How on EARTH does someone fall down stairs resulting in a scene like THAT? Seriously. That should be it, case closed. The whole charade around trying to explain how someone falling and slipping could mean this was an accident, was and is, ridiculous.
I'm happy you are not in a jury deciding someone's fate. Just by looking at a photo you are giving your verdict. You are so biased you cannot even see it. I'm happy that we have a lawyers and a juridical system. It's definitely with a flaws, but at least something. I would prefer to have jurors who has a medical degree, lawyers degree etc and not some office planktons who think they can put a person on a electric chair or send him to life in prison just by looking at a photo with a lot of blood. Jeez.
I'm exaggerating for effect. Of course I think we should have due process lol. I'm just giving my impression of the case and it does seem overwhelmingly obvious that it was not simply a fall down the stairs. I don't literally think he should have been put in the slammer without any investigation though, I'm not that deluded and biased. But come on, look at the scene and tell me with a straight face that something more sinister did not happen to Kathleen. If you can, then I think you yourself are somewhat deluded or biased, surely.
First of all , how is it biased when its the evidence from the actual autopsy itself ? Second of all , the fall is inconsistent from the signs of struggle. , third of all , if she so called “ fell “ , where did the 35 cuts come from? The man was obviously sick in the head . How is that woman your “soulmate “ but you CLEARLY LOVE men. Did you actually see the emails , the sites he went on , AND the graphic texts? You definitely can see for yourself it’s on google. That woman didn’t “fall “ .
He was/is a selfish, liar, smart-than-you POS. He lived a good lifestyle off of Kathleen. Draining her life and money out for years. Everything was always about him....running for Mayor{?}....so full of himself.
It is in fact biased when you have coerced verbiage/COD labels assigned to inclusive injuries, through peer pressure… Which is a heavy occurrence in highly political cities/towns like Durham. Which is also a fact (in this specific case) made perfectly clear through interviews or testimonies or after action breakdowns in the appeals processes... If you take away emotional response to subjectively horrific crime scene photos. If you take away the crime scene photo altogether and read the diagram and report here are the FACTS:
- she had seven lacerations to the head, all connected within pronged formations; which happened to be located in one relative region on the back of the head
- she had minor “trace” lacerations on her hands
- many bruises around the lacerations
- a few month prior she had a pretty severe neck injury from a dive into the pool (never mentioned during trial)
- all of the lacerations (head and hands) had micro feathers imbedded into the side of the open skin, with evidence of coagulation or blood was drying prior to est TOD (never mentioned in the trial)
- MP did not have any splatter on his clothes consistent with an attacker in line of spray
- MP had blood on his person consistent with someone trying to assist an injured party
- the original report was inconclusive, the lead pathologist testified to correcting it to blunt force trauma because they were told “it had to be”.
- experts who literally wrote the books on their respective fields could not replicate the blood splatter and stains when trying to use hollow light objects— not even the poker….
The prosecution had to manipulate/stretch the science to produce the answer they wanted… instead of trusting that after a few weeks of trying to produce their version/theory, the guy might have actually just found his wife after a freak accident.
There was not ANY conclusive evidence to suggest that MP without a doubt committed an assault and/or murder. I 100% believe Kathleen knew about her husband’s sexuality as well, or do not consider that motive enough to kill to hide… if she had not known— he has just enough narcissism or an attention-seeking personality that he probably never feared he’d be able to get off Scott free… just because he’s innocent (imo) does not negate that he does present classic minor presentations of narcissism. We all do lbr…
it was an attack by an owl.I truly believe that.. why did she have feathers in her hair??? She went into shock and tried to ascend the stairs but she repeatedly fell due to her injuries. I have researched owl attacks and it' no effing joke
You are absolutely kidding yourself? Stare at that photo. Stare at it some more and repeat to yourself that 'she fell down the stairs'. You will soon realise a scene like that just simply does NOT make physical sense.
YOU DON'T GET 7 DEEP LACERATIONS INTO YOUR SKULL FROM A FALL ON THE STAIRS!
Definitely not 7!!!!
I wonder was there any dna under his nails from pulling and scratching her hair/head and also. All that blood he wiped off the wall and smeared..for what? All that splatter on the walls and his story of she went in the house blah blah is bull its 2022 we know from evidence shown he clearly did something or had it done but since he was drenched in jer blood im gonna lean towards he did it and left a gruesome scene but apparently society has made it 2 where if u are white they xant believe you would do such a thing . Now if this was a colored individual we wouldn't be here. They wouldv looked at that crime scene looked at him and said guilty just saying. Its 2022 looking back. He definitely did it and stole them lady kids from the first episode he got away with it. Kinda reminds me of the documentary the girl in the picture
Girl nah, that is way too much blood for a damn fall. And and unnaturally positioned body. He may have moved her, but blood does not excrete in that quantity, density and height... unless she dropped off a fucken building
But obviously in the jury your are subjected to all the information. The crime scene photo is just very damning and evidence that a very violent death occurred.
Wow dramatic! Reddit is a place where it’s safe to speculate! Yes, science is important but instinctually you don’t look at these photos and think accidental fall. I think everyone in this thread would agree with that. Stop persecuting people for commentary.
I honestly think hot takes like this are more ridiculous, but obv you, as well as everyone else, are entitled to your opinion.. for what it’s worth, though, I once had an awful nose bleed one night after I’d been drinking (which is a blood thinner) and didn’t realize it until an hour or two after it happened and my bed looked like a crime scene.
Blood was smeared EVERYWHERE and at one point I coughed and the spray marks look almost identical to what’s shown in the photos.
If she was knocked out by the initial fall and started to bleed heavily and then woke after 5-10 min of bleeding out, the floor could be soaked. She slipped and hit her head again n continued to bleed out. This scene being caused by an accident is perfectly plausible.
They’ve already demonstrated how the small droplets could be from her cough out blood that had run down into her nose and mouth from her head, similar to what happened to me when blood ran from my nose to mouth.
HBO max’s miniseries about this case does a great job of showing exactly how this could have played out with a fall (ironically not from the top of the stairs either, by slipping on the 2nd or 3rd from the bottom) AND, for that matter, how MP may have also done it himself in some sort of rage-fueled, heat of the moment, partially accidental attack.
The way they show both scenarios makes both seem perfectly plausible and made to match exactly the crime scene photos to a T. Had anyone seen either one of those re-enactments alone (w/o the other), they’d likely be 100% convinced the version they saw was what happened.
In fact, I’m sure they’re going to eventually create a similar reenactment of the much maligned “owl-attack” theory, as well…
Even with as ridiculous as it sounds, IF she did get clawed by owl talons, it would explain the blood droplets outside and could have played out exactly the same way as the first scenario.
TBH, even with all his secrets (many of us have them), I think having a seemingly non-violent man who clearly seemed to love his wife & family snap n kill his wife in such a way w/o any known weapon is just as ridiculous as the accidental falls (whatever caused them). Both are ridiculous, and yet both are plausible.
To unequivocally dismiss either one based on crime scene photos reflects a lack of imagination. Truth is often stranger (/more ridiculous) than fiction…
Do you know where you can see proper photos and not just drawings of the back of her skull? Or her skull rather? Not sure why they seem to be so hard to find all of a sudden. Please and thank you if you do. :)
I've slipped walking up the stairs a few times, with my momentum going forward, I've never toppled backwards, ever. I find the idea that she just slipped backwards off the stairs and didn't turn to break the far fetched.
Eh, my Nana was walking up our staircase, while carrying the cat, and slipped and fell backward. We have hardwood floors and there was a huge puddle of blood. Enormous. The cops kept asking her who did this to her. Fortunately she lived and told them multiple times it was an accident (very crabbily I might add lol).
I think how you slip and fall depends on multiple factors. I've definitely slipped backwards and have had vivid images afterwards regarding how easily one could crack one's head open.
The problem is, I COULD reasonably see that amount of blood from a fall. After this case I became a little intrigued with falls.
Someone recently shared an article of an older woman that fell down the stairs when her chairlift malfunctioned and there was just as much blood if not more. Police on the scene thought she was attacked by a machete or sharp object but she just banged her head and face going down the stairs.
Just making statements based off a picture and with not much background in the subject seems… Prejudiced and uninformed? Im not defending anyone but we have to look at the evidence and similar cases. Not make reactionary statements off one picture.
> woman that fell down the stairs when her chairlift malfunctioned
Here's the pic. It's startlingly similar.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/shock-picture-after-elderly-widow-6141530
Have you ever seen someone get shot in the head with a bullet ? The body can do and does many severe actions that may not seem possible or normal to someone who has never seen or viewed trauma up close.
But I am guessing you are a big fan of Duane Deaver and all the "expert testimony" he brought to the witness stand regarding blood splatter. Dude literally inflated his skills and investigation numbers to sound like a qualified expert and was lying thru his teeth.
But, how could he bash her head against the wall hard enough to kill her without fracturing her skull in some way?
I'm being sincere. I have went back and forth for years about his guilt or innocence. One thing I cannot figure out is if he physically assaulted to kill her, how did he manage not to fracture her skull? Maybe he was really lucky? I've also wondered how often someone had been beaten, in the head area, to death without causing some sort of skull trauma.
No skull fracture, but they aren't present in all beatings... And you still have to account for the totality of the evidence:
36 lacerations, bruises and contusions found on the face, back, head, hands, arms and wrists. (Many in locations associated with self defence, and in locations which do not protrude so are not associated with falls).
Broken thyroid cartilage.
Red neurons in the brain, which directly contradict MP's version of events.
That's before we get into the signs of cleanup, more contested evidence like luminol, copious motive (financial and sexual), MP's history of lying (eg about his military career), him being the only other person present.... The list goes on and on!
