Original subtitles

So, you want me to sit here? Yes, make yourself comfortable.

Okay.

You might look okay, my hair.

You look fine, don't be nervous.

I'm not nervous.

All right, ready?

Yeah.

Tell me about Kathleen, your relationship with her.

Well, she was, um... We were...

Can I start again?

Sure.

Kathleen was the love of my life.

We were together for 13 years, and we got married five years ago, and

we were soulmates, best friends, and there's just

no other way in the world that I would...

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't do this right now. I thought I could. I'm sorry.

Would you turn that off, please?

I'm just... I'm sorry.

Right, cut.

Oh, God.

Oh,

God.

Oh, God.

Oh,

my God. Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Durham 911, what's the emergency?

1810 Cedar Street, please.

What's wrong, sir?

My wife had an accident.

She's still breathing.

What kind of accident?

She fell down the stairs. She's still breathing. Please.

Is she conscious?

No, no, she's not conscious.

Please. How many stairs did she fall down?

What? How many stairs did she fall down? I don't know.

15, 20.

Please, just hurry. Please.

You with me, honey? Definitely.

She's not breathing. She stopped breathing.

Where are you? What's taking you people so long?

My father's a best -selling author, and he just sold the film rights to

his latest book.

It was a big Hollywood deal.

Anyhow, when I got home...

The ambulance and cop cars were there.

I thought Dad had a heart attack or something. I didn't know.

It's crazy how fast your life can change.

Just like that.

And you believed your father's story?

That Kathleen fell down the stairs?

It's not a story.

It's the truth.

Sir.

Sir. Stay away from the body. That's my wife. Dad. That's my wife.

That's my wife.

Abby secured the property.

Gee, what's wrong with these guys?

Nice house.

Whose place is it?

Michael Peterson.

Ah. What, you know him?

Who is he?

Ah, some writer.

Is he the guy that ran for mayor two years ago?

Uh -huh. I should have voted for him. I didn't vote for him either.

He seems to be doing okay as a writer.

Officer, this is our ballgame now.

Where's Buddy? Right over there.

All right, secure the property. Yes, sir.

Shouldn't they be out of alignment?

Mm -hmm.

And how'd that get there?

That's me. Hey, get him out of here. Sir, I'm sorry.

Sir, come on, take him out of here.

All right, there you go. Buddy?

Dad, come on. All right.

O 'Neal.

You know what to do.

Excuse me.

Who's in charge here?

Who wants to know?

Dr. Adams, state medical examiner.

State medical examiner? Yes, sir.

Son, have you even hit puberty yet?

You're the Peterson that wrote the column for the Sun -Herald, right?

Good stuff.

Let's see, you said Durham cops were so incompetent that the chance of them

catching a criminal was only slightly better than getting struck by lightning,

right?

That's nice.

I'm Detective Joe Costello.

Can you tell me what happened here?

Well... We had a bit to drink.

We were celebrating.

Afterwards, I assumed she'd gone to bed.

She had her flip -flops on, so I posit that she was... Posit.

I'm sorry.

I assumed that she was walking up the stairs.

How'd the blood get over the wall?

It was so high up there.

I don't know. Maybe she tried to get up and she fell again.

And all that blood splatter, how do you think that happened? I don't know. I

don't know.

From the impact, I guess.

And so how long between her fall and your first 911 call?

I was outside for a while, so I don't know when she fell.

So you found her just like that when you came running in?

I didn't run.

Why would I run?

You see, sir, what I don't understand is the blood on the steps over there is

already dry.

It's been dry for a while. Look, my dad's already said he doesn't know when

fell, okay?

Don't make me have to separate the two of you. No, you're not going to separate

the two of us.

And my dad's obviously in shock. I'm not going to leave him alone.

Yes, you are, son.

Who's the girl?

She's my date.

Maybe you ought to take your date home.

We got the search warrant.

Search warrant?

For what?

What can you give us?

She fell.

It was an accident.

It's all right, Junior.

It here is a crime scene.

What if it was just an accident?

Have you ever seen this much blood in an accident?

Uh, yeah.

I have.

It's our dad!

Dad!

Dad, it's Martha.

Listen, look at me, please.

Dad, it's gotta be okay. We're gonna get through this, okay?

We will.

Together.

As a family.

Dad.

I love you, Daddy.

It's going to be okay. Were you not with your assistants that night?

I was at school.

At Cornell.

I'd been out all night.

And when I got back to the sorority house, there were all these messages on

answering machine.

My mom and I were really close.

Michael was a great dad, stepdad.

Well, I taught Caitlin to drive, helped her with schoolwork, history.

I taught her about the politics of war.

The politics of war?

Mm -hmm.

He was a Marine, a war hero, and he has medals and whatnot.

He's really smart.

No, war isn't just what happens on the battlefield. There's a...

There's a whole other level.

Unseen. Subtext.

He always encouraged me to look at both sides of the situation, and that's what

I'm trying to do.

Is that okay?

It's great.

You're doing just fine.

I've never done this before.

What do you think happened?

Sorry?

That night, what do you think happened?

Poor baby.

Hey.

It's okay.

