All language subtitles for The.Staircase.S01E08.XviD-AFG

WWW.MY-SUBS.COM

- It's always a surprise, huh?
- Holy cow!

Yeah, "surprise" is an understatement.
Oh, my God!

It was when I got the phone call.

Oh, yeah, jeepers creepers.

It was like one of those,
"What, what, what?"

- Yeah, it was 2:30 or 2:00 in the morning.
- Oh, my God.

"Gee, Tom, you need to come."
"God damn, I'm sleeping. Why?"

"Well, we found the blow poke."

"Okay, I'm coming."

You push that with...
See, there's a bit of fresh metal, right?

- That's because of the knife.
- That's because of the knife.

Right. So, the rest of that,
then, looks fairly oxidized.

To me... Even, like,
see inside the threads there?

- Right.
- Thing's dirty.

- It's got grime on it.
- Right.

I mean, if you take a Q-tip,
particularly down in this end here,

it'll come off dirty, very dirty.

- So, it hasn't been cleaned.
- Right.

There's plenty of dust and debris on it.

And there's no...

There's nothing here that's jumping out
and saying it looks like blood

and there's no atypical
positive reaction of blood.

So, you know, there's a safe feeling
that there's nothing here.

Okay. We'll use it,
and if we get fucked, we'll just sue you.

Yeah, right. Right.

All right, bud, come help me
put this back together, brother.

Hey, Mike.

Yeah, I'm not worried about it.

Nah, don't worry about it.

I understand. All right.

No blood on the blow poke.

Whatever. I mean, whatever he used,
there's no blood.

Yeah. Okay?

All right. Bye.

It's one of those moments

that could be a turning-point moment,
you know,

where the jurors sort of...

look at Hardin and say,
"Now what are you gonna do?

You know, you've been talking about
this missing blow poke...

since May 5th.

And here it is.

And it's not bent, and it's not covered
with blood, and it wasn't gotten rid of,

and it's not mysteriously missing.

So, what...

What are you gonna say now?"

It's one of those moments
that trial lawyers enjoy.

Ah, geez.

Trial lawyers and filmmakers.

Don't be overconfident.
Do not be overconfident.

Hi, Julia.

How are you?

Good. How are you?

I'm good, thank you.

Oh, thanks.

I'm telling you.

Cram in this elevator with you.

That's fine.

You're welcome to. Excuse me.

Any further evidence from the defendant?

Yes, sir. At this time,
the defense would call

Detective Art Holland to the stand.

Solemnly swear the testimony
you're about to give the court and jury

in the case now being heard

to be the truth and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?

- Yes, I do.
- Please be seated.

Detective Holland,
good morning, first of all.

- Good morning.
- Um...

After you showed us
this item in May

that the district attorney was contending
was similar to the...

to the murder weapon,

did you ever ask either myself

or Mr. Maher, or Mr. Guerette,

whether, after having looked at it
and seen it finally in May,

whether we ever had located...

the blow poke?

No, I didn't.

Did you just assume...

that it was gone?

Gone or put up somewhere.

Let me show you what's been
marked defense exhibit 280.

- See that?
- Yes, sir.

Now, this 280,

that's a blow poke, isn't it?

Is that what it appears to be?

It appears to be a blow poke.

And the metal tip at the end

that's on this one...

isn't on that one, right?

That's correct.

But other than that,

if we look at the handle, for example...

it's pretty much the same thing,
isn't it?

See this end here you blow into?

It appears to be.

You see a bunch of spider-web
looking things... on it?

You see in the handle area there?
See that?

It's hard to tell
from the plastic.

All right. Can you see
the dead bugs in... in the little...

- plastic thing there?
- Appears to be.

This doesn't appear to you
to be mangled, does it?

It doesn't appear to have any dents.

Does this appear to you,
280, to be the blow poke

that Mr. Hardin has been talking about
being mysteriously missing

since this trial began?

- Objection, characterization.
- Sustained.

