La mia analisi della telefonata di Michael Peterson al 911 a “My Favourite Murder”

Il 21 dicembre 2017, il tema del 100esimo episodio del programma radiofonico americano “My Favourite Murder” è stato l’omicidio di Kathleen Hunt Atwater, la conduttrice, Georgia Hardstark, ha parlato di MALKE CRIME NOTES, della mia analisi criminologica del caso e di quella della telefonata al 911 fatta da Michael Peterson, il marito assassino.

On December 21, 2017, the topic of the podcast “My Favourite Murder” was the murder of Kathleen Hunt Atwater, Georgia Hardstark spoke about this blog MALKE CRIME NOTES and summarised my analysis of the case:

Michael Peterson’s 911 call

The murder of Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson at the ‘hands’ of Michael Peterson

Michael Iver Peterson: a pathological liar and a murderer

MY FAVOURITE MURDER: 100 – The 100th Episode – Resources
+The remixed theme song for this episode was done by The Echoist. Here’s his Instagram.
+Here’s a picture of the Fudgie the Whale cake Karen and Georgia ate during the show.

Karen and Georgia covered the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson.
+Here’s the Wikipedia article for Kathleen Peterson.
+You can watch The Staircase documentary here. (There’s also some episodes on YouTube here.)
+Karen watched the American Justice episode called Blood on the Staircase. I can’t find it anywhere online.
+Georgia watched the Forensic Files episode called A Novel Idea. Watch it on YouTube here.
+Here’s the link to Malke Crime Notes which analyzes Michael Peterson’s 911 call that Georgia mentioned.

Everyone on the Facebook page have been sharing lots of additional resources that weren’t talked about in the episode so I thought I’d share some of those here.
+Riley shared that the Criminal’s first podcast episode covered this case. Listen here.
+Clayton shared that there’s an interview with the male escort Michael Peterson was trying to hire on The Taran Show. Listen here.
+Steve shared that BBC has done an in-depth podcast on the case called “Beyond Resonable Doubt?” Listen here.
+Several people mentioned the mockumentary Trial and Error which is based on this case. Watch on NBC here. (Crossing my fingers that the second season will come out soon.)

Resources unrelated to the case:
+Kaitlyn shared an amazing site that you can stream lots of crime documentaries.
+Emily shared a link to a list of best crime books of 2017.

Did famous novelist Michael Peterson batter his ‘beloved’ wife to death with a poker in their luxury mansion?

As BBC Radio 5 live launches its first ever true crime podcast Beyond Reasonable Doubt? presenter Chris Warburton takes a look at the fascinating American court case behind it.

BY CHRIS WARBURTON, Daily Mirror

00:00, 20 JUN 2017 UPDATED 09:44, 20 JUN 2017

Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson died at home

I have to confess that I haven’t read any of Michael Peterson’s novels.

A Time of War, which came out in 1990 was described in one review as having ”all the elements of a TV mini-series; lush settings, sexy characters, high-level cloak-and-dagger espionage and acts of personal bravery.”

That review is as nothing when compared with the real-life story of the author himself

Michael Peterson was a bit of a local celebrity in Durham , North Carolina – a city the size of Salford or Southampton and one third of the “Triangle” of cities completed by Raleigh and Chapel Hill.

He wrote a column for the local paper which criticised the authorities, and particularly the police – calling them bigoted and corrupt.

Killer or innocent? A new podcast looks at the death of Michael Peterson’s wife(Image: SundanceNow Doc Club/vimeo)

He had a website ‘“ hizzoner.com ” which he used as a platform to criticise and condemn.

Ironically it was officers from that same police force, the Durham Police Dept, who arrived at Michael’s colonial style mansion in the leafy Forest Hills suburb in the early hours of that fateful December morning in 2001.

They were answering a dramatic 911 call from Peterson saying that his second wife, Kathleen, had fallen down the stairs and was no longer breathing.

That call, which even after all these years is chilling and harrowing, has been picked over and analysed. Once heard, not forgotten.

In one night the life of a vibrant, happy go lucky wife, mother and daughter had been snuffed out.

Peterson-trial.jpg
Kathleen Peterson’s sister, Candace Zamperini, at a court hearing (Image: Tribune News Service)

And in her beloved house too – the mansion where she and Michael entertained, held parties and fund raising functions, and celebrated their wedding just a few years earlier.

When Chief Investigator Art Holland and his team arrived they found the 48 year old telecoms executive dead at the foot of a narrow wooden staircase which in a bygone age was used by the servants. There was a lot of blood.

Michael said Kathleen had been drinking, was also taking valium and that she must have slipped and fallen while he, unaware, was sitting out by the swimming pool smoking and finishing off his drink.

That was the best and only explanation he had for the tragedy.

