Transcripts For MSNBCW Dateline Extra 20181224

Kathleen peterson dead. Was this a fall or was this murder . A mystery we covered for more than a decade comes to a shattering end. It did not look like a fall. Michael peterson, under suspicion. Then a bombshell revelation about another woman from his past. Liz was on the floor and there was a puddle of blood under the staircase. Two women that appeared to die the same way, two women that are associated with mike peterson. What are the odds . What are the odds. At trial, one expert would make a slamdunk case for petersons guilt. The jurors were captivated by his testimony. But will his dramatic experiments legit . Its designed to get a result. Its not scientific at all. Michael peterson on the twist that might finally lead to the truth. The most difficult decision i ever made in my life. Down the back staircase. Welcome to deadline extra. Michael peterson was known for spinning yarns in his bestselling novels. But when his wife kathleen was found dead at the bottom of a staircase, he became the central character in a highly publicized mystery. Decadeslong saga. Brimming with sex, secrets, and scandal. But what really happened to kathleen, heres dennis murphy. You might take him for a retired english professor from one of the universities in the raleighdurham area. Preppy, witty. A sparkling storyteller, welcome at so many of the best dinner tables. But now a days in this part of North Carolina, Michael Peterson is known not as the novelist he in fact is, but as that man. The notorious husband, the one with the wife dead at the bottom of the staircase. You were not only the prime suspect, you were the only suspect. The only one. There was massive amounts of blood. Who you do you explain it . Was this a fall or was this murder . Exactly what did happen on that staircase . And what is the truth about Michael Peterson . A man once sentenced to die in prison for the commission of a homicide, he has always maintained was nothing but an accident. Innocent he asserts. But the novelist in him knows full well the irresistible appeal of the story line he says he got swept up in. Sex, money, murder, my god. What more could you have . One of the most compelling mysteries weve ever covered as you havent heard it before. People believe in you will always believe in you. People dont, never will. Michael peterson on his own words, on the marriage, fine old house, the blood spatter expert who wasnt and the family friend found dead in another staircase far away in time and place. Lightning dont strike the same place twice. Theres even a theory about an owl. Who done it, huh . Its awful. Were going to need some time. Its a complicated and simple question. If i were going to ask you did you bludgeon kathleen that night in the stairway of your house to cause her death . No, no, no. Lets go back to the night. Early december 2001 and stroll up the driveway of the gracious rambling house in one of durhams better neighborhoods. Michael and his wife kathleen are out back by the pool as the story goes. Finishing off a bottle of wine. In the living room the Christmas Tree is already up. The grown peterson children expected home for the holiday. Christmas was big for kathleen. God, yes. And valentines day and halloween. She made a celebration out of everything. Everything. Kathleens daughter kaitlyn stepdaughter to michael said her mom was always happiest at the holidays. She loved christmas. She loved being in the mood playing Christmas Music from december through new years. It was the kids who brought kathleen and michael together. His first marriage had started to fall apart. She was separated. Michael was raising his two boys and two young girls, margaret and martha. The girls became neighborhood playmates with kathleens daughter, kaitlyn. They would play barbies and my little ponies and all the time. All the time. And then kathleen came over to borrow a book one night and thats when it began. As the kids spent more and more time together so did michael and kathleen. It wasnt long before they approached the kids about becoming a family together. They sat me down and said you know kaitlyn how would you like it if martha and margaret came to live with you and i immediately thought a permanent sleepover. Thats how michael presented it to his two girls, margaret is the older. I think he put it woer going to have a long sleepover. And we said yeah. Her younger sister, martha. We want to live with you and kathleen and play barbies and be a family together. So michael and his four kids and kathleen and her daughter became a blended family. He was a former u. S. Marine turned fulltime writer who liked to draw on his wartime experience in vietnam. One of his vietnam books got a big advance money that went towards buying that fine house. He said im thinking about moving into this house. And they drove us over. We didnt even go inside. We looked and we thought, oh, my goodness. You know. This is amazing. There in his office he wrote his war stories and churned out sharpelbowed columns on City Politics in the local paper. He had been a losing candidate for mayor of durham. Kathleen was a top business exec at nortel, a telecommunications company. She received a masters degree in engineering from duke university. She was a smart, smart woman. But most of all she was funny and sexual but had this marvelous sense of life and vitality. Were you in the swirl of the local society. Yeah. Charity balls and parties and nice dinners. She did all of this. Good smart friends at your table . Absolutely. She would invite people over. She cooked the meals she would do the desserts. She did it all. So michael was all too happy to say yes. After years of living together, kathleen suggested the couple make it official. We got marry and it was a gigantic wedding. There must have been 150 people there and it was just wonderful. I always thought this is what will register as the happiest day of my life. Kathleens younger sister, candice, said kathleen was over the moon as well. She was thrilled to be marrying michael. Her three girls were bridesmaids in the wedding. And candice watched as over the next several years kathleen did it all. Not only did she raise these children and have a quite accomplished corporate career, dinner for 50 . She would do it. And so it was on that mild december evening 2001, with kathleen juggling it all. She had been preparing for the holidays while fending off the latest crisis at work. Michael says she made dinner, they sat down to watch a movie, then headed out back to enjoy a midnight glass of wine. We went to the pool and we talked. What time would you guess, youre out there, 10 00, 11 00 at night . 11 00, 12 00, something in there. With a morning Conference Call scheduled michael says, kathleen turned in first. She said i got to go in. Ive got to get ready to sleep, i got a Conference Call first thing in the morning. She gets up from the pool and goes out. See you later. An hour went by. Maybe two. Michael says he may have dozed off. When he went back inside the house, sometime after 2 00 a. M. , there was kathleen at the bottom of the stairs. A ghastly sight. I saw her lying in the back staircase. Her feet out and there was blood there was blood everywhere. I went through she fell down the stairs. Was she breathing. She was at the time. Was she at the time in. She was. Is she conscious . No, shes not conscious. I knew she was dying. Ive seen enough of that in vietnam. I knew she was dying. Please, get somebody right away, please. Send ems, right away. I called them again. Apparently somebody two minutes later, it seemed like forever. A long few minutes but nothing compared to the many, many years of questions that would follow. What had happened on that back staircase . Now pooled in blood . The answer would be in the eye of the beholder. What a husband called an accident, an investigator would see very differently. Coming up. Ive seen falls, ive had family members fall. And to me, it did not look anywhere like a fall. And then the chief of police emailed me a couple of days before saying mike you dont know how much damage youve done to the morale in the police department. If youve seen the cops giving you and the family attitude, you understand why . Thats what i thought. When down the back staircase continues. I never knew when my symptoms would keep us apart. So i talked to my doctor about humira. I learned humira can help get, and keep uc under control when other medications havent worked well enough. And it helps people achieve control that lasts. So you can experience few or no symptoms. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Be there for you, and them. Ask your gastroenterologist about humira. With humira, control is possible. So shark invented duo clean. While deep cleaning carpets, the added soft brush roll picks up large particles, gives floors a polished look, and fearlessly devours piles. Duo clean technology, corded and cordfree. Theres no andplace likargh e rs piles. Im trying. Yippiekiyay. Mom. Emmetts saw michael crying so hard he had to be pulled away. Did anything explain itself to you, michael . As youre look act her somebodys at the bottom of the stairs, you automatically response is she fell down the stairs. Detective art holland was called to the cedar street mansion in the wee hours, we spoke to him more than a decade ago. First officers had already arrived at the peterson house. Right, first officers arrived, ems arrived. The medical examiner was called in. He looked at the victim and said that a fall down the stairs was possible. He could see some lacerations or feel some of the lacerations on the back of mrs. Petersons head and he stated that this could be the result of a fall. By dawn news of kathleens fall started rippling through the family. Details were still vague and family members reached michaels girls, margaret and martha at college. She said something has happened. Your mom has fallen down the stairs. You know it was an accident. You know you should come home. By the time kathleens daughter kaitlyn got the word it was as shocking as it was definitive. Her College Roommate delivered the news. She looked me straight in my eye and said kaitlyn, its your mom. Shes dead. Those words still ring clearly in my head. Kathleens sister couldnt believe what she was hearing. Michael called