It's okay.

What are they doing?

It's a crime, King.

A vendetta.

Payback for that newspaper column.

It's gonna be okay, honey.

They'll let us back in as soon as they finish with their investigation.

Let's go inside.

Clayton, your sisters are waiting.

Hey, Candace. Thanks for coming. I am so, so sorry.

Thank you.

Candace, you remember my brother, Bill, from Reno?

Hello,

Candace. I'm so very sorry.

Thank you.

She fell.

Thanks, Clayton, but I'm... I'm talking to your father.

Not in your preliminary report.

What suggests a fall?

Possibly, but in her throat we have a fractured thyroid, suggesting attempted

strangulation. Could also be caused by a fall, depending on point of impact.

Possible. Not likely.

Lift her arm.

Defensive wound.

Are you saying that she was drunk and that's why she fell down the stairs?

She had a little too much wine, yes.

And Candace, we all knew she drank too much.

Let's stop pretending.

Was it murder?

Well, it wasn't a fall.

Blood force trauma.

A metal object, hard enough to lacerate, but not so hard as to fracture the

skull. A pattern.

It's like a pitchfork.

Well, it wasn't a pitchfork, and I can tell you, it was a slow death.

At least two hours.

Wait a minute. You're telling me she was laying on the floor for two hours,

bleeding to death?

And in horrible pain.

You got friends

on these? Yes. All right.

It's too heavy.

You get hit with one of these things, it's a definite skull fracture.

Take a look at this.

Two crystal wine glasses.

Neither has Mrs. Peterson's fingerprints.

Really?

The husband says she was drinking from one of them.

No, both have only his fingerprints.

We have this bottle of wine.

The drain reeks of alcohol.

We sprayed this floor with Lumino.

Somebody tried to clean up the bloody footprint.

You're sure that's what went down?

What the evidence suggests.

Books of the O .J. Simpson case.

Interesting reading.

Research?

Well, the man is a writer.

Box of condoms.

No? Two.

Now make that three.

Maybe he was having an affair.

I use condoms.

Am I having an affair?

Maybe they were on sale. Check this out.

Huh? Someone's been deleting email.

Can you retrieve them?

Already on it.

Someone sure likes...

Oh,

hey. How are you?

What happened when the detectives returned?

They removed Dad's computer, his book, his files, everything.

He's a writer. How is he supposed to work?

They searched every inch of the house and grounds.

They found nothing.

What a nightmare.

You know, my mom was the first woman to graduate from Duke University School of

Engineering. She was a top executive at Nortel Network.

She was a patron of the art.

Everyone in town loved her.

She didn't die by accident.

How did she die?

Why?

Did your mother and Michael fight?

No.

Not really.

So what did you do when they finally let you back in the house?

Caitlin.

What did you do when the police finally let you back in the house?

Thank you.

It is interesting to note that over one million people in the U .S. have been

treated in hospitals this year alone due to slips on staircases.

Okay, you ready?

And three, two, one.

Yeah, stay in bed all day?

Until we go to the funeral home.

Those viewings are more for strangers, not family.

I'd prefer it if you'd stay here with us, so we can have our own memorial.

You're not going?

Well, I am.

the funeral home with me, right?

Dad asked us to stay home tonight.

You should, too. He needs us right now.

We know something about losing a mother.

Our birth mother died before I was three.

I was barely one, and our birth father died just after I was born, so our

named Michael Guardian.

He's the only...

He's the only father we've known, really.

His first wife, Patty, she was like a mom to us.

And after the divorce, Kathleen was like another mom.

Just didn't feel like we could handle hanging her in a coffin, you know?

I don't think Caitlin understood that. I didn't even try to.

Someone tried to clean this, but no one else should touch this. I'd like it

boarded up as evidence.

You sure about this guy?

He defended the NFL player Ray Carruth, charged with murder.

Yeah, Carruth's in prison doing ten years right now.

Not for first -degree murder, he isn't.

He's serving for other charges. I successfully defended him on murder and

death penalty using reasonable doubt.

That's my saving grace, reasonable doubt.

I will represent you. You'll need a vigorous defense at trial.

Trial? There haven't even been any charges or indictments.

Oh, those will come.

You haven't asked me if I did it.

I never ask.

Well, if you were to ask me, I'd tell you I was innocent.

The Durham police hate you for what you wrote about them. And you certainly

wrote some very nasty things about the DA, Jim Harden, as well. That is the

news. And the bad?

This.

We believe we have a lead on a possible murder weapon.

It's a blow poke.

A what?

For the fireplace.

You blow in it, get air into the fire.

It's kind of flimsy, but it packs a punch.

It's just like the one Mrs. Peterson's sister gave her. It was kept by the

fireplace, but gone missing.

So you're saying this is what killed her and that he did it?

Oh, he's the one.

But can we prove it?

Jim, this is the same Peterson who wrote that you only went after underage

voters and bingo players because you couldn't get any real bad guys.

I know.

Good Lord, imagine if he'd become mayor.

Finally blow a poke.

Good evening, Mr. Peterson.

We have a warrant.

My family and I are grieving.

