On December 9th, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home. Did her husband and crime novelist Michael Peterson do it?

Netflix’s 13-episode documentary relaunches the 2004 series, and expands on the original by presenting three new episodes.

The series is from filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, who was granted access to the case just after Kathleen’s death in Durham, N.C. Her husband discovered her body and called 911, but quickly became the prime suspect in the investigation. Soon after, he was charged with his wife’s murder as the case unfolded in court.

De Lestrade captured the story from his arrest to the verdict, including details of the Peterson’s home, the family and the defense team as it considered its strategic options.

The murder trial was first broadcast on French and American television 14 years ago, and was updated five years ago with two new episodes. Now, the streamer’s three new episodes will “expand the scope of de Lestrade’s comprehensive analysis of the Peterson case—and bring The Staircase to its mesmerizing conclusion,” says Netflix.

Netflix describes it as a gripping real-life courtroom thriller, offering a rare and revealing inside-look at a high-profile murder trial and is an engrossing examination of contemporary American justice.

The Staircase will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 28, and launch globally June 8 on Netflix.

"The Staircase" key art. [Netflix]
“The Staircase” key art. [Netflix]

Tags:


  Save as PDF