me directly. We couldnt tell if she fell down the stairs or fell off a ladder. I said are you sure shes dead. Yes, michael was sure. Candace headed to her sisters house. This is a mansion, a huge property so police kept saying you may not want to go in. Theres so much blood. This is really awesomely scary. The police were not exaggerating. When candace finally got inside, she says, michael brought her to the back staircase where it happened. My sisters blood is washed in pools up against the wall. Her blood was everywhere. The image would be seared in her mind. It didnt look right she couldnt go there. I still want to believe it was an accident. But all that blood up the walls, could it all be from a fall down the stairs . Thats precisely what was gnawing at detective holland. Ive seen falls, ive had family members fall. And to me, it did not look anywhere like a fall. Something to him seemed off about kathleens body position, too. Her body was definitely not in a position that would be in if she came to a time resting position after the fall. They processed the scene. Photographing the stairwell. Documenting the pool of blood and spray up the wall. Outside, drops on the walkway and a smear on the front door. In the kitchen, blood stains on a cabinet and underneath, a drop of blood on the counter and right beside it an open wine bottle and two glasses. It was very, very time consuming. You dont want to go through it real speedy. You want to make sure that you cross all your ts and dot all your is. It would take investigator a couple of days it go through the 9,000 squarefoot estate. While they did michael and the kids took refuge at a neighbors house. I spent most of the time in bed and margaret came in and martha and kaitlyn, everybody flew in, everybody. He said from the moment the Police Arrived at the house they were aggressive towards him and his family. But even in his haze of shock and grief, peterson says he thought he knew why. I had written some really negative comments, i had been a columnist, really been hammering the police. You lit out at the cops. His accusations of the city cops range from their failure to get a handle on Drug Trafficking to only solving a small fraction of crimes. The chief of police had emailed me a couple of days before saying mike you dont know how much damage youve done to the morale in the police department. So if you think you see the cops giving you and your family attitude, you understand why. Of course, i understand theyre pissed at me, i got it. But he said one of the sons read the Police Behavior differently. He thought the police were zeroing in on his father from the getgo. He immediately called my brother. His uncle. Who was an attorney in reno and said, uncle bill, kathleens dead, they think mike did it. And my brother got on the phone and he said, im representing Michael Peterson, do not talk to him. Michaels daughters were also worried. Knew very well their father relished the provocateur and now the police were swarming their house, walking the yard, looking under bushes and trees. I remember feeling that something was going badly with the police. Michael called a family meeting. He sat down with us and said girls, i dont know whats going on, but it seems bad and i just want you to know i didnt do anything wrong. I didnt do anything and we said of course, dad, we know. But police werent so sure. They seemed intent on peeling away the veneer of the petersons marriage. What was going on behind the closed doors in the mansion on cedar street . They were asking me questions about kathleen and michaels relationship and if i knew of anything. I thought they were happily married. She was very much in love with him. But the detectives were beginning to believe the perfect marriage was anything but. Despite that gorgeous house, maybe michael and Kathleen Peterson werent exactly rolling in dow. Coming up if he wasnt writing a book or had any royalties coming in, he had no income. I sensed there were a lot of financial problems, i sensed the stress of that. And what autopsy revealed. Huge lacerations, basically scalped her. She was murdered. The one picture, that was it. When down the back staircase continues. This is not a bed. Its proven quality sleep. The new sleep number 360 smart bed, from 999. Intelligently senses your movement and automatically adjusts on each side to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. And the best gift of all . A silent night. How smart is that . Smarter sleep. To help you shed those sugar cookies, get a running start on the holidays, and take it all in with the patience of a saint. Queen sleep number 360 smart beds from 999. Plus, its the last chance for 48month financing. Ends monday. [narrator] meet sharks newest robot vacuum. It powerfully cleans from floors to carpets, even pet hair, with ease, and now for cleaning surfaces above the floor, it comes with a built in shark handheld. One dock, two sharks. The shark ion robot cleaning system. Kayla our dad was in the hospital. Josh because of smoking. But we still had to have a cigarette. Had to. Kayla do you know how hard it is to smoke in a hospital . By the time we could, we were like. What are we doing . Kayla it was time for nicodermcq. The nicodermcq patch with unique extended release Technology Helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. And doubles your chances of quitting. Nicodermcq. You know why, we know how. Michael peterson says he was certain that his wife kathleens death had been a terrible accident. Slip and fall down their back staircase after a night of drinking. But as days passed, he started to realize that not only did police think kathleens death was a case of murder, but also, that he was the prime suspect. What . Nonsense and i wasnt worried. When youre innocent nothing can happen. But it was hardly nonsense to detective holland of the Durham Police department. From the start, he was investigating not an accident, but what he believed was a suspicious death. And there were good reasons he felt to take a close look at Michael Peterson. Reasons he said that had nothing to do with petersons very public criticism of the police. He may have had some issues with the police department. I dont my perception of that is that i dont pay much attention, i dont really like politics, anyway, therefore, it didnt affect me one way or the other. The detective wanted to know more about what was going on inside the peterson home. In addition to the forensic evidence youre gathering, youve got to ask this question whats going on in this marriage. Thats a big part of your investigation. Detectives pulled aside kathleens sister candace, to ask if she noticed any trouble in her sisters marriage. The police took me in a van to interview me privately. In her grief candace was has hesitant to say anythinged about about her brotherinlaw. She was a little bit arrogant about his intelligence but he was a very smart man. When i found out my sister was dead i was his biggest defender. She told investigators that everything was fine between michael and kathleen. It was only later as she started replaying conversations in her head that she wondered if the couple had been fighting. Kathleen certainly seemed stressed. She was very, very concerned about her job stability at her company. And they were making layoffs. According to candace job insecurity couldnt have come at a worse time. Her sister told her the financial pressures on their lives were mounting. She and mike were drowning in Credit Card Debt and that big house had turned into a money pit. And they had invested heavily in her companys tech stock only to lose a bundle when the dotcom bubble burst. Then there were the big College Tuition bills. Weve got three kids going to college and good colleges, expensive private colleges. Kathleens daughter from her first marriage kaitlyn, remembers it, too. There was a lot of financial problems, i sensed it i sensed the stress of that. When investigators looked at the couples credit reports, they saw just what kathleens sister feared. They were living above their means if he wasnt writing a book he had no income. And i according to kathleens sister, michaels dabble in local politics had brought even more stress to the marriage. When he ran for mayor he had been caught out publicly in a lie. A whopper of one. The war action novelist claims to have awarded a purple heart. Only he hadnt. He got hurt not by taking hills in vietnam, but from a car accident in japan. It cause kathleen friendships, she had to decide whether stand by michael or keep these friendships and these friendships are lost. So if the true state of the petersons marriage was murky, investigators thought the story told in blood was becoming clear. Not only was there more of it in the stairwell than detective was expect to see with a fall. But according to emts, much of it was dry when they arrived. You have to wonder when the victim actually goes down the stairs. Right. How long she had been there. A blood pattern expert analyzed the scene. When he completed his initial findings police suspicions were confirmed. He told me that he felt strongly that this was a homicide. Just a few days before christmas, Michael Peterson was charged with the murder of his wife. They had the grand jury and i was indicted. I turned myself in. As the officers booked michael into the county jail, the blended family formed a unified block of support. My mother would just be absolutely appalled and this is the last thing she would ever want to happen to her husband. It was hardly the christmas that the Peterson Family had so looked forward to. Kathleen, dead. Their father in jail. It was just us kids in the house by ourself trying to piece together a christmas. But soon another bombshell and this one would blow the family apart. Two months after christmas the coroner released the results of the official occupies. Multiple lacerations to the back of her head. Like she was bludgeoned to death. Severe. Long, linear. Lacerations. Not consistent with a fall. Not consistent with a fall. If kathleens sister candace had been harboring suspicions about what had really happened to her sister, the medical examiners report was the thing that pushed her over the edge. I seven huge lacerations that basically scalped her. It was murder. That one picture that was it. After reading the