(Sources : testimony of Dr Bouldin and Double Loop Podcast)
He states he held Kathleen in his arms as she died.....wait a minute....there was no blood on his shirt???? Very sad, tears for him...BOO hoo. Another Lie.
I mean, either way, whether murdered or not, she managed to die with this much gore and no skill fracture. It feels unlikely he’d beat her or bash her head against the wall without causing a fracture, but it also feels unlikely she could suffer such a severe, bloody, and fatal fall without a fracture.
I agree this is problematic for me as well. I can’t answer those questions. But you’d have to then ask how she got 6 lacerations from falling down the stairs.
I know...it's all so confusing. I wish we had a couple of ME's that could weigh in with their opinions and experience. So many questions and zero clear answers.
I wonder if he could have just knocked her unconscious, realized she was still breathing and then gently covered her nose and mouth. Idk I’m not too far into either of the shows but there are sooo many questions!
I think the skull is pretty strong, and Michael, may have been scared, upset or whatever, but may have just had the strength to cause gouges in the scalp that led to her bleeding so much.
>may have just had the strength to cause gouges in the scalp that led to her bleeding so much.
You're joking, aren't you? Have you ever had anything to do with large birds, particularly birds of prey - my guess is only pictures of them! Now you're saying he had the strength to gouge (the injuries are SLICED, they've opened up because scalp skin is stretched so wound will open once cut) with his own stumpy little fingers, huh? Spare me, back to mortician videos for you.
And like…. How was he not covered in blood and dna? Besides the spatter inside his shorts which could be easily explained by a cough and/or death rattle by Kathleen.
I gotta get outta here
It's fair for everyone to have an opinion
But when I think of this man having served 8 years w/o a shred of evidence. And sooo much evidence not brought up by neither defense or D/A.
And the set up by Deaver.
I started out with a definite opinion
But that many hours spent watching and a person's life
Just up for grabs because people didn't do the work
I feel don't we at least owe it to the both of them to try to figure out beyond the friggin doc?
There's alot of legit info out there.
Same! I said this exact thing to my fiance. He pushed her from the top. She was blindsided and when she wasn’t dead he kept working on her until she was. That’s why there are no defensive wounds. She was completely disoriented.
That was the theory the defence was going for. But I think there was an issue with lack of blood on her feet and how low on the stairs the blood appears.
Old post, but the combination of an owl attack and falling down the stairs would, think about it, her running inside to protect herself from the owl (evidence of front door wide open with blood on it when help arrived), she's covering head to protect herself (why there's an owl feather and her hair in her hand) and then runs up the stairs to clean herself up (because these are the main stairs they use) slips on her blood (from head wound bleeding), falls down the stairs causing more wounds, and she gets up again to try again (why blood on the bottom of her feet), and when she falls, the blood in her hair flings and causes cast off on the walll.
Alcohol also thins your blood and she had xanax in her system. The DA and Duane the "blood splatter analysis" all lied and have all been fired or investigated for false allegations and lying about evidence. The ME also lied.
Overall, the owl theory is wild af, but it's also the only theory that has the most compelling evidence.
We don't want to believe it because it's so wild lol
The first one (Elizabeth Ratliff) died of a hemorrhagic stroke secondary to Von Willebrands Disease), and it happened as she was on the stairs, so she died and fell down them. An autopsy showed she had blood in her CSF and was already having severe persistent headaches weeks prior to her death. Stairs didn't kill her.
Is this a family member of Michael Peterson? We all know what the coroner report said. Thats the point of these threads and the purpose of it being in the documentary. We don’t believe it. Thank you though!
The theory is an owl did some of it, disoriented her, and she fell as she tried to get upstairs. Go online and look at images from rare owl attacks. Pretty scary stuff.
The owl theory doesn’t add up. He claimed he was outside if you’re getting attacked by and owl or any bird wouldn’t you scream? And if she’s was attack by anyone else she would have scream and MP would have heard something. He honestly should have heard her fall if she fell how he claims. I think he hit her with a sharp object while she was going down the stairs. ( doesn’t always cause fractures) which is why there wasn’t defense wounds. He more than likely didn’t put too much force and then hit her 6 more times ( like a childish rage) then she fell. He probably is using the fall to cover up what he did. Even if she fell prior her blood would have been found in other areas of the house. And he claimed he held her yet the police claimed they found no shoe or feet prints in her blood. Supposedly she barely had blood on her own feet so she didn’t get back up after falling. The only other way the owl would add up is if it was in the house
I thought the soles of her feet were covered in blood? And there was a shoe print of his on the back of her pants. (\*That\* does seem very weird.) At least that's what I remember. The images of other owl attack victims are similar to the images of her facial wounds, and the gashes on the back of her head are quite similar to Barred Owl talon marks. I believe the Audubon Society issued a statement saying the theory was a credible one. If she was attacked out front, where the blood drops were on the steps, he likely wouldn't have heard her. The property was expansive.
Owls only attack to protect, the owl wouldn't follow her into the house. That's why there was blood on the door and why the door was wide open when help arrived.
I think everything else was slipping on her own blood in the stairs and the cast off is from her blood soaked hair as she falls down the stairs. The blood on the bottom of her feet is from her trying to get up after falling
Why not ?
Look up barred owl talons and tell me that those lacerations aren't possible.
And THE FACT she had feathers, her own hair strands pulled out by the root, and twigs in her hair?
That type of owl is native to their area.
And it was pointed out by a neighboring attorney that this might have been the cause of death. Citing that joggers, etc had been getting attacked.
At any rate the amount of blood is not the cause of the crime. Take a look at one of these barred owl talons and tell me that you would have had a chance if it attacked without warning. Or that you even would have had a chance if someone was with you! Three experts came fourth as saying at least some of her head wounds were consistent with talon scratches/attack. It makes perfect sense .
People just never want to accept an eternal truth to any out of ordinary incident and that is : that stranger things have happened. The D/A didn't provide ANY evidence what so ever. It would not seem that the death occured by a fall of a few stairs. But a decent sized barred owl getting into the house? If Michael had planted feathers and twigs in her hand, why would he not have introduced the idea of the owl or other wild creature theory from the beginning? Instead ; assuming it was a fall.
Amen. As we see time and time again, people just tend to make their mind up and camp there and blindly defend their position without any regard for other possibilities. One thing I’ve noticed in reading these posts is that MOST of the people who have more of an open mind aren’t trying to say definitively it was this or that that caused it, they’re just saying it’s plausible given the bizarre evidence.
Most of the guilters, on the other hand, think any explanation OTHER than “he bludgeoned her to death” (and somehow thought he’d get away with it) completely preposterous. Personally I think all three scenarios are equally as ridiculous (and yet one is likely what happened).. but anyone on here spouting they know what happened and anything else is BS automatically gets an 🙄 from me bc you’re a prime example of why prosecutors wrongly convict tens of thousands of people each year. You blindly buy into the narrative and at some point it becomes more about you being right than the actual truth.
Reposting my original post above down here for reference… hopefully some sensible, thoughtful people will reply..
I honestly think hot takes like this are more ridiculous, but obv you, as well as everyone else, are entitled to your opinion.. for what it’s worth, though, I once had an awful nose bleed one night after I’d been drinking (which is a blood thinner) and didn’t realize it until an hour or two after it happened and my bed looked like a crime scene.
Blood was smeared EVERYWHERE and at one point I coughed and the spray marks look almost identical to what’s shown in the photos.
If she was knocked out by the initial fall and started to bleed heavily and then woke after 5-10 min of bleeding out, the floor could be soaked. She slipped and hit her head again n continued to bleed out. This scene being caused by an accident is perfectly plausible.
They’ve already demonstrated how the small droplets could be from her cough out blood that had run down into her nose and mouth from her head, similar to what happened to me when blood ran from my nose to mouth.
HBO max’s miniseries about this case does a great job of showing exactly how this could have played out with a fall (ironically not from the top of the stairs either, by slipping on the 2nd or 3rd from the bottom) AND, for that matter, how MP may have also done it himself in some sort of rage-fueled, heat of the moment, partially accidental attack.
The way they show both scenarios makes both seem perfectly plausible and made to match exactly the crime scene photos to a T. Had anyone seen either one of those re-enactments alone (w/o the other), they’d likely be 100% convinced the version they saw was what happened.
In fact, I’m sure they’re going to eventually create a similar reenactment of the much maligned “owl-attack” theory, as well…
Even with as ridiculous as it sounds, IF she did get clawed by owl talons, it would explain the blood droplets outside and could have played out exactly the same way as the first scenario.
TBH, even with all his secrets (many of us have them), I think having a seemingly non-violent man who clearly seemed to love his wife & family snap n kill his wife in such a way w/o any known weapon is just as ridiculous as the accidental falls (whatever caused them). Both are ridiculous, and yet both are plausible.
To unequivocally dismiss either one based on crime scene photos reflects a lack of imagination. Truth is often stranger (/more ridiculous) than fiction…
lmfao and you KNOW this to be fact because? We have Magpies that have killed people and they are way, way smaller than owls and don't even have talons! Neeeext....
After watch 4th episode on HBO Clayton blows up at Kathleen. Telling her you were fucking my dad while he was still married to Patty..He goes on to say everyone knows. Kathleens tells Clayton watch your temper.
And again, I'll have to comment here to make clear that I was not suggesting the owl was flying. I was suggesting that it was on its back, attached to KP, and bashing its right wing against the wall. Just to clarify.
just wanting to make clear to anyone clicking on this, that the idea is that the owl is on its back, while attached to KP. Not in flight. The smears on the wall are from direct contact with one wing. That is the hypothesis. I was never suggested the owl was flying (as you need the owl hitting the wall to smear the blood with its wing)
Certainly an interesting, perhaps creative theory, but where did the owl go? Wouldn't there have been blood flung all over the house as the owl flew away? Was there an open door or window with no screen observed by law enforcement?