Does this appear to you
to be the blow poke

that Mr. Hardin stated
in his opening statement

was mysteriously missing?

Now, their problem is,
if they send it out,

they don't like the results,
they're still stuck with them.

These prosecutors have talked about
the missing blow poke

and how it could have been
the murder weapon.

Uh, could have been the murder weapon.
Today, the defense

pulled out a blow poke and told jurors
it wasn't missing at all.

They claim police just never saw it
in the garage.

Yeah...

We asked Jim Hardin if he was surprised
by today's developments.

He said he wasn't, that he was expecting
something like this to happen.

He was expecting something like...

He was expecting
something like this to happen.

In general, I got a chance to look
at the blow poke during lunch,

and it's definitely not the same

as the one that my Aunt Candace
has brought in to court.

So, you know, there leaves
a lot of speculation there

as far as things go.

It has very... very distinct differences
between the two.

But, more importantly, the thing is that
regardless if you produce an autop...

you produce a blow poke

the day that you rest your case.

And, you know, I feel like it's just to
really create a commotion and things.

And the fact is you can show that,
you can claim whatever you want about it,

it's not gonna change
the autopsy report.

So it really doesn't put a hole
in the prosecution's case

the way that David Rudolf's attitude
thought that it would today.

It doesn't change the fact
that my mother's autopsy report

says that she was beaten to death.

And if it was with the blow poke,
if this was the blow poke, I don't know.

But it was with something, and that's how
she ended up at the bottom of the stairs.

Nothing's gonna change that,
and, you know, that's finalized.

- That was easy, wasn't it?
- Okay, sure.

Done and done.
Can I go home now?

The defendant brought into court

what they've described
as a found blow poke.

With that, Candace Zamperini

undertook to see
whether she could locate

the other blow pokes that she had given

to friend and family members.

She's been able to locate
two of those.

And they were sent to my office.

And I wanted to inform the court of that
to make sure that you are aware of it.

So, we do not intend to offer that
into evidence at this point.

So, I'm letting you know
that they're available

and that they can look at those
and inspect them in my office.

And I appreciate that.
I didn't get the fax yesterday

'cause I just didn't see it
on the machine,

but we'll take a look at it
over the break today. Thank you.

Are, otherwise,
council ready to proceed?

- Yes, sir.
- All right, Mr. Deputy?

Now, this one came from Holland.

Come on.

- Hmm!
- Okay.

Not a bad way
to end the case, huh?

Make sure he says that

- it's the same rounded edge.
- Yes. Oh rounded edge.

Yeah, there's a little bevel there.

No screws.

Appears to be a little thread in there.

Don't, don't. We got...
one is enough, Ron. Leave it.

Don't break it.

God, they're both dirty.
These been in the basement, too?

Yep. Same color.

- Look down here.
- I mean, that's...

The blow pokes match.

How big is that?

Candace just can't keep
her fucking mouth shut.

Thank your stars.

I don't think I'd be here
if she had kept her mouth shut.

Defendant's 301 and 302
are the other two blow pokes

that Miss Zamperini had sent

to the district attorney's office
that we just got over lunch, correct?

That's correct.

And have you had a chance, sir, to compare

defendant's exhibits 301 and 302

with defendant's exhibit 280-A, the one
that was found in Mr. Peterson's home?

I've only observed one of the two
that was sent, not both of them.

All right, well, why don't you take a look
at the two of them here, if you could?

- This is 280, the one that was...
- Yes, sir.

...found in Mr. Peterson's home,
and this is 301,

one of the ones that was sent.

Yes, sir.

Could you compare those two
for the jury?

Are they the same height?

The defendant's exhibit's
a little taller.

The length's a little longer.

- Has a bevel there?
- Yes, sir.

Threads inside?

Yes, sir.

So, can we agree that
the missing blow poke has been found?

- Objection.
- Sustained.

We move 301 and 302 into evidence,
Your Honor.

It's allowed.

Dead inchworm,
got that photograph.