autopsy report herself, kathleens daughter kaitlyn agreed with her aunt. She called her step sister margaret. I said you need to read this. You need to understand that mom she did not die from falling down the stairs, she was beaten to death. But kaitlyns childhood playmates, her step sisters, margaret and martha, stood strong with their father. Dad told me he didnt do it i believe him i trust him. The step sisters never spoke again. Kaitlyn removed her belongings in her house. I lost more than just my mother. I lost martha, margaret, my family, my home. Could the family agony get any worse . It could, by a wide margin. Because now investigators were picking through Michael Petersons past. Turning the clock back some 20 years. And taking a peek at his previous life an ocean away. What they would discover was beyond eerie. How can michael have found two women dead at the bottom of a staircase . A stunningly similar tragedy in Michael Petersons past gets the attention of investigators, could it hold clues to kathleens death . Coming up shes saying something you know, theres dad or i dont know what she is screaming. And so i put some clothes on and i go over to the house. And in fact shes dead. Dead at the bottom of the stairs. Bottom of the stairs. The story, disturbingly familiar and so are the suspicions. If he fell down the stairs, why would there be blood spurted up the side of the walls. It didnt make any sense to me. When down the back staircase continues. Maybe youd mellow out a bit if you got geico to help you with your renters insurance. Oh, geico helps with renters insurance . Good to know. Yeah, and they could save you a lot of money. Wow, suddenly i feel so relieved. You guys are fired. Get to know geico and see how much you could save on renters insurance. danny s voice of course you donte because you didnt . Your job isnt doing hard work. Its making them do hard work. And getting paid for it. vo snap and sort your expenses to save over 4,600 at tax time. Quickbooks. Backing you. Hi im richard lui with your top stories. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg remains at the hospital after having growths on her left lung removed. The 85yearold jurist is up and working, shes never missed arguments before. With the dow on a losing streak, treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin phoned top bank ceos, mnuchin meets with top government officials overseeing the economy tomorrow. Now back to dateline. Welcome back to dateline extra. Im craig melvin. Kathleen peterson was dead at the bottom of the stairs, the steps and walls covered in blood. Responding officers immediately suspected she had been murdered and investigators were focusing hard on her husband, michael. But this mystery was just getting started. Another sordid tale from michaels past was about to surface, a suspicious death too similar to kathleens for investigators to ignore. Here again is dennis murphy. In police work a good tip can make your day. And also make your life more complicated. Just such a tip came to the desk of the detective working the Kathleen Peterson case. I think it was two or three days after kathleens death is when i first had contact with the family members of elizabeth rabbit. Who was elizabeth ratling. To answer that question, we turn the clock back 20 years in Michael Petersons life. And go across the atlantic to germany. In the early 1980s, Michael Peterson was living with his first wife near a u. S. Air force base outside frankfurt. Their good friend, Elizabeth Ratliff a widow, lived nearby. Liz has two children and she is Teaching School had a great many friends. All there. On november 24th, 1985, elizabeth went to the petersons for dinner. Later, Michael Peterson says he drove her home. She got out and went upstairs. See you tomorrow. The next morning michael says he was fast asleep when elizabeths nanny came running with urgent news. Im upstairs in bed and she is saying something, you know, i said dad or i dont know. Shes screaming and so i put some clothes on and i go over to the house. And in fact liz is dead. Dead at the bottom of the stairs. Bottom of the stairs. Another good friend in their circle, amy beth burner and her husband were summoned to elizabeths townhouse, too. She asked michael what happened. He said well she probably had an aneurysm like her father. When i started to think about someone falling down the stairs, i thought well thats possible those stairs are you know, pretty steep and you know, theyre slippery and wooden. But amy beth says she looked around, she noticed something blood. Not just where elizabeth lay but high up along the staircase walls, too. Too much blood, she thought for a slip and fall. If you fell down the stairs, why would there be blood splurted up the side of the walls . It didnt make any sense to me. She says there were household details out of order. Like the table that liz set out every night with the girls breakfast plates. It was bare. The snow boots shoe left by the front door still on her feet. Liz never wore her boots in the house. She always took her boots off. That was another clue to me that something was wrong. Its obvious that she was running from someone or trying to escape. Amy beth thought a fullfledged investigation would ensue. But as she tells it, Michael Peterson spoke to the authorities that day, relating that elizabeth had a hereditary bleeding disorder. Perhaps she had had a stroke and fallen down the stairs. The questions amy beth expected to be asked never were. I wondered why arent they talking to people. Why arent they asking questions. No one did. Later that day, Michael Peterson phoned Elizabeth Ratliffs family in the u. S. With the terrible news. Margaret blair is elizabeths sister. He said margaret theres been an accident. Liz fell down the stairs and died. What are you saying . I went numb. My sister, hes saying my sister, she died. Shes young, shes got two beautiful little children, babies, really. Those baby girls are martha and margaret. Michael took custody of the girls after the accident in germany. And then michael, along with his first wife patty and later with kathleen raised them as his own. Patty was saying that our birth mother is was like a sister to her. It was said in our mothers will that we would go to mike and patty when they passed away. So dad saw this as his responsibility and took us in. And stayed, we stayed with him for our whole lives. You didnt think that strange, the petersons, who are these people . You know i can understand. How that could happen this was her world now. Liz must love these people and trusted them to the nth degree. Elizabeth ratliffs body was flown to texas for the burial. At the funeral. Margaret was desperate to hear further details from Michael Peterson about her sisters passing. But to her surprise michael was very aloof and very strange. Did he speak . No, he didnt really say a lot at all. He never talked about the what happened to liz. But any questions regarding foul play in Elizabeth Ratliffs death were laid to rest by the results of an autopsy performed a the the u. S. Noth germany. Elizabeth died from a brain hemorrhage, Natural Causes. So the story laid buried for nearly two decades. But when detective art holland heard it, his head spun. I have two women who appear to have died the same way. Two Women Associated with mike peterson. Detectives wanted to dig a little deeper. What would they find . Coming up for investigators, a risky move. A lot of people were very antsy about that. Will it pay off . Her fingernail polish was still on. Her dress, was still perfectly in place. Im just thinking of it my case is getting a whole lot better. When down the back staircase continues. I forgot. Chevy also won a j. D. Power dependability award for its lightduty truck the chevy silverado. Oh, and since the chevy equinox and traverse also won chevy is the only brand to earn the j. D. Power dependability award across cars, trucks and suvsthree years in a row. Phew. Third times the charm. The doctor just for a shot. With Neulasta Onpro patients get their day back. To be with family, or just to sleep in. Strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection. In a key study neulasta reduced the risk of infection from 17 to 1 , a 94 decrease. Neulasta onpro is designed to deliver neulasta the day after chemo and is used by most patients today. Neulasta is for certain Cancer Patients receiving strong chemotherapy. Do not take neulasta if youre allergic to it or Neupogen Filgrastim . An incomplete dose could increase infection risk. Ruptured spleen, sometimes fatal as well as serious lung problems, allergic reactions, kidney injuries and capillary leak syndrome have occurred. Report abdominal or shoulder tip pain, trouble breathing or allergic reactions to your doctor right away. In patients with sickle cell disorders, serious, sometimes fatal crises can occur. The most common side effect is bone and muscle ache. Ask your doctor about Neulasta Onpro. Pay no more than 5 per dose with copay card. Welcome back. The detectives investigating the death of Kathleen Peterson received an intriguing tip nearly 20 years earlier, another woman in Michael Petersons life was found at the bottom of a different set of stairs. Family friend Elizabeth Ratliff. Investigators now suspected michael may have been responsible for both deaths. And in the search for evidence, they were about to exhume elizabeths body. Could the old case shed new light . Continuing with our story. Heres dennis murphy. Margaret blair had come to accept Michael Petersons explanation of his first wifes death years before. I believed what i was told about the cerebral hemorrhage and presuming that a doctor had you know, made this diagnosis. But when she learned that kathleen had also been found dead at the bottom of a staircase, margaret began wondering anew about how her sister died she started reaching out to elizabeths old friends from germany. When i talked to her friends i found out that blood had been dripping down the walls. Well that doesnt happen when you have a cerebral hemorrhage. Authorities in North Carolina were thinking the same thing. If foul play had been involved in Elizabeth Ratliffs death. It might bolster their case. But the only way to know for sure, they concluded was to dig up elizabeths grave. Former assistant District Attorney