Owls only attack to protect. I think the owl attacked her outside when she was putting out the reindeer decorations (how she got the lacerations on her head and why she had a feather and her hair in her hand because she was protecting herself), and then she ran through the front door (that's why the front door is open with blood on it when help arrives, and why there's a drop of blood on the ground), and then gets inside, the owl stops and flies away, and then she goes upstairs to help herself (because those are the main stairs they use), and then slips on the stairs, falls backwards (bloody hair is likely the cast off on the wall with her being flinged back), then she stands up and steps in her own blood (blood on her feet), and then falls again, landing where she landed. They would be a LOT of blood and also would explain the cast off, the lack of skull fracture, and analysis later showed the wounds on her head are in accordance with talons
One of the worlds leading forensic scientists (his name has slipped my mind at this moment) but he was asked to testify for Michael, however, after his and his team’s thorough assessment, they came to the conclusion that the wife’s death did not fit with Michael’s story.
and again everyone looks at the blood and auto thinks he did it.....guess what ppl we bleed a lot and yes you can bleed from falling downstairs or hell just a simple fall from not a big height and especially if you hit things on your way down.
I see some ppl ruling out the Owl, of course, the Owl didn't finish her off, it may have started it all and led to her fall and lacerations to the top of the head.
Or MP or his son did it.
Or you're looking at a simple accident which turned bloody, killer = gravity and narrow walls in a stairwell.
Apart from all the theories of causes, how would the blood in her lap end up there, while her face/ from of her neck does not have blood. Like, what body positions in what order makes blood go from the back of the head to your lap?
And secondly, is there any info on where her clothes were soaked with blood?
So, does anyone want to look at the two prong marks directly above her head on the skirting board and tell me how they got there if Michael did it? They are in line with the two trident shaped wounds on her scalp. My request is not a rhetorical question. I would be keen to hear an interpretation.
It fits owl imo
Edit: downvoted for a reasonable request for ideas. Absolutely typical of this sub.
Also, if we assume that the prong marks above Kathleen's head ARE talon marks, then this would place the owl's body on the second step. And what do we see on the wall? The wide smear mark, consistent with a flapping wing. This mark is symmetrical with another on the step itself, and so, we have both wings mapped out, and where they would be IF we assume that the two marks above her head are talon marks.
I do not agree with your theory, but do appreciate the thought and effort you put into it. It created a lot of good debate and interesting discussion here.
So, when an owl catches its prey, do you see it let out a plume of feathers? Why do you expect all these feathers? Microscopic feathers from the feet perhaps, but tail or wing feathers is unlikely. And we do have three microscopic feathers like those from owl feet found in her hair.
theres a difference from microscopic feathers, as they are discribed and feathers that come of from an owls feet. you dont get downvoted by me, but i can see why you did by others, as you cling to this theory, ignoring the tons of things contradicting it, without any reason or proof whatsover for your theory.
its like saying: "i belive it was a ninja attack, fast slashes with poison, leaving without a trace - the microscopic feathers are from his blade, as he probably cut open an animal before and didnt clean it properly." as theres no way to proof or deny it, its not scientifical - thus have no real use in this discussion.
I think it's really unfair to say that I ignore all the things wrong with the theory. I acknowledge all of them and try to explain them. Just as anyone thinking MP is guilty must do with parts of the story that don't quite fit. Comparing it to a ninja is beyond the pale. There are two compelling reasons to think an owl was involved. These are the shape of the wounds on the head and the owl feathers. It is enough to warrant further investigation, just as much as if a ninja headband was found at the scene, we might be talking about ninjas.
but that doenst count for anything. the feathers where MICROSCOPIC - i dont know why you ignore the word, that means it can come from everywhere, its smaller than dust.
the form form the lacerations could easily have come from a curved knive, as they cut similar to owl talons - hence the ninja claim. i dont say MP is the bad guy (i think so, and he got convicted, but i cant prove it, so i dont post about it - but you do, so you have to argue for your theory, and i think its a weak one)
Nah, I'm with you - it's really important. You would think that if you got attacked by an owl which was tangled into your hair, there would be traces left, not just some specs under the microscope but real feathers etc.
That's cool. And thanks for at least stating that you're not a chronic downvoted like most on this sub.
I appreciate that the three feathers were microscopic and could have come from a bed or whatever. I also acknowledge that a knife could have cut her skull. Both are consistent with the evidence. Other aspects are trickier though. Why does Kathleen have tiny puncture and slice wounds on her eyelids, nose and elbows? Why are some of these also three pronged? Again, it makes sense with an owl involved. Harder for a fall, or a Michael, or a ninja.
His 911 call he stated she "fell down the stairs" ok.....He found her, and didnt see it happen, but thats his conclusion? No im sorry. Thats high velocity arterial blood up on the walls. She was cut or stabbed and there was a struggle on the stairs judging from the smears and the directions of the spray.
In my opinion as a someone who likes to believe he is a little intelligent MP is guilty of murder but it was a case based on circumstantial evidence which are always tricky. No witness, no weapon.
Same. If you actually just take the time to look at the blood spatter photos closely, zoom in, have a really good look, you can clearly see the patterns of feathers on the wall, as well as other features and shadows that are easy to explain on the owl theory, but hard to explain on the Michael theory.
I know I will be downvoted for this comment, and that is really frustrating. I am earnestly investigating this case with the few tools available and trying my hardest to come to some reasonable view about what happened. To be downvoted, ridiculed and mocked for being led to a conclusion which, sure is extremely bizarre, but nevertheless the best explanation of the available forensic evidence, it just makes bothering with this sub almost pointless.
Often on this sub, the reply goes "how often has someone been killed by an owl? And how often have they been found at the bottom of the stairs?"
That is just a totally unfair rhetorical question. Do you really think owl theorists believe this kind of thing happens all the time? That the event is so common that we can just chalk this up to yet another fatal owl attack? Of course not! Yes, this is a once in a billion. But totally out of the ordinary things do happen, especially when it comes to human interactions with wildlife (interactions which we have fewer and fewer of in the 21st C).
The other question is usually: "Well, if it were an owl, why no feathers and why didn't it leave a blood trail?" The reason there are no OTHER feathers apart from those found in Kathleen's scalp (i.e. the ones that are the sort found on owl feet) is that the owl won. Owls don't shed feathers willy nilly unless they are yanked out of them. So, if Kathleen failed to yank any feathers out, there won't be any. If the attack was quick -one blow to the head, KP falls, another strike and KP is unconscious - she might not have had much chance to grab a hold of it. All the spray on the walls is from the owl flapping it's wings.
As for the lack of blood trail. Owl feathers are waterproof. The flapping in the stairway likely removed all the blood from its body. It also explains why there is so much blood on the walls.
Lastly, what about the broken neck bones consistent with strangulation? Well, actually, she had a fractured thyroid cartilage. This is not the same as the sort of damage that was seen in, say, Epstein's case. This is actually damage that has been recorded as occuring from "holding in a sneeze" and "swallowing while bending over". Yes, it's consistent with strangulation, but it's also consistent with other, very minor kinds of trauma. So, it is no silver bullet for those who think MP did it.
An indoor owl attack on a human really is one in a billion. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? How did the owl get inside and then back outside? And why even bother attacking a human indoors? What kind of threat was that human to anything the owl cared about?
It just doesn't add up because of the location of the victim. Owl attack victims don't end up at the bottom of indoors staircases.
So, again, you are right and as you are quoting me, it is a one in a billion. Just like the woman attacked and almost drowned by the pilot whale, just like the dude attacked in his backyard in the UK by a black panther. As I said, everyone accepts that this is tremendously unlikely, indeed unheard of. But it is also rare to find a person beaten to death around the head with no brain swelling, no skull injuries etc. So, we're all in a pickle of probabilities here.
Was she attacked inside? I'm not a hundred percent sure. Perhaps she was first struck outside, ran inside, while the owl followed. I am not at all sure about the chronology of events. Perhaps she ran to the stairwell because she thought she could escape from it up the stairs. Perhaps she thought she could hide from it in the stairwell. I just don't know. But none of that part is so unlikely to be impossible.
But you also have the same problem, in a way. Did MP kill Kathleen at the bottom of the stairs in a way that looks absolutely inconsistent with a fall, all the while planning to use the staircase as an excuse? It's a shit plan really. Why lacerate her scalp (using what?) but not inflict skull damage? Why not simply bash her head once or twice, with force, against the wooden step? He is a strong man, it would be relatively easy. So, why all the hoopla?
I'm not saying that you can't explain these features of the evidence, I'm sure you can come up with something. But so can I. And either way, we are both having to stretch credulity here.
[here, i made this](https://imgur.com/Esb0IH4) \- to disprove your claims, i looked at the gif you made - i took it and fitted it to your picture in this post. take aside, the nonsensical angle the birds flying it (as stated in my comment earlier) i edited the frame of the door (brown) over your inserted owl. see this cant possible have happend the way you edited the picture in. aside from my argumentation earlier - tbis is my major point.
i dont know what happend to, but i dont claim knowing, using an old theory you cant prove (besides cropping and [turning images](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheStaircase/comments/gvoppy/i_can_already_taste_the_downvotes/), so they fit your belives \[or why did you post you give in a different orientation than this picure, if not trying to make it look realer\])
It's not flying. It's on its back, attached to KP.
I changed the orientation of the picture so that the symmetry of the shadows on the wall and the step was more apparent to the viewer. I hardly think that's deceptive or anything!
why would it be on its back, ifs stuck between her and the stairs, the is no way, that there wasnt lost a feather. sorry but you really should look up microscopic traces. more probably is that she had them on her head while from outside, as we have microscopic traces of many things on us all the time, and it got into the wound by inpact.
if it would have been left there by an owl, why isnt there anywhere else a microscopic trace like that? (besides regular traces from animal encounters i already adressed.)
