re: The Staircase: Netflix Original - worth a watch?

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I listened to a true crime podcast that had an episode focus on a guy who was convicted of murdering his wife when she was discovered at the base of the stairs with her head bashed in. The podcast focused on a theory about a potential Owl suspect who might have attacked her and actually caused the death.

Is that the same as the case in this show?

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Yes. That was actually the 1st episode of Phoebe Judge's "Criminal" podcast. It's ironic that that was her first episode, because it entertains the ridiculous owl theory. Her podcast went on to be one of the best ones out there.

My thoughts (this may contain spoilers)

The Original 02 Crime and Trial:

When there is so much corruption on the county level in Durham, it is very hard to for sure say one way or another that he did it or didn't do it, regardless of how "sleazy" he seemed. There was a good bit of evidence left out of the documentary, but I also asked myself when I read the transcripts, how much of this was fabricated and how much was written off by investigators/DA etc. Some of the things that stood out in the transcripts that weren't included:

1. Michael's eldest son, who lived 2 1/2 hours or so away, was there at the house before the EMT got there and seemingly the answer MP gave was he called him and he came. He had disdain for Kathleen because of how close he was to his dad, he had a temper supposedly also. The DA didn't pursue this strange timeline, but mentioned it.

2. The body had dried blood around over fresh blood, but no rigor, consistent with being moved.

3. There were blood stains other places, particularly right outside the back door on the patio area and on the door frame (a pretty large smudged stain of dried looking blood) This was one that lended itself to the "owl" theory, assuming IF she got attacked by the owl, she was attacked outside and drunkenly found her way inside.

4. The bloody shoe stain on the stair above her body wasn't KP or MP's size shoe, it was larger. The prosecution said it was MP's but the scene was so bloody it was smeared a good bit to look larger.

5. There were several other (don't remember exact signs) even on a cellular level, like red blood cells in the brain matter I believe, showing some form of lack of oxygen due to strangulation.

There were some more signs that made it a lot more fishy than the doc made it seem.

The "Attacked by an owl" Theory:

It sounds extremely far fetched, but the gashes on the head, plus the fact that there were microscopic owl feathers in one of her hands, and the blood stains mentioned above. The fact that it was winter time consistent with Barn Owls in that area and their backyard was fairly wooded, that is the only way one would've attacked though, if Kathleen got too close to a nest, but she was intoxicated so could she have stumbled and shaken a tree and disrupted one? (I'm playing devils advocate of course)

Then add the wounds like on the back and elbows and face and the fact that getting attacked on the head by a Barn Owl, is equivalent to getting hit by a baseball bat, so it would've disoriented an already intoxicated woman........

It's not as far fetched when you consider truth is often stranger than fiction...

Some of the things working against MP:

1. The DA's Office and Local Police had to be not only aware of who MP was but also had to have a level of disdain for a former political columnist who had a few exposés about government issues

2. Durham was a country backwoods part of NC (I didn't realize this until watching the doc) but being from AL and being well versed in "backwoods civilization" , a person with bisexual tendencies even with a family like MP had, is seen as completely immoral especially in 02, and therefore capable of anything by being bisexual when in reality, that shouldn't have even been admitted into the trial.

3. That crazy sister, who the DA and the judge were scared of I'm assuming, was on the verge of suing the pants off the state.

What I think could've happened:

Either.....

I think KP could've gotten mouthy, being intoxicated, with Todd (MP's oldest son who I think was there) and he beat her with the blow poke possibly? Then when she was still alive, strangled her, MP walks in from outside and sees what happened, Helped move her and "staged the scene" and then does his damnedest to take the fall for his son if the "accidental fall down the stairs" wasn't believed. He loved his son, really all of the kids he called "HIS Children"

OR......

KP was upstairs on the computer, found something indicating about MP's bisexual extra curricular affairs, again she was intoxicated, confronts him when comes back in. He attacks her and strangles her, then staged the body at the bottom of the stairs.

I know TL;DR, but it was definitely an interesting but skewed view in the documentary, but very informative on how a defense builds its case

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This main character, Mike Peterson, is a stone cold killer who was convicted by a jury and let out on a technicality.

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He very well might be a stone cold killer but it's a hell of a stretch to pretend it was some minor technicality.

Spoilers I guess

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prolly pissed that she has to defend all these actions made by a dirty DA who is now a Judge

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This was one of my biggest takeaways from the show, that being just how crooked the system is. This woman and the judge both knew what the main witness did. Then the judge eventually heard about what the second main witness(the lady ME) did, and the cops with the “murder weapon”, yet they still had to get up there and stand by the initial ruling. They both knew it was bullshite. The judge even admitted as much.

It bothers me that all these internet smart people think they have it all figured out. The guy and his family were weird. He didn’t sound right on the 911 call. Just nonsense things on which to base someone’s guilt. Oh, the show didn’t give all the information. Well, we know everyone involved with the prosecution were corrupt morons.

The case was basically showing pictures of the Kathleen to the jury to get them emotional, a blood splatter guy who lied about everything, a medical examiner who admitted to changing her initial ruling of it being an accident because her corrupt boss told her to, and a medical weapon that wasn’t a medical weapon which was hidden by corrupt cops and the district attorney knew.

The two biggest things against the guy never should have been admitted in court. The Germany thing, there was plenty of witness testimony about the woman’s health. The bisexual thing was only used to turn this southern jury against him.

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Then add the wounds like on the back and elbows and face and the fact that getting attacked on the head by a Barn Owl

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We had barn owls and if you left a window open at night they'd fly right in your bedroom and flap around...that could freak a drunk person out.

And I don't know about anybody else but I've walked under bird's nests - on lamp posts or roof enclaves at shopping malls and the birds will swoop down and the first thing they attack and all they attack really is the back of your head with their claws. They land on your head and flutter and claw...luckily I was wearing a baseball cap and it was just a small blackbird.

Imagine the talons of an Owl on the back of your head? They are some of the largest in the birds of prey kingdom.



It doesn't take a lot to provoke a bird with a nest of babies. You simply have to walk by the nest.

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there) and he beat her with the blow poke possibly? T

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Blow poke was found in the house and had no blood or signs of cleaning on it. The blow poke was not the murder weapon. It was a tool to make the defenses argument make sense despite it not being the case

This doc is too real.

Pacing is too real.

Needs a little oomph and cut out some of the little mundane details of trial prep.

First episode is fine as a stand-alone intro.

But episodes 2 and 3 could have been one episode. It's way too drawn out for a cinematic experience.

Aruging about how a computer isn't working for the defense's opening presentation isn't really necessary for that to drag on for 15 minutes. That's not important to the story just a frustrated lawyer about details for his opening.

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That Hardin dude looks like such a weasel

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What the hell did he do with his side burns

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