Film: Death On The Staircase: The Last Chance

This captivating documentary film re-visits the case of Michael Peterson, a man convicted of murdering his wife, as he attempts to convince the court that he didn’t receive a fair trial.

Peterson has spent eight years in jail and with various appeals already rejected he cuts a rather forlorn figure as we see him in his cell and wandering around the prison yard.

Throughout proceedings Peterson’s dogged attorney David Rudolf and almost his entire family, including 4 out of 5 of his children, remain steadfast in their support of a man who has always protested his innocence.

You’ll notice from the poster that this is actually a sequel. The original series, The Staircase, covered the initial case & trial but thankfully we get enough of a re-cap here to cover all the pertinent points. The case is anything but straightforward and as the original trial moves toward it’s conclusion some surprising and shocking information comes to light.

Evidence later emerges that questions the motives and reliability of one particular prosecution witness.

Are Peterson and his team successful in their pursuit of a re-trial?

You’ll need to catch this riveting documentary from French film-maker Jean-Xavier De Lestrade to find out.

Death On The Staricase: The Last Chance was shown on BBC4 in the UK as part of their Storyville series but as you can see it’s also known as The Staircase II so keep your eyes open for it.

Ric’s Rating: Essential.