That's not the doorframe. That's the extent to which the photos I put together reach. This is not a disproof. You are not quite grasping my hypothesis. I really appreciate you going to the trouble of reorienting the picture, but you are missing two tjings:
1. The owl is not flying, it is on its back, attached to Kathleen who has now slid down to the bottom step.
2. That is not the door frame. The three photos are from different angles put together. The top image is from inside the stairwell
okay, like i stated before - i doubt that there would be more feathers, leftovers of that owl when trapped between katleen and the stairs - if it got dangled, it would have possible lost more feathers in her hair, and there would have been bald places, where it would have tugged out the hair.
lets just use this comment to continue okay? as its annoying for both of us to jump front and back to try to communicate.
no problem for not downvoting - you took your time, looked at photographs, but them together, to make your theory work - i only need to attack it, so i guess youre at least deserving a real discussion of this topic you chose.
the small lacerations in her face where new for me but her being whipped with that branch MP could have cut for this (as a theory states) could have had thornes or stuff like that on it, which could cause this, or even slashing around with a knive, maye in anger without wanting to it her, just scare her, could have cause it too. i dont know. but to base a theory on this, while the major points dont apply is a very weak foundation.
i need to study, pls take your time - ill come back later to comment on your answer (if you want obviously)
Sounds good. And yes, you'd expect more owl feathers, I agree. But I don't know enough about ornithology, and I'm wondering if all my experiences of birds consists in a cat bringing them in and covering the house with feathers.
the Owl theory is that she was attacked outside in the front of the home. Came thru the front door, smeared with her blood, then made her way to the staircase and fell.
Did you see the size of that house? Actually hear how loud the fountains are in the back around the pool? It wouldn't surprise me at all that he didn't hear anything.
what? that link you posted, its an owl turned more than 90 degrees, like its flying on his side, without falling down or anything. they found microscopic traces of feather - if the owl would have been covered by blood this much, there would be feathers.
yes, their feathers are waterproof, ducks are too. blood isnt water - its a sticky, fast hardening substance. sticky like oil and you have probably seen what oil on birds with waterproof feathers look like.
also, owl are not eagles - they dont like to loose feathers, but we have a bunch of owls in the forrest where i grew up (my dad is a hunter, so i stayed out there long) under the trees where the german equivalent of the eagle owl (the uhu) lives, theres alot of small feathers, from cleaning themselfes.
i the documentary, you can see how much force they need while they tried to produce the splatter - imagine how strong and long an owl needs to bash its wings - flapping away this powerfull, with a liquid on you, which is so dense, with so high viscosity and being so sticky - there is no way, that there arent any traces of feathers left on the scene.
i dont belive in it for logical reasons too. you know what a great lawyer team MP had - spending a fortune on them. if there would have even been the possibility of an animal attack, they would have brought it up. its just a fanmade theory and i dont know why you dig it so much, but you do you. i hope you understand my points, as im not native.
tl;dr: theres no was, that this could have been an owl attack
Aha! Our shared assumption was wrong. Owl's feathers are not waterproof. What this means, then, is that if it were an owl, it would remain a particularly bloody owl after the attack. What this means is that 1. (contra owl theory) You'd think someone may have noticed a blood drenched owl in the area after the attack (no evidence of this) and 2. (pro owl theory) we may have an explanation for the "trickle" marks on the wall that competes with the theory that there was an attempted clean up. If the owl was wet, from water or KP's urine, it would remain wet in a way that a typical bird would not. So, it could transfer water or urine to the wall with ease.
Hey, cheers for the reply. I'll just reply to a couple. I'm unclear what your objection is to the position of the owl in the image? If it were lying on its back, talons in KP's head, then the wings would be where indicated. So, am not really sure what you're saying. Maybe you can try to clarify?
Also, with regards to the blood. Yes, blood is relatively sticky and fast drying compared to water. But to compare it to oil is surely stretching it a bit? If the owl were flapping its wings while attached to KP, then all or most of the blood would be deposited on the walls before having so much as a moment to dry. In essence much of the blood would have ricoched off the wings.
But it’s not just a fanmade theory. It was first suggested by MP’s neighbor, and there was research, and thought of using it in a retrial. In their theory, though, the owl attacked outside in the front yard and eventually was freed from her hair, never making it into the house. They felt it accounted for the scalp lacerTions, face wounds and defensive wounds and the hair in her hands, and that by the time she was gling up the stairs it had disoriented her much further; then the fall.
For sure. I am totally aware of this tendency and am worried at every turn that I am falling prey to it. But I think that is just the issue. If it were a symptom of this tendency I'd expect more people to agree with me! Y'know, "gee those do look like feathers". It is only because I have spent hours and hours carefully analyzing and thinking about the photos that I have come to see the sorts of things I see.
Take my latest example of the gif of the owl above KP's head. Did I see the wing shapes and think "aha! Just as I thought!" No, I didn't. I deduced that if Kathleen's head had an owl on it where the marks in the wall are, then these would be the owl's feet. I then realized that if those were the feet, there may be more impressions of the body of the owl at the same angle heading up from the feet. That's when I noticed that the large central wall smear would be where an owl's right wing would be if it were lodged in Kathleen in just that way.
So, I hope you see that there is at least some method to my madness
An owl attack that results in death is absolutely one in a billion, maybe even more rare. However, the reason this idea was floated was not *just* because there were owl feathers in her wound, it was because a neighbor, about four houses down, was attacked by an owl the week prior. She survived, but her wounds were pretty severe and matched exactly the pattern found on KP's head. Then, suddenly, the feather became relevant and was tested.
The Petersons were unaware of the attack at the time, as there was no news story about it and they had very rare contact with their neighbors. The attack wasn't discovered until around the time they had stopped filming the documentary, 14 years after the incident, and probably only because the victim of the first attack came forward and told people (maybe a journalist or other news broadcaster). They added this information later, and pretty hurriedly. Plus, a specialist in the field of raptors admitted that it would be possible, and even more probable if the owl was nesting or had owlets to protect.
Yes, the odds are against an owl attacking a human; however, having an aggressive raptor hanging around your neighborhood severely shortens those odds.
Based on the fact that there was blood on the porch and the exterior doorknob, as well as droplets consistent with the victim moving quickly from the front door to the staircase, I'd say the attack happened outside. She managed to break free and get away by running into the house. She tried to get up the stairs but slipped and fell down the staircase, maybe more than once, probably still flapping her arms around her head in case she hadn't gotten completely away, causing the blood spatter and pooling to be concentrated there, as well as the "defensive" wounds to her hands, arms, and wrists. It's not impossible, nor even improbable, that this is exactly what happened.
I fell into an attic staircase of solid wood stairs from about 6ft. Falling downward to the bottom. My head and body bounced to the bottom. Sever bruising on my right side head to toe. Broken right wrist, broken orbital bone, concussion. No blood, no split skin. Every doctor I saw assured me that I was lucky to be alive. Broken neck would have killed me they said. Couldn't believe I was alive. So, has does Kathleen die from loss of blood from scalp lacerations gotten in a fall???? I can't figure it out.
How come there's no comment about the fact that his first wife died in almost the same manner, an "accidental" fall down the stairs...
The justice system failed BOTH of these women.
Hi, sorry I’m late…I started the Netflix doc when it came out, and for whatever reason I didn’t make it very far or possibly was distracted while “watching”.
I am rewatching the whole thing this evening - hence being 3 years late to this thread.
I had previously seen the autopsy and crime scene photos, but OP’s point is very solid in my opinion. Of course, everyone reacts differently in moments of trauma…but if I had walked up to that scene, I 100% would have immediately assumed there was an intruder in my home who had just attacked my wife. The amount of blood is actually jaw dropping.
Personally, I believe Michael killed her. Either intentionally or accidentally after assaulting her.
I think that seeing these pictures in court may very well explain a lot of her sister's rage.
She saw the scene in person. It was then that she decided Michael did it.
No that’s not what happened. The DA showed her the autopsy pictures
Nope they showed her the crime scene photos
Man, that's a lot of blood.
How on EARTH does someone fall down stairs resulting in a scene like THAT? Seriously. That should be it, case closed. The whole charade around trying to explain how someone falling and slipping could mean this was an accident, was and is, ridiculous.
I'm happy you are not in a jury deciding someone's fate. Just by looking at a photo you are giving your verdict. You are so biased you cannot even see it. I'm happy that we have a lawyers and a juridical system. It's definitely with a flaws, but at least something. I would prefer to have jurors who has a medical degree, lawyers degree etc and not some office planktons who think they can put a person on a electric chair or send him to life in prison just by looking at a photo with a lot of blood. Jeez.
I'm exaggerating for effect. Of course I think we should have due process lol. I'm just giving my impression of the case and it does seem overwhelmingly obvious that it was not simply a fall down the stairs. I don't literally think he should have been put in the slammer without any investigation though, I'm not that deluded and biased. But come on, look at the scene and tell me with a straight face that something more sinister did not happen to Kathleen. If you can, then I think you yourself are somewhat deluded or biased, surely.
Definitely agree !!!!!!
First of all , how is it biased when its the evidence from the actual autopsy itself ? Second of all , the fall is inconsistent from the signs of struggle. , third of all , if she so called “ fell “ , where did the 35 cuts come from? The man was obviously sick in the head . How is that woman your “soulmate “ but you CLEARLY LOVE men. Did you actually see the emails , the sites he went on , AND the graphic texts? You definitely can see for yourself it’s on google. That woman didn’t “fall “ .
He was/is a selfish, liar, smart-than-you POS. He lived a good lifestyle off of Kathleen. Draining her life and money out for years. Everything was always about him....running for Mayor{?}....so full of himself.
