The Staircase - Netflix

Small Screen. Bigger Screen.
Post Reply
User avatar
Gibby
Posts: 240
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:22 am

The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Gibby » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:03 pm

Spoilers ahead, I guess! Seems weird to talk about something that really happened in such terms..

So we watched this after I saw it got some good recommendations from folks back in the old PW TV thread. I mentioned as such in the TV thread here but figured it might warrant its own thread for discussion if anybody is interested.

Man, what a brilliantly put-together documentary following the trial of Michael Peterson. My wife and I were in opposite camps on whether or not he did it. I started to think he was innocent as soon as it came to light that a woman from his past was killed under similar circumstances. Despite that actually being quite damning on the surface, I thought that surely a man of his (apparent) intelligence would surely know that it would be dug up and used against him if he decided to use that questionable method/excuse a second time in what would be a second murder by that point.

Suddenly a lot of the arguments from the defense made more sense to me. I know the documentary was filmed entirely from the defense's perspective (which my wife liked to remind me during our discussions), but I do think the police were gunning for him almost immediately and then making the evidence fit. The locating of the blow-poke near to the end of the trial was a double edged sword but the forensics suggested it hadn't been used to beat anyone to death.

When they came back with the verdict, I was actually a bit gutted (although the reaction from his daughters made it more sad for me I guess). Then when the "blood spatter expert" was proven to be a fraud... Wow.

Anyway - good TV was that. I did read the Owl Theory by the way. Fascinating theory!

User avatar
Sly Boots
Bar Staff
Posts: 6277
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:34 am
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Sly Boots » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:05 pm

Yeah, it's a roller-coaster and I think both my wife and I were flip-flopping on whether we thought he was guilty. I think he's definitely an oddball but probably an innocent one, though there seemed to be so much that didn't quite add up.

User avatar
Gibby
Posts: 240
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:22 am

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Gibby » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:19 pm

Oddball to say the least, and it is very suspicious really. In legal terms though, I don't think the case was strong enough to convict him of murder. Half the jury were of that opinion but were swayed by the evidence presented by the blood spatter guy who turned out to be full of shit.

User avatar
Sly Boots
Bar Staff
Posts: 6277
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:34 am
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Sly Boots » Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:01 pm

Gibby wrote:
Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:19 pm
Oddball to say the least, and it is very suspicious really. In legal terms though, I don't think the case was strong enough to convict him of murder. Half the jury were of that opinion but were swayed by the evidence presented by the blood spatter guy who turned out to be full of shit.
Yes. If you want something of a similar theme you should also check out The Confession Tapes for a further look at the US legal system in action... pretty scary stuff.

User avatar
Alan
Posts: 2240
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:35 pm
Location: Through that hairy wormhole.

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Alan » Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:58 pm

He totally did it, just not in the way the prosecution claimed. The defence blood guys account makes more sense if there’s someone giving her a little helping hand. If they were both upstairs and she found stuff on the computer, he followed her down the stairs arguing and gave her a pushypush and again whe she gets back to her feet. Far enough to avoid spatter himself except for that stray droplet that got there when he used his foot to push her a third (leaving the footprint) time because that lets you have more reach when you have the higher ground Anakin.

I’m blood spatter expert Blane Beaver.
A man who could tell more truth and eat fewer pies.

User avatar
Sly Boots
Bar Staff
Posts: 6277
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:34 am
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Sly Boots » Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:53 pm

Alan wrote:
Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:58 pm
He totally did it, just not in the way the prosecution claimed. The defence blood guys account makes more sense if there’s someone giving her a little helping hand. If they were both upstairs and she found stuff on the computer, he followed her down the stairs arguing and gave her a pushypush and again whe she gets back to her feet. Far enough to avoid spatter himself except for that stray droplet that got there when he used his foot to push her a third (leaving the footprint) time because that lets you have more reach when you have the higher ground Anakin.

I’m blood spatter expert Blane Beaver.
That's a pretty interesting theory. Though part of me just thinks surely the police/forensics/prosecution would have investigated that chain of events and discounted it?

Although having watched The Confession Tapes I'm probably giving US law enforcement far too much credit there!

Certainly in those cases it seems they fixated very early on on what they thought had happened, and then proceeded to force confessions from people to 'confirm' it, in the face of all other evidence (or lack thereof).

Me
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:13 pm

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Me » Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:39 pm

I concur Sly, all the random bad US policing documentarys you watch are normally based on the cops jumping to a conclusion then only getting evidence that backs that conclusion up, ignoring all other leads. Pretty nasty justice system in the US, the conviction rate is so high they recommend loads of innocent people to just admit guilt and take a plee bargain.

Did anyone else read about the eagle attack theory? Apparently someone was attacked nearby by an eagle the wounds ending up looking quite similar to the gashes she sustained. The theory goes she was attacked outside by an eagle, ran inside to get help and slipped on her blood in the stairwell and died there.

User avatar
Stormbringer
Rad Dad
Posts: 1418
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Hyperborea
Contact:

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Stormbringer » Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:41 pm

Mee wrote:
Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:39 pm
Did anyone else read about the eagle attack theory?
I think it was an owl, not an eagle. ¬_¬
Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

Me
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:13 pm

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Me » Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:44 pm

They both have feathers, claws and they fly ¬_¬

User avatar
Gibby
Posts: 240
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:22 am

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Gibby » Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:10 pm

Well so do Velociraptors!

Wait, that doesn't make sense. They don't fly.

User avatar
Stormbringer
Rad Dad
Posts: 1418
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Hyperborea
Contact:

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Stormbringer » Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:16 pm

They're also, generally speaking, extinct. ¬_¬
Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

User avatar
Gibby
Posts: 240
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:22 am

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Gibby » Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:22 pm

Twasthejoke.exe ¬_¬

User avatar
Stormbringer
Rad Dad
Posts: 1418
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Hyperborea
Contact:

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Stormbringer » Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:46 pm

I don't think my OS came with that file. ¬_¬
Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

User avatar
Alan
Posts: 2240
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:35 pm
Location: Through that hairy wormhole.

Re: The Staircase - Netflix

Post by Alan » Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:50 pm

Bickering grannies!
A man who could tell more truth and eat fewer pies.

Post Reply