Before Michael met Kathleen Peterson, he was married to Patty Peterson for almost 30 years. In a strange turn of events, Patty stood by Michael's side in not one but two staircase-related death investigations, reports Oxygen. In 1985, Michael and Patty lived in Germany. There, Patty worked as an elementary school teacher for military children as a part of the U.S. Department of Defense, writes Bustle. One night Michael drove Patty's friend, 43-year-old Elizabeth Ratliff, home after she'd visited the Petersons' house (via Oxygen). The following morning, Ratliff's housekeeper found her dead at the bottom of her home's stairs (per Cheatsheet).
At the time, Ratliff's death was ruled an accident. Evidence pointed toward a cerebral hemorrhage, which caused her to fall down the stairs. After Kathleen's death, however, Elizabeth's body was exhumed, and North Carolina authorities changed her cause of death to murder. Patty and Michael took legal custody of Ratliff's children, Martha and Margaret Ratliff.
After Michael and Patty divorced in 1994, Michael moved back to North Carolina, according to Cheatsheet. Later, after Kathleen's death, Patty stood by Michael, convinced of his innocence. "He is innocent of any involvement in Kathleen's death," Patty told reporters. "I've always believed he did not do this, and I always will" (via Bustle). Michael Peterson's first wife provided him with financial support, including a loan of $168,000 for legal expenses. "She was a kind person," said Clayton Peterson, after her death. "She touched so many lives."
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