Plot Synopsis

In 200l, novelist and past mayoral candidate Michael Peterson is accused of killing his socialite wife, Kathleen, in their North Carolina home. He says she accidentally fell down the steps after a night of drinking but the detectives and the autopsy report do not support his statements, driving his step-daughter to publicly accuses him of murder. Peterson consistently maintains his innocence evan as shocking discoveries about his past make even his own lawyer question his testimony. The jury found Peterson guilty of first-degree murder in October 2003. The decision showed the jury believed Kathleen Peterson was beaten to death by her husband, not the victim of an accidental fall. The defendant was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.