Our apologies. We thought you'd be at the funeral home right now.

So you'd just break in?

Well, Mr. Peterson, we've come to some conclusions. A conclusion is the place

you get to when you've stopped thinking.

In North Carolina today, a grand jury has handed down a murder indictment

against novelist Michael Peterson.

Peterson has been charged with the death of his wife, Kathleen.

I will receive a fair trial with this negative relationship with the Durham

Police Department.

The DA's case is based on the flimsiest of circumstantial evidence.

There's no motive, there's no murder weapon, there are no witnesses.

And why is that?

Because there was no murder.

I did not kill my wife.

I'm innocent.

I would never hurt Kathleen.

I whisper her name in my heart a thousand times.

She's there forever.

And I can't stop crying.

With the best -selling author's bail hearing pending, maybe it's time to

take a closer look at Michael Peterson.

In 1993, he was charged with a DWI, driving while intoxicated.

Then there's the mystery of his two -purple heart, something many say cost

the mayor's election.

Now, he claims to have been awarded two -purple heart, but the military has no

record of them.

I've known Michael for 13 years, almost my entire life.

I love him. He's my dad.

Why are you going after him?

Are you aware that Michael and your mom have $142 ,000 in credit card debt?

What? And that they're spending $100 ,000 a year more than they take in.

That must be some mistake. My dad's the best -selling author.

He bought the house.

He made $600 ,000. And he hasn't made a dime since.

What about the Hollywood deal?

They're making a movie out of his lady's book. There is no such deal.

We checked.

Look, your mother was stressed out over money, over her job.

She had to lay off a lot of people, and she felt she was going to be next. I had

to think of something to calm her down.

And you figured lying to her about a Hollywood movie deal would make her feel

better? Have you been talking to those detectives?

They're trying to drive a wedge between us. You know that, don't you?

When did you stop making money? What has that got to do with anything? Just

answer the question.

Do you know why we had money problems?

We send you kids to the best colleges, buy you the best cars.

Life is very hard, Caitlin. You have no idea what we've gone through.

Your mother and I were just trying to be good parents.

Trying to make you happy.

Is that such a terrible thing?

Kathleen Peterson had both alcohol and Valium in her system that night, which

any reasonable person might conclude contributed to her fall.

But even if it were possible that her injuries were not accidental, the DA and

the police have rushed to judgment, not even bothering to consider that an

intruder may have been responsible.

Your Honor, the Petersons had the ideal marriage.

To believe he killed his wife is to believe that he went from loving spouse

premeditated murderer overnight.

And that's a strange fragility to the breaking point.

Michael Peterson was released today on an $850 ,000 bail.

After surrendering his passport, Peterson left the Durham courthouse,

accompanied by his family, and returned to his home in the exclusive community

of Forest Hill.

His trial date is set for May.

Love you, Dad.

Kathleen Atwater?

Kathleen Atwater, I'm looking for my mother, Kathleen Atwater.

Oh, my God, Mom, what happened to you?

Oh, I just miscalculated when I dove into the swimming pool. You dove and you

never died again. You always waited.

This time I dove never again.

Were you drunk?

Of course not.

Well,

that's going to be a problem.

Why? Because this case has absolutely nothing to do with justice.

My last film was on the U .S. penal system.

When I read about your case, I thought it would be a natural companion piece.

Well, now, that depends on your point of view.

Do you think I'm innocent or guilty?

Innocent. Aren't you?

Well, I think a documentary might be a good idea.

I mean, camera doesn't lie, right?

Would you mind spotting me? Yeah, no problem. Thanks.

So who's this guy again?

Says he knows a lot about Peterson.

Uh -huh.

This whole case, it's a diversion.

It's a show. I'm being victimized here. Why doesn't the media focus on...

Could

I just start again?

If you please.

Thank you.

This whole case is a diversion.

It's a show.

I'm being victimized here.

Why doesn't the media focus on the city's real problems?

I mean, the DA came into office making all sorts of promises, none of them

fulfilled.

Corruption, theft, lies.

That is the story of Durham.

David, hey!

Listen, we have some wonderful al dente pasta and a great pinot noir. Would you,

uh... Actually, if I could just get a word with you alone, it would probably

best.

Truly alone.

But, David, we did promise total access.

Of course we did.

Then could we step in the other room? Sorry to interrupt. Oh, sure.

Thanks.

So,

what's up?

Well, you failed to mention to me that you're gay.

I'm not.

I had a meeting with a man who said last year the two of you were lovers.

Lovers? Come on, who is this man?

Can you give us a minute?

Seriously?

No, no, that's all right.

Stay. I've got nothing to hide.

Okay.

Aside from that man... How can you not be gay and have relationships with men?

I don't have relationships with men.

I have sex with them. There's a difference.

Besides... Semantics, there's a difference?

I'm bisexual, David.

It has nothing to do with the case.

No, no, you are the case.

But my... isn't.

I stood in front of a judge and talked about this great marriage you had. It

was.

Kathleen knew about me. She did.

She understood me.

It wasn't about my not loving her or loving her any less. I loved her more

because of it.

We had a passionate life together.