greta black. We decided it probably would be worthwhile to try to exhume her body to determine whether the findings in germany were accurate or not. To do that they would have to get the okay from elizabeths daughters, margaret and martha. The girls who believed in in their fathers innocence as fiercely as they mistrusted the authorities, struggled with that decision. The hardest i ever had to do was to write off the exhumation of our birth mother. But ultimately they agreed. I signed off on it because we wanted to be like there is no way this could have happened in like please look at the evidence. I will do this. To to free our dad of these accusations. On a beautiful blue sky day the remains of Elizabeth Ratliff were exhumed from her resting place in texas. In the bells started willing to right as they started pulling that casket out of the ground. A lot of people were very antsy about that. About what they were going to find. Her body was driven to North Carolina. Where it would be studied by the same medical examiner who had ruled Kathleen Petersons death a homicide. There was a risk here, wasnt it . If you opened the casket and found that the authorities in germany were correct in ruling it death by Natural Causes we decided it needed to be done. The detective peered through a windo as the top was pried off of Elizabeth Ratliffs coffin. It was so air tight, it was hard to use a krask to get the casket open. You could see part of Elizabeth Ratliffs face and hair. It was remarkable. They were stunned. The body was practically intact. Her fingernail polish was still on. Her dress was still perfectly in place. The m. E. Took a closer look to the injuries to elizabeths head. She was finding lacerations, deep gouges in the scalp. Seven of them. Seven . The lacerations were very sim laor to the ones that had been perpetrated on Kathleen Peterson in her findings she made a decision that ms. Ratliff had been murdered. Investigators thought they had hit pay dirt in death they thought Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratliff could have been twins. Im thinking that my case is getting a whole lot better. Kathleens sister candace thought peterson had killed both women. I have a better chance of being struck by lightning thannen finding two people that i intimately know at the bottom of a staircase. But to margaret and martha, the whole thing teamed absurd. The fact that michael would be accused of killing kathleen, the woman they called mom was bizarre enough. But now, their birth mom, too . What would their father have gained by killing Elizabeth Ratliff . He would have gotten two screaming little raga muffin kids out of it. Thats it. Theres no reason for it. For the investigators in North Carolina, though, the death in germany became a strong Building Block in their circumstantial case for murder. And whats more, detectives learned that Michael Peterson had a secret life. Secrets, tawdry ones, were about to spill out in the durham courthouse. Coming up, enter brad, the male escort. What types of services did you perform . Oh, wow. Thats pretty broad. And then aware the pants at the time of the impact was in close proximity to the source of blood when it was impacted. I remember the jurors were captivated by his testimony. And it all seemed to make perfect sense. When down the back staircase continues. [man 3] proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis. [woman 4]. With humira. [woman 5] humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. Its proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. Humira is the number one prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. [avo] humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. [woman 6] ask your rheumatologist about humira. [woman 7] go to mypsaproof. Com to see proof in action. Theres no place likargh e im trying. Yippiekiyay. Mom. Welcome back. Could it have been coincidence. Two women dead at the bottom of the stairs . First, his friend, then almost 20 years later, his wife kathleen. Michael was facing murder charges for kathleens death and the prosecutors prepared for trial, they made another troubling discovery. Here again is dennis murphy. Reporter in the summer of 2003, Michael Peterson would stand trial for the bludgeoning death of his wife, kathleen. Hed pleaded not guilty to firstdegree murder. I am innocent of these charges, and we will prove it in court. Reporter with gaveltogavel coverage on live tv, the state versus Michael Peterson was a national spectacle. Was it surreal, michael, to be in a courtroom charged with murder . Well, it was surreal from the first moment. I mean, you know, is there surreal beyond surreal . I dont know. Reporter reporter julia sims covered the proceedings in court. Every single day of that trial the courtroom was packed, and not packed with just media, and not packed with just lawyers, but people off the street. People took vacation to come in and watch that trial. Reporter and Michael Peterson didnt shy away from all the attention. In fact, he allowed a documentary crew to film him every step of the way. But the only audience that mattered was the 12person jury. And when the trial began, the prosecution introduced them to the man behind the professorial mask, the person they saw as the real Michael Peterson. This case is about pretense and appearances. Its about things not being as they seem. Reporter scratch beneath the glossy veneer, the Beautiful House and sparkling dinner parties, and prosecutors would tell the jury theyd find a marriage in shambles. More than the Couples Money problems, more than the loss of social standing after michael got caught out lying about his military record, there was what investigators found when they searched his home office. It was just so so different than what everybody that knew Michael Peterson believed him to be, as far as a family man, a happily married man. It was jaw dropping. Reporter while kathleen toiled away at her executive job to pay the couples mounting bills, michaels writing career was hitting a wall. He had some free time on his hands. And we believed that he, somewhere along the way, began to form relationships, lets say, with men that he particularly met on the computer. Reporter not women, but men. The prosecutions theory was this the night kathleen died, she went into Michaels Office to retrieve an email about that work Conference Call the next morning. There in his office, the prosecutors believe, she stumbled upon email exchanges between her husband and an escort. The emails were very specific about what they had planned on doing and what they wanted to do with each other. Reporter very graphic, steamy stuff . They were. Reporter the escorts user name . Soldiertop brad. You have great reviews and i would like to get together peterson wrote in one email. Ive never done escort but used to pay to blank a super macho guy who played lacrosse. Im very bi, and thats all there is to it. What type of services did you perform . Oh wow, thats pretty broad. Reporter in a sensational revelation, the prosecution called brad the escort to the stand. What type of sexual activities, sir . Oh, just about anything under the sun. Reporter on the witness stand, the escort told the jury that just threemonths before kathleens death, he and Michael Peterson had arranged to meet. We were to hook up. And what were you all planning on doing . Having sex. Reporter the hookup never happened, but combine that with the other combustibles in the couples life, the prosecution said, and you have all the ingredients for a fatal confrontation. It got out of control, and Michael Peterson snapped. And he was the only one who could have done it, according to the prosecution. Reporter further evidence that michael attacked kathleen ferociously, the prosecution stated, was as clear as the spray of blood up the staircase walls. The amount of blood, the positioning of the blood, the location of the blood, it was overwhelming. In general terms, the greater the force, the smaller the drop. Reporter to take the jury vividly up the back stairs, the prosecution called the states blood pattern expert, duane deaver. He told the jury with certainty that Kathleen Peterson had been beaten to death. He testified the droplet pattern high up the walls was just what youd expect to see with a weapon rising, striking, and casting off blood with each new blow. And i believe there is a minimum of four blows that have occurred in this, uh in this scene. Reporter whats more, deaver testified, this blood stain was found on the inside of petersons shorts. Hed done tests that he says proved that the only way it could have gotten there was if peterson had been standing over his wife, beating her. And the individual wearing these pants at time of that impact was in close proximity to the source of blood when it was impacted. I remember the jurors were captivated by his testimony. Um, and it all seemed to make perfect sense. Reporter then there was all that dried blood the emts noticed around kathleens body, suggesting she may have been attacked well before peterson called 911. According to prosecutors, lab tests backed that up. Kathleens head injuries had produced something called red neurons, which they say form after oxygen is withheld from the brain for at least two hours. That gives mr. Peterson at least two hours to do things before the 911 call is placed. Reporter what was he doing during all that time . The state argued he was staging the scene. Detectives saw what they thought were wipe marks on the stairs. To them, it was an attempt at a clean up. And there were those two wine glasses on the kitchen counter suggesting an evening of maybe too much drink, followed by a tumble down the stairs. Thing was, kathleens fingerprints werent on either glass. In fact, the prosecution said, kathleens bloodalcohol content was low enough that she could have passed a roadside breathalyzer test. She wasnt drunk. She wasnt intoxicated. Um, she did have a little in her system. But not enough, arguably, to have caused her to not be able to walk up stairs. Reporter was the writer of fiction, making up yet another story, covering up murder as an accident . Michael peterson speaks out about it all. Including his interest in sex with others. He claims others knew about it. He says she was on major meds. Do you remember her being