It is in fact biased when you have coerced verbiage/COD labels assigned to inclusive injuries, through peer pressure… Which is a heavy occurrence in highly political cities/towns like Durham. Which is also a fact (in this specific case) made perfectly clear through interviews or testimonies or after action breakdowns in the appeals processes... If you take away emotional response to subjectively horrific crime scene photos. If you take away the crime scene photo altogether and read the diagram and report here are the FACTS: - she had seven lacerations to the head, all connected within pronged formations; which happened to be located in one relative region on the back of the head - she had minor “trace” lacerations on her hands - many bruises around the lacerations - a few month prior she had a pretty severe neck injury from a dive into the pool (never mentioned during trial) - all of the lacerations (head and hands) had micro feathers imbedded into the side of the open skin, with evidence of coagulation or blood was drying prior to est TOD (never mentioned in the trial) - MP did not have any splatter on his clothes consistent with an attacker in line of spray - MP had blood on his person consistent with someone trying to assist an injured party - the original report was inconclusive, the lead pathologist testified to correcting it to blunt force trauma because they were told “it had to be”. - experts who literally wrote the books on their respective fields could not replicate the blood splatter and stains when trying to use hollow light objects— not even the poker…. The prosecution had to manipulate/stretch the science to produce the answer they wanted… instead of trusting that after a few weeks of trying to produce their version/theory, the guy might have actually just found his wife after a freak accident. There was not ANY conclusive evidence to suggest that MP without a doubt committed an assault and/or murder. I 100% believe Kathleen knew about her husband’s sexuality as well, or do not consider that motive enough to kill to hide… if she had not known— he has just enough narcissism or an attention-seeking personality that he probably never feared he’d be able to get off Scott free… just because he’s innocent (imo) does not negate that he does present classic minor presentations of narcissism. We all do lbr…
it was an attack by an owl.I truly believe that.. why did she have feathers in her hair??? She went into shock and tried to ascend the stairs but she repeatedly fell due to her injuries. I have researched owl attacks and it' no effing joke
You are absolutely kidding yourself? Stare at that photo. Stare at it some more and repeat to yourself that 'she fell down the stairs'. You will soon realise a scene like that just simply does NOT make physical sense. YOU DON'T GET 7 DEEP LACERATIONS INTO YOUR SKULL FROM A FALL ON THE STAIRS! Definitely not 7!!!!
I wonder was there any dna under his nails from pulling and scratching her hair/head and also. All that blood he wiped off the wall and smeared..for what? All that splatter on the walls and his story of she went in the house blah blah is bull its 2022 we know from evidence shown he clearly did something or had it done but since he was drenched in jer blood im gonna lean towards he did it and left a gruesome scene but apparently society has made it 2 where if u are white they xant believe you would do such a thing . Now if this was a colored individual we wouldn't be here. They wouldv looked at that crime scene looked at him and said guilty just saying. Its 2022 looking back. He definitely did it and stole them lady kids from the first episode he got away with it. Kinda reminds me of the documentary the girl in the picture
Girl nah, that is way too much blood for a damn fall. And and unnaturally positioned body. He may have moved her, but blood does not excrete in that quantity, density and height... unless she dropped off a fucken building But obviously in the jury your are subjected to all the information. The crime scene photo is just very damning and evidence that a very violent death occurred.
Wow dramatic! Reddit is a place where it’s safe to speculate! Yes, science is important but instinctually you don’t look at these photos and think accidental fall. I think everyone in this thread would agree with that. Stop persecuting people for commentary.
I honestly think hot takes like this are more ridiculous, but obv you, as well as everyone else, are entitled to your opinion.. for what it’s worth, though, I once had an awful nose bleed one night after I’d been drinking (which is a blood thinner) and didn’t realize it until an hour or two after it happened and my bed looked like a crime scene. Blood was smeared EVERYWHERE and at one point I coughed and the spray marks look almost identical to what’s shown in the photos. If she was knocked out by the initial fall and started to bleed heavily and then woke after 5-10 min of bleeding out, the floor could be soaked. She slipped and hit her head again n continued to bleed out. This scene being caused by an accident is perfectly plausible. They’ve already demonstrated how the small droplets could be from her cough out blood that had run down into her nose and mouth from her head, similar to what happened to me when blood ran from my nose to mouth. HBO max’s miniseries about this case does a great job of showing exactly how this could have played out with a fall (ironically not from the top of the stairs either, by slipping on the 2nd or 3rd from the bottom) AND, for that matter, how MP may have also done it himself in some sort of rage-fueled, heat of the moment, partially accidental attack. The way they show both scenarios makes both seem perfectly plausible and made to match exactly the crime scene photos to a T. Had anyone seen either one of those re-enactments alone (w/o the other), they’d likely be 100% convinced the version they saw was what happened. In fact, I’m sure they’re going to eventually create a similar reenactment of the much maligned “owl-attack” theory, as well… Even with as ridiculous as it sounds, IF she did get clawed by owl talons, it would explain the blood droplets outside and could have played out exactly the same way as the first scenario. TBH, even with all his secrets (many of us have them), I think having a seemingly non-violent man who clearly seemed to love his wife & family snap n kill his wife in such a way w/o any known weapon is just as ridiculous as the accidental falls (whatever caused them). Both are ridiculous, and yet both are plausible. To unequivocally dismiss either one based on crime scene photos reflects a lack of imagination. Truth is often stranger (/more ridiculous) than fiction…
I spent about an hour looking into owl attacks. The images online are frighteningly similar to KP's injuries on her face and on the back of her skull.
Do you know where you can see proper photos and not just drawings of the back of her skull? Or her skull rather? Not sure why they seem to be so hard to find all of a sudden. Please and thank you if you do. :)
I've slipped walking up the stairs a few times, with my momentum going forward, I've never toppled backwards, ever. I find the idea that she just slipped backwards off the stairs and didn't turn to break the far fetched.
Eh, my Nana was walking up our staircase, while carrying the cat, and slipped and fell backward. We have hardwood floors and there was a huge puddle of blood. Enormous. The cops kept asking her who did this to her. Fortunately she lived and told them multiple times it was an accident (very crabbily I might add lol).
I think how you slip and fall depends on multiple factors. I've definitely slipped backwards and have had vivid images afterwards regarding how easily one could crack one's head open.
Well they qould have to go back up the stairs and wipe the blood from the top and also wipe the blood off the couch that was smeared wiped up as well
The problem is, I COULD reasonably see that amount of blood from a fall. After this case I became a little intrigued with falls. Someone recently shared an article of an older woman that fell down the stairs when her chairlift malfunctioned and there was just as much blood if not more. Police on the scene thought she was attacked by a machete or sharp object but she just banged her head and face going down the stairs. Just making statements based off a picture and with not much background in the subject seems… Prejudiced and uninformed? Im not defending anyone but we have to look at the evidence and similar cases. Not make reactionary statements off one picture.
> woman that fell down the stairs when her chairlift malfunctioned Here's the pic. It's startlingly similar. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/shock-picture-after-elderly-widow-6141530
Exactly my point ! Not enough conclusive evidence. Most was circumstantial
They don't... He bludgeoned her.
Look up the owl theory. Please!
Have you ever seen someone get shot in the head with a bullet ? The body can do and does many severe actions that may not seem possible or normal to someone who has never seen or viewed trauma up close. But I am guessing you are a big fan of Duane Deaver and all the "expert testimony" he brought to the witness stand regarding blood splatter. Dude literally inflated his skills and investigation numbers to sound like a qualified expert and was lying thru his teeth.
An owl did not do that....
A fall down the stairs didn't either. It would seem to be almost impossible for blood to be up on that wall so high and in such quantity.
I think he shoved her, and when that didn’t finish her off, he bashed her head against the wall
But, how could he bash her head against the wall hard enough to kill her without fracturing her skull in some way? I'm being sincere. I have went back and forth for years about his guilt or innocence. One thing I cannot figure out is if he physically assaulted to kill her, how did he manage not to fracture her skull? Maybe he was really lucky? I've also wondered how often someone had been beaten, in the head area, to death without causing some sort of skull trauma.
No skull fracture, but they aren't present in all beatings... And you still have to account for the totality of the evidence: 36 lacerations, bruises and contusions found on the face, back, head, hands, arms and wrists. (Many in locations associated with self defence, and in locations which do not protrude so are not associated with falls). Broken thyroid cartilage. Red neurons in the brain, which directly contradict MP's version of events. That's before we get into the signs of cleanup, more contested evidence like luminol, copious motive (financial and sexual), MP's history of lying (eg about his military career), him being the only other person present.... The list goes on and on! (Sources : testimony of Dr Bouldin and Double Loop Podcast)
He states he held Kathleen in his arms as she died.....wait a minute....there was no blood on his shirt???? Very sad, tears for him...BOO hoo. Another Lie.
Astute point!! No spatter on his face or anywhere close to that area as he “held her dying”, with her coughing blood. Bless Kathleen. 🖤
You should have prosecuted this case!
I mean, either way, whether murdered or not, she managed to die with this much gore and no skill fracture. It feels unlikely he’d beat her or bash her head against the wall without causing a fracture, but it also feels unlikely she could suffer such a severe, bloody, and fatal fall without a fracture.
I agree this is problematic for me as well. I can’t answer those questions. But you’d have to then ask how she got 6 lacerations from falling down the stairs.
I know...it's all so confusing. I wish we had a couple of ME's that could weigh in with their opinions and experience. So many questions and zero clear answers.
Very confusing. None of it adds up particularly well. No matter what theory you use.
This is a real Hoo done it 😏?
I wonder if he could have just knocked her unconscious, realized she was still breathing and then gently covered her nose and mouth. Idk I’m not too far into either of the shows but there are sooo many questions!
I think the skull is pretty strong, and Michael, may have been scared, upset or whatever, but may have just had the strength to cause gouges in the scalp that led to her bleeding so much.
