What’s the true story behind The Staircase? Details explored as the 2022 series now streams on Netflix

The Staircase is the latest true crime miniseries to hit Netflix as of December 2025. It first aired on HBO in 2022 and has a 92% freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. The eight-episode docuseries has joined other HBO shows that have found a new streaming home on Netflix, like How to Make it in America and Love & Death. 

It stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette as the Peterson couple in a brutal case that still inspires a lot of debate. The Staircase is based on Kathleen Peterson's haunting death in 2001 and her author husband's subsequent trial for the murder. 

In the series' teaser from HBO Max in 2022, it's described as a series exploring Michael Peterson's life and how it unravels after the suspicious death of his wife. Meanwhile, Netflix's synopsis of the series opens the question, 'Accident or murder?' about Kathleen's death. 

Is The Staircase based on a true story?

The Staircase limited series from HBO is based on a true story. It's the first dramatized version of American novelist Michael Peterson's high-profile murder trial after he was accused of killing his wife Kathleen in 2001. Before HBO's docuseries, there was an original documentary of the case of the same name in 2004. It was later expanded with two more episodes in 2013, and three more were added in 2018 - the last version was released on Netflix. 

Colin Firth stars as Michael Peterson in the HBO series, while Kathleen Peterson is played by Toni Collette. The dramatized docuseries is based on the true story of Kathleen's death and Michael's trial for her murder. She was found unconscious at the bottom of the stairs in their home on December 9, 2001, a day after they celebrated Michael's WWII-era-based true story novel being optioned by a Hollywood studio. 

According to People, Kathleen Peterson's death was initially ruled out as accidental. She reportedly went to bed just before 2:00 am on December 9, and Michael found her slumped in a pool of blood at the foot of the stairway some 30 minutes later. However, her autopsy report showed that she didn't die because of a fall, but after being attacked. The autopsy revealed that she suffered from multiple blows to the back of the head, causing her death. 

But while HBO's The Staircase is rooted in a true story, Michael Peterson previously slammed the docuseries for its alleged "egregious fabrications." While he allowed Jean-Xavier de Lestrade (filmmaker from the original docuseries) to film his trial, he alleged that de Lestrade "pimped" him out to Antonio Campos (director of the HBO series). He said: 

"He [de Lestrade] released his archive to Campos, who then created a fictional account of events, most of which trashed me (which I don't really care about) and my children - which I really do care about... There are egregious fabrications and distortions of the truth in the HBO series, well beyond what may be considered 'artistic' license."

Was Michael Peterson charged with Kathleen Peterson's murder?

Michael Peterson turned himself in days after his wife's death. He was later charged with murder. But he maintained his plea of innocence until his trial in 2003. He was eventually found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. But his conviction was overturned in 2011 after serving eight years in prison.

However, the murder saga continued until February 2017. Michael Peterson entered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to the time he already served and walked away a free man. 

Watch all eight episodes of The Staircase on Netflix.