Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson (February 21, 1953, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA – December 9, 2001, Durham, North Carolina, USA), daughter of Veronica Hunt, was an accomplished student, engineer, volunteer and civic leader. 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 Michael Peterson in 1996.
Kathleen attended J. P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and graduated as the number one student in her class of 473 students. She was selected to be published in the Who's Who Book of American High School Students. She went on to 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.
In 1996 Kathleen married writer Michael Peterson. On Sunday, December 9, 2001, Kathleen was found dead lying at the bottom of a staircase. Michael had called 9-1-1 stating that she had fallen down the stairs. However, Michael was charged with and convicted of her murder.
Michael Peterson (author) - for details on the trial