wobbly . When down the back staircase continues. Picks up large particles, gives floors a polished look, and fearlessly devours piles. Duo clean technology, corded and cordfree. Its proven quality sleep. The new sleep number 360 smart bed, from 999. Intelligently senses your movement and automatically adjusts on each side to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. And the best gift of all . A silent night. How smart is that . Smarter sleep. To help you shed those sugar cookies, get a running start on the holidays, and take it all in with the patience of a saint. Queen sleep number 360 smart beds from 999. Plus, its the last chance for 48month financing. Ends monday. Welcome back. Prosecutors in the murder trial presented an explosive theory of the crime. They claimed michael was secretly bysexual. And beat his wife to death after she discovered emails arranging a meet with the escort. Not true said michael. And he wanted to speak with us. To tackle the accusation directly. But, if kathleen was bludgeoned to death as prosecutors thought, problem. Investigators hadnt found the murder weapon. Prosecutors believed it was a hollow fireplace tool called a blow poke, seen here in family photographs. It had been given to kathleen by her sister, candace, as a gift. Id given it to her about ten years prior. Thats for sure. And that thanksgiving when i was at her house, the i definitely saw it by the fireplace. Reporter prosecutors thought peterson had ferreted the blow poke out of the house that night after the attack. If he had, that could explain those blood drops on the walkway. Blood dropping from the murder weapon, as it was potentially disposed of somewhere outside the dwelling. Reporter but the state thought some of its most powerful evidence was what the medical examiner found on the top of kathleens head, seven tears to the scalp. Do you recall any case where someone died falling down steps and there were multiple lacerations . No. Were you able to determine in your opinion what the manner of her death was . The manner of death in this case is homicide. Reporter injuries that were eerily similar to those suffered by the Peterson Family friend from germany all those years before, Elizabeth Ratliff. And the jury, almost in a trial within a trial, heard that story. The longago friends from germany testifying to their suspicions about Michael Petersons involvement in another stairway death, another one with so much blood. The blood was up so high, that i couldnt figure out how did the blood got up there. Reporter Michael Peterson was the last person known to have see his friend, elizabeth, alive, just like his wife, kathleen. It was the bow that wrapped up the states case. Do you really believe that lightning strikes twice in the same place . Do you . Reporter so there was the prosecutions case for conviction, blood evidence, a staged scene, and the trigger, the violent confrontation between husband and wife that resulted when a secret appetite for men was exposed. The states case lasted two months and each day the girls sat in court suffering as prosecutors label their dad killer. They would accuse my father of double murder. Or the wife murder the staircase murder. We couldnt stand up and say wait a second, this isnt true. He didnt testify at trial. But he did sit down with us o answer questions about the evidence against him. Nothing was off limits. I know i didnt kill kathleen. So at a certain point you think this is crazy. To understand the case he says, you have to go back to the very beginning. To the Moment Police arrived at the scene. And recognized him as the same Michael Peter son who liked to publicly criticize them in the local paper. You think the cops had it in for you . Absolutely. They were delighted something really bad happened. And would have been even more delighted if i had nilg to do with it. The prosecution theory of what happened that night is total fiction. Starting with the trigger. The explosionive fight after the emails in his home office. The prosecution version of the evening is that she goes to your office, logs in and theres the traffic from brad the escort. Exactly. Hes not only cheating on me, its with a guy. That was one of the theories. Just a theory. The prosecution never offered proof that kathleen saw anything compromising that night. This whole story about she stumbled on this information. Of course not. Michael insists the fight never happened. He doesnt deny he did try to set up the sexual encounter. He admits a sexual interest in women and men. You are bi sexual . Yeah. I knew this when i was eleven. I was madly in love with this girl. And it was during some fantasy that certainly there was melny. And there was in shortstop on my ball team. And its like wait a minute . Wheres this coming from. I never had a male man on man male thought in my life. Throughout his marriage, he admits he seeked male companionship from time to time. But it no means affected his feelings for his wif. Did i want a boyfriend . No. Did i want to cuddle or spend the night. No. Never. For me, it was strictly sex. Nothing to do with love or relationship. More over, michael says his interest in men was hush hush in the family. Perhaps kathleen had a hunch. This is not a family secret. No. Its not. Was it known to kathleen . I think it was one of the things that was not discussed but known. Dont ask dont tell. Yeah. Exactly. And of course when i was growing up, there wasnt dont ask dont tell. It was dont. Period. Had she known, that there were it wouldnt have bothered him. I wish i had told her. Thats my regret. I wish we had discussed it. We didnt. I was afraid. Not that she would leave. She wouldnt. She was the most open minded, liberal, intelligent woman. The other piece of motive. That they were on the edge of financial ruin. A lot of money. Expensive schools bleeding in the wonderful house was a money pit. Whats your reaction . My reaction is exactly what the prosecution proved. In court the financial expert who testified about their debt also noted that in the end the peter sons were worth 1. 5 million. I had money. It was not a financial problem. What about the trial within a trial the jury had seen . Implicated in not one murder but two. The friends death long ago in germany. There you are in the court of public opinion. This guy with two important women in the life and theyre dead at the bottom of the stairs. Youre a writer of fiction. He would say come up with another one. She died in the bathtub. Youre not immune to the irony . No. Of course not. At the time. In the course of the information. Didnt occur to me. Did you kill her . Liz . No. Of course not. As for the witnesses who says her blood was all over the staircase wall. Michael insists the memories are wrong. They said there was blood everywhere. And well, no. There wasnt. The German Police didnt see in. The doctor isnt see any blood. The American Military didnt see any blood. And if you saw all this blood, why didnt you Say Something at the time . He is certain elizabeth died of a stroke. As for how his wife died years later, michael cant say for sure. He thinks his first insingt was the right one. I guess maybe im the last person to believe it. She fell downs the stairs. I dont know. He believes alcohol played a role if the fall. Everyone though her levels werent off the charts, there may have been a contributing factor. A few months before the death she suffered an injury diving into the swimming pool. And her doctor put her on several prescription meds. Do you remember her being wobbly . Yeah. She had a neck brace and percocet. To begin with. Then brought valium. And a muscle relaxer. Oh yeah, she was in pain. All the time. The trial was hard enough to bear. But the family split made it even worse. There was kathleens daughter. Across the room in the prosecution. And behind him the whole time, his girls margaret and martha. Tla were sisters. They loved one another. They helped each other. Thats been the biggest to me the saddest. That everything that kathleen wanted to make happen, and did happen. As far as the family. Was torn. Michaels story is one he says the those closest to him have known for years. His lawyers were about to present to the jury. And had an ace up the sleeve. A moment that would leave mouths agape in the courtroom. Coming up. He runs up to margaret. In the house. And said i think i found a blow poke. The alleged murder weapon found. What will it reveal . A a reveal . A a not long ago, ronda started here. And then, more jobs began to appear. These techs in a lab. This builder in a hardhat. The welders and electricians who do all of that. The diner staffed up cause they all needed lunch. Teachers. Doctors. Jobs grew a bunch. What started with one job spread all around. Because each job in energy creates many more in this town. Energy lives here. Opportunity is everywhere. Like here. Where you can explore the world knowing you can always find your way home. Theres no place likargh e im trying. Yippiekiyay. Mom. Reporter what had happened on that back staircase . From almost the moment he was retained, defense attorney david rudolf thought Michael Peterson was innocent. No one thought michael couldve ever harmed kathleen. And indeed, there was never a shred of evidence that they had ever had so much as a loud argument. Reporter in court, he laid out a straightforward scenario for the jury. The truth is that Kathleen Peterson, after drinking some wine and some champagne and taking some valium tried to walk up a narrow, poorly lit stairway in flipflops and she fell and she bled to death. Reporter just as the prosecution had, the defense put the couples marriage front and center. Telling the jury it was more or less perfect. Everywhere they went, people noticed. Michael looking at kathleen with the kind of pride that you just dont fake. Reporter under crossexamination, even brad the escort said peterson had told him how much he loved his wife. In his emails unlike most of my clients he indicated that he had a great relationship. Most clients dont want to say anything about the relationship. He indicated he had a warm relationship with his wife and nothing would ever destroy that. Reporter michael hadnt killed kathleen, the defense argued, and he certainly didnt kill family friend, Elizabeth Ratliff. They called their own medical expert who