I'm just afraid that this being the South, you're being bisexual, is going

damage the case.

So what do we do?

Well, the DA is going to have a field day with this, so we're going to have to

do exactly what you're doing now, which is to be upfront about it, shrug it off,

treat it as inconsequential.

But I need to know that you're telling me everything.

David, I'm telling you everything.

As I said, I have nothing to hide.

Have you told your family?

I think that's enough for tonight. Thank you, Erica.

Okay.

So, it's really not that unusual.

In ancient Rome, sex between soldiers was encouraged to ensure battlefield

loyalty.

And the Greeks had a belief... Stop it!

You're embarrassing yourself.

Were you having an affair?

No, Caitlin, I was not having an affair.

No,

no, it's okay.

I just need some time.

Let's talk about your brother someday, shall we?

Why is that such a big deal?

I knew about it so that our parents, when Michael was a teenager, he told us.

This case isn't about that, okay?

He's a liar.

Manipulative, anti -permeculative.

The police showed me those emails.

What emails?

The ones that he tried to get rid of the night she died.

Emails to and from all the boys that he meets at the gym.

That's why he spent so much time there.

I know what happened that night.

And he killed her.

I'm not sure. I just... I don't see him as a murderer.

I'm sorry, I don't.

Are you sure?

Yes, she needs to see it.

Autopsy report and photos.

Oh, my God.

How can that be from a fall?

It could.

It can't.

It can't. Oh, God.

Come on here. I see you.

Don't you think you need to be with your family right now?

I'm Candace's family.

You know what I mean.

Can you leave us alone for a second?

Caitlin, Dad needs us with him right now.

He really needs our support.

I need some time on my own.

Fine.

Whatever you need.

Just make sure and be at the house tomorrow for a TV interview.

A TV interview?

I don't think so.

Caitlin, what's gotten into you?

Nothing. He's making a movie about all this. Isn't that kind of weird?

He's telling his secrets to the whole world. Don't tell me you're homophobic,

Caitlin. No.

But don't tell me that you haven't wondered for just one second if you know

actually did it. Caitlin, don't do this.

We're a family.

We need a common front here.

There can be no desertion, Caitlin. This is war.

Did you ever actually listen to yourself?

So all five of you kids stand by your father?

Absolutely. We're a family.

And we're going to get through this as a family.

And how's your dad holding up through all of this?

He's good.

He's obviously having a tough time with this, as are all of us, but I think he's

doing the best he can.

Clayton has his girlfriend with him to make it seem like we're all there

supporting dad.

God, this is so Michael.

And there's this.

Todd's the family spokesperson now.

He said that you were too distraught to participate in the interview.

What do you want to know about Michael Peterson?

Hi.

Is your aunt here?

No, but she'll be back any minute.

May I come in?

Wow.

Police have destroyed my family.

It's always about you, isn't it? No, it isn't, Caitlin.

I've always loved you as if you were my own child.

And after the hell you went through with your parents' divorce, I was... There's

no cameras around. You can stop acting.

What do you want?

The estate attorney sent me these.

And it's a bill for funeral. I can't afford it, Caitlin.

I never wanted a burial. I always wanted cremation.

So did your mom. And we didn't pick that cemetery. You and your aunt did.

And this was a bill from the florist. It's $800, starts to my credit card,

without my approval.

Are you aware she never signed the beneficiary designation?

Her life insurance, the $1 .4 million, the papers designating you as sole

beneficiary, they were filled out, but she never actually signed them.

That means no matter what happens in court, you get nothing.

Hey, I'll see you guys later, okay?

Hey, how are you doing? I'm okay.

What do you want?

I want to talk to you.

Look, I don't know if anyone showed you the autopsy reports from Mom's phone.

Dad told us not to bother.

He says something in the report isn't true.

Look, she has over 38 injuries.

38, Margaret.

To her head, face, hands, back, and wrist.

How do you get all that from falling down the stairs? Will you put that away,

please? We all know that Michael had an attempt at... Dad says he'll be

exonerated. You're on the wrong side, Caitlin. I didn't know there were sides.

There are.

We were a family, but you walked out on us.

Margaret, can't you see? Yeah, I can see.

And what I see is you being brainwashed by a bunch of corrupt cops.

You know what Dad calls those cops in Durham?

Idiots. And you know what he calls you?

A traitor.

A hypocrite.

And we all feel the same way.

Shame on you, Caitlin.

Shame on you.

Morning. Morning.

Hi, I'm Laura Baxter, and I'm a jury consultant.

And you're my mock jury.

Now today, I'm going to be presenting you various facts and perspectives on

Michael Peterson case.

And all I ask is that you respond as frankly and as honestly as possible.

One guy hates that Peterson's a vet who lied about receiving a Purple Heart.

Another says that being a liar doesn't make you a murderer. And half the women

believe that just because you get caught cheating doesn't mean you're a killer.

What about cheating with another man?

That guy there said he'd kill to cover a secret like that.

So what does all this add up to?

Lack of consensus.

So Michael's lying. When did that start?

Look, I'm just trying to paint a complete portrait of your brother, and

part of it. Try painting this.