Oh, here's a little dust.
It looks like a spider leg here.

This was supposed to be something
to make you think that blow poke

had been there
since December 2001, I guess.

Here's a cobweb. That's significant.

Here's a little bit of goo or something.

Well, ladies and gentlemen,
we don't really know what this is.

You've been given no information
about who found it,

when it was found, why it was there.

So, I argue to you that defense exhibit
280-A is just a piece of nothing.

Nothing.

We have never told you
that we are absolutely certain

that it was the blow poke
that killed Mrs. Peterson.

We do believe if it wasn't the blow poke
that Candace had given them

that it was something similar to that,

and you've heard from expert testimony
why we believe that.

But they talk about us doing something
last-minute when they dared to pull

that piece of evidence out in front of you
two days before they rested.

Does that make common sense to you?

You need to keep in mind we're not
dealing with the average individual here.

We're dealing with a fictional writer.

Some people even say
he's even a good fictional writer.

He is a person who knows how to create
a fictional plot.

And then there's Brad.

Do you really believe

that Kathleen knew...

that Mr. Peterson was bisexual?

Does that make common sense to you

that it was okay with her to go to work
while he stayed at home

and communicated by email
and telephone

with people he was planning
on having sex with?

And this isn't
just a computer relationship.

I asked Brad what they were gonna do.
He told you.

I don't mean to offend anybody, but he did
say they were gonna have anal sex.

The only reason that meeting
didn't take place was because of Brad.

It wasn't because of Mr. Peterson.
He was fired up and ready to go.

And you honestly believe
that Kathleen Peterson knew about that?

Would have approved of that?

And it wasn't just Brad.

You saw the rest of the things
on his computer.

Once again, these things are so filthy,
we can't even show them on TV.

Filth. Pure-T filth.

This isn't people
involved in a relationship.

This is just any which a-way.

This is called hard-core porn.

Do you think she approved
of this type of activity

while she's off at work or sleeping?

I argue to you,
that doesn't make sense.

And that's not the way that soul mates
conduct themselves.

That is not.

Ladies and gentlemen,

this photograph is the first photograph
taken of Kathleen Peterson

at the autopsy table.

It shows the very graphic,
brutal nature of this killing.

Ladies and gentlemen,

if a picture is truly worth
a thousand words,

then this photograph

at least speaks a thousand words.

This photograph speaks a thousand words.

Look at all of these photographs
that show that this woman was beaten.

I was thinking,

"If a picture is worth a thousand words

and if we only knew

what Kathleen Peterson knew
at the time of her death."

And I started looking around the scene
and in the stairwell and thinking,

“What if those walls could talk?

What would they say?"

Ladies and gentlemen,
these walls are talking.

Kathleen Peterson is talking to us

through the blood on these walls.

She is screaming at us

for truth and for justice.

It's all in these photographs.

Ladies and gentlemen,

they've said Kathleen Peterson
died of an accident.

We've said that she has died of murder.

And we ask that you return that verdict.

Thank you.

Let me tell you what my gut is.

My gut is that what we want to do

is structure it around

the whole reasonable doubt concept.

Okay.

Go through the stuff
that we do have evidence for.

- Mm-hmm.
- Uh...

That she fell, they've seen the stairs.

- They know how easy it is to fall there.
- Mm-hmm.

You know, that she...
that the blood on her feet, you know...

We could do the scenario of her being down
on the ground for some period of time.

We can do all that and then to say,
"But it's not our burden."

- Right.
- And what this case really is about

is whether they've proven their case
beyond a reasonable doubt.

And then I think we want to hit

the ten biggest reasonable doubts.

And...

then I think...

- And I want to discuss each...
- Mm-hmm.

...and spend some time on each,
but then I think I want to say,

"Now, that's ten.

- I could do another 20.
- Mm-hmm.

- I could spend another four hours...
- Mm-hmm.

...going through another 20."

And just list them.

