An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase

Investigators discover novelist Michael Peterson clutching his dead wife, Kathleen, in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase. Michael insists that her death is the result of a tragic fall, but investigators are suspicious.

Investigators discover that 16 years ago, Michael Peterson's good friend, Liz Ratliff, also died at the bottom of a staircase, lying in a pool of blood. The trial begins and experts battle over how to interpret the blood spatter.

The trial drives to a conclusion as the defense catches the prosecution off guard. Bombshell revelations about an expert witness threaten to unravel the entire case and give Michael Peterson a shot at freedom.

In 2001, Kathleen Peterson's body was found at the foot of a staircase in her home. The Missing Pieces looks at the nagging questions surrounding her death, dissecting a frantic 911 call, a potentially killer owl, and a blood-soaked stairwell.