Netflix · 8 June 2018 · Docuseries · 13 episodes
The Staircase (Netflix docuseries, 2018 edition)
The series follows the prosecution of novelist Michael Peterson after his wife Kathleen is found dead at their home, along with the defense's account and the years of appeals that follow. The documentary records the competing testimony, the family and legal teams, and the later proceedings without resolving every uncertainty about Kathleen's death.[Netflix] [Variety]
Interviewees
9 publicly named · coverage checked 8 November 2026
Showing 9 of 9
- Michael PetersonCentral subject
- David RudolfInterviewee
- Ron GueretteInterviewee
- Tom MaherInterviewee
- Bill PetersonInterviewee
- Freda BlackInterviewee
- Jim HardinInterviewee
- Arthur HollandInterviewee
- Jean-Xavier de LestradeDirector and on-camera participant
Archival news and courtroom footage appear. People identified solely through archival footage are not treated as interviewees here.[Netflix] [The Guardian]
How this list was compiled. Compiled from the Netflix episode page, contemporaneous trade coverage and major newspaper reporting. Publicly identified central participants and credited principals are included; the episodes and end credits have not been checked frame by frame, so brief appearances named only on screen may be missing. Spotted a missing name? Tell us.
Timeline
Episodes
Netflix's 2018 release combines the earlier installments with three new episodes; Netflix's episode page lists the installments.
Credits
- Director
- Jean-Xavier de Lestrade[Variety] [Wikipedia]
Related documentaries
Sources
- The Staircase — Netflix, publication date not recorded. Accessed 2026-11-08.Official production sourceHigh reliability
- The Staircase (French miniseries) — Wikipedia, publication date not recorded. Accessed 2026-11-08.Reference workMedium reliability
- Netflix Orders True Crime Docuseries 'The Staircase,' 'Evil Genius' — Variety, published 2018-04-18. Accessed 2026-11-08.Entertainment trade pressHigh reliability
- The Staircase review – still the godfather of the true crime documentary — The Guardian, published 2018-06-08. Accessed 2026-11-08.News organisationHigh reliability
- The Staircase Director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade on the Peterson Case — Vulture, published 2018-06-11. Accessed 2026-11-08.News organisationHigh reliability
Source type and reliability are assessed by publisher. "Single source" marks statements backed by only one publisher. See editorial standards.