Eighteen years ago, he took on the responsibility of raising the two girls

friend who passed away.

Who was their mother?

Elizabeth Ratliff.

The friend when Mike and Patty lived in Germany.

She died of a cerebral hemorrhage and entrusted her kids to my brother.

How many men would do such a thing?

No witness, no murder weapon, maybe not even a motive.

What we do have is reasonable doubt. Mm -hmm.

I'm sure David Rudolph must love that.

Excuse me. I think your receptionist went to lunch.

May I talk to you?

You're Mr. Hardin, right? Yes, ma 'am. Miss Black?

That's right. And you are?

Margaret Blair from Rhode Island.

Elizabeth Ratliff's sister.

Margaret Martha's aunt?

Yes. Of course. Please, have a seat.

Excuse the mess, ma 'am.

What can I do for you, Mrs. Blair?

Well, whenever Michael or the girls mentions my sister's death, they say she

died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Didn't she?

Maybe. But they never say where her body was found.

And where was that?

My sister was found dead at the bottom of a staircase.

And the last person to see her alive was Michael.

Oh, he called and said all the right things. He was sorry for my loss.

He said she fell and that there was very little blood, just a little behind the

ear.

That wasn't true.

How do you know that?

I got a photo from the German police.

And you didn't ask why?

Of course I did.

They said it was an accidental death, that... The case was closed.

Good

Lord

Almighty.

Invitation to the dance.

Kathleen loved this piece.

David!

You know, that doorbell does work. Forgive me for allowing myself in.

you guys take a dinner break, please?

There's something about the case you don't want us to hear?

I need to speak with Michael privately, and I would greatly appreciate if, for

once, you would respect that.

Thank you.

All right, let's cut.

Anything else you haven't told me? I beg your pardon?

Your wife is found dead at the bottom of this staircase.

Your friend Elizabeth Ratliff is found dead at the bottom of that one.

You think the DA might find that just a tad peculiar?

I did not kill Elizabeth.

Convince me.

In the early 1980s, my first wife, Patty, and I were living near Frankfurt.

She was teaching at the U .S. base there, and I was writing my first novel.

George and Elizabeth Ratliff were neighbors.

He was in the Air Force. They had two baby girls, Margaret and Martha.

George was being shipped out to Grenada for the U .S. invasion, and we were

worried. I was trying to get him to request to leave, you know, having just

a baby, but that wasn't George.

He said if anything happened to him, Liz and the girls would be well taken care

of. That was George.

He always said that God is in the details.

George died in Grenada.

He died of a heart attack, and there were traces of cyanide found in his

I know.

He had a heart condition for which he took medication, and there was

speculation. And someone tampered with his medicine before he left for his

mission. The operative word being speculation.

Were you and George having sex?

No. What about you and Elizabeth?

No.

So, the night she died... That was two years later.

It was in November.

It had been an early snowfall.

Elizabeth had dinner with Patty and me, and then I walked her home.

Did you go inside?

No. Are you sure? I walked her home, and then I went back to my house.

The next morning, Patty was making breakfast for the boys.

I'd been up late writing, and that's when Elizabeth's nanny rushed in

hysterically. She was crying so much that it was hard to understand a word

was saying. But not in the way that you think.

We were soulmates.

How'd your wife feel about that?

Patty? Yes.

Patty was a sensible woman.

Elizabeth was not sensible. That's what I liked about her. She was just a great

person.

But she was having these terrible headaches, and I tried to get her to go

doctor, but she just dismissed it as stress -related.

I wish that I'd insisted.

She had a cerebral hemorrhage.

But all that blood on the staircase.

Yes. She had a condition that was called Willebrand's disease.

It's not unlike hemophilia.

Okay.

Thank you.

I guess I'll be going to Germany.

Well, there's a vote of confidence.

Both the German and the U .S. military autopsy reports back up everything I

told you.

I did not kill Elizabeth Ratliff. And if I'm going to convince the jury of that,

I'll need to go to Germany.

Well, then I'm going with you.

They took away your passport. No, you're not.

Well, then I'll send Clayton. I'm not going to have Patty dealing with this on

her own.

David Rudolph, Alan Crane.

This is my mother, Patricia.

Hi, it's Patty.

Welcome to Germany.

Hello, I'm Erica Zaria. Just pretend we're not here and try not to look in

camera. Okay.

I just baked some cookies. Want some?

Mrs. Peterson, we can't hear you, Patty.

Let me just... And remember, please don't look at the camera. Oh, okay.

I'll start again.

I just baked cookies. Want some? Actually, if we could just see the home

Elizabeth was living in.

Oh, of course. The woman who lived there gave me the key so we can take as much

time as we like.

Okay, thank you.

So, this is how we found her.

Like this.

And most of the blood was... Oh, there wasn't any blood.

You still love Michael?

He's the father of my son.

You don't just stop loving someone.

Did you know he was bisexual?

Are you sure you wouldn't like another cookie?

I'm sure.

Was he involved with Elizabeth?

No.

He was like a brother to her.

Was he having sex with George?

No.

Do you think he had anything to do with George's death?

Aren't you supposed to be defending my father?

