DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Chalk it up to Durham's bustling real estate market. The former Peterson family house is for sale, but being the site of a grisly crime hasn't hurt the resell value.
A listing on Zillow shows the 9,429-square foot home in Durham's Forest Hills neighborhood for sale at a $1.9 million asking price, which is right in line with its most recent assessed value.
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The current listing on Zillow does not specifically mention that a woman died in the back stairwell of the home. The last sentence of the description instead reads "This home has been featured in a Netflix documentary as well as a major feature film."
While technically true, that's not as forthcoming as it could be. An unsuspecting person might not know Kathleen Peterson's death was the subject of the documentary series "The Staircase." The series was popular when it was updated and released on Netflix in 2018. The 1990 movie "The Handmaid's Tale," also featured scenes at the home.
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Michael Peterson, a novelist and Durham mayoral candidate, was convicted in the 2001 murder of wife Kathleen Peterson, which took place at the home. Michael Peterson told police he was sitting outside by the pool on the Cedar Street property when he walked inside and found his wife at the bottom of a bloody staircase.
Durham County records show that the home sold for $1.3 million in 2008.
Peterson served more than 8 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder. He was released after a judge ordered a new trial citing misleading testimony from a witness. Before the new trial happened, Peterson agreed to an Alford plea of manslaughter.