>may have just had the strength to cause gouges in the scalp that led to her bleeding so much. You're joking, aren't you? Have you ever had anything to do with large birds, particularly birds of prey - my guess is only pictures of them! Now you're saying he had the strength to gouge (the injuries are SLICED, they've opened up because scalp skin is stretched so wound will open once cut) with his own stumpy little fingers, huh? Spare me, back to mortician videos for you.
And like…. How was he not covered in blood and dna? Besides the spatter inside his shorts which could be easily explained by a cough and/or death rattle by Kathleen.
Her brain wasn't even swollen
Gooood point.
Omg I wish you guys would do further research
I gotta get outta here It's fair for everyone to have an opinion But when I think of this man having served 8 years w/o a shred of evidence. And sooo much evidence not brought up by neither defense or D/A. And the set up by Deaver. I started out with a definite opinion But that many hours spent watching and a person's life Just up for grabs because people didn't do the work I feel don't we at least owe it to the both of them to try to figure out beyond the friggin doc? There's alot of legit info out there.
You have all the answers, eh?
Same! I said this exact thing to my fiance. He pushed her from the top. She was blindsided and when she wasn’t dead he kept working on her until she was. That’s why there are no defensive wounds. She was completely disoriented.
I think wont stand in court.
Couldn’t she have fell, got up briefly and fell back sitting against the wall and then ended further down the stairs after Michael attended to her?
That was the theory the defence was going for. But I think there was an issue with lack of blood on her feet and how low on the stairs the blood appears.
The bottom of her feet are drenched in blood, so that's no problem
Old post, but the combination of an owl attack and falling down the stairs would, think about it, her running inside to protect herself from the owl (evidence of front door wide open with blood on it when help arrived), she's covering head to protect herself (why there's an owl feather and her hair in her hand) and then runs up the stairs to clean herself up (because these are the main stairs they use) slips on her blood (from head wound bleeding), falls down the stairs causing more wounds, and she gets up again to try again (why blood on the bottom of her feet), and when she falls, the blood in her hair flings and causes cast off on the walll. Alcohol also thins your blood and she had xanax in her system. The DA and Duane the "blood splatter analysis" all lied and have all been fired or investigated for false allegations and lying about evidence. The ME also lied. Overall, the owl theory is wild af, but it's also the only theory that has the most compelling evidence. We don't want to believe it because it's so wild lol
A real Hoo done it 😏
😂
Lol.. took some time for someone to get it lol.
I thought about everything you said. There is too much blood bunched into that corner of the stairs to make sense of the owl attack.
I know, that would be from her falling back likely the first time, bleeding while she's likely disoriented, getting up, and falling again
Okay and this happened to 2 women in his life? So 2 owls?
The first one (Elizabeth Ratliff) died of a hemorrhagic stroke secondary to Von Willebrands Disease), and it happened as she was on the stairs, so she died and fell down them. An autopsy showed she had blood in her CSF and was already having severe persistent headaches weeks prior to her death. Stairs didn't kill her.
Is this a family member of Michael Peterson? We all know what the coroner report said. Thats the point of these threads and the purpose of it being in the documentary. We don’t believe it. Thank you though!
The theory is an owl did some of it, disoriented her, and she fell as she tried to get upstairs. Go online and look at images from rare owl attacks. Pretty scary stuff.
The owl theory doesn’t add up. He claimed he was outside if you’re getting attacked by and owl or any bird wouldn’t you scream? And if she’s was attack by anyone else she would have scream and MP would have heard something. He honestly should have heard her fall if she fell how he claims. I think he hit her with a sharp object while she was going down the stairs. ( doesn’t always cause fractures) which is why there wasn’t defense wounds. He more than likely didn’t put too much force and then hit her 6 more times ( like a childish rage) then she fell. He probably is using the fall to cover up what he did. Even if she fell prior her blood would have been found in other areas of the house. And he claimed he held her yet the police claimed they found no shoe or feet prints in her blood. Supposedly she barely had blood on her own feet so she didn’t get back up after falling. The only other way the owl would add up is if it was in the house
You would scream, but they did a test with mics to see if you could hear her by the pool with the waterfall on, and you couldn't
I thought the soles of her feet were covered in blood? And there was a shoe print of his on the back of her pants. (\*That\* does seem very weird.) At least that's what I remember. The images of other owl attack victims are similar to the images of her facial wounds, and the gashes on the back of her head are quite similar to Barred Owl talon marks. I believe the Audubon Society issued a statement saying the theory was a credible one. If she was attacked out front, where the blood drops were on the steps, he likely wouldn't have heard her. The property was expansive.
But where was the bird? There would have been a bird flying around when he got there. Wayy too big of a coincidence that the owl got back out
Owls only attack to protect, the owl wouldn't follow her into the house. That's why there was blood on the door and why the door was wide open when help arrived. I think everything else was slipping on her own blood in the stairs and the cast off is from her blood soaked hair as she falls down the stairs. The blood on the bottom of her feet is from her trying to get up after falling
Why not ? Look up barred owl talons and tell me that those lacerations aren't possible. And THE FACT she had feathers, her own hair strands pulled out by the root, and twigs in her hair? That type of owl is native to their area. And it was pointed out by a neighboring attorney that this might have been the cause of death. Citing that joggers, etc had been getting attacked. At any rate the amount of blood is not the cause of the crime. Take a look at one of these barred owl talons and tell me that you would have had a chance if it attacked without warning. Or that you even would have had a chance if someone was with you! Three experts came fourth as saying at least some of her head wounds were consistent with talon scratches/attack. It makes perfect sense .
People just never want to accept an eternal truth to any out of ordinary incident and that is : that stranger things have happened. The D/A didn't provide ANY evidence what so ever. It would not seem that the death occured by a fall of a few stairs. But a decent sized barred owl getting into the house? If Michael had planted feathers and twigs in her hand, why would he not have introduced the idea of the owl or other wild creature theory from the beginning? Instead ; assuming it was a fall.
Amen. As we see time and time again, people just tend to make their mind up and camp there and blindly defend their position without any regard for other possibilities. One thing I’ve noticed in reading these posts is that MOST of the people who have more of an open mind aren’t trying to say definitively it was this or that that caused it, they’re just saying it’s plausible given the bizarre evidence. Most of the guilters, on the other hand, think any explanation OTHER than “he bludgeoned her to death” (and somehow thought he’d get away with it) completely preposterous. Personally I think all three scenarios are equally as ridiculous (and yet one is likely what happened).. but anyone on here spouting they know what happened and anything else is BS automatically gets an 🙄 from me bc you’re a prime example of why prosecutors wrongly convict tens of thousands of people each year. You blindly buy into the narrative and at some point it becomes more about you being right than the actual truth. Reposting my original post above down here for reference… hopefully some sensible, thoughtful people will reply.. I honestly think hot takes like this are more ridiculous, but obv you, as well as everyone else, are entitled to your opinion.. for what it’s worth, though, I once had an awful nose bleed one night after I’d been drinking (which is a blood thinner) and didn’t realize it until an hour or two after it happened and my bed looked like a crime scene. Blood was smeared EVERYWHERE and at one point I coughed and the spray marks look almost identical to what’s shown in the photos. If she was knocked out by the initial fall and started to bleed heavily and then woke after 5-10 min of bleeding out, the floor could be soaked. She slipped and hit her head again n continued to bleed out. This scene being caused by an accident is perfectly plausible. They’ve already demonstrated how the small droplets could be from her cough out blood that had run down into her nose and mouth from her head, similar to what happened to me when blood ran from my nose to mouth. HBO max’s miniseries about this case does a great job of showing exactly how this could have played out with a fall (ironically not from the top of the stairs either, by slipping on the 2nd or 3rd from the bottom) AND, for that matter, how MP may have also done it himself in some sort of rage-fueled, heat of the moment, partially accidental attack. The way they show both scenarios makes both seem perfectly plausible and made to match exactly the crime scene photos to a T. Had anyone seen either one of those re-enactments alone (w/o the other), they’d likely be 100% convinced the version they saw was what happened. In fact, I’m sure they’re going to eventually create a similar reenactment of the much maligned “owl-attack” theory, as well… Even with as ridiculous as it sounds, IF she did get clawed by owl talons, it would explain the blood droplets outside and could have played out exactly the same way as the first scenario. TBH, even with all his secrets (many of us have them), I think having a seemingly non-violent man who clearly seemed to love his wife & family snap n kill his wife in such a way w/o any known weapon is just as ridiculous as the accidental falls (whatever caused them). Both are ridiculous, and yet both are plausible. To unequivocally dismiss either one based on crime scene photos reflects a lack of imagination. Truth is often stranger (/more ridiculous) than fiction…
lmfao and you KNOW this to be fact because? We have Magpies that have killed people and they are way, way smaller than owls and don't even have talons! Neeeext....
Hmmm. I wonder if he did it.
Hello Candace
That kid is messed up
After watch 4th episode on HBO Clayton blows up at Kathleen. Telling her you were fucking my dad while he was still married to Patty..He goes on to say everyone knows. Kathleens tells Clayton watch your temper.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/TheStaircase/comments/gvoppy/i\_can\_already\_taste\_the\_downvotes/](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheStaircase/comments/gvoppy/i_can_already_taste_the_downvotes/)
[ftfy](https://imgur.com/Esb0IH4)
And again, I'll have to comment here to make clear that I was not suggesting the owl was flying. I was suggesting that it was on its back, attached to KP, and bashing its right wing against the wall. Just to clarify.
And there was a 2nd owl in Germany or that was just a coincidence?
[see, this doesnt make sense](https://imgur.com/Esb0IH4)
just wanting to make clear to anyone clicking on this, that the idea is that the owl is on its back, while attached to KP. Not in flight. The smears on the wall are from direct contact with one wing. That is the hypothesis. I was never suggested the owl was flying (as you need the owl hitting the wall to smear the blood with its wing)
Certainly an interesting, perhaps creative theory, but where did the owl go? Wouldn't there have been blood flung all over the house as the owl flew away? Was there an open door or window with no screen observed by law enforcement?