Ten is nice if they are
not equally strong,

but strong enough that none of them
get to the point of being...

- I think we...
- We probably can,

but I think it's important
that they all be of substantial weight.

Otherwise, you're better
with seven or eight.

No, I agree.

The blow poke's not missing.
I mean, the blow poke,

it's sort of like what Clinton said,
you know, "It's the economy, stupid."

It's the blow poke, stupid.

I mean, it's here.

They... They tied, they hitched their...
their star to this wagon

from the very beginning.

I guess, you know, reasonable doubt
number one is the blow poke is here.

- And it's not the murder weapon.
- Okay.

There's no cast-off.

Okay.

There's no brain injuries.

I think it's important for me to...

make the jury understand

that this is not about whether
we've proven Michael is innocent.

It's not even about
whether Michael is innocent.

You know, in Scotland,

they have a verdict
that's either guilty or not proven.

And here we say "guilty" or "not guilty."

Well, not guilty is not the same
as innocent.

And not guilty is really the equivalent
of not proven,

not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

If I spend too much time
arguing that he's innocent,

in essence, I relieve the state
of its burden of proof.

I invite the jury to weigh,

"Well, is Rudolf right
or is Hardin right?"

Well, that's giving up
a tremendous legal advantage

that all defendants have and should have.

You know, what we've basically built
into our system is the notion

that we want to have guilt proven
beyond a reasonable doubt

to avoid innocent people going to prison.

It's not perfect, but that's the goal.

And so, the real issue...

the real issue in this case is

not whether we have proven

that Kathleen Peterson died
as a result of an accident.

No, that's not our burden.

The real issue

the one that you need to focus on

is whether the state has proven
beyond a reasonable doubt

with proof that fully satisfies
and entirely convinces you

that on the morning of December 9th, 2001,

Michael Peterson
beat Kathleen Peterson to death

with a blow poke in that narrow stairway
that all of you saw

just a few weeks ago.

And what I want to do this morning

is to focus on the reasonable doubts
in this case.

The first reasonable doubt:

the missing murder weapon isn't missing

and it wasn't used in a murder.

It doesn't get much simpler than that,
does it?

The state contended
in its opening statement...

that they would prove

that the blow poke was,
as Mr. Hardin put it,

mysteriously missing.

Why was this blow poke
so crucial to their case?

You actually heard it from Mr. Hardin
in his opening.

He needed something that was light enough
to cause the lacerations,

but not so heavy as to fracture the skull.

So, he was sort of walking the tightrope.

And this was the tightrope
he was walking.

Reasonable doubt number two:

there is no credible motive

and you don't just decide
to kill your wife for no reason.

In opening statements I told you all

that everyone who knew
Kathleen and Michael Peterson

knew that they were very much in love

and happy.

And in fact,

when Candace Zamperini spoke to the police
in December 2001,

she used the term "soul mate."

And when she testified here,

you didn't hear her say anything bad

about the relationship.

Sometimes the absence of evidence

speaks louder than anything
that a defendant could produce.

If there was a single witness,
one, anywhere,

who could say one bad thing

about their relationship,

you know you would have heard it.

No one came in and testified.

Not Caitlin,
who sat here for most of the trial.

Not any of Kathleen's co-workers,

not any of Kathleen's friends.

Reasonable doubt number three:

there is one thing that everyone
who went to the scene of 1810 Cedar

on the night of Dec 9th agrees on:

Michael Peterson

was in profound, deep shock and grief

over Kathleen's death.

The words you speak

when you reach your verdict

will be the most important words

that Michael Peterson and his family

will ever, ever, ever hear
in their lives.

And the words that Michael Peterson spoke

on December 9th, 2001,

when he called 911...

should guide your verdict

as you deliberate it.

Durham 911.
What is your emergency?

- 1810 Cedar Street, please!
- What's wrong?

My wife's had an accident.

- She's still breathing.
- What kind of accident?

She fell down the stairs.
She's still breathing. Please come.

- Is she conscious?
- What?

