Page 250 - Forensics News Today

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. and not a bit of that made any sat as prosecutors labeled their dad a killer. >> they would accuse my father of double mur...

Illegal. >> the search warrant that resulted in the seizure of the computer was found to be invalid. furthermore, that dramatic trial within a trial about michaels long-dead friend in germany? well, a change in north carolina state law regarding the that story either. >> 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...

Electronic ankle bracelet. but that hardly mattered to his girls, margaret and martha. for them, the dark cloud that lay over the family name for nearly a decade had lifted. >> "were part of the peterson family. and we are not afraid to say it." we so were stigmatized before, you know, and, like, hiding it. >> reporter: still, the second trial loomed. but working in michaels favor was the fact that the prosecutor would have to try a very different much weaker case. duane deaver had been fired fr...

>> reporter: under cross-examination, even brad the escort said peterson had told him how much he loved his wife. >> in his e-mails 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 the...

Did he misrepresent himself to the jury? >> yes. after listening to due process violations, he decided he was entitled to a new trial. there it was. his conviction was tossed out. his family was overwhelmed. >> i was weeping with joy and shock and could not believe that there was hope. >> i was like, "my dads getting out. were gonna have our dad back." >> reporter: for the peterson children, now there was ly joy. >> lots of hugs. lots of happy, happy photographs. so were all, like, jumping up ...

>> i know i did not kill kathleen. so at a certain point, you think, well, this is just -- crazy. >> reporter: 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 peterson who liked to publicly criticize them in the local paper. >> you think the cops had it in for you, thats what set this in the motion? >> oh absolutely, no question about that. >> that framed the narrative. >> they were delig...

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 th...

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 w...

Did i know he lied about his military awards? no. hes a writer of fiction, and thats what i found. he makes things up as he goes to suit the situation. >> reporter: when the case went to the jury, three days passed without a verdict. finally on day four -- >> they came out and one of them said, you know, "we have a verdict." your heart stops. >> reporter: a hush, then, the clerk began to read -- >> we the twelve members of the jury, unanimously find the defendant to be guilty of first-degree mur...

House and disposed of the body during the seven hours or thereabouts before he called mrs. thayer. >> reporter: the defense attorneys tried to swat it all down. and cal harris himself was adamant, he had nothing to do with his wifes disappearance. >> its one thing to say, look, im innocent. i didnt do this. its another thing to have so many people accusing you, pointing the finger at you. look, im not guilty. i didnt do this. i didnt commit this crime. >> reporter: there was no body, no murder w...