reviewed her autopsy reports and said it wasnt a murder. Is blood in all of the ventricles of the brain consistent with a stroke from Natural Causes . Expert it is consistent. Reporter then, there was the Mount Everest of the case the forensics, explaining to the jury all that blood in the peterson stairwell. The defense would call dr. Henry lee to the stand. Reporter the defense called celebrity forensic expert dr. Henry lee, of o. J. Case fame, to show the jury in theatrical fashion just how kathleen, falling, then staggering about, coughing up blood, could have accounted for the spray. An injured person can walking, can move, can shake their head. Obviously, the blood all around was due to her being alive and moving around for some period of time. It didnt have to do with what inflicted the wounds. Reporter the blood on his shorts, that could have happened, the defense said, while Michael Peterson was cradling his wife. The fact that some of the blood was dry when First Responders arrived, well, michael never said he knew what time kathleen fell. And as for those drops of blood in the house and on the walkway outside suggesting he staged the scene, the defense said none of that could be trusted. The blood in that area had been completely altered. The scene at the house had been completely contaminated. Reporter but what about those ghastly lacerations on kathleens head which the states medical examiner attributed to a beating . Defense attorney rudolf notes what he didnt find though the cuts were deep, there were no skull or bone fractures. There was absolutely no fractures anywhere. No fractures to her fingers, to her arms to her skull. And there was absolutely no injury to the brain. And thats just almost an impossibility if what youre doing is beating somebody with a metal object. Reporter and for a final exclamation point, the defense had a perry mason moment up its sleeve. The prosecution had insisted throughout the murder weapon used to bludgeon Kathleen Peterson was the fireplace blowpoke, only police never found it. Almost three months into the trial, one of michaels sons made a stunning discovery in the petersons basement. He immediately runs up to margaret who was at the house and said, margaret, i think i i i think i found the blowpoke. The defense played the moment. Getting the lead detective to agree there was no evidence at all that the blow poke was used to commit a savage crime. It doesnt appear to have any dents. That was the blow poke. If it is. Then what was the murder weapon . Lawyer thought he pepered reasonable doubt all the way through the states circumstantial case. The peterson camp was confident. We were so positive he was going to get off. In our mind it was the clearest thing in the world. But after sitting through the trial. Kathleens sister thought the brotherinlaw she once admired was both a killer and a liar. Did i ever think he was capable of murdering my sister . No. Did i know he found another woman dead at the bottom of a staircase, no. Did i no he lied about military awards, no. Hes a writer of fiction. He makes things up as he goes to suit the situation. When the case went to the jury. Three days passed without a verdict. On day four. They came out and one said we have a verdict. Your heart stops. A hush then the clerk began to read. We unanimously find the defendant to be guilty of first degree murder. Its guilty. I just as soon as we heard the first juror say guilty, i just was weeping like i was being taken over by grief. And shock. Is anything you want to say before the Court Imposes judgment . He turned to his kids. He said its okay. Its okay. I think on his part he was trying to calm himself down. Also he felt like his role is protect us. I was only continuity in their life. And to see them and its okay. He turned back to face the judge for the reading of the sentence. The defendant is imprisoned in North Carolina department of corrections for the rest of his natural life. Without parole. I believed that michael was innocent. I continue to believe michael is innocent. And i thought we won the trial. So when that guilty verdict came out, i was devastated. For kathleens sister. The verdict was nothing to celebrate. It makes me cry. Cry when i heard it. I was happy for justice. But theres no joy in this. Theres just great sadness. The children resign thechlss to the harsh reality that prison was their fathers home. They sold the dream house on cedar street. And tried to get on with their lives. They visited their dad when ever they could. I would sob. Every time i left. You hold it together for dad. Thats not going to help him. When you leave, youre sobbing in your car. They watched his lawyer file a series of failed appeals. We would have hope for every single appeal. And every single time it would get beaten down. His case went all the way up to the North Carolina supreme court. And was rejected. Michael says had never lost hope. I told everyone, im not going to die in prison. The odds were certainly stacked against him. Then life can take very strange twists and turns. A wild new theory about what happened to kathleen. Coming up. We flew down and landed on her head. The fresh evidence backing it up. You have to magnify them 400 times to see them. In the hospital. Kayla our s josh because of smoking. But we still had to have a cigarette. Had to. Kayla do you know how hard it is to smoke in a hospital . By the time we could, we were like. What are we doing . Kayla it was time for nicodermcq. The nicodermcq patch with unique extended release Technology Helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. And doubles your chances of quitting. Nicodermcq. You know why, we know how. For a limited time, 50 for them 10 for you. Applebees. Now thats eatin good in the neighborhood. Welcome back. The jury had spoken. Convicted of murdering his wife. Michael peterson was going to spend the rest of hz life behind bars. His brother bill was determined to prove his innocence. He revisited every detail and may have uncovered something. Another possible explanation for the death. It was a theory some found too bizarre to be true. But did the science back it up . With more of the story, heres dennis murphy. Reporter there are pleasant places to idle away your golden years, but North Carolinas Nash Correctional Institution isnt one of them. But thats where Michael Peterson, father, novelist and wifekiller, according to a jury of his peers, was incarcerated. Just another number in a cell block with other felons. No parole, life without parole. And they meant it, too. They did. And they did everything they could to make that happen. Reporter after hed exhausted his appeals, it looked as though prison was where he would stay. But out in nevada, michael has a lookalike younger brother, Bill Peterson, whos also an attorney. Did the lawyer in you say, thats it. My no. Brothers done . Thats when the really hard work started. We were out of money, out of lawyers. And, so, thats when the burden fell on me and whoever would help me. Reporter Bill Peterson spent hours in the Durham County courthouse combing though the District Attorneys piled high boxes of evidence. Was there something that had been overlooked . And he wasnt the only supporter nursing alternate theories of Kathleen Petersons death. There is a neighbor on cedar street, an attorney, who had an intriguing idea for what he believes happened that night. His scenario of an accidental death has come to be known as the owl theory. Hes seen owls in the area. He thought that this was very plausible. He put together this whole theory himself. Reporter so heres how the neighbors theory goes, according to brother bill. Kathleen, who has spent the day putting up christmas decorations, goes out front that night while michael is back by the pool. Shes checking on her lawn display beneath the trees. The owl flew down and landed on kathleens head and then tore her scalp in a manner that would be consistent with the lacerations that were found on her scalp. Reporter bleeding, kathleen leaves drops on the walk and a smear on the door as she struggles into the house, getting only as far as the staircase where she joins the defenses depiction of falling, passing out, coming to, and rising again only to fall for the final time. The owl theory was not completely new. It had been floated years earlier. The cops were making a big joke out of this. They put a picture of the owl on their on their most wanted list. Reporter and back then without any forensic owl evidence, the defense didnt want to confuse the jurors. So the peterson jury never did hear about an owl theory. But five years into petersons sentence, the neighbor who was advocating for it was still looking for something to back it up, and sure enough, there it was in the original case notes file. A mention of a feather you have to magnify them 400 times just to see them. Reporter tim thompson, owner of associated microscopes , was asked by the neighbor to examine a slide of that feather. They grow under the claws of an owl. When they attack something, they leave behind these small particle feathers. Reporter thompson peered through his microscope, studying bloody strands of hair found clutched in Kathleen Petersons hand. Tangled in the hair were not one but two minute bird feathers. A surprise he says to the detectives and an assistant da watching in the room. I think they were surprised because of the lab had not found the second feather. Bill peterson was interested in the results, too. A review of the slides showed what . Traces of bird feather . Yes. Yes. Exactly right. In her hair. Another very, very compelling fact. Reporter what was most compelling about the idea that an owl attacked kathleen, the supporters thought, was how it accounted for the distinctive lacerations on her scalp. Had the three main talons of an owl, like these, caused this bleeding head wound when it swooped down . Symmetrical tears. We had an ornithologist who said thyself said these tears are consistent with an owl claw. You think of the characteristic trident like talon claws . Yes, and as we all know scalp wounds cause plenty of bleeding. That she panicked. Obviously, youd run in the house to get away from the owl. That she did and ran down the stairwell. Reporter and if an owl attacking humans sounds like so much urban legend, dont tell that to byron