- Is she conscious?
- No, she's not conscious.

- How many stairs did she fall down?
- What? Huh?

- How many stairs?
- The back stairs!

- How many stairs?
- No.

Calm down, sir.

- Calm down.
- No, 15, 20, I don't know!

Please, get somebody here right away.

Okay, somebody's dispatching
the ambulance while I ask you questions.

It's in Forest Hills, okay?
Please! Please!

Sir, sir, somebody else
is dispatching the ambulance.

Okay, is she awake now?

Hello?

Hello?

You know, I think
one of the more strange comments,

and actually a very true comment,

was what Candace said on the stand.

And she said, "I don't know
who that Michael Peterson is."

Well...

I don't know who that person is either
who has been on trial,

hearing all of these things and listening
to all of these stories and...

Just incredible things.

I don't know who that person is either.

But it isn't me, I know that.

I know who I am.

And I can live with that.

I told you in the beginning,

I've never been terribly concerned
what other people think.

And I know that comes across
as an arrogance,

but I think that a lot of it
has to do with peace,

that I have never really ever sought
to hurt anybody.

Yes, I've done some bad things.

Yes, I've certainly
inadvertently hurt people

and I haven't led the most exemplary life,

but I've never consciously
gone out to hurt anybody.

And I can...

in a very loose definition,

live at peace with myself.

And if you can do that,

it really doesn't make any difference
where... where that is.

So, I'll just...

probably just not be any different

on Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday,

if I come back to this house
or if I go somewhere else.

It's not going to change who I am

and who I know I am.

It will be still me.

And the trappings
certainly could be very, very different.

The environment
certainly could be very different.

But that's just...

environment.

Members of the jury,
all of the evidence has been presented.

It is now your duty to decide
from this evidence what the facts are.

The defendant has been charged
with first-degree murder.

Under the law and the evidence
in this case

it is your duty to return
one of the following verdicts.

One, guilty of first degree murder;

or, two, not guilty.

Take the jury
to the deliberation room and...

once you get the verdict sheet,
you can begin your deliberations.

No!

- It was scary.
- That's so funny.

Give them something to film.

- Leather.
- Dad!

Some women and Germans.

How far away is Rome?

- Can I come to Paris with you when you go?
- Yes!

- Really?
- Yeah, absolutely.

- Really?
- Absolutely. Absolutely.

Ow!

That's so exciting.

Do you still... I mean, you've been
practicing law for 28 years.

Do you still get butterflies
in your stomach?

Butterflies may not be
quite the right word.

I still feel anxious.

I think I've gotten better

at putting it out of my mind
while I'm waiting,

but when the knock comes on the door

and they say they've reached a verdict,
that's when...

Butterflies would probably be
an understatement.

It's more like bats and birds
and all kinds of things floating around.

How about for your client,
for Mike Peterson?

I mean, this has got to be
a tough time, too.

He needs his space
and he needs to be with his family.

And he needs to be with his kids.

And that's... He doesn't need me.

He needs the people who have supported him
and loved him his whole life.

Hand me my wine, will you?

All right.

- You want anything?
- Everything, pretty much.

Yeah, all right.

Enjoy. Could be your last.

- Take a bottle with me to court tomorrow.
- You better.

God, well, it goes
with all the other ones there, right?

- What about the cyanide?
- My entire bar is in evidence, right?

Have you got the cyanide capsule?

- You're going out like...
- Cyanide cap.

- Was it Himmler or...?
- Goering.

- Goering.
- Right. Mm!

Everybody, all the lawyers
are handicapping this thing.

There's really hardly any possibility
of a conviction. It's...

They're either talking about an acquittal
or they're talking about a hung jury.

Even Tom today told me
that he expects an acquittal tomorrow.

And he said, "You know,
if it goes beyond Wednesday..."

"then we might be thinking a hung jury."

Nobody's thinking conviction here.

But that is in fact
what I wanted to talk to you about.

