The Staircase brings forth the shocking murder case of Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase at their home in North Carolina in 2001. While they first appear to be a picture-perfect family, the incident brings out the many secrets that leaves the whole Peterson family in disbelief. Kathleen’s husband, Michael is charged with her murder, who is subjected to a lengthy highly publicized trial.Michael Peterson is a renowned author who discovers his wife bleeding in their house and calls 911. While he insists that it was an accident, the authorities suspect wrongdoing. The blended family comprising of five kids are left to pick sides as a scandalous legal battle ensues. The series focuses on the different narratives that played out during the trial. The Staircase has a stellar star cast including Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Michael Stuhlbarg, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Juliette Binoche, and Olivia DeJonge among others.Michael Peterson’s case in The StaircaseMichael Peterson makes a frantic 911 call after Kathleen falls down the stairs on December 9, 2001. She is declared dead after the authorities arrive. Michael was the only person at home during the incident and becomes the prime suspect, even though he insists that it was an accident.The investigators look into Michael’s story after they learn that Kathleen’s body showed signs of blunt force trauma, which negates his theory of accident. Michael gets arrested for the murder. A documentary crew soon show interest in following the story.The kids are seen taking sides as they wonder if their father is lying. Michael will get into a relationship with editor Sophie Brunet during the making of the documentary.The case received widespread media attention and Michael spares no expense to get the best lawyer as he hires the formidable David Rudolf. The investigation also brings out the fact that Michael was a bisexual man, who often had affairs with men. They allege that he must have killed Kathleen after she confronted him about the same.The investigators could not obtain the murder weapon to use as evidence against Michael. In 2008, his attorney proposes the Owl Theory, stating that Kathleen could have got injured after an owl attack as there were feathers found in her hair. Later, Michael entered an Alford plea in which there is enough evidence for the jury to find the culprit guilty while maintaining their innocence. He was sentenced to 86 months in prison. He was released in February 2017.The Staircase ending explained As the series comes to a close, The Staircase takes the audience through different timelines. Before Kathleen’s death in 2001, Michael and Kathleen are seen enjoying memorable moments together.During Michael’s trial, blood spatter analyst Duane Deaver is being investigated for distorting evidence. It leads to him getting fired. The kids are seen struggling to adjust to the new reality and slowly try to find a sense of routine. During the trial, Rudolf will try to emphasize that Deaver gave false facts. The judge grants retrial and Michael is placed under house arrest. But things are still tense at home as they continue to live their lives in the public eye.As the retrial goes on in 2017, Michael is offered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter, which would result in a reduced sentence. If he denies this, he will have to go through the trial once again. With the constant scrutiny, Michael decides to take the Alford plea. The kids are not present at the trial.Michael, who had initially wanted to move to Paris with Sophie, decides to stay back. Sophie will later see the footage where Michael will share that Kathleen never knew of his affair with men and that he was bisexual. However, he vehemently states that her death was an accident and he had nothing to do with it.Michael is later seen alone in his house, having an imaginary conversation with Kathleen. He will look into the camera with a small smile playing on his lips, letting the audience draw their own conclusion.The Staircase is available on Netflix.ALSO READ: 5 Lucy Liu movies and TV shows that deserve a spot on your watchlistFor more stories on shows, follow SoapCentral