unger. He owned a company about 20 miles away from the peterson home. He was leaving work with his manager one night when an owl swooped down from the trees and swiped his colleague on the head. This surveillance camera caught the entire freakish event. And if that werent strange enough, it happened to byron himself just two weeks later. Ive never been hit so hard by something it felt like a baseball bat knocked me probably five feet to the ground. Knocked you. On the ground, scattered me on the ground. I was bleeding so bad i thought i lost my eye. Reporter his wife, waiting for him in the car, dialed 911. They didnt believe my wife. They thought we were crazy when they said, my husbands been attacked by a bird or an owl. Show me where on your head you think it got you. The talons got me right here into my eye a little bit, and all the way up in my hair really bad. All this was black and blue. My whole side of my face and all up in here was hit by talons. Reporter is that what happened to Kathleen Peterson . But critics see problems with the idea that an owl attacked kathleen. Problems like, why isnt there more of a trail of blood from the front door to the staircase . And wouldnt michael have heard kathleen being attacked . Kathleens sister candace doesnt believe it for an instant. Im supposed to believe an owl ripped her apart . There is no ripping on her arms of an owls talons. The thing is so ludicrous. Reporter and even Michael Peterson understands the skepticism. Whooo done it, huh . Oh, its just awful. Reporter but he says the evidence is worth considering. There are feathers. And where were they, in kathleens hand, so with strands of her hair. With strands of her hair. Does that mean an owl did it . I dont know. What do you think . Well, its a much greater possibility ripe im surprised to hear that i did it reporter im surprised to hear you saying its not as ludicrous as everybody made it. No, no, no. I because i ive seen the photographs. So, is it possible . Well, certainly its possible. I dont know. Did an owl do it . I cant tell you that. Reporter in the summer of 2009, petersons attorney neighbor helped him file a motion requesting a new trial based on the owl theory. But the trial judge dismissed it. The owl theory was dead in court but lives on still in the court of public opinion. There were people a lot smarter than me who absolutely convinced that this is what happened. Reporter so with the motion denied, with the owl hooted out of court, it really did seem finally to be the last chapter for the novelist. But a development was in store that would call the heart of the case into question, and no one, not even Michael Peterson, could have seen it coming. Coming up, dramatic revelations about the Scientific Evidence against peterson. Did the blood expert manipulate one of his experiments . His assistant does little jig. Reporter a happy end zone dance . Exactly. We got it. When down the back staircase continues. Protect myself. My doctor recommended eliquis. Eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. Almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didnt experience another. And eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. Eliquis is fda approved and has both. Dont stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. If you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily. And it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Whats around the corner could be surprising. Ask your doctor about eliquis. So shark invented duo clean. While deep cleaning carpets, the added soft brush roll picks up large particles, gives floors a polished look, and fearlessly devours piles. Duo clean technology, corded and cordfree. With the hours top stories the at the time toll climbing in indonesia. Now passing 280 after a tsunami devastated the nation with thousands of island. This happened without warning saturday. Two theories a landslide or lava from an eruption. Mattis will depart two months early. His deputy will be tapped to replace him. If his Resignation Letter he disagreed openly with the president s world view. Now back to date line. Welcome back. Michael petersons defense team hung their hopes on a long shot. The off beat owl theory would gain traction in court. The judge didnt buy it. Denying the motion for a new trial. It seemed like he ran out of options. Then a jaw dropping revelation gave him new hope. The Expert Witness who analyzed the blood spatter provide tainted testimony . Once again. Dennis murphy. Reporter by 2010, seven years after Michael Petersons conviction, his daughter martha had given up hope that her father would ever be released from Nash Correctional Institution. Dad was probably going to be in prison until he died. This was a reality that was never gonna to change. Reporter but in michaels cell block, an interesting story was circulating. A series of articles had been published in raleighs the News Observer alleging misconduct at the state bureau of investigations crime lab, the sbi. In prison, you dont really care much about International Affairs or political, they dont have any effect. That the sbi who who were behind many guys being in there. Oh, theyre under investigation. Oh, we cared about that. Reporter it turns out one of the experts at the center of the storm is a name youve heard before, special agent duane deaver. Remember him . My opinion is that this is scene of a beating. Reporter he was a star witness for the prosecution in the peterson trial, the blood pattern expert who put Michael Peterson in the staircase bludgeoning his wife, reporter julia sims. You talked to the jurors here in this case, julia. How important was the blood expert, deavers testimony . That blood evidence was critical. Heres a guy who has boon been doing this for years for the state. Look at what his experiment showed. Its got to be the truth. Reporter hed been key in other cases, too. The newspaper recounted the story of a man who was sent to prison for murder after deavers lab report suggested a stain on the mans car was the victims blood. And it turned out not to be blood. Wasnt blood at all. Huhuh, no. And deaver knew, and didnt disclose it . Deaver knew that that was not blood and didnt disclose it. Reporter that mans conviction was overturned. Gregory f. Taylor is innocent of the charge of firstdegree murder. Reporter and there was more evidence of questionable conduct linked to deaver. The newspaper investigation suggested that the methodology behind some of the blood pattern experiments he was involved in was flawed, designed to produce proprosecution results. Like this test conducted for a 2009 murder case. Deaver, videotaping the experiment, was attempting to match a blood stain on the shirt of the accused. Oh, even better. Holy cow. That was a good one. Thats a wrap baby. Thats a wrap . Thats a wrap. Just like the movies. Right. Reporter petersons attorney, dave rudolf, says it does not look to him like objective science. They come to the belief that someone is guilty. They dont have the the evidence that they think they need to convict the person, and so they make it up. Reporter rudolf signed back on to michaels case, this time without pay, and began to dig. He discovered that at the peterson trial, duane deaver had not been truthful about his professional experience on the stand. He said he had been involved in 500 cases, involving blood spatter. Reporter was that true . No. In fact, he had been involved in 54 cases. He said he had written 200 reports involving blood spatter analysis. Not true. He said that he had been to the scenes of falls 15 times. In fact, he had never been to a scene of a fall. Reporter whats more remember deavers conclusion at the trial that the blood stain on petersons shorts proved he had been standing over his wife beating her. The individual wearing these pants at the time of that impact was in close proximity to source of blood when it was impacted. Reporter turns out hed conducted an experiment pretrial, and it was videotaped, too. Watch. On the second attempt, peterson says it looks as though deaver and another agent got the results they wanted. His assistant does a little jig. Oh. A little happy end zone dance . Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. We got him. Got you gotcha moment. Reporter when petersons brother bill saw the experiment videos, he couldnt believe it. Its all reverseengineered stuff. Its all designed to get a result. To me, its not scientific at all. Reporter for michaels defense, the implication was clear. The jury had been duped. After all, in its closing argument, the state had even played on deavers credibility to try to secure a conviction. Then youre just going to have to believe that duane deaver is just a liar. And he has no reason in the world to come up here and lie to you. Who are you gonna trust . Duane deaver . Of course, he would never lie. Well, it turns he had he did lie. Reporter defense attorney rudolf filed a motion asking for a new trial. And the judge, this time, was ready to listen. Coming up, yet another jolt for michaels children. I was weeping with shock. And joy. And a critical decision that could change everything. Well, thats just not going to happen. I will go back to prison before that happens. I wont do it. These techs in a lab. This builder in a hardhat. The welders and electricians who do all of that. The diner staffed up cause they all needed lunch. Teachers. Doctors. Jobs grew a bunch. What started with one job spread all around. Because each job in energy creates many more in this town. Energy lives here. Welcome back. Blood spatter expert was a star witness in the murder trial. Hoping to put the author away for life. But his method and expertise had come under serious scrutiny. Would it be enough to get the convicted murder a new trial . Continuing with our story, dennis murphy. Reporter a decade after he was arrested for killing his wife, kathleen, an olderlooking Michael Peterson was back in a North Carolina courtroom arguing for a retrial on the grounds that the states crucial blood pattern expert had given false testimony against him. But as far as kathleens sister, candace, was concerned, prison was where peterson deserved to rot. My sisters dead for eternity. Oh, no, no, no. He murdered my sister. He took the prime of her. He needs to be held accountable for what he did. Rudolph dissected the origin and a half testimony of. Did he misrepresent himself to the jury . Yes. Did he testimony make a difference in this case . Yes. After listening to the arguments about due process violation and perjuried testimony. The judge ruled he was entitled to a new trial. And there it was. Michael peterson conviction was tossed out. I was weeping with joy. And shock. And couldnt believe there was hope. I was like, my dad is getting out. Were going to have our dad back. For the children, now there was only joy. Lots of hugs and happy, happy photographs. So were all like jumping up into the air. In this picture of so, so happy. 