GUILTY NC - Kathleen Peterson, 48, found dead in her Durham home, 9 Dec 2001

I've been watching this one as I can. Bizarre. I think sometimes 2+2 does not make 4. The previous 20 year old felldownstairs death may just not add up as murder. I don't see how Michael Peterson benefited from her death. As for Kathleen, I want to see how the defense explains the blood spatter 6 feet high. I don't think the "escort" helped the prosecution. BUT it looks like murder to me. That said, there was a famous case in Ky of an architect convicted of murdering his wife. She was found among an amazing blood pattern in the bathroom of their home. If I remember correctly, the convicted husband was later pardoned after the defense provided medical expert testimony that she was so drunk she fell and spattered the blood herself, or something like that. Some thought he was pardoned because he was rich and connected, some thought it was a miscarriage of justice . Oh, just remembered, his name was William Blanton Moore, I will have to look up the particulars. Anyway, things may or may not be as they seem.
 
Expert gives jury a tutorial in blood spatter
DURHAM, N.C. — When police arrived to find Kathleen Peterson dead at the bottom of a staircase in the expansive home she shared with her husband, novelist Michael Peterson, one of the first things that struck officers was the amount of blood.
http://www.courttv.com/trials/novelist/081303_ctv.html

and

Peterson's lawyer grills blood spatter analyst on credentials

Aug 13, 2003 : 10:18 pm ET

DURHAM -- A defense lawyer spent much of Wednesday morning attacking the credentials of a State Bureau of Investigation blood-spatter analyst, contending the analyst wasn't qualified to testify as an expert witness in Michael Peterson's first-degree murder trial.

http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-380368.html
 
Does not seem that the blood spatter evidence is going Peterson's way. From what I have seen of the pros. expert.

Interesting how his brother appears on Court Tv defending.

They look SO much alike.
 
NEWSWOLF:

I watch when I can also but I get the daily online News/Observer paper...(very well written)...and if you log onto News/Observer after googling.....they have a wonderful, wonderful timeline,etc. group of articles which you can peruse to your heart's content........At the time of Ratliff's demise, 18 years ago, she was much better off financially than the Petersons..(first wife). And he stood to gain $40,000 plus the military monthly stipends the daughters received from their father's estate.........(half of their father's salary as a captain)........

I believe him to be the culprit......
 
POST SCRIPT:

Forgot to mention that a few years before Ratliff's death, she had named the Petersons to be legal guardians of her two little daughters in case something happened to her..........there's the money trail.......
 
The judge is allowing the statement from a German woman who says she saw Petersen leaving the scene of Ratliff's murder in a big fat hurry. Unfortunately, she can't be cross-examined because of some sort of medical problem. This is all the defense is going to need to win an appeal. I think Petersen is and will be found guilty, but he'll be freed pending this appeal, which will be won, in my opinion. I see another trial in his future.
 
The autopsies of Kathleen Peterson and Elizabeth Ratliff are nearly identical in terms of blows to head etc. What are the odds of a man finding 2 women mysteriously dead from head injuries following fall down the stairs? You can dismiss one as bad luck, but two is ridiculous. Even if motive is murky, it's pretty clear Peterson did this.

FYI, one of the Ratliff daughters looks striking like Mike Peterson! Which relates to another very odd fact about this case: Peterson was married to wife number 1 when they adopted Ratliff kids, but when they got divorced, these adopted daughters stayed with Dad not Mom. It was only later that he married wife 2. So I'm not a good enough fiction writer to piece this all together, but certainly can imagine a love triangle gone bad that induces enough guilt to deal with consequences (by all accounts, he has been very good Dad to these girls, who, unlike Kathleen Peterson's blood daughter, do not believe their adoptive father is guilty). Strange case.
 
I noticed that, too (how much the Ratliff kids look like M.P.). Also, I think the resemblance between Liz and Kathleen also is remarkable. What is with his obsession with Liz?

I've only been watching the trial for the last few weeks, but I know Peterson is a piece of work: control freak, embellisher (Purple Heart), willing to sit around making appointments with male "escorts" while his wife worrires about termites, bats, his free-loading kids, her job at Nortel.

I have no doubt that her did it. But I'm worried about the outcome. The prosecution hasn't been all that swift, and the defense hasn't even presented their side yet.
 
I am addicted to the trial on court tv. Does anyone have a link to pics of the Ratliff kids so I can see this for myself. If anyone could help, its greatly appreciated.

I just realized watching Nancy Grace last week that Kathleen Peterson had defense wounds all over her arms!! How in hell is the defense gonna explain that? Now I think I'm sure!
 
BOODY:

If you log onto the Durham newspaper, the News Observer, there are wonderful pictures........They are running a fantastic special day by day report on this case. You may have to register...It is a great newspaper.
 
I come running home from work every afternoon just to try and catch some type of update as to what's happened during the day - but this has been dragging on so long now!

Do you think the Peterson will take the stand in his defense?

(might need the afternoon off if that's the case... lol)
 

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