Margaret and Martha Ratliff are the adopted daughters of novelist Michael Peterson, orphaned in early childhood after both of their biological parents died in the 1980s and later raised in Durham, North Carolina, where they became central figures in the murder case documented in The Staircase. Margaret, who also goes by Margie, now lives in California and works in film. Martha is a licensed clinical social worker practicing psychotherapy in Fort Collins, Colorado. Both use their birth surname rather than Peterson.
Losing Both Biological Parents
Their father, George Ratliff, was a captain in the United States Air Force stationed in Germany, where the Ratliffs became close friends with the Peterson family. He died on October 21, 1983, at Gorgas U.S. Army Hospital in Panama City, Panama, while on a temporary duty assignment supporting operations related to the Grenada invasion.1US GenWeb. George Ernest Ratliff Jr. Margaret was about three and Martha about one.
Two years later, on November 25, 1985, their mother Elizabeth “Liz” Ratliff was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in Germany. The nanny, Barbara Malagnino, discovered her body.2Newsweek. What Happened to Elizabeth Ratliff Michael Peterson had dined with Elizabeth the previous evening and was the last known person to see her alive.3Newsweek. Where Are Michael Peterson’s Children Now German police, a German doctor, U.S. Army military police, and an autopsy all concluded at the time that she had died of a cerebral hemorrhage that caused her to fall and strike her head.4People. Michael Peterson and Elizabeth Ratliff Margaret was five, Martha three.
Raised by Michael Peterson
Elizabeth’s will designated Michael Peterson and his first wife, Patricia Sue Peterson, as the girls’ legal guardians, and they took them in.5Vanity Fair. Margaret Ratliff and The Staircase Despite common references to them as adopted daughters, the girls were never formally adopted. A letter Peterson wrote in the early 1990s to their aunt Margaret Blair laid out his reasons.6Alamy. Margaret and Martha Ratliff in Courtroom
After Michael and Patty divorced, Margaret and Martha stayed with Michael in Durham. He later married Kathleen Peterson, and the sisters grew up in a blended household that also included Michael’s biological sons Clayton and Todd and Kathleen’s daughter Caitlin Atwater.7People. Where Are Michael Peterson’s Kids Now
Kathleen Peterson’s Death and the 2003 Trial
On December 9, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the base of a staircase in the family’s Durham home. Michael Peterson called 911 and reported that she had fallen. He was charged with first-degree murder. Margaret was 21 and Martha 19 when the case began.8The Sydney Morning Herald. The Staircase Ruined Margie’s Life
Prosecutors, led by Durham District Attorney James Hardin, alleged Peterson beat Kathleen to death with a blunt instrument. The defense, led by attorney David Rudolf, argued her injuries were consistent with an accidental fall.9FindLaw. State v. Peterson
Elizabeth Ratliff’s Body Was Exhumed
The most personal blow to Margaret and Martha came in April 2003, when prosecutors won permission to exhume Elizabeth Ratliff’s body from her grave in Bay City, Texas.10WRAL. Autopsy Report on Ratliff The defense later alleged that the state allowed media to film the entire process, from the graveside to the casket’s arrival at the North Carolina medical examiner’s office, in an effort to prejudice the jury pool.11David Rudolf. A Prosecution Trickery
Dr. Deborah Radisch, who had also autopsied Kathleen Peterson, performed the new examination. She identified seven scalp lacerations, some up to two and a half inches long, bruising, and a linear skull fracture. She concluded the injuries were “inconsistent with a fall down a set of stairs” and “indicative of multiple blunt force impacts,” and wrote that “the inflicted trauma is clearly from a homicidal assault.” Elizabeth’s manner of death was reclassified from natural causes to homicide.12WFMY News. Autopsy Report Says Ratliff Died of Homicide The trial court admitted the Ratliff evidence, and the Supreme Court of North Carolina later upheld that decision.9FindLaw. State v. Peterson
The defense contested the admission, arguing there was no independent evidence Elizabeth had been murdered, let alone by Peterson. Rudolf noted Peterson had no financial motive because he and Patty had already agreed to raise the Ratliff children before Elizabeth’s death, and that DNA testing during the trial confirmed Peterson was not the biological father of Margaret or Martha.13David Rudolf. A Striking Coincidence No charges have ever been filed in connection with Elizabeth Ratliff’s death.4People. Michael Peterson and Elizabeth Ratliff
Sitting Through the Trial
Margaret and Martha spent months in the courtroom while prosecutors argued their guardian had killed two women, including their own mother, and while cameras filmed for what would become the documentary series The Staircase. Martha later described the helplessness: “They would accuse my father of double murders or the wife murder or the staircase murders and we couldn’t stand up and say, wait a second, this isn’t true.”14Associated Press (New Haven PDF). Reversal of Fortune, Part 3
Both sisters believed Peterson was innocent. “We were so positive that he was going to get off because in our minds it was the clearest thing in the world,” Martha said.14Associated Press (New Haven PDF). Reversal of Fortune, Part 3 That put them at odds with their maternal aunt Rosemary Kelloway, Elizabeth’s sister, who testified for the prosecution and said she was “on a mission for justice — for Kathleen as well as my sister.” Margaret and Martha reportedly refused to speak to her.15WRAL. Ratliff Family and the Peterson Trial
