Sex, lies and manslaughter: Who is the real Michael Peterson?

A gripping new true crime drama follows the true story of Michael Peterson and the mysterious death of his wife. Find out about the real man behind the rumours.

Carolyn Tate

4 min read

May 1, 2022 - 2:17PM

Michael Peterson has been the subject of rumour and speculation since his second wife Kathleen was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their North Carolina home in December 2001 with lacerations to her head.

Did he do it? Was he stitched up? Was he secretly gay? Were there really countless affairs?

The US novelist, now 78, was convicted of Kathleen’s murder in 2003, but was granted a new trial after serving eight years, when the judge ruled that a key witness had given misleading testimony.

Michael offered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter at his second trial, which is basically a guilty plea, but one that allows you to maintain your innocence and just say you’re pleading guilty because of the overwhelming evidence that makes you look like you did it.

As new drama The Staircase streams on Binge* from May 5, we take a look at who the real Michael Peterson is, as well as what happened to Kathleen Peterson on the staircase that night.

Stream new crime drama The Staircase on BINGE streaming May 5. New customers get your 14-day trial & start streaming instantly. Sign up at binge.com.au

Murder suspect, author Michael Peterson in court in scene from documentary TV program "The Staircase" Jan 2005. /TV/programs/Titles/Staircase

Michael Peterson the husband

Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth in the series) was a US novelist who drew on his military experiences in three novels prior to Kathleen’s death. He married his first wife Patricia, a schoolteacher, in West Germany in 1965 and they had two children, Clayton and Todd.

It was in Germany that Michael was first connected to a staircase death, when Patricia’s friend Elizabeth Ratliff died in 1985 at the age of 43, her body found at the base of a staircase in her home. Michael had driven her home and was the last to see her alive.

Elizabeth’s death was ruled an accident at the time, but after Kathleen’s death, her body was exhumed and the prosecution suggested she may have been murdered.

Afterwardsm Michael and Patricia became guardians of Elizabeth’s children, Martha and Margaret.

The pair divorced in 1987, and he went on to marry Kathleen, a business executive, in 1997. Kathleen’s daughter Caitlin joined the blended family, along with Clayton, Todd, Martha and Margaret.

Then, on December 9, 2001, Michael called 911 to report that he’d found Kathleen unconscious at the bottom of their staircase.

Patrick Schwarzenegger and Colin Firth in The Staircase Picture: HBO MAX/Binge

Was Michael Peterson gay?

During Michael’s murder trial, those who were close to the couple said they found it difficult to believe he would hurt Kathleen, because the two were so deeply in love.

But during the course of the investigation, evidence emerged that Michael was bisexual, with gay porn found on his computer and emails between him and a male sex worker.

While filming a documentary about Kathleen’s death, Michael said he didn’t have relationships with other people because Kathleen “took up [his] whole life”, but admitted that he did have encounters with other men.

The prosecution used evidence of Michael’s sexual encounters to try to paint a picture of a man living a double life, and that this gave him reason to murder his wife. But Michael always maintained his love for Kathleen and said his dalliances with men were an open secret that were used as a dog whistle in the trial.

Michael Peterson’s affair

It was later reported that Michael had a decade-long relationship with film editor Sophie Brunet, who was working on the documentary about his trial. Director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade confirmed the rumours, saying that Sophie fell in love with Michael when they worked together on the film.

“This is one of the incredible things that happened during those 15 years. Life is really full of surprises,” de Lestrade told French news weekly L‘Express. “They had a real story, which lasted until May 2017. But she never let her own feelings affect the course of editing.”

Supplied Michael Peterson and his then-wife, Kathleen Peterson. Picture: Supplied

Where is Michael Peterson now?

When Michael pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2017, he was sentenced to time already served and allowed to walk free.

His first wife Patricia died from a heart attack in 2021, having been a public supporter of her ex-husband for many years. The two reportedly lived together for two years before Patricia’s death. Their son Clayton told The News & Observer, “They were companions. They took care of each other.”

Michael settled a wrongful death claim brought against him by Kathleen’s daughter Caitlin for $US25 million. He has written two books about his experiences: Behind the Staircase and Beyond the Staircase. He donates the proceeds of those book sales to charity and lives a modest, secluded life in North Carolina, reportedly in a ground-floor apartment with no stairs.

The Staircase

We may never know exactly what happened to Kathleen on that fateful night, but that won’t stop the true-crime buffs among us from speculating.

New TV drama series The Staircase explores the life and marriage of Michael and Kathleen (played by Colin Firth and Toni Collette), the suspicious tumble down the stairs and how the trial played out afterwards. Was Michael treated fairly? Did Kathleen fall or was she pushed? And could an owl have actually caused her to fall?