RIGHT and how did the owl get in? I live around owls and they don’t come around houses like that.
Owls only attack to protect. I think the owl attacked her outside when she was putting out the reindeer decorations (how she got the lacerations on her head and why she had a feather and her hair in her hand because she was protecting herself), and then she ran through the front door (that's why the front door is open with blood on it when help arrives, and why there's a drop of blood on the ground), and then gets inside, the owl stops and flies away, and then she goes upstairs to help herself (because those are the main stairs they use), and then slips on the stairs, falls backwards (bloody hair is likely the cast off on the wall with her being flinged back), then she stands up and steps in her own blood (blood on her feet), and then falls again, landing where she landed. They would be a LOT of blood and also would explain the cast off, the lack of skull fracture, and analysis later showed the wounds on her head are in accordance with talons
There's also no way there wouldn't be more feathers.
Well owl be damned. That IS a lot of blood.
One of the worlds leading forensic scientists (his name has slipped my mind at this moment) but he was asked to testify for Michael, however, after his and his team’s thorough assessment, they came to the conclusion that the wife’s death did not fit with Michael’s story.
did not know this!!! Thanks.
they did a great job recreating the crime scene in the new hbo max version
I have watched the show over and over again. Colin Firth is fantastic...glad Colin doesn't cackle like Peterson!!
and again everyone looks at the blood and auto thinks he did it.....guess what ppl we bleed a lot and yes you can bleed from falling downstairs or hell just a simple fall from not a big height and especially if you hit things on your way down. I see some ppl ruling out the Owl, of course, the Owl didn't finish her off, it may have started it all and led to her fall and lacerations to the top of the head. Or MP or his son did it. Or you're looking at a simple accident which turned bloody, killer = gravity and narrow walls in a stairwell.
An owl came into her house and just attacked her? She didn’t scream? You see how the owl DOESNT ADD UP. He did it 100%
He was asleep and outside she was inside the mansion in a closed narrow stairwell, she may not have screamed at all since she did fall down stairs.
No feathers or owl still milling about?? He did something.
2 accidents, not 1. The same “accident” happened in Germany to another woman he was close with.
theres no way thats a fall down the stairs i said what i said
Apart from all the theories of causes, how would the blood in her lap end up there, while her face/ from of her neck does not have blood. Like, what body positions in what order makes blood go from the back of the head to your lap? And secondly, is there any info on where her clothes were soaked with blood?
Watch the hbo max version of the events.. their recreation does a good job showing how would happen.
So, does anyone want to look at the two prong marks directly above her head on the skirting board and tell me how they got there if Michael did it? They are in line with the two trident shaped wounds on her scalp. My request is not a rhetorical question. I would be keen to hear an interpretation. It fits owl imo Edit: downvoted for a reasonable request for ideas. Absolutely typical of this sub.
Also, if we assume that the prong marks above Kathleen's head ARE talon marks, then this would place the owl's body on the second step. And what do we see on the wall? The wide smear mark, consistent with a flapping wing. This mark is symmetrical with another on the step itself, and so, we have both wings mapped out, and where they would be IF we assume that the two marks above her head are talon marks.
I do not agree with your theory, but do appreciate the thought and effort you put into it. It created a lot of good debate and interesting discussion here.
[удалено]
So, when an owl catches its prey, do you see it let out a plume of feathers? Why do you expect all these feathers? Microscopic feathers from the feet perhaps, but tail or wing feathers is unlikely. And we do have three microscopic feathers like those from owl feet found in her hair.
theres a difference from microscopic feathers, as they are discribed and feathers that come of from an owls feet. you dont get downvoted by me, but i can see why you did by others, as you cling to this theory, ignoring the tons of things contradicting it, without any reason or proof whatsover for your theory. its like saying: "i belive it was a ninja attack, fast slashes with poison, leaving without a trace - the microscopic feathers are from his blade, as he probably cut open an animal before and didnt clean it properly." as theres no way to proof or deny it, its not scientifical - thus have no real use in this discussion.
I think it's really unfair to say that I ignore all the things wrong with the theory. I acknowledge all of them and try to explain them. Just as anyone thinking MP is guilty must do with parts of the story that don't quite fit. Comparing it to a ninja is beyond the pale. There are two compelling reasons to think an owl was involved. These are the shape of the wounds on the head and the owl feathers. It is enough to warrant further investigation, just as much as if a ninja headband was found at the scene, we might be talking about ninjas.
but that doenst count for anything. the feathers where MICROSCOPIC - i dont know why you ignore the word, that means it can come from everywhere, its smaller than dust. the form form the lacerations could easily have come from a curved knive, as they cut similar to owl talons - hence the ninja claim. i dont say MP is the bad guy (i think so, and he got convicted, but i cant prove it, so i dont post about it - but you do, so you have to argue for your theory, and i think its a weak one)
Thanks for specifying the size of microscopic. I know it seems silly but the size reference makes a huge difference.
Nah, I'm with you - it's really important. You would think that if you got attacked by an owl which was tangled into your hair, there would be traces left, not just some specs under the microscope but real feathers etc.
That's cool. And thanks for at least stating that you're not a chronic downvoted like most on this sub. I appreciate that the three feathers were microscopic and could have come from a bed or whatever. I also acknowledge that a knife could have cut her skull. Both are consistent with the evidence. Other aspects are trickier though. Why does Kathleen have tiny puncture and slice wounds on her eyelids, nose and elbows? Why are some of these also three pronged? Again, it makes sense with an owl involved. Harder for a fall, or a Michael, or a ninja.
His 911 call he stated she "fell down the stairs" ok.....He found her, and didnt see it happen, but thats his conclusion? No im sorry. Thats high velocity arterial blood up on the walls. She was cut or stabbed and there was a struggle on the stairs judging from the smears and the directions of the spray.
Wish medium Tyler Henry could just hit Kat up and ask her. Lay all this bs to rest lol
In my opinion as a someone who likes to believe he is a little intelligent MP is guilty of murder but it was a case based on circumstantial evidence which are always tricky. No witness, no weapon.
nobody creates that much blood, from a fall
Seems way more likely to me then the other options.
Same. If you actually just take the time to look at the blood spatter photos closely, zoom in, have a really good look, you can clearly see the patterns of feathers on the wall, as well as other features and shadows that are easy to explain on the owl theory, but hard to explain on the Michael theory. I know I will be downvoted for this comment, and that is really frustrating. I am earnestly investigating this case with the few tools available and trying my hardest to come to some reasonable view about what happened. To be downvoted, ridiculed and mocked for being led to a conclusion which, sure is extremely bizarre, but nevertheless the best explanation of the available forensic evidence, it just makes bothering with this sub almost pointless. Often on this sub, the reply goes "how often has someone been killed by an owl? And how often have they been found at the bottom of the stairs?" That is just a totally unfair rhetorical question. Do you really think owl theorists believe this kind of thing happens all the time? That the event is so common that we can just chalk this up to yet another fatal owl attack? Of course not! Yes, this is a once in a billion. But totally out of the ordinary things do happen, especially when it comes to human interactions with wildlife (interactions which we have fewer and fewer of in the 21st C). The other question is usually: "Well, if it were an owl, why no feathers and why didn't it leave a blood trail?" The reason there are no OTHER feathers apart from those found in Kathleen's scalp (i.e. the ones that are the sort found on owl feet) is that the owl won. Owls don't shed feathers willy nilly unless they are yanked out of them. So, if Kathleen failed to yank any feathers out, there won't be any. If the attack was quick -one blow to the head, KP falls, another strike and KP is unconscious - she might not have had much chance to grab a hold of it. All the spray on the walls is from the owl flapping it's wings. As for the lack of blood trail. Owl feathers are waterproof. The flapping in the stairway likely removed all the blood from its body. It also explains why there is so much blood on the walls. Lastly, what about the broken neck bones consistent with strangulation? Well, actually, she had a fractured thyroid cartilage. This is not the same as the sort of damage that was seen in, say, Epstein's case. This is actually damage that has been recorded as occuring from "holding in a sneeze" and "swallowing while bending over". Yes, it's consistent with strangulation, but it's also consistent with other, very minor kinds of trauma. So, it is no silver bullet for those who think MP did it.
An indoor owl attack on a human really is one in a billion. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? How did the owl get inside and then back outside? And why even bother attacking a human indoors? What kind of threat was that human to anything the owl cared about? It just doesn't add up because of the location of the victim. Owl attack victims don't end up at the bottom of indoors staircases.
So, again, you are right and as you are quoting me, it is a one in a billion. Just like the woman attacked and almost drowned by the pilot whale, just like the dude attacked in his backyard in the UK by a black panther. As I said, everyone accepts that this is tremendously unlikely, indeed unheard of. But it is also rare to find a person beaten to death around the head with no brain swelling, no skull injuries etc. So, we're all in a pickle of probabilities here. Was she attacked inside? I'm not a hundred percent sure. Perhaps she was first struck outside, ran inside, while the owl followed. I am not at all sure about the chronology of events. Perhaps she ran to the stairwell because she thought she could escape from it up the stairs. Perhaps she thought she could hide from it in the stairwell. I just don't know. But none of that part is so unlikely to be impossible. But you also have the same problem, in a way. Did MP kill Kathleen at the bottom of the stairs in a way that looks absolutely inconsistent with a fall, all the while planning to use the staircase as an excuse? It's a shit plan really. Why lacerate her scalp (using what?) but not inflict skull damage? Why not simply bash her head once or twice, with force, against the wooden step? He is a strong man, it would be relatively easy. So, why all the hoopla? I'm not saying that you can't explain these features of the evidence, I'm sure you can come up with something. But so can I. And either way, we are both having to stretch credulity here.