And that is... and I always tell
my clients, "You know, you got 10% chance

of losing the case, or 80% chance,
50/50, or whatever."

You know, I handicapped this thing
extremely low, extremely low.

But on the other hand,
pshh, lightning strikes.

You just never know.

- Twice sometimes.
- Yeah.

- Let's hope they believe that.
- Same place.

But anyway, in the event,
in the unlikely event,

there will not be time to talk right away
'cause they will take you right away.

There will be time later
in the evening, you can talk,

just like we did when you were in jail
for that month in December,

but it was a little bit different
because we all got ready, and...

you know, took you down to the jail,
and we had a lot of time to talk.

Right.

But I am convinced,

especially after listening
to the jury instructions today,

that this judge has committed
prejudicial error already in admitting...

What'd he do?

That Ratliff stuff
should never have come in.

Nobody that I've talked to can believe
that that evidence was admitted.

And it's highly prejudicial,
highly prejudicial.

So, I think it's reversible,
easily reversible.

So, what I wanted to tell you,
if we don't have time to talk tomorrow,

you know, don't panic.

You'll spend a year in prison...

...but you can do that
standing on your head, you know?

But that's the important thing
to keep in mind, it's the game's not over.

So, you're telling me to...

- Don't bolt for the door downstairs.
- Don't bolt for the door.

Okay, all right.

Just go... Yeah, I've told...

You know, all my affairs
are perfectly in order, you know.

- Todd knows what to do.
- Yeah. Okay.

We've... I told him, you know...

- More powers of attorney.
- I'm gonna take out my watch

and just have $100
and just stick it in my pants

and I'll fuck them.

- Yeah. Yeah.
- Yeah.

But mostly, the main thing,
I want the kids removed from...

I want them taken out of here
and this environment.

I want them to go on.

I mean, just absolutely go on.

I trust you, Jack, to take care
of everything, take care of my kids.

- Yeah.
- 'Cause they'll be a mess.

- They will be a wreck.
- Yeah, I think that's right.

Oh, they will be a wreck.

They'll be devastated. No question.

They'll just be destroyed.

Margaret and Martha will be...

- Yep.
- Yeah, they'll just be...

So, bring them to Vegas, you know.

- We'll send them out to...
- With Margaret's height, be a show girl.

Listen, she's got
the genes now, right?

That's fine.

Yeah.

I don't think
it's gonna happen tomorrow.

I don't think so either, but...

I mean, I don't even think
we'll get a verdict tomorrow.

I'd be surprised.

But not terribly surprised.

I can deal with whatever happens,
believe me.

You know, I was saying before that,
you know, it's all up here, basically.

Milton. "Make a heaven of our hell
and a hell of our heaven."

And I can...

I can deal with it.
I absolutely can.

It's too terrifying. It's...
It would be like losing everything.

I mean,
we still have the family, but...

we just lost our mother,
we lost our sister.

And to lose our dad,
who's basically...

I mean, he's the foundation of the family.

He's holding us together.

He's the strongest person
in this family and...

I... I wouldn't...

I don't think I'd be able to survive
without him.

I don't... I don't think I can...

I can't really think about it
too much

because it would just send me
in too much of a depression.

I couldn't...
I couldn't live life without my dad.

People have told me,
some of my friends have been like,

"You know, Margaret, you really
should think, plan just in case."

And I...

I mean, there's not been
one single time where...

I could believe, no matter
how corrupt any system is,

I could believe that they could come
with a guilty verdict.

I mean...

it won't happen.

Remain seated. Come to order.
Court's back in session.

All right. Now...

I'm gonna bring the jury in, they're gonna
tell me what their verdict is.

And I'm gonna need order in the court,
getting this jury out of here,

and doing the things
that I'm gonna have to do.

So, to the members of the public,
if you think you're gonna have difficulty

accepting the jury's verdict
and you're gonna make noise

or do something else disruptive
in the courtroom,

I'm gonna give you an opportunity
to leave right now,

because if you disrupt my courtroom

while I'm doing this
and you cause a scene,

I'm gonna have you arrested.