On October 10, 2003, Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Margaret recalled him telling her afterward, “it’s okay, it’s okay.” “I think on his part he was just trying to calm himself down,” she said, “but also I think he felt like his role was to protect us.”14Associated Press (New Haven PDF). Reversal of Fortune, Part 3
A Family Split by the Verdict
Peterson’s biological sons Clayton and Todd continued to support him through seventeen years of appeals, and Margaret and Martha did too, visiting him in prison. Kathleen’s daughter Caitlin Atwater took the opposite path, becoming a key prosecution witness after viewing autopsy photographs and later filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Peterson.3Newsweek. Where Are Michael Peterson’s Children Now
Retrial Order and Alford Plea
In 2010, Judge Orlando Hudson ordered a new trial after finding that state crime lab analyst Duane Deaver, whose blood spatter testimony had been central to the prosecution, gave false testimony and misrepresented his qualifications.16Attorney at Law Magazine. Michael Peterson: What Happened in That Trial Could Not Happen Today On February 24, 2017, rather than face a second trial, Peterson entered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter, which allowed him to maintain innocence while acknowledging the state had sufficient evidence to convict. Judge Hudson sentenced him to 64 to 86 months. Because he had already served 89 months, he walked free.17WRAL. Michael Peterson Enters Alford Plea Peterson later said sparing his children more suffering influenced the decision: “If I had not taken the Alford plea but gone on with another trial, it would’ve been years more. They would’ve suffered more.”18Vanity Fair. Margaret Ratliff and The Staircase
Life With The Staircase
Margaret and Martha agreed to participate in Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s original documentary because Michael, then facing the death penalty, believed cameras would encourage a fairer trial. For years the series remained a cult item. That changed in 2018, when Netflix acquired it and put the family in front of a global audience.19Vanity Fair. Margaret Ratliff and The Staircase
Margaret has since regretted participating. “Had I known what I do now, I would’ve said, ‘No. No, I don’t want to be in your documentary,'” she told Vanity Fair. She said she received no compensation for the documentary or its later versions: “People ask me how much money I made off of The Staircase, which is zero.” She also said a job at Netflix’s documentary department was withdrawn after an executive recognized her name and deemed her employment a “conflict of interest.”5Vanity Fair. Margaret Ratliff and The Staircase
In 2022, HBO Max premiered a fictionalized version of the case, also titled The Staircase, directed by Antonio Campos. The family was not consulted. Sophie Turner was cast as Margaret, and Margaret declined an invitation to meet her.18Vanity Fair. Margaret Ratliff and The Staircase Margaret said she and Martha were “traumatized” by it; Martha watched a trailer and refused to see any more.20Oxygen. Margaret Ratliff Feels Betrayed by The Staircase Series Michael Peterson called the dramatization “fantasy and fiction” containing “fabrications” and “lies,” and objected to graphic invented scenes of Kathleen’s death.19Vanity Fair. Margaret Ratliff and The Staircase HBO Max said the show was “a dramatization based on certain facts” that relied on “extensive source material.” Peterson acknowledged a lawsuit was theoretically possible but said the family would not pursue one because he did not want his children to “live this all over again.”
Margaret’s Response: The Documentary Subject
Rather than sue, Margaret went to work in film. She co-produced Subject, directed by Camilla Hall and Jennifer Tiexiera, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2022. It examines the long-term effects on people featured in high-profile documentaries and includes participants from Capturing the Friedmans, Hoop Dreams, The Square, and The Wolfpack.21Chicago Sun-Times. Subject Review
“I wanted other people to have the agency before signing up to be a documentary subject. I didn’t have power. And, if I can give that to other people, it makes me feel a lot better,” Margaret said.21Chicago Sun-Times. Subject Review The film argues for adjusting contracts so participants don’t sign away rights in perpetuity, placing independent therapists on sets where real trauma is filmed, and setting clearer standards for compensation. Margaret has also been developing a nonprofit to provide documentary subjects with mental health resources, legal guidance, and advice on compensation.22The Guardian. The Staircase Ruined Margie’s Life
Where Margaret and Martha Are Now
Margaret lives in California and works in the film industry. Beyond Subject, she has said she is more interested in science documentaries, including projects about evolutionary psychology, than in character-driven true crime.5Vanity Fair. Margaret Ratliff and The Staircase She has been direct about wanting distance from the story that has shadowed her adult life: “I’d like to be stripped from The Staircase completely.”7People. Where Are Michael Peterson’s Kids Now
Martha is a licensed clinical social worker practicing as a psychotherapist in Fort Collins, Colorado.23Collider. What Happened to the Real Michael Peterson She has spoken publicly about her own mental health struggles, which were worsened by the publicity around the case, and her clinical work reflects that experience.