S3E13 The Staircase: The Owl theory

Switchblade Sisters Social Club

The staircase case involves Michael Peterson, an American novelist, and his wife Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home in Durham, North Carolina, in 2001. Michael was accused of murdering Kathleen, but he claimed she fell down the stairs accidentally.

During the trial, the prosecution argued that Michael had beaten Kathleen to death, citing evidence such as blood spatter patterns and the presence of a fireplace poker. However, Michael's defence team presented an alternate theory, suggesting that Kathleen's death was an accident caused by her falling down the stairs.

One particularly intriguing aspect of the case is the "owl theory," which proposes that Kathleen may have been attacked by an owl near the staircase, leading to her fall. Supporters of this theory point to microscopic feathers and wood splinters found in Kathleen's hair as potential evidence of an owl attack.

In today’s episode, we interview Tiddy Smith, author of ‘Death by Talons: Did An Owl 'Murder' Kathleen Peterson?’ and try to answer that eternal question, ‘Was it that bastard owl?!’

Link to all the places you can buy Death by Talons, including Amazon and Audible (in right hand menu)

https://wildbluepress.com/death-by-talons-tiddy-smith-true-crime/

Tiddy Smith on Twitter/X

https://twitter.com/smithtiddy

Randa Safieh-Angeles is a social media manager and content creator and Dee Safieh is a writer.

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