Mr. Deputy, bring the jury in.
Tell them to bring all their belongings.

Please take your seats.

All right, Miss Foreperson,
I'm going to ask you some questions.

Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict

- on the issue that was submitted to you?
- Yes.

Have you marked, checked
whatever the appropriate spaces

- on the verdict sheet?
- Yes.

- Have you signed and printed your name?
- Yes.

All right, if you will give that sheet
to the deputy, please.

All right, Miss Clerk,
if you will take the verdict.

Ladies and gentleman of the jury,
you have returned the following verdict.

State of North Carolina
versus Michael Iver Peterson,

file number 01-CRS-24821.

We, the 12 members of the jury,
unanimously find the defendant to be

guilty of first-degree murder,
this the 10th day of October 2003,

signed by foreperson
Kristen Lyon Jones.

- Is this your verdict, so say you all?
- Yes.

All right, Miss Clerk,
if you will call the jury.

Miss Jones, you, as foreperson,
have returned for your verdict

that the defendant is guilty
of first-degree murder.

Is this your verdict
and do you still assent thereto?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

Juror Number One, Mr. Harrison,
if you'll you please stand.

Mr. Harrison, your foreperson
has returned for your verdict

that the defendant is guilty
of first-degree murder.

Is this your verdict
and do you still assent thereto?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

Juror Number Two, Mr. Higgins,
if you'll you please stand.

Mr. Higgins, your foreperson
has returned for your verdict

that the defendant is guilty
of first-degree murder.

Is this your verdict
and do you still assent thereto?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

Juror Number Four, Miss Blackwell,
if you'll you please stand.

Miss Blackwell, your foreperson
has returned for your verdict

that the defendant is guilty
of first-degree murder.

Is this your verdict
and do you still assent thereto?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

Juror Number Five, Mr. Sarratt,
if you'll you please stand.

Mr. Sarratt, your foreperson
has returned for your verdict

that the defendant is guilty
of first-degree murder.

Is this your verdict
and do you still assent thereto?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

Juror Number 12, Mr. Hall.

Mr. Hall, your foreperson
has returned for your verdict

that the defendant is guilty
of first-degree murder.

Is this your verdict
and do you still assent thereto?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

All right, Miss Court Reporter,
the court finds a unanimous jury verdict,

orders that it be recorded by the clerk.

Mr. Deputy, you take the jury
to your assigned place.

Mr. Hardin, do you wish
to be heard at all as to sentencing?

Mr. Rudolf?

Judge, I don't think that the court has
any discretion with regard to sentencing.

Obviously, we'll be filing
a notice of appeal.

But with regard to sentencing,
we don't wish to be heard.

All right. Then, Mr. Peterson,
if you will stand where you are.

Is there anything you want to say
before the court imposes judgment?

I would just...

It's okay.

It's okay.

It's okay.

All right, then, Miss Clerk,
the defendant is imprisoned

in the North Carolina
Department of Corrections

for the remainder of his natural life,
without the benefit of parole.

Mr. Rudolf, do you wish to appeal
at this time, or think about it?

- We'll file an appeal.
- All right, sir.

Come with me, please, sir.

All stand.

They'll be on the other side,
and the transport will be outside.

Gonna walk him right across here.

- Second car?
- Yes, sir.

Go right in the passenger side, please.

- Hold up. Go over here.
- You want me in this one?

Unlock the door.

Should be unlocked.

If there's not at least
reasonable doubt in this case,

at least reasonable doubt,

then I don't understand
what I'm doing.

And so, when the jury came in,
it didn't just disappoint me,

it shook

the foundations of my beliefs.

It shook the foundations of my beliefs
in the justice system,

in human beings,

in my own abilities,

in...

my judgment,

in my sense of reality.

I mean, it didn't just surprise me,

it truly stunned me.

It just...

blew me away
emotionally and psychologically.