24 hours after the judge issue td his decision sharply criticizing the blood pattern experts on the case. 68 yearold was released on the 300,000 bond. I imagine you remember the day hour and date. I do. December 15. Oh my kids are there. My grandson. Had been born a sweet little baby. I hold him. Im crying of course. It was wonderful. You were meant to die in prison. That was the plan. Absolutely. Now youre outside. Now im out. I have waited over eight years. 2988 days as a matter of fact. And i counted. For an opportunity to have a retrial. I want to thank the judge for giving me that opportunity. So that i can prove my innocence in a fair trial this time. So michael was out of prison. But not exactly free. The state had promised to try him for murder again. And he was placed under house arrest. His every move monitored by an electronic ankle brais let. That hardly mattered to his girls. The dark cloud over the family name for a decade had lifted. Were not afraid to say it. We were so stigmatized before and hiding it. Still the second trial loomed. But working michaels favor the fact the prosecutor would have to try a very different, much weaker case. He had been fired from the job and some of the states critical blood evidence would be inadmissible. The case is badly compromised. He was all over the crime scene. There was another important victory. For the side. What types of services did you perform . Well, thats broad. Brad the male escort a sensational center piece of the prosecution, wouldnt be part of a second trial either. The escort had been revealed in a search that was deemed illegal. The search warrant that resulted in the seizure of the computer was found to be invalid. Further more the trial within a trial about michaels long dead friend in germany. A change in North Carolina law meant a second jury might not hear the male escort is gone, the death in germany is gone, the expert blood testimony is gone. Youre left with the autopsy pictures. Reporter yeah . The medical examiners testimony. And maybe the prosecutions theory for motive. Is that enough . Reporter the stars seemed to be aligning for Michael Peterson. Perhaps vindication was at hand. But one final twist was on the way. I said, well, thats just not going to happen. I would go back to prison before that happens. I wont do it. Coming up, Michael Peterson makes a choice that rocks everyone in the case. That was, wow. Including michael himself. That was the most difficult decision i ever made in my life. Reporter when down the back staircase continues. Inues. Man toms my best friend, but ever since he bought a new house. Tom its a 10 cover . Oh, okay. Didnt see that on the website. Hes been acting more and more like his dad. Come on, guys jump in the waters fine tom pritchard. How we doin . Hi, there. Tom pritchard. Can we get a round of jalapeno poppers for me and the boys, please . Ive been saving a lot of money with progressive lately, so. Progressive cant protect you from becoming your parents. But we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. But we can protect your home and auto if you have moderate to thsevere rheumatoid arthritis, month after month, the clock is ticking on irreversible joint damage. Ongoing pain and stiffness are signs of joint erosion. Humira can help stop the clock. Prescribed for 15 years, humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Help stop the clock on further irreversible joint damage. Talk to your rheumatologist. Right here. Right now. Humira. It was another remarkable twist in case full of them. Michael peterson had been granted a new trial. And this time, prosecutors would be barred from presenting key aspects of their case, including testimony from brad, the male escort. But michael was about to make a stunning decision that almost no one could have predicted. With the conclusion of our story, heres dennis murphy. Reporter Michael Petersons days in the mansion on cedar street were long gone. As he awaited trial number two, he passed his days in a durham condo writing about his experiences in prison. Meanwhile, the prosecution was forging ahead, a new trial was scheduled for the spring of 2017. As it got closer, the reality hit daughters martha and margaret hard. And that was actually devastating for me, it was pretty much a nightmare to live the first trial, and to have to go through that a second time would be even worse of a nightmare. I cant go through that again. I cant go through another guilty verdict. Reporter kathleens sister, candace, knew a second murder trial would dredge up all the pain again. But there was no way that she was backing down. I have to relive how my sister died. She died one of the worst, worst ways. She was beaten. And she knew the person who she loved was beating her. Theres no way im not going to get justice for her. Reporter but there was one other option that could avoid a trial something that had been floated a few years earlier. The d. A. And the defense could hammer out a plea deal whereby peterson could walk away with time served. But the negotiations went nowhere. And candace, no. Under no circumstances. He must stand up and say hes guilty. And i said, well, thats just not going to happen. That will never happen ever ever, i would go back to prison before that happens. Reporter so it seemed the hopelessly divided families were destined to face off again on opposite sides of a North Carolina courtroom all these years later. The District Attorney 100 was willing to go the trial. They felt they had a strong case. Reporter but as the trial approached, michael found himself rethinking a possible plea deal and how it would affect his family. And im all the time thinking, you got some responsibility. I got two grandsons now. You didnt want to spin that wheel again, huh . Exactly. My son claytons the one who said it perfectly. He said, dad, youre playing a game at a crooked table. Youre never going to win. The odds are against you. Pick up your chips, and go home. Reporter and so thats what Michael Peterson agreed to do. I was a little surprised we were preparing to go to trial again then the District Attorney said he had heard from Michael Petersons attorney and they wanted to make a plea. And that was, wow. Hes going to say the word guilty . Okay. Well take the plea. Reporter well, it was a little complicated. Peterson was going to take whats referred to as an alford plea. An alford plea is when you dont admit guilt, but you acknowledge there is enough evidence there that a jury could convict you. In the books, it goes down as a guilty plea. Reporter in february of 2017, 73yearold Michael Peterson arrived at the Durham County courthouse for what would be the final chapter of this saga. He was there to take an alford plea pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Kathleens daughter caitlin came to durham to see it happen. And, of course, kathleens sister, candace, was there. She ran into michaels chief defender outside the courthouse. Oh david, good to see you today. Pleading guilty. Pleading guilty. Thank you. Thats what i always wanted. Actually were not pleading guilty. Youre pleading guilty. Alford schmalford. Guilt. Michael peterson, hed like to walk around and proclaim his innocence, but he cant. He can play with words but he cant play with the facts. Reporter the courtroom was eerily reminiscent of the 2003 trial, packed with tv cameras. Everybodys a little bit older, but theres so much thats the same. The emotion, the tension, the anger, all of it was still there. How does mr. Peterson plead to charge of voluntary manslaughter . He enters a plea of guilty pursuant to alford. Mr. Peterson youre pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Thats a class d felony. Do you understand, sir . Yes, sir. And do you now personally plead guilty pursuant to the alford case . Yes, sir. Thats was the most difficult decision i ever made in my life was to take the alford plea. And thats gonna give kathleens family an opportunity for what they call the victim impact statement right. Michael peterson you are pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. You will be treated as guilty for murdering my sister kathleen. And you will be a convicted felon forever. It was very cathartic to say, oh, this is what i fought for. We werent quitting until we heard that word guilty. We thought we were going to hear it from another 12 jurors but we got to hear michael say guilty. Michael peterson, not only can you wear the Scarlet Letter a for adultery but also the black letter g for guilty. Not perfect justice but justice. Reporter Michael Peterson was sentenced to time served. His daughters say that at long last they can properly grieve kathleens death together. I think a big piece thats importance to our family is to be able to say goodbye to mom. And to be able to honor her memory and let her go in peace. Reporter and they have accepted that their father is once again a convicted felon, but a free man who still maintains his innocence. So your plea allows you to take the position youve taken all these years, michael. Exactly. And yet, on the ledgers of the criminal justice system, youre guilty of manslaughter. Reporter its an ending that neither side had hoped for, a family saga with so much love and so much loss. An imperfect conclusion. Thats all for this edition of dateline extra. Im craig melvin. Thank you for watching. All hit 96 kpke with the bird and the bee. I had a huge crush on him. He had this amazing voice. Very gregarious. Charismatic. The passion for people he had came through. He was the guy the whole town came up to. Morning deejay steven bee. So funny. He had such a great love of music. Hes lovable. Everyone loves steven b