The true crime community has followed The Staircase for many years, tracing the death of Kathleen Peterson and the trial of her spouse, Michael Peterson. The story includes unexpected developments, courtroom moments, and Netflix’s documentary series. It left audiences wondering about the current circumstances of the man at the center of the case.
So, what has Michael Peterson been doing since the attention faded? Here is all the information regarding his current situation.
What happened to Michael Peterson from The Staircase now?
Michael Peterson was previously convicted of his wife’s death. As reported by The People, he is currently residing in a ground-floor apartment in Durham, North Carolina, which has no stairs.
Additionally, his son Clayton informed The News & Observer in 2021 that he had been living with his ex-wife, Patricia, for two years until her passing due to a heart attack; he is now living by himself. As per Oxygen, his Defense Attorney David Rudolf, spoke about Peterson at CrimeCon in New Orleans, stating, “He’s in a ground floor apartment with no stairs — that was a really important accommodation.”
It all started back in 2003 when Peterson was found guilty of killing his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. She was discovered dead at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham home back in 2001. This led to his life sentence without the chance of parole. But then in 2011, a judge overturned that decision. He did it after realizing that crucial blood-splatter evidence used by the prosecution was misleading.
Fast forward to 2017, Peterson took an Alford plea for voluntary manslaughter. This meant he acknowledged that the prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him. However, he still didn’t admit to any guilt. Since he had already served more than the equivalent of the sentence of up to 86 weeks, and was released that same year.
Following a challenging legal battle, he sold the house where his wife had passed away. That former residence has now been removed from the market.