Why did you and Michael leave Germany and return to the U .S.? It was his

We had Elizabeth's girls and our son, and he felt it would be easier to raise

them in Durham.

Of course, that's where Michael met Kathleen.

Yet you still love him.

Would you lie for him and get him back?

No.

How much did Michael get from Elizabeth for staying?

It wasn't much.

That money was for the girl.

Maybe $30 ,000, $40 ,000.

That's all?

Mm -hmm.

...at Chapel Hill and 48 degrees here in Durham.

It's 8 o 'clock, and here's our top story.

Citibank has filed a claim against Kathleen Peterson's estate for credit

debt. The amount is reported to be over $100 ,000.

Husband Michael Peterson is awaiting trial on the alleged murder.

Since I'm paying for this, I didn't think you'd mind my waiting here.

You didn't pay for this. Never did.

My mother paid for this.

Honey, this airing of your mother's financial dirty laundry is... It's

inappropriate.

Actually, it's your dirty laundry.

I'll tell you what.

You settle this thing with Citibank and...

I won't go to the police to report $100 ,000 worth of jewelry and clothing

missing from Kathleen's closet. Okay?

I've already filed the papers with the estate.

There's nothing missing except for my mother.

And I don't really think that you're going to go to the Durham cops that

been calling a bunch of idiots.

Caitlin, I'm your father.

No, Michael, you are not.

Aunt Candace, can you give me the number to that lawyer?

When I learned about Caitlin's wrongful death lawsuit against me, my reaction

was a broken heart.

The police have chosen to provide Caitlin with only part of the evidence

which has resulted in this precipitous action.

I feel sorry for Caitlin's pain.

For the loss of her mother.

But I also feel sorry for my other children who... Having lost their

Have now lost a sister as well.

See what a scourge is laid upon your hate.

That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.

And I, for winking at your discords too, have lost a brace of kinsmen.

All are punished.

All are punished.

I am sorry that you come all this way, but

as I tell Mr. Rudolph, you stand by a report.

Mrs. Ratliff died of accidental death. Well, we feel we can prove that her

was a homicide and the judge will allow it at trial. Under 4 -4 -B, which covers

providing proof of a similar crime.

Or revealing a pattern of criminal behavior, a murder.

Yeah, I understand, but this was not a homicide. Perhaps if her remains

otherwise, we could reopen this file. Her remains?

Her body's been buried in the ground for 18 years.

Precisely. Good night.

Good night.

Another dead body had surfaced in Peterson's life. Another woman lied dead

the foot of the stairs.

That being Elizabeth Ratliff over one decade ago.

I just couldn't believe it when Dad sat us down and told us.

Things were wrong, you know.

It's only our mother's name.

Dad's lawyer said that if a new autopsy proves she died of natural causes, it'll

help exonerate him.

We had to get our permission.

I just didn't think it would have such an impact on us, you know?

What if the DA offered you a plea?

Would you take it?

Put an end to this for the family, for yourself.

Michael, I'm scared for you.

I don't want to end up in prison.

What happened with Elizabeth?

He told his sister, me, all of it.

There was just a bit of blood behind her ear. Why'd you lie?

What would you have preferred, I said? That she was found dead in a pool of

blood, twisting around like a damn pretzel?

Well, what are they going to find when they open that coffin?

What do you think?

She's been in the ground for 18 years. All we'll find is a bunch of bones.

Scared the hell out of me.

Aren't you concerned about what they might find in the autopsy?

No. Not at all.

Do you play poker, Mr. Rudolph?

Because I do believe some people would call that a poker face.

Defensive ones?

Maybe.

Linear fracture at the base of the skull.

Laceration.

Let's look at the brain.

Hi, Patty.

Hey. Oh, thank you so much.

You didn't have to send a limo to the airport. I could have taken a bus.

Don't be silly. You're the mother of my boys.

It just means so much to me that you're here.

I'm just glad I could help.

Please don't look at the camera, Mrs. Pearson.

expect a jury to be swayed by this cartoon of Kathleen falling down the

Judas, priest!

Calm down. No, I won't calm down. I mean, how much is this thing going to

me? As much as that mock trial?

Really? I mean, what am I spending on this?

To go to trial conservatively will cost you about $800 ,000.

Well, you wanted to know what the United States system of justice is about?

Well, this is what it's about. It's about money.

I mean, we wouldn't even be going to trial if it weren't for Caitlin and

Candace. Michael. I don't care. Let them hear it. I don't care.

Michael, this animation was created by a biomechanics specialist.

It accurately reflects what we say happened on the stairwell. Well, that

be very well and good, David, but it has no emotion.

None.

He's right, David.

Okay.

Hi. You want me to put you on the stand? Is that what this is about?

It's your call. You're right.

But what if the DA somehow gets you to lose your temper or goes off on some

tangent about your bisexuality or asks you under oath to outline your

distinctions between sex and love?

What happens then? Does that help our case?

Please understand, your life is not in my hands. It's in the hands of the 12

good citizens of Durham, North Carolina. They decide.

So you need to decide one of two things. Either trust me to do my job or hire

someone else. And please, if you do, trust them to do their job.

