The Staircase: Did Michael Peterson Kill His Wife?

Durham, North Carolina, December 2001. A 911 call comes in from a stately home. Kathleen Peterson, 48, is at the bottom of a staircase, dead. Her husband, novelist Michael Peterson, says he found her that way. Investigators saw something else. They saw a crime scene.

Michael Peterson was charged with murder. And a documentary crew was already there. French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade followed the defense team from the start, capturing strategy sessions, family tension, and courtroom drama most viewers never get to see. The result is The Staircase, a docuseries that runs on Netflix and has been dissected by true crime fans for years.

What makes it stand out is the access. You watch the defense build its case in real time. You watch the prosecution do the same. Then you decide who sounds more convincing. Peterson was convicted in 2003, but the story did not stop there. In 2017, a judge ordered a new trial. In 2022, Peterson entered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter, which lets a defendant maintain innocence while acknowledging prosecutors had enough evidence to convict. He was released with time served. The case still splits viewers. Some see a killer who walked. Others see a man caught in a flawed investigation.

So what really happened on that staircase? Watch it and judge for yourself. Find where to stream The Staircase and clear your night.