HBO’s ‘Staircase’: Who is Bill Peterson? What to know about Michael’s brother
The premiere of HBO Max’s “The Staircase” is renewing interest — locally and beyond — in the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson in Durham and the subsequent murder trial and conviction faced by her husband, Michael Peterson.
The series, set to premiere May 5, is a dramatization of Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s documentary series of the same name, which is available for streaming on Netflix.
In the new HBO Max series, Michael Peterson’s brother, Bill Peterson, is portrayed by actor Tim Guinee. In real life and in the documentary series, Bill was present for much of Michael Peterson’s trial, often sitting in on strategy and planning sessions with Michael’s defense team.
So, who is Bill Peterson? Here’s what to know about him.
Who is Bill Peterson? Law practice, education, more
Bill Peterson, whose full name is William Peterson, is an attorney currently practicing with the Reno, Nevada, office of Snell & Wilmer, a national law firm.
▪ He has been a lawyer for more than 30 years, focusing on “energy law, utilities, complex torts and all facets of commercial litigation in state and federal court,” according to his biography on the Snell & Wilmer website.
▪ His biography states that he has “considerable trial experience,” having “tried over 40 cases to jury verdict and approximately 50 bench trials to judgment.”
Bill Peterson also has experience working as a lawyer in the energy and utility industries.
▪ In his roles as general counsel for various utilities, including Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, Bill Peterson “participated in or personally led over 30 public utility proceedings in Nevada and California,” his biography reads.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Bill Peterson received his bachelor’s degree in 1969 after attending College of Holy Cross, University of California Berkeley and N.C. State University.
▪ After college, he served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1972.
▪ He received his law degree from the University of Southern California in 1975.
What role did Bill Peterson play in Michael Peterson’s trial?
While Bill Peterson is an attorney, he was not an official member of his brother’s defense team during the murder trial.
He did, however, sit in on many planning and strategy sessions with the defense team, as shown in “The Staircase” documentary. He was also often found sitting behind his brother during the trial, generally with Michael’s children and other family members.
The News & Observer reported during the trial, in May 2003, that Michael Peterson took out a $300,000 loan from Bill Peterson to pay for “mounting legal bills.” Michael Peterson had also previously sold a property he owned in Durham to help pay for legal bills.
“We are helping my brother pay for the cost of defense of this case, which is quite extremely expensive,” Bill Peterson said at the time.
Bill Peterson continued to stay by his brother’s side throughout the trial and through jury deliberations. The N&O reported during jury deliberations, in October 2003, that Michael Peterson often chatted in the courtroom with “friends, his brothers Bill and Jack or his former wife, Patricia” as the jury deliberated.
In the same N&O report, Bill Peterson was reported to have borrowed attorney David Rudolf’s copy of “Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot” by Al Franken to read in the courtroom during deliberations.
At one point during “The Staircase” documentary, the Peterson family, including Michael, Bill and some of Michael’s children, gather at the dinner table, while Michael was still on trial, to celebrate Bill’s birthday. In a toast to Bill, Michael Peterson said, “I could not have gotten through this without my brother.”
More on HBO’s ‘The Staircase’
For full coverage of HBO Max’s “The Staircase” and other background on the death of Kathleen Peterson and the murder trial of Michael Peterson, visit: newsobserver.com/topics/staircase
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 9:25 AM with the headline "HBO’s ‘Staircase’: Who is Bill Peterson? What to know about Michael’s brother."
