HBO’s ‘Staircase’: Did former Durham prosecutor Freda Black work at a dry cleaner?
In Episode 7 of the HBO Max scripted series “The Staircase,” former Durham prosecutor Freda Black, portrayed by actress Parker Posey, is tracked down by an attorney gathering info on the State Bureau of Investigation and found to be working at a local dry cleaner.
The episode depicts Black as being down on her luck and hints at heavy drinking, but doesn’t explain how she went from helping prosecute Michael Peterson in the most high-profile murder case in Durham’s history to working for a dry cleaner.
Did Black really work in a dry cleaner’s shop in Durham? Did she have a drinking problem?
Here’s what to know about Freda Black.
Freda Black and the Michael Peterson case
Black, a divorced mother of two daughters, started as an assistant district attorney in the early 1990s.
Black helped Durham DA Jim Hardin prosecute Michael Peterson for the murder of his wife, Kathleen, in 2001. The 2003 trial was one of the longest in North Carolina’s history.
Black gained worldwide attention because of her appearance in the French documentary series “The Staircase” — particularly after the series was expanded and released on Netflix in June 2018.
She is perhaps best remembered for her questioning of self-described male escort Brent Wolgamott, and for her closing arguments, delivered in a molasses-thick Southern accent and describing pornography found on Peterson’s computer as “pure-T filth.”
Freda Black after the Peterson trial
Black left the Durham DA’s office in 2005 after Mike Nifong was appointed district attorney and asked for her resignation.
Black ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Durham County district attorney, in 2006 and 2008.
In 2010, she ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Durham County District Court bench.
Black later faced driving while impaired charges in Durham and Orange counties.
- A 2012 arrest warrant said she measured 0.18 on a blood alcohol test. She pleaded guilty to the charge in 2013 and surrendered her license.
- In 2015 she pleaded guilty to a second DWI.
- In 2016 she was charged with driving while her license was revoked for impairment, according to court records.
Did Freda Black work in a dry cleaner?
In the 2012 DWI arrest warrant, Black’s employer is listed as Durham Cleaners.
Freda Black’s death
Black, 57, was found dead at her home around 3:30 p.m. on July 29, 2018. She was discovered by police after a family member reported they had not been able to get in touch with her for several days.
Police said there were no apparent signs of suicide or foul play.
An autopsy report released in April 2019 listed her cause of death as liver disease.
According to the 2019 autopsy report:
- Officers found her lying on a living-room couch, the floor “cluttered with food, wine bottles and trash.”
- No alcohol was found in her body, but she may not have been eating much,.
- There was acetone in her blood, which the autopsy says is associated with periods of low calorie consumption.
- The garage was open and the garage door was unlocked, and items that Black may have considered valuable, including jewelry and paperwork, were laid out in the kitchen.
- Black had had recent financial problems, but there was no evidence that she tried to kill herself, and her manner of death was ruled natural.
At the time of her death, Superior Court Judge Jim Hardin, who served as Durham district attorney from 1994 to 2005 and led the prosecution of Michael Peterson, called Black “absolutely fearless” in the courtroom and a relentless advocate for victims of violent crimes.
“Freda was an incredible person in so many ways,” Hardin said.
She had a way of talking with victims and family members with “incredible empathy and understanding,” Hardin said.
Hardin called Black a true prosecutor and added: “When she left the DA’s office, she was no longer able to do that. I honestly believe that was a significant contributor to some of the problems that she had.”
MORE COVERAGE OF HBO’S PETERSON SAGA ‘THE STAIRCASE’
You can find more coverage of the HBO Max series “The Staircase” and the trial of Michael Peterson at newsobserver.com/topics/staircase.
Photos of Durham prosecutor Freda Black (and Parker Posey)
