On December 9, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her Durham, North Carolina, home. Her husband, Michael Peterson, was convicted of her murder in 2003, but his conviction was later overturned. The case gained widespread attention through Netflix's The Staircase, but some of the evidence presented at the trial never made it into the docuseries.

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes back true crime author and investigative journalist Aphrodite Jones, who covered Michael Peterson’s trial and wrote A Perfect Husband, a book about the Peterson marriage, Kathleen’s death, and the murder trial. Having spent months in the courtroom, Aphrodite shares details about the blood evidence she says was left out of the docuseries and talks about meeting the attorney who came up with the owl theory. She also discusses the relationship between Michael Peterson and one of the docuserie

Highlights:

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(0:00) Sheryl welcomes Aphrodite Jones back to Zone 7 to discuss the Kathleen

Peterson case and what The Staircase may have left out●

(2:15) Questions about the docuseries’ portrayal of blood evidence, including traces found beneath a rug and on Michael Peterson’s shorts

(6:00) “Sometimes cases are won and lost because a prosecutor or a defense attorney can tell a better story.”

(10:45) The Peterson family’s financial struggles and why Kathleen reportedly wanted to sell their home

(14:00) The owl theory and Aphrodite’s interview with Larry Pollard, the neighbor and attorney who proposed it

(17:00) How microscopic feather fragments became part of the owl theory

(23:00) “The evidence leads me. I don’t tell the evidence what happened.”

(24:30) Blood evidence allegedly missing from the docuseries

(27:45) How problems with the prosecution’s bloodstain expert helped Michael Peterson win a new trial

(32:15) Sophie Brunet’s romantic relationship with Michael Peterson and whether it influenced the editing of The Staircase

(35:45) How HBO’s dramatization of The Staircase presented different theories surrounding Kathleen Peterson’s death

Book Giveaway: Aphrodite Jones is giving away three digital copies of A Perfect Husband. To enter, visit aphroditejones.com and reach out through the contact form on her website.

Related Zone 7 Episode: When Hollywood Rewrites True Crime: The Impact on Public Opinion with Aphrodite Jones

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Aphrodite Jones is a bestselling true crime author, investigative journalist, and television personality known for her coverage of high-profile criminal cases. She is the author of A Perfect Husband, which examines the Kathleen Peterson case and Michael Peterson’s trial. She also hosted Investigation Discovery's True Crime with Aphrodite Jones.

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.

Sheryl’s work has included high-profile investigations involving the Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur, and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching. She is an Emmy Award-winning crime scene investigator and was inducted into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum

Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.