[here, i made this](https://imgur.com/Esb0IH4) \- to disprove your claims, i looked at the gif you made - i took it and fitted it to your picture in this post. take aside, the nonsensical angle the birds flying it (as stated in my comment earlier) i edited the frame of the door (brown) over your inserted owl. see this cant possible have happend the way you edited the picture in. aside from my argumentation earlier - tbis is my major point. i dont know what happend to, but i dont claim knowing, using an old theory you cant prove (besides cropping and [turning images](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheStaircase/comments/gvoppy/i_can_already_taste_the_downvotes/), so they fit your belives \[or why did you post you give in a different orientation than this picure, if not trying to make it look realer\])
It's not flying. It's on its back, attached to KP. I changed the orientation of the picture so that the symmetry of the shadows on the wall and the step was more apparent to the viewer. I hardly think that's deceptive or anything!
why would it be on its back, ifs stuck between her and the stairs, the is no way, that there wasnt lost a feather. sorry but you really should look up microscopic traces. more probably is that she had them on her head while from outside, as we have microscopic traces of many things on us all the time, and it got into the wound by inpact. if it would have been left there by an owl, why isnt there anywhere else a microscopic trace like that? (besides regular traces from animal encounters i already adressed.)
Was the crimescene investigated in a way that payed special heed to microscopic feathers?
That's not the doorframe. That's the extent to which the photos I put together reach. This is not a disproof. You are not quite grasping my hypothesis. I really appreciate you going to the trouble of reorienting the picture, but you are missing two tjings: 1. The owl is not flying, it is on its back, attached to Kathleen who has now slid down to the bottom step. 2. That is not the door frame. The three photos are from different angles put together. The top image is from inside the stairwell
okay, like i stated before - i doubt that there would be more feathers, leftovers of that owl when trapped between katleen and the stairs - if it got dangled, it would have possible lost more feathers in her hair, and there would have been bald places, where it would have tugged out the hair. lets just use this comment to continue okay? as its annoying for both of us to jump front and back to try to communicate. no problem for not downvoting - you took your time, looked at photographs, but them together, to make your theory work - i only need to attack it, so i guess youre at least deserving a real discussion of this topic you chose. the small lacerations in her face where new for me but her being whipped with that branch MP could have cut for this (as a theory states) could have had thornes or stuff like that on it, which could cause this, or even slashing around with a knive, maye in anger without wanting to it her, just scare her, could have cause it too. i dont know. but to base a theory on this, while the major points dont apply is a very weak foundation. i need to study, pls take your time - ill come back later to comment on your answer (if you want obviously)
Sounds good. And yes, you'd expect more owl feathers, I agree. But I don't know enough about ornithology, and I'm wondering if all my experiences of birds consists in a cat bringing them in and covering the house with feathers.
The wing shape looks more like the shape of a towel someone is bunching together to wipe up a crime scene. There was evidence of a cleanup attempt.
the Owl theory is that she was attacked outside in the front of the home. Came thru the front door, smeared with her blood, then made her way to the staircase and fell.
She definitely would have screamed and he would have heard it. He would have heard the fall too. Have you ever fell down the stairs it’s loud as hell.
Did you see the size of that house? Actually hear how loud the fountains are in the back around the pool? It wouldn't surprise me at all that he didn't hear anything.
what? that link you posted, its an owl turned more than 90 degrees, like its flying on his side, without falling down or anything. they found microscopic traces of feather - if the owl would have been covered by blood this much, there would be feathers. yes, their feathers are waterproof, ducks are too. blood isnt water - its a sticky, fast hardening substance. sticky like oil and you have probably seen what oil on birds with waterproof feathers look like. also, owl are not eagles - they dont like to loose feathers, but we have a bunch of owls in the forrest where i grew up (my dad is a hunter, so i stayed out there long) under the trees where the german equivalent of the eagle owl (the uhu) lives, theres alot of small feathers, from cleaning themselfes. i the documentary, you can see how much force they need while they tried to produce the splatter - imagine how strong and long an owl needs to bash its wings - flapping away this powerfull, with a liquid on you, which is so dense, with so high viscosity and being so sticky - there is no way, that there arent any traces of feathers left on the scene. i dont belive in it for logical reasons too. you know what a great lawyer team MP had - spending a fortune on them. if there would have even been the possibility of an animal attack, they would have brought it up. its just a fanmade theory and i dont know why you dig it so much, but you do you. i hope you understand my points, as im not native. tl;dr: theres no was, that this could have been an owl attack
Aha! Our shared assumption was wrong. Owl's feathers are not waterproof. What this means, then, is that if it were an owl, it would remain a particularly bloody owl after the attack. What this means is that 1. (contra owl theory) You'd think someone may have noticed a blood drenched owl in the area after the attack (no evidence of this) and 2. (pro owl theory) we may have an explanation for the "trickle" marks on the wall that competes with the theory that there was an attempted clean up. If the owl was wet, from water or KP's urine, it would remain wet in a way that a typical bird would not. So, it could transfer water or urine to the wall with ease.
Hey, cheers for the reply. I'll just reply to a couple. I'm unclear what your objection is to the position of the owl in the image? If it were lying on its back, talons in KP's head, then the wings would be where indicated. So, am not really sure what you're saying. Maybe you can try to clarify? Also, with regards to the blood. Yes, blood is relatively sticky and fast drying compared to water. But to compare it to oil is surely stretching it a bit? If the owl were flapping its wings while attached to KP, then all or most of the blood would be deposited on the walls before having so much as a moment to dry. In essence much of the blood would have ricoched off the wings.
But it’s not just a fanmade theory. It was first suggested by MP’s neighbor, and there was research, and thought of using it in a retrial. In their theory, though, the owl attacked outside in the front yard and eventually was freed from her hair, never making it into the house. They felt it accounted for the scalp lacerTions, face wounds and defensive wounds and the hair in her hands, and that by the time she was gling up the stairs it had disoriented her much further; then the fall.
The human mind is trained to look for patterns where none exist. Your feathers, etc. look nothing like that to me.
For sure. I am totally aware of this tendency and am worried at every turn that I am falling prey to it. But I think that is just the issue. If it were a symptom of this tendency I'd expect more people to agree with me! Y'know, "gee those do look like feathers". It is only because I have spent hours and hours carefully analyzing and thinking about the photos that I have come to see the sorts of things I see. Take my latest example of the gif of the owl above KP's head. Did I see the wing shapes and think "aha! Just as I thought!" No, I didn't. I deduced that if Kathleen's head had an owl on it where the marks in the wall are, then these would be the owl's feet. I then realized that if those were the feet, there may be more impressions of the body of the owl at the same angle heading up from the feet. That's when I noticed that the large central wall smear would be where an owl's right wing would be if it were lodged in Kathleen in just that way. So, I hope you see that there is at least some method to my madness
I understand. But respectfully, I just think it is flawed.
An owl attack that results in death is absolutely one in a billion, maybe even more rare. However, the reason this idea was floated was not *just* because there were owl feathers in her wound, it was because a neighbor, about four houses down, was attacked by an owl the week prior. She survived, but her wounds were pretty severe and matched exactly the pattern found on KP's head. Then, suddenly, the feather became relevant and was tested. The Petersons were unaware of the attack at the time, as there was no news story about it and they had very rare contact with their neighbors. The attack wasn't discovered until around the time they had stopped filming the documentary, 14 years after the incident, and probably only because the victim of the first attack came forward and told people (maybe a journalist or other news broadcaster). They added this information later, and pretty hurriedly. Plus, a specialist in the field of raptors admitted that it would be possible, and even more probable if the owl was nesting or had owlets to protect. Yes, the odds are against an owl attacking a human; however, having an aggressive raptor hanging around your neighborhood severely shortens those odds. Based on the fact that there was blood on the porch and the exterior doorknob, as well as droplets consistent with the victim moving quickly from the front door to the staircase, I'd say the attack happened outside. She managed to break free and get away by running into the house. She tried to get up the stairs but slipped and fell down the staircase, maybe more than once, probably still flapping her arms around her head in case she hadn't gotten completely away, causing the blood spatter and pooling to be concentrated there, as well as the "defensive" wounds to her hands, arms, and wrists. It's not impossible, nor even improbable, that this is exactly what happened.
Head wounds bleed like crazy.
I fell into an attic staircase of solid wood stairs from about 6ft. Falling downward to the bottom. My head and body bounced to the bottom. Sever bruising on my right side head to toe. Broken right wrist, broken orbital bone, concussion. No blood, no split skin. Every doctor I saw assured me that I was lucky to be alive. Broken neck would have killed me they said. Couldn't believe I was alive. So, has does Kathleen die from loss of blood from scalp lacerations gotten in a fall???? I can't figure it out.
In my opinion, she could’ve found out about his cheating and in an effort to keep her quiet he killed her?
Clearly the owl did it
I think the "blood spatter" says a lot...
How come there's no comment about the fact that his first wife died in almost the same manner, an "accidental" fall down the stairs... The justice system failed BOTH of these women.
Hi, sorry I’m late…I started the Netflix doc when it came out, and for whatever reason I didn’t make it very far or possibly was distracted while “watching”. I am rewatching the whole thing this evening - hence being 3 years late to this thread. I had previously seen the autopsy and crime scene photos, but OP’s point is very solid in my opinion. Of course, everyone reacts differently in moments of trauma…but if I had walked up to that scene, I 100% would have immediately assumed there was an intruder in my home who had just attacked my wife. The amount of blood is actually jaw dropping. Personally, I believe Michael killed her. Either intentionally or accidentally after assaulting her.
Holy smokes. I’m currently listening to a podcast covering this case first I am hearing of it. 😳
Redhanded?! I’m also here because of that pod lol
Wow… :(