Lawyer David Rudolph with client Michael Peterson

After all, he adored her , they were soul mates he said and the five kids they shared their mansion with (his two boys from his previous marriage, two adopted girls and Kathleen’s daughter from her first marriage) testified as to how much in love Kathleen and Michael were.

He was a pillar of the community – a man who raised money for good causes, a decorated war hero. He’d even run for Mayor.

The police saw it differently. Apart from the blood, some aspects of Michael’s behaviour troubled them and after an autopsy showed lacerations on Kathleen’s skulll, they put forward an alternative version of events.

One which had Michael striking Kathleen repeatedly with a fireplace implement called a blowpoke.

Then, Kathleen, a much loved daughter, mother and sister, bled to death.

The news that Michael was being charged with first degree murder shocked and divided the community.

The case attracted the attention of a French film crew who virtually took up residence with Michael as his case was coming to court. Locals accused them of bias in favour of Michael.

Every major news network was there at the old Durham county courthouse in 2003 when the trial began. It took weeks to simply get a jury sworn in who everyone agreed with.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt is a brand new podcast about the biggest US murder case you’ve never heard of(Image: SundanceNow Doc Club/vimeo)

It became the longest and most expensive trial in North Carolina history, watched live on TV, discussed in detail by the talk show hosts.

And they had plenty to talk about. The trial shone a light on Michael’s life, his history, his financial records and his relationship.

The defence and prosecution attorneys became household names – the D.A an upright, calm and imposing figure with a sharp Southern assistant by his side- fire and ice said one reviewer.

On the opposite bench a sharp, clever, charismatic defence attorney who was seen as a hero by some, a bit-too-clever-by-half by others.

Positioned behind them, family, friends and supporters either hung off every word of evidence or grew upset and angry.

They watched star witnesses, conflicting evidence about blood spatter and touching pictures of an earlier, happier life.

Even when the trial was over, it wasn’t really over. In the years that followed there were more court appearances, more twists, more anger, more revelations.

The case didn’t finally reach closure until February this year and I was there to see it.

In the months before I had become a bit obsessed with the case – it does that to you.

I discussed theories with my boss at Radio 5 live and my producer on the trip – they too, obsessed.

Chris Warburton delves into the death of Kathleen Peterson (Image: BBC)

My time in Durham was punctuated by moments of bizarreness which I won’t forget in a hurry and I am looking forward to sharing with you.

Join us on BBC Radio 5 live to follow every fascinating twist and turn of the case week by week, by subscribing to the podcast Beyond Reasonable Doubt?

You may become as obsessed as we are. You will certainly reach your own conclusion as to whether Michael is a cold-blooded killer or an unlucky victim of awful circumstances.

You will think the script was written by a novelist but believe me, every word of it is true.

Michael Peterson’s 911 call

Michael Iver Peterson at his trial

On December 9, 2001, Peterson made his first call to 911 at 2:40 am:

911: Durham 9-1-1. Where is your emergency?

Peterson:… Uuuuh, eighteen ten Cedar Street. Please!

Note the latency and the pause “Uuuuh”. Peterson has a need to stall for time to think about his own address. This is unexpected.

Note the word “Please!”. This is unexpected politeness. Does he has need to ingratiate himself with the operator or does he has a desire to be seen on the side of the “good guys” and why? 

911: What’s wrong?

Peterson: My wife had an accident, she is still breathing!

Note “she is still breathing!”. This is something that Peterson said spontaneously. Moreover, note “still”, a key word in this phone call. Why did he feel the need to add “still”? Was he expecting her to stop breathing? Was she already not breathing at the time of the emergency call? Is Michael Peterson falsifying?

Is Michael Peterson setting up a scenario with the 911 operator?

911: What kind of accident?

Peterson: She fell down the stairs, she is still breathing! Please come!

Peterson repeats “she is still breathing!”.

“Please” is also repeated. 

911: Is she conscious?

Peterson: Whaat?

Was Peterson not expecting the question? Did he answers with a question not to answer or to buy time to give an answer?

911: Is she conscious?

Peterson: No, she is not conscious… please!

Note “please” is repeated here.

911: How many stairs did she fall down?

Peterson: What?… hat?

Note that Peterson answers with a question to stall for time because he is not close to his wife, he is unable to see the stairs from where he is. 

911: How many stairs did..

Peterson: … Stairs?!

Peterson is trying to buy time because he is far from the scene.

911: How many stairs?

Peterson:… Uuh… uuh…uh…

After this question, Michael Peterson appears to be caught off guard, he uses : “What? Stairs? Uuh, uuh, uh” to buy time to be able to get to the area of the stairs.

We can hear Peterson walking to the scene.

911: Calm down, sir, calm down.

Peterson: No, damned, sixteen, twenty. I don’t know. Please! Get somebody here, right away. Please!

Note “Please!” is repeated here, twice. Note “right away”, does he has a need to align himself with the “good guys”?

