10 True Crime Documentaries That Got Cases Reopened

10. The Staircase

The Staircase is a documentary which was initially released in 2004 on French television, before being picked up by Netflix, with follow-ups being filmed between 2012 and 2013, and three more episodes again in 2018. All 13 episodes across the show’s lifespan are available to watch on Netflix.

The series covers the case of Michael Peterson who was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen, and then trying to cover up the crime by claiming that she fell down the stairs. What’s interesting in this particular case is that Peterson actually hired the film crew himself to cover his trial (which was the focus of the original 2004 episodes.) He did this as he did not believe he would receive a fair trial and he was ultimately convicted of the murder at the end of this case.

Information obtained in the documentary was used to launch one of numerous appeals by Peterson, in which he claimed that a blood-splatter analyst had given a misleading testimony. However, the appeal was unsuccessful in overturning his conviction as it was deemed that Peterson would have been found guilty regardless. Peterson ultimately plead guilty to Manslaughter in 2017, which resulted in his release due to time served.