Are you watching The Staircase on HBO Max?

[Anonymous]

Another question - how rich was Peterson, and how? It seems he paid for a trial that could have cost him more than $1M, and later he paid a $25M settlement to Kathleen's daughter.

He was a military officer, a federal employee at one time, and a novelist, but it seems unlikely that he made millions on the novels?

I also want to know, does he still live in that Durham house?

I know that he doesn't have much now - I saw where he wrote that in his relationship with the film director, they planned on him moving to Paris, but after some time, he realized he was too poor and also didn't want to leave his family. He filed for bankruptcy at some point. And Kathleen's daughter did some legal action to ensure that he never profits from the trial. He wrote a memoir about it but the proceeds to to charity. He could still be getting royalties from his previous novels and whatever retired military guys get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think the eldest son did it? Seems like MP could have been covering for someone.

Isn't Todd the oldest son? The first episode shows him coming home from a party to discover the scene, so not sure how he would've done it.

No the eldest son is the one who was troubled. He was intentionally kept away from trial and discovered the blow poke. It just seems odd that he was kept away for what seemed to be a minor offense in his youth. It is also implied that the sons were financially dependent on their parents and that Kathleen was tired of providing support, as she was the only person working. He also said in the doc that he envied their relationship. The interpretation was that this was because the relationship was perfect but perhaps this was an issue.

How was he troubled and what was the minor offense? I haven't read anything about that.

Details were not provided but something about spring break and jail time was mentioned. This is why he could not testify regarding the blow poke even though he found it. They could not risk his incident being brought up on cross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another question - how rich was Peterson, and how? It seems he paid for a trial that could have cost him more than $1M, and later he paid a $25M settlement to Kathleen's daughter.

He was a military officer, a federal employee at one time, and a novelist, but it seems unlikely that he made millions on the novels?

I also want to know, does he still live in that Durham house?

I know that he doesn't have much now - I saw where he wrote that in his relationship with the film director, they planned on him moving to Paris, but after some time, he realized he was too poor and also didn't want to leave his family. He filed for bankruptcy at some point. And Kathleen's daughter did some legal action to ensure that he never profits from the trial. He wrote a memoir about it but the proceeds to to charity. He could still be getting royalties from his previous novels and whatever retired military guys get.

Did you watch the show? The house was sold while he was on trial. He never paid a 25M judgement. This was done to ensure that he could not profit from the crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think the eldest son did it? Seems like MP could have been covering for someone.

Isn't Todd the oldest son? The first episode shows him coming home from a party to discover the scene, so not sure how he would've done it.

No the eldest son is the one who was troubled. He was intentionally kept away from trial and discovered the blow poke. It just seems odd that he was kept away for what seemed to be a minor offense in his youth. It is also implied that the sons were financially dependent on their parents and that Kathleen was tired of providing support, as she was the only person working. He also said in the doc that he envied their relationship. The interpretation was that this was because the relationship was perfect but perhaps this was an issue.

How was he troubled and what was the minor offense? I haven't read anything about that.

Details were not provided but something about spring break and jail time was mentioned. This is why he could not testify regarding the blow poke even though he found it. They could not risk his incident being brought up on cross.

They mentioned the details. It wasn't a minor offense he planted pipe bombs at his school so he could break in and make fake IDs. They found more bombs in his room and he went away for 4 years to federal prison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think the eldest son did it? Seems like MP could have been covering for someone.

Isn't Todd the oldest son? The first episode shows him coming home from a party to discover the scene, so not sure how he would've done it.

Yeah but it's a tv show. That part could just be made up for all we know.

The sons don't seem like good guys so I also considered that one of the sons could've done it.

But most likely is that Michael did it.

The owl theory is pretty ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another question - how rich was Peterson, and how? It seems he paid for a trial that could have cost him more than $1M, and later he paid a $25M settlement to Kathleen's daughter.

He was a military officer, a federal employee at one time, and a novelist, but it seems unlikely that he made millions on the novels?

I also want to know, does he still live in that Durham house?

I know that he doesn't have much now - I saw where he wrote that in his relationship with the film director, they planned on him moving to Paris, but after some time, he realized he was too poor and also didn't want to leave his family. He filed for bankruptcy at some point. And Kathleen's daughter did some legal action to ensure that he never profits from the trial. He wrote a memoir about it but the proceeds to to charity. He could still be getting royalties from his previous novels and whatever retired military guys get.

Did you watch the show? The house was sold while he was on trial. He never paid a 25M judgement. This was done to ensure that he could not profit from the crime.

Ok, I am not even half way done with the documentary. I apologize for asking questions that the documentary eventually answers. I wanted to find answers online, but didn't fibd what I was looking for.

I might buy/read Peterson's "Behind the Staircase" (proceeds to charity) because I want the insight into his mind. I think he is extremely intelligent, but has some kind of psychological injury that he tries to compensate for. Like, I want more info about the family he and his brother grew up in. His brother, in the documentary, also very smart, witty, and so supportive of him. What happened to those two boys as children? Who was their mother? Their dad was a career military dude. People, including the French film director with whom Michael had a relationship, said Peterson's relationship with the truth is sketchy. They put it like that, when they could say instead: he is a liar. No one says he is a straight-up liar. And all his kids love him!!! Does being a liar, an egocentric, make him someone who murdered two women who by all accounts he loved, and they oved him back? It fits no ther murderous profile, but maybe only because he is so unusual, being in a small percentage of people with his intelligence, nevermind his varied experiences and knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another question - how rich was Peterson, and how? It seems he paid for a trial that could have cost him more than $1M, and later he paid a $25M settlement to Kathleen's daughter.

