The Kathleen Peterson murder case was also explored by a number of popular American true-crime television series, includingForensic Files, Dateline NBC, andCold Case. In fact, from what we can tell, Margaret is now based in Los Angeles, California, where she works in the entertainment industry as an actress, an assistant director, a production manager, and much more. Michael Peterson had something with Liz Ratliff, no doubt. From what we can tell, Caitlin has done her best to move on from the past, but of course, she hasn't let go of her mother, her memories, or her legacy. After his sentencing, he commented, "I didn't do anything. Now,The Staircase, like the original 2004 true-crime documentary series of the same name, raises questionsregarding what really happened. In a 2021 video, Todd said that Kathleen once told Michael that she believed that people have three major romantic relationships during their lives as they age, and she indicated that she was currently in her second, implying that she and Michael would not remain together much longer. Posey has also lent her voice to animated series, performingcameos forThe Simpsons,Futurama,andSkylanders Academy. A graduate from Columbia College in Chicago, as of 2018, she resides in California and goes by her. When the Ratliffs both died in the 1980s, Michael adopted their daughters, Margaret and Martha, per Newsweek. Because, call me a conspiracy nut but Clayton looks a LOT like Martha. Known for his roles insuch movies asA Single Man,The King's Speech,and his recent role inOperation Mincemeat, Firth isvery familiar with dramatic roles. Candace became an integral force in the case against Michael, even raising the possibility herself that the fire poker she had gifted her sister had been used as a murder weapon. - July 2016) (divorced) Trivia (4) Elder sister of Martha Ratliff. The point remains that it still is not definitive. Also, Patty goes back to Germany with Clayton and Todd but not the girls. This includes his popular 1990s novel A Time of War, which received interest from Hollywood. Sophie Turner wears a cute daisy crocheted bucket hat while out to lunch at Wally's with husband Joe Jonas on Tuesday afternoon (May 17) in Beverly Hills, Calif.. I'm about 95% sure Michael is her real father. They claimed that Kathleen had attempted to walk up a poorly lit stairwell after drinking wine and taking valium. . Press J to jump to the feed. 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