THE STAIRCASE

MURDER MYSTERY

On the night of

9 December,

2001, well-to-do, middle-aged couple Michael and Kathleen Peterson watched a movie at their mansion and then sat out, next to the pool. After a while, Kathleen, who had a conference call in the morning, went inside. Later, Michael followed his wife and found her at the bottom of the stairs – she had fallen, was barely alive, and died before the emergency services arrived. At least, that’s Michael’s story. The police weren’t buying it and he was charged with murder. This 13-part documentary about the investigation and trial grips from the outset and follows every shocking twist – and they really are shocking – in this case. After you’ve seen it, try the dramatisation on Sky/now, with Colin Firth and Toni Collette as the couple.