True Crime Fans Are Loving Netflix's 'The Staircase'

Look, I appreciate the weather is nice and the beer garden is calling, but ignore all that, when you finish work tonight you need to go home and you need to go and start watching The Staircase on Netflix.

Yes, it's 13 episodes long, but let me reassure it is totally worth it.

And you don't have to just take my word for it, look at what the good people over on Twitter are saying:

The Staircase centres on the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of the stairs by her husband Michael Peterson. Peterson claimed his wife had fallen down the stairs and died of her injuries, however, the authorities charged him with murder, alleging that he had bludgeoned Kathleen to death and attempted to cover it up by making it look like an accident.

An an autopsy report found that Kathleen suffered a fracture of the thyroid neck cartilage and seven lacerations to the top and back of her head, consistent with blows from a light, yet rigid object.

At court details of the couple's life would be laid bare, including the fact that Peterson had been using male escorts, something which he said Kathleen was aware of, with his defence claiming they had an open marriage.

Netflix

The plot thickens when during the trial it's revealed that while Peterson was living in Germany Elizabeth Ratliff, a female friend of his, died after collapsing and falling down the stairs, suffering similar injuries to Kathleen. Peterson was reported to be the last person to see her alive.

Peterson would go on to adopt the Elizabeth's daughters and raise them as his own - both of the daughters, who were adults at the time of Kathleen's death, supported Peterson throughout the trial.

However, Kathleen's sisters were dead-set that their brother-in-law was a cold blooded killer.

Netflix

The series follows the build-up the trial, the trial and then the aftermath. The original mini-series aired in 2004, but now director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade has added to his original 10 episodes with three new ones and you can binge the whole thing on Netlfix. What a time to be alive.

There's even an argument that an owl did it, intrigued? Well go and watch the bloody thing then.

Topics: TV and Film, UK Entertainment, Netflix, TV and Film, UK Entertainment, Netflix

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19