Overview

Michael Peterson is an American novelist and convicted criminal. He was born on October 23, 1943, in Nashville, Tennessee. Peterson is best known for being the subject of the Netflix miniseries ‘The Staircase,’ which revolves around the death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson. In 2003, he was convicted of murdering Kathleen, but after eight years, he was granted a new trial. In 2017, he submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to time already served, leading to his release. Peterson authored several novels, including ‘The Immortal Dragon,’ ‘A Time of War,’ and ‘A Bitter Peace.’ He also released a memoir in 2019 titled ‘Behind the Staircase,’ detailing his experiences with the legal system. Peterson’s case has been the subject of significant media attention, including documentaries and true-crime series.

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