Clearly, ladies and gentlemen...

There were two murders committed.

Any questions?

And now the specter has risen that a Germany case will

be reopened as to the death of Michael Peterson's family friend, Elizabeth

Ratliff.

their own belief as to what happened.

But I have faith in the evidence that will convict Michael Peterson.

Good morning to each of you.

This was Kathleen Peterson, full of life, beautiful.

We're told she and her husband had an ideal marriage.

But, ladies and gentlemen, this case is all about pretense and appearances.

Now, the defense says what happened to her was an accident.

We say it's murder.

At the hands of Michael Peterson...

With this.

It's called a blow poke.

And this is an exact replica of the murder weapon.

Kathleen kept it next to the fireplace, but it mysteriously disappeared.

Now, this, accident or murder,

you decide.

When you arrived at the Peterson home that night, what was one of the first

things you noticed?

Apart from the fact that the body was in perfect alignment?

Yes, apart from that.

Well, I noticed that some of the blood on the stairs had already dried.

Already dried?

How peculiar.

And what did that suggest to you, Detective?

It suggested that the victim had died much earlier and that the scene had been

staged. Please explain what you mean by staged.

Durham 911, where's your emergency?

1810 Peter, please.

What's wrong, sir?

My wife had an accident. She's still breathing.

What kind of accident?

She fell down the stairs. She's still breathing.

On the night you arrived at his home, were you aware that this was the same

Michael Peterson that had written newspaper columns critical of the police

force? Yes.

Well, they were more than critical, weren't they?

Let's see if I can... Ah.

It would not be an exaggeration to call our police force a laughing stock, for

they solve a mere 5 % of reported crimes.

Do you remember that one?

Yes. So is it fair to say that there may have been some police bias towards Mr.

Peterson? You could put it that way.

Could you also put it that you and other officers conspired to exact revenge on

Mr. Peterson the night his wife died?

Objection. Sustained.

Moving on.

You and the DA contend that the defendant murdered his wife using, what

call it, a blow poke?

Yes. And after exhaustive searching of his home and the entire property,

were you ever able to find this alleged murder weapon?

No. No?

No murder weapon?

Not anywhere?

Could it be that there was no murder?

Objection. With John.

I have a letter you wrote a while back in which you referred to your sister's

relationship with her husband, Michael Peterson, as perfect.

Right there.

You also went on to say that their marriage was loving and healthy and...

Respectful. Next photo, please.

You recognize this photo?

Yes.

The fireplace in my sister's living room.

It was taken in 1999.

Do you see a blow poke by the fireplace?

No. No. And yet you said under oath that you remember seeing the blow poke by

the fireplace as recent as last year. Isn't that what you told the DA? Yes.

And there was.

Really?

Next photo.

Recognize this one?

That photo was taken in 2000.

Do you see a blow poke by the fireplace?

No. No, because the truth is the blow poke hasn't been anywhere near the

fireplace in years. Isn't that right? No, it was there last year.

Right. So then where is it?

Where?

Agent Deaver, you told the court that five blood drops found near the

were caused by someone swinging an object back in an arc.

Did I get that right?

Yes.

Look at the defendant, if you would, please, agent.

He's 5 '11". Now, if he were to swing a fireplace poker or some such instrument

where you say he did, right here...

Wouldn't it hit the molding of the door frame leading to the stairwell?

It is possible.

And yet the police reported no such markings.

That is correct.

Now, are you aware that the world -famous forensics expert Dr. Henry Lee

reviewed your work and determined that the scene is not consistent with a

beating?

Um, no.

I was not aware of that.

No. Were you aware that he felt the...

The state's handling of the forensics in this case are utterly incompetent.

Objection. Withdraw.

The DA's calling Brent Walgamott as a witness, giving him immunity.

Hardin can't get a conviction with the evidence, so he's going to create some

drama with this Brent.

Well, who is Brent?

You know him as Brad, the male.

Why don't you tell me about this guy?

The state calls the next witness Brent Walgamott.

At the time, I was on active duty at Fort Bragg and charging $150 an hour as

escort using the name Brad.

My clients were mostly doctors, lawyers, and a

few judges.

Not this judge.

What types of services did you offer as a... I prefer the term male escort.

Okay.

What types of services did you offer as a male escort?

Ooh, just about anything under the sun.

Safely, I might add. Good to know.

And how did you connect with Michael Peterson?

Over the Internet. It's how I met all my clients. From my website.

So you and he exchanged e -mails?

Yes. Discussing what, precisely?

Well, basically what kind of... And what kind of...

you and mr peterson going to have can i say it

thank

you just so everyone is clear you and

michael peterson never actually met is that right that is correct so you never

had that's right we never did And in these e -mail exchanges, did he ever

about his marriage?

Yes, he said that he had a great marriage and that he had a lot of warmth

affection for his wife.

And when did these e -mails end?

September 5, 2001.

So the two of you never met, and all communication stopped in September of

And what do you know about the death of Kathleen Peterson in December of 2001?

I know diddly.

I take it that means nothing? I know nothing.

Zip.

So then, why are you here?

I don't know.

