The Staircase: Is the HBO drama based on a true story? Details explored

The Staircase is indeed based on the true story of Michael Peterson.

The HBO mini-series titled The Staircase, created by Antonio Campos, features Colin Firth, Toni Collette, and Michael Stuhlbarg in the lead roles.

The synopsis of the TV series read:

"Tells the story of Michael Peterson, a crime novelist accused of killing his wife Kathleen after she is found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home, and the 16-year judicial battle that followed."

Gaining above 7 stars on IMDb, the series soon became a hit, leaving fans with the question, is The Staircase based on a real story, or was it just a fictional story?

The answer to the question is yes. The Staircase series is a real story of Michael Peterson.

The Staircase true story: What happened in the Michael Peterson case?

Michael Peterson was married to Kathleen Peterson, and together, the couple had four children. The couple was living a happy life in Durham. However, his life took a turn in December 2001, after he found his wife lying in his house motionless near the staircase. While he did call the emergency line for help, it was too late by the time they arrived, resulting in her death.

Michael was alone at home when the incident took place, after which his son, Todd, arrived at the scene. When Kathleen's autopsy results came in, it was concluded that she had died from injuries.

Since Michael was the one who was with her during the time of her death, the police took him into custody, making him the prime suspect of the case.

Michael hired David Rudolf after he was charged with first-degree murder of his wife, Kathleen. The prosecution accused Michael of being bisexual and reported that when Kathleen found out, he may have decided to kill her.

The matter only got worse after it came out that Michael had found another person, Elizabeth Ratliff, dead at the bottom of her stairs. This happened when he was living in Germany with his wife from a previous marriage. Elizabeth's autopsy revealed that she died from murder and not from an accident. This only solidified the case against him.

The case also took a turn when they found a possible murder weapon. As a result, almost two years after her wife's death, he was declared guilty. The court gave him a life without parole sentence.

His lawyers also pointed to the owl theory, suggesting Kathleen might have been killed by an owl, but it didn't affect his sentence.

Years later, police discovered that NC agent Duane Deaver had handled cases poorly, including Michael's. As a result, he got a new trial, leaving him and his family with hope. At that time, he was kept on house arrest.

In 2017, he signed an Alford plea, accepting the sentence but still saying he didn't do it. He didn't have to serve any time in prison after signing the plea because he had already served more than his sentence.

To date, Kathleen Peterson's killer or exact cause of death hasn't been proven.

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