The series dramatized the multiple theories as to how Kathleen died - showing her simply slipping on the stairs, Michael killing her when she confronted him over gay porn and emails from male escorts on his computer, and her getting attacked by an owl outside, before falling down the stairs from her injuries. This year, HBO Max adapted it into a drama starring Colin Firth as Peterson and Toni Collette as Kathleen. His whole ordeal was chronicled for a French docu-series called 'The Staircase,' which was later released on Netflix. In 2017, Peterson pleaded guilty to manslaughter via an Alford plea, sentenced to time served and released. After eight years in prison, he was released pending a new trial after it was ruled a witness for the prosecution gave 'deliberately false' testimony on the stand. Peterson was convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen in 2003 after she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their home. Michael Peterson says he hasn't watched HBO Max's miniseries 'The Staircase,' but he sure has a lot of thoughts about it and how he and his family were portrayed.