He was a military officer, a federal employee at one time, and a novelist, but it seems unlikely that he made millions on the novels?

I also want to know, does he still live in that Durham house?

I know that he doesn't have much now - I saw where he wrote that in his relationship with the film director, they planned on him moving to Paris, but after some time, he realized he was too poor and also didn't want to leave his family. He filed for bankruptcy at some point. And Kathleen's daughter did some legal action to ensure that he never profits from the trial. He wrote a memoir about it but the proceeds to to charity. He could still be getting royalties from his previous novels and whatever retired military guys get.

Did you watch the show? The house was sold while he was on trial. He never paid a 25M judgement. This was done to ensure that he could not profit from the crime.

Ok, I am not even half way done with the documentary. I apologize for asking questions that the documentary eventually answers. I wanted to find answers online, but didn't fibd what I was looking for.

I might buy/read Peterson's "Behind the Staircase" (proceeds to charity) because I want the insight into his mind. I think he is extremely intelligent, but has some kind of psychological injury that he tries to compensate for. Like, I want more info about the family he and his brother grew up in. His brother, in the documentary, also very smart, witty, and so supportive of him. What happened to those two boys as children? Who was their mother? Their dad was a career military dude. People, including the French film director with whom Michael had a relationship, said Peterson's relationship with the truth is sketchy. They put it like that, when they could say instead: he is a liar. No one says he is a straight-up liar. And all his kids love him!!! Does being a liar, an egocentric, make him someone who murdered two women who by all accounts he loved, and they oved him back? It fits no ther murderous profile, but maybe only because he is so unusual, being in a small percentage of people with his intelligence, nevermind his varied experiences and knowledge.

+10000. So much was left uncovered with the series and the documentary.

[Anonymous]

He really didn’t have an obvious motive. He appeared to love his wife, but I do not believe she knew that he was bisexual and acting on his attraction to men. Perhaps she did find out. He also admitted to having these random partners in his home. Perhaps someone else was in the home at the time.

The way his relationship with his brother was presented in the series definitely gave me the impression that he is self-serving and manipulative. He basically compelled his brother to remain in Durham for extended periods of time in spite of his own family obligations. He manipulated his ex-wife, his kids, and the documentary team.

I can see the son believing that somehow there was a lot to be gained financially from KP’s death. None of the children seemed to understand that their parents were not as wealthy as it appeared. I also seem to recall that the girls lived with MP after the divorce and the boys lived with their bio mom. This could have been a source of conflict/jealousy if they felt cast aside by the new family dynamic - the girls, KP, and her daughter. There was also the insinuation that the relationship with KP started when he was married to the boys’ mother.

On the whole, I think he either did it or knows who did. He is a master manipulator.

[Anonymous]

Does it matter which I watch first, the series or the documentary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it matter which I watch first, the series or the documentary?

I think the series is interesting to watch first so you can see how amazing Colin Firth is.

[Anonymous]

It occurred to me that Margaret and Martha look like Michael. DNA tests, please!

Patty dismissed that her husband would have had an affair with the girls' mother. But, he was having affairs throughout the marriage to Patty, with men and women, right, so why not this lady?

Why is Patty so supportive of him after all that stuff? She seemed odd to me. I read that the two of them ended up living together again for the two years up until Patty's heart attack.

I just read up on the boys Todd and Clayton. This family has serious issues.

I was feeling really sympathetic to Michael but now my mind is changing. I think he may be like a cult leader. I almost fell for the cult!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Michael Peterson was sitting near a pool fountain, which blocked out noise.

Yes, in the nicest part of the property.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It occurred to me that Margaret and Martha look like Michael. DNA tests, please!

Patty dismissed that her husband would have had an affair with the girls' mother. But, he was having affairs throughout the marriage to Patty, with men and women, right, so why not this lady?

Why is Patty so supportive of him after all that stuff? She seemed odd to me. I read that the two of them ended up living together again for the two years up until Patty's heart attack.

I just read up on the boys Todd and Clayton. This family has serious issues.

I was feeling really sympathetic to Michael but now my mind is changing. I think he may be like a cult leader. I almost fell for the cult!

I think M and M had already been born when Michael met the family.

[Anonymous]

I haven't watched the documentary so this question comes just from watching the HBO series. Also, spoilers (sort of?).

That video of Michael on the day that he made the Alford plea, when is asked point blank if he killed her and he says that Kathleen's death was an accident, are we supposed to take away from that that he's admitting guilt?

Also, I really really hope that the series over-dramatized how much Sophie idolized Michael b/c man... that was painful to watch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He really didn’t have an obvious motive. He appeared to love his wife, but I do not believe she knew that he was bisexual and acting on his attraction to men. Perhaps she did find out. He also admitted to having these random partners in his home. Perhaps someone else was in the home at the time.

The way his relationship with his brother was presented in the series definitely gave me the impression that he is self-serving and manipulative. He basically compelled his brother to remain in Durham for extended periods of time in spite of his own family obligations. He manipulated his ex-wife, his kids, and the documentary team.

I can see the son believing that somehow there was a lot to be gained financially from KP’s death. None of the children seemed to understand that their parents were not as wealthy as it appeared. I also seem to recall that the girls lived with MP after the divorce and the boys lived with their bio mom. This could have been a source of conflict/jealousy if they felt cast aside by the new family dynamic - the girls, KP, and her daughter. There was also the insinuation that the relationship with KP started when he was married to the boys’ mother.

On the whole, I think he either did it or knows who did. He is a master manipulator.

This.