Kathleen Peterson
| Kathleen Peterson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Kathleen Hunt February 21, 1953 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died |
December 9, 2001 Durham, North Carolina |
| Other names | Kathleen Atwater |
| Education | J. P. McCaskey High School |
| Alma mater | Duke University |
| Occupation | Businesswoman, philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) |
Fred Atwater (m. 1977) Michael Peterson (m. 1987) |
Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson (February 21, 1953, Greensboro, North Carolina – December 9, 2001, Durham, North Carolina) was a business executive, engineer, and philanthropist. She is well known as the subject of the documentary series The Staircase, which addresses the circumstances surrounding her death.
She was married twice—to Fred Atwater in 1977 and to Michael Peterson in 1987.
Life and achievements
Kathleen was the daughter of Veronica Hunt. She attended J. P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and graduated first in a class of 473 students. She matriculated at Duke University, where she was selected as the first female student accepted into the school of engineering in 1971. She received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and then a Master's in Mechanical Engineering in 1975.
Kathleen later achieved executive positions at Baltimore Air-Coil-Pritchard, Merck, and Nortel Networks, and at Nortel achieved the position of Director of Information Services. Kathleen received numerous awards for her leadership skills and successes from Nortel. Locally, she served on the Board of the Durham Arts Council, aided the American Dance Festival and the Carolina Ballet.
Kathleen's first marriage was to a physicist, Fred Atwater. The marriage failed and ended in divorce in 1985. She had one child with him, Caitlin Atwater.
Michael Peterson
In 1996 Kathleen married writer Michael Peterson. On Sunday, December 9, 2001, Kathleen was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her Durham mansion.[1] Michael had called 9-1-1, stating that she had fallen down the stairs. Michael was convicted of her murder in 2003 but on December 15, 2011, was granted a new trial following the discrediting of a prosecution witness.[2][3][4]
Funeral
A funeral service was held on December 13, 2001 at Duke Chapel. She was buried at Maplewood Cemetery.[5]
See also
- Michael Peterson (murder suspect) - for details on the trial
References
- ↑ http://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/tv/warm-tv-blog/article54865925.html
- ↑ http://www.nbcnews.com/video/dateline/52063577#52063577
- ↑ http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/television/20160129_Reuters_tagreuterscom2016newsmlMT1VRT1201690189_What_to_Watch_After__Making_a_Murderer_.html
- ↑ http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/5654677/
- ↑ http://www.peterson-staircase.com/kathleen_peterson.html
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