I trust that you do.

Are we dead?

No, we're not dead. Just wounded.

The prosecution is rested.

Tomorrow is our turn.

Get some rest. We'll get them.

So, what do you think? How's it going?

Great. Well, it's a big day.

Well, that was it.

I saw the emails, the photos on the computer. My God, how long has this been

going on?

I don't hate you, Michael.

But I want a divorce.

I want a divorce.

Do you swear to tell the truth?

I do.

Dr. Henry Lee has been flown in to testify for the defense in this case,

defense for Michael Peterson. As you all know, he is on trial for the murder of

his wife, Kathleen.

Remember the infamous O .J. Simpson case? Where do you go? Where do you run?

To Dr. Henry Lee.

Ten thousand pieces of blood splatter can't be wrong.

You must look at the totality.

You can't look at just one isolated pattern.

Dr. Lee, in your expert opinion, what caused this blood splatter?

In my opinion, Mrs. Peterson coughing up blood.

Would you like me to demonstrate?

Yes, I would.

Your Honor, this is ketchup.

Here we are.

See?

I think I've got a bit of ketchup on your suit.

Oops, sorry.

If you believe that Mrs. Peterson coughed up blood and that's what caused

spatter, then why didn't you test the supposed blood aspiration spatter for

saliva, sir?

It's not my job.

If your local officials did their job properly, then I don't have to be here.

As Peterson's defense team winds down its case, pundits are predicting a hung

jury. Saying things would be different if the police had only produced the

murder weapon.

The trial is a lot like... All this buildup,

friction, back and forth, aggression, submission,

control. I'm on top, you're on top.

Well, that's a unique perspective.

Mm -hmm. It is.

I've been giving it a lot of thought. In fact, I'm thinking about writing a book

about all this.

Are you really?

Mm -hmm.

You know, it's going to be a fascinating film, this documentary of yours.

Just... Don't make me look too awful, okay?

Just try to be fair.

I'm always fair.

I trust you, Erica.

And this film, your film, it's going to be my only legacy.

My only truth.

Sorry.

Just wanted to let you know we're leaving for the night.

Thank you.

The blow poke.

What you and the DA have described as the murder weapon.

Did you ever think to ask us if we had located it?

No. You just figured it was gone?

Gone. Put up somewhere.

Really?

Please tell the court what it is you're now holding in your hands.

The blow poke.

Not just a blow poke, the blow poke found by his two sons in the Peterson's

garage last night.

Where it has been all along.

Detective, have you ever given any thought to what might happen to an item

this if it were actually used to beat someone to death?

Probably be marked up.

Precisely. See any dents on this one?

Little tiny indentation of any kind?

No. No.

Blood? Hair?

Anything other than cobwebs, dead insects, and dirt?

No.

Thank you.

And sadly, all the time later, lo and behold...

Just the eve before the defense wraps its case, voila, they produce another

poker. What do you make of it? Maybe it's like Mr. Peterson said all along,

the police in Durham just can't investigate a crime.

Do you have more of this?

Erica,

why don't you come on over here and have a glass of wine with us?

Why don't you guys quit for the day? Relax.

You don't want to miss this.

David. Yes. This blow -poke business.

Rather convenient 11th hour discovery.

Ah, the truth is the truth.

I mean, Clayton and Todd found it, called me right away. You were there in

garage when we saw it for the first time. It's all on tape. Still, some

think it was planted.

Yes, of course they would.

Kathleen Peterson had no concussion or swelling of the brain. What did that

you? This year, in the city, there were 162 cases of blunt force trauma, all of

which... had concussions and swelling.

What does that tell you?

That their whole case is based on circumstantial evidence, and now the

weapon has been thrown out. And I think that's what the jury's going to do with

this entire case. Throw it out.

Mark my words.

You want to gloat, don't you?

Me? No, of course not.

Go on.

Put you and your family through bloody hell.

Gloat.

Her camera's down. Give it a shot.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

Yes, we have, Your Honor.

We, the 12 members of the jury, unanimously find the defendant, Michael

Peterson, guilty of first -degree murder.

Mr. Peterson, do you have a statement you'd like to make?

Anything you wish to say?

It's okay.

It's okay.

It's okay.

Michael Peterson, this court hereby sentences you to mandatory life in

without parole.

This court stands adjourned.

You knew, didn't you?

That he used to be your mum, right? And you never told anyone.

Do you think justice was served?

True justice would be having my mother back here with me.

Failing that, yes.

Don't you?

What?

You still believe he's innocent?

I don't know what to believe.

We're done here.

It's pretty bad in here.

I filed the papers for the...

And as I mentioned, these things take time.

Years. What do you suggest I do?

Request protective custody.

What about the film?

Erica sold it to some network.

Which one?

Does it matter?

Yes, absolutely.

That's all I've got left.

I'm looking to change.

See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill

joys with love.

And I, for winking at your discords too, have lost a brace of kinsmen.

All are punished.

A glooming peace this morning with it brings.

The sun for sorrow will not show his head.

Go hence to have more talk of these sad things.

Some shall be pardoned and some punished.

For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her

Romeo.