'The Staircase' is the acclaimed true-crime, eight-part series documentary by Oscar®-winning director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade ('Murder on a Sunday Morning'). 'The Staircase,' which follows the thrilling twists and turns of the investigation into the cause of death of Durham, NC resident and Nortel executive Kathleen Peterson, can be seen as a special Sundance Channel DOCday series beginning on April 4, 2005, with two episodes airing back-to-back every Monday night at 9:00pm.

'The Staircase' delves into the mystery surrounding the death of Kathleen Peterson, a Nortel executive who was married to novelist Michael Peterson. On the night of December 9, 2001, an agitated Michael Peterson called 911 and told the operator that he had found his wife, unconscious but still breathing, at the bottom of the stairs. When the police arrived, they found Kathleen lying dead in a pool of blood and began treating the home as a crime scene. One week later, Michael Peterson was charged with first-degree murder.

In the eight hours that unfold, 'The Staircase' takes viewers inside an unpredictable real-life drama, as Peterson’s sons and adopted daughters rally to his defense and his legal team prepares to battle the prosecution.

Come the final hour, and with your own mind possibly made up anyway, the final verdict of whether Peterson is innocent or guilty is truly edge-of-the-seat stuff ... not even allowing you the luxury of stepping away from the screen for just one second.

Ultimately, 'The Staircase' is breathtakling fascinating, deeply alluring, and an addiction for the eyes and brain from start to finish.

'The Staircase' Promotional Trailer

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'The Staircase' Video Clip

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'The Staircase': Episode 4 – Chapter 7

'Windows Media':
'The Staircase': The Staircase: Episode 4 – Chapter 8