Episode

Down the Back Staircase
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1:23:52
Published: Sun Sep 19 2021
Description

Novelist and former mayoral candidate Michael Peterson finds his wife, Kathleen, dead at the bottom of the back staircase in their North Carolina mansion. Dennis Murphy has chosen this episode as one of his most memorable classic episodes. 

Chapters
When Kathleen Peterson is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, her husband, Michael, insists she died from a fall, but investigators quickly begin to suspect murder.
00:00 - 01:18 (01:18)
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True Crime
Summary

When Kathleen Peterson is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, her husband, Michael, insists she died from a fall, but investigators quickly begin to suspect murder. This is the story of the perplexing case of Kathleen Peterson's death, full of twists and turns that will leave you questioning what really happened.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Exploring the case of Kathleen Peterson's death in 2001, this podcast dives into the conflicting evidence and theories surrounding the incident.
01:18 - 04:55 (03:37)
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Kathleen Peterson
Summary

Exploring the case of Kathleen Peterson's death in 2001, this podcast dives into the conflicting evidence and theories surrounding the incident.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
This episode discusses the infamous Michael Peterson case in which the former U.S. Marine turned writer was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen at the bottom of their staircase.
04:55 - 08:33 (03:37)
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Crime
Summary

This episode discusses the infamous Michael Peterson case in which the former U.S. Marine turned writer was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen at the bottom of their staircase.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
A death is shrouded in mystery as the cause is unknown and the position of the body doesn't match a fall.
08:33 - 13:27 (04:54)
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Mystery
Summary

A death is shrouded in mystery as the cause is unknown and the position of the body doesn't match a fall.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
This episode explores the infamous death of Kathleen Peterson, the ensuing trial of her husband Michael Peterson, and the media frenzy surrounding the case.
13:27 - 19:00 (05:32)
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True Crime
Summary

This episode explores the infamous death of Kathleen Peterson, the ensuing trial of her husband Michael Peterson, and the media frenzy surrounding the case.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Investigators were starting to look into Michael Peterson's past after his arrest, while his blended family remained supportive.
19:00 - 22:52 (03:52)
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Michael Peterson
Summary

Investigators were starting to look into Michael Peterson's past after his arrest, while his blended family remained supportive. The medical examiner's report fueled suspicions that the true story was coming to light.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
A woman questions the official explanation for her sister's death, which was ruled an accident, claiming that the blood splatter pattern and household details suggest foul play.
22:52 - 27:19 (04:26)
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True Crime
Summary

A woman questions the official explanation for her sister's death, which was ruled an accident, claiming that the blood splatter pattern and household details suggest foul play.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
The case of a woman's death in Germany became a crucial piece of evidence for investigators in North Carolina who believed it to be murder.
27:19 - 36:05 (08:45)
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True Crime
Summary

The case of a woman's death in Germany became a crucial piece of evidence for investigators in North Carolina who believed it to be murder. The trial drew attention from people off the street and those on vacation, despite the unlikelihood of personally knowing the individuals involved.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
The prosecution presented the state's blood pattern expert Dwayne Deaver to explain the overwhelming amount and positioning of the blood found at the scene where Kathleen was killed to the jury.
36:05 - 44:04 (07:58)
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Crime
Summary

The prosecution presented the state's blood pattern expert Dwayne Deaver to explain the overwhelming amount and positioning of the blood found at the scene where Kathleen was killed to the jury. The blood evidence and staged scene presented, along with the violent confrontation between husband and wife, revealed Michael attacked Kathleen ferociously and led to his eventual conviction.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Michael Peterson discredits the prosecution theory in his case and claims his interest in men did not affect his relationship with his wife; he also suggests that police bias may have influenced the investigation.
44:04 - 47:11 (03:06)
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True Crime
Summary

Michael Peterson discredits the prosecution theory in his case and claims his interest in men did not affect his relationship with his wife; he also suggests that police bias may have influenced the investigation.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Michael Peterson, the subject of the true crime documentary "The Staircase," maintains his innocence in the death of his wife Elizabeth Ratliff and later, Kathleen Peterson.
47:11 - 50:46 (03:35)
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True Crime
Summary

Michael Peterson, the subject of the true crime documentary "The Staircase," maintains his innocence in the death of his wife Elizabeth Ratliff and later, Kathleen Peterson. Financial troubles may have played a role in the trial, but their wealth remained intact.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee was called to demonstrate how Kathleen Peterson's injuries could have caused the blood spatter, while the defense argued there was no evidence to support the prosecution's claim that the fireplace blow poke was used as the murder weapon.
50:46 - 56:42 (05:55)
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The Staircase
Summary

Forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee was called to demonstrate how Kathleen Peterson's injuries could have caused the blood spatter, while the defense argued there was no evidence to support the prosecution's claim that the fireplace blow poke was used as the murder weapon.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Michael Peterson has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for the murder of his wife Kathleen.
56:42 - 1:00:12 (03:30)
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Crime
Summary

Michael Peterson has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for the murder of his wife Kathleen. Despite the harsh reality, Peterson refuses to accept that he will die in prison.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Kathleen Peterson's death was originally ruled as a homicide, but supporters of the owl theory argue she may have been attacked by an owl.
1:00:12 - 1:06:34 (06:21)
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True Crime
Summary

Kathleen Peterson's death was originally ruled as a homicide, but supporters of the owl theory argue she may have been attacked by an owl. The theory proposes an alternative explanation that accounts for the unique lacerations found on Kathleen's scalp.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
An investigation into the methodology behind blood pattern experiments suggests that some of the methods were designed to produce pro-prosecution results.
1:06:34 - 1:10:48 (04:14)
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Forensic Science
Summary

An investigation into the methodology behind blood pattern experiments suggests that some of the methods were designed to produce pro-prosecution results. Michael Peterson's expert witness, Duane Deaver, who was a star witness for the prosecution in the Peterson trial, is being questioned about the flawed experiments he was involved in.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Michael Peterson, who was arrested for killing his wife Kathleen, argued for a retrial on the basis that the crucial blood pattern expert in the case had given false testimony against him.
1:10:48 - 1:14:41 (03:52)
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Michael Peterson
Summary

Michael Peterson, who was arrested for killing his wife Kathleen, argued for a retrial on the basis that the crucial blood pattern expert in the case had given false testimony against him. The judge criticized the expert's work, and Peterson was released on a $300,000 bond.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
A change in North Carolina state law regarding the admissibility of evidence has affected Michael Peterson's second trial for the murder of his wife, as key testimony and witnesses may not be allowed to be presented in court.
1:14:41 - 1:18:12 (03:30)
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Michael Peterson's murder trial
Summary

A change in North Carolina state law regarding the admissibility of evidence has affected Michael Peterson's second trial for the murder of his wife, as key testimony and witnesses may not be allowed to be presented in court. The male escort, Brad, will also not be a part of the second trial.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Michael Peterson contemplated taking a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter but reconsidered as the trial approached and a deal for time served became a possibility.
1:18:12 - 1:21:33 (03:21)
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Michael Peterson
Summary

Michael Peterson contemplated taking a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter but reconsidered as the trial approached and a deal for time served became a possibility.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC
Michael Peterson pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the Alfred case, after being accused of murdering his wife.
1:21:35 - 1:23:46 (02:11)
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Michael Peterson
Summary

Michael Peterson pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the Alfred case, after being accused of murdering his wife.

Episode
Down the Back Staircase
Podcast
Dateline NBC