I guess Peterson found the cordless phone in the kitchen, just behind the corner, very close to the service stairs where Kathleen’ body was but in the first 15 seconds of the phone call Peterson wasn’t approaching his wife. After around 15 seconds from the start of the phone call, the operator asked Peterson about the number of stairs, he was unable to answer because he wasn’t even close to the scene. He was on the scene to look at the number of the stairs just around 25 seconds after the start of the 911 call and because he was asked by the operator.

One wonder how could he give information about his wife condition if he wasn’t close to her?

911: Okay, somebody’s dispatching the ambulance while I’m asking you questions.

Peterson: It’s, ohuuh… It’s Forest Hills! Okay? Please! Please!

Note “Please!” is repeated here.

911: Okay, sir? Somebody else is dispatching the ambulance. Is she awake now?

Peterson:… Uummh… uuh…

911: Hello?… Hello?

Peterson:… Uh… uh… mmmm… uuuh… oh… uuuh…

After a while, Peterson, fearing not to be able to track down his story, didn’t answer anymore.

Usually, when people call 911 they stay very close to the victims to give the operator information about their condition and to be able to help following the suggestions the operator may give them, like how to perform CPR.

Michael Peterson had no intention to help his wife as he was far from her when he called 911 and went back to the scene just to look at the stairs to give the operator an approximate number.

Michael Peterson was far from Kathleen because she was already dead for hours and he was not interested in helping her or in giving any truthful information about her condition to the 911 operator.

When Michael Peterson called 911 he was quite far from the victim, instead, when the paramedics arrived, he showed a different behavior, he was on her body trying to resuscitate her, he was acting, he knew she was already dead for hours. Peterson was not just acting as a grieving husband for the paramedics but he was also trying to justify all the blood on his clothes, touching and hugging the victim, in other words: he was trying to cover evidences.

blood at the murder scene

Michael Peterson’s second call to 911 at 2:46 am:

911: Durham 9-1-1: Where is your emergency?

Peterson: Where are they?! It’s eighteen ten Cedar. She’s not breathing! Please! Please! Would you hurry up!

Note “Please! Please! Would you hurry up!”. Peterson needs to ingratiate himself with the operator and align himself with the “good guys”.

In the first phone call, Peterson told the operator twice that his wife was “still breathing”, now he informs the operator that “She’s not breathing!”. He used this escamotage to postpone the time of her death. She was already death when he made the first call to 911, she was not breathing at that time, he lied to the operator.

911: Sir?

Peterson: Can you hear me?

911: Sir?

Peterson: Yes!

911: Sir, calm down. They’re on their way. Can you tell me for sure she’s not breathing? Sir…? Hello…? Hello…?

Peterson called a second time just to inform the operator that Kathleen wasn’t anymore breathing but, after he gave this information to the dispatcher, he didn’t answer any more questions showing a resistance in answering due to his incapacity to track down his story.

In this second call Peterson tried to act as a worried husband but at the same time he reported that Kathleen was not breathing, a way not to motivate the paramedics to hurry up.

During these two short calls Peterson said: “please”, nine times, he used the word “please” as a useful word to act as a worried husband, to ingratiate himself with the operator and to fill the gaps to muddy the waters.

He also showed a resistance in answering.

Peterson never used his wife’s name, an incomplete social introduction is a signal of a poor relationship.

Peterson never spoke about the blood at the scene while he was in front of a very bloody scene. 

To the second question of the 911 operator, Peterson answered with an unexpected “she is still breathing!”, he used those extra words to try to drive home the point: he wanted the operator to believe that Kathleen was still alive to delay the time of her death but he made a huge mistake adding the word “still”. With “still” he told us that he was expecting her to stop breathing.

Kathleen didn’t die after 2.40 p.m. but between 11.08 p.m. and 11.53 p.m. At 11.08 p.m. Helen Prislinger, Kathleen co-worker, spoke to her, at 11.53 p.m. she sent an email to Michael Peterson’s e-mail address that Kathleen was supposed to read but the attachment ‘readiness’ was never opened. Kathleen, while she was at the computer, read Peterson’s e-mails and found evidences of a homosexual relation with a male prostitute, a motive for murder.

In the first chapter of the documentary ‘The Staircase’ Peterson said that Kathleen left him at the pool to go inside, his words are: “…and the last I saw her was when I was there and she was just walking here, and that’s it. That was the last time I saw Kathleen alive…. no… she was alive when I found her… but barely”, how could she have died in his arms in the early hours of that morning if he was far from her during the 911 call, as he said, after he found her she was alive but “barely”? She died in his arms, this is true, but hours before the 911 calls.

P.S. to know more about the case, read my articles:

The murder of Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson at the ‘hands’ of Michael Peterson

Michael Iver Peterson: a liar and a murderer