What Happened To Michael Peterson Adopted Daughters Margaret and Martha Ratliff?

Michael Peterson adopted Margaret and her younger sister Martha Ratliff after their parents left the world. Many are curious to know about the sister’s condition and their real family.

Michael and Kathleen Peterson’s blended family includes five kids, including Martha Ratliff and her sister Margaret Ratliff, who were adopted by the couple after their parents died.

After the great success of the Netflix documentary The Staircase, HBO has also brought forward the 2022 miniseries The Staircase on May 5. The show began recording shortly after Peterson’s arrest in 2001 and tracked events until his eventual Alford plea in 2017.

Here’s everything about them in detail.

Who Are Margaret and Martha Ratliff? 

Michael Peterson was the legal custodian of Margaret Ratliff and her younger sister Martha Ratliff. The sisters stood by Peterson through the trail, as visualized by the documentary The Staircase.

In the HBO Max series, the character of Margaret is played by Sophie Turner, and Odessa Young plays Martha. Both the sister’s maintained Peterson’s innocence throughout the trial.

Both of them were in college when the trial unfolded. Martha was at the University of San Francisco, and Margaret at Tulane University. Since the trial, Margaret has moved to California, while her sister Martha lives in Colorado, per Newsweek.

Margaret and Martha Ratliff Real Parents- Where Are They Today?

As evidenced by The Staircase documentary, Martha and Margaret Ratliff’s father, George Ratliff, was in the U.S. Air Force and passed away while on assignment in 1983.

Their mother, Elizabeth Ratliff, was later found dead at the bottom of the stairway in 1985 in Germany. Peterson then became the orphaned sister’s legal guardian. 

Elizabeth’s body was further exhumed during Peterson’s trial. An autopsy ruled her death a homicide.

Michael and his first wife Patricia resided in Germany for some time, where they befriended Elizabeth and George Ratliff, biological parents of both sisters.

After their death, Michale became the guardian of the two sisters. After he separated from his first wife, their children Clayton and Todd lived with their mother Patricia, while Margaret and Martha stayed with Michael.

Margaret and Martha Ratliff Net Worth Details

Martha and Margaret Ratliff lived quite a good life due to their parents’ influence while their respective net worth still intrigues the public today.

Their parent’s estimated net worth is more than $500k from his writing career. The sisters maintained their distance from the media regarding their lives and works after Michael’s conviction.

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