Hundreds Line Up For Peterson Estate Sale

DURHAM, N.C. — Hundreds of people are expected to pass through one of the Triangle's most infamous homes Friday and the rest of the weekend. Most items inside

Mike Peterson's mansion are up for sale.

More than 1,000 items, including Oriental rugs, books and furniture, will be among the items sold. Peterson was convicted in October for the murder of his wife, Kathleen.

Some bargain hunters took advantage of a $20 preview Thursday to view some of the items to be sold.

"It was quiet. It was a somber feeling pretty much with everyone," potential buyer Linda Parham said.

On Friday morning, many people camped out for a chance to get some of the Petersons' merchandise. John Rouse, who was the first person in line, bought a $900 sofa and a $5 purse.

"I got everything I wanted," he said

Pam Cardoza said she had mixed emotions about the sale. She bought a cookbook that had an inscription that was signed by Kathleen Peterson.

"I gave me goosebumps," she said. "[It showed] how much love Kathleen had for the community and for the people."

Some people were so desperate for items at the Peterson home that they searched in a Dumpster to see what they could find.

The sale officially started at Friday at 1 p.m. and ran until 6 p.m. On Saturday, the sale will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sunday, the sale will be from noon until 4 p.m. On Monday, a clearance sale will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. There is no charge for admission to the sale itself.

Cash and checks are being accepted. Credit cards will not be accepted. Proceeds from the sale will go to his children and Peterson's step-daughter, Caitlin Atwater.

The stairwell, where Kathleen Peterson's body was found, is boarded up and closed off. Sheriff's deputies will be on hand, and anyone who tries to disrupt the sale will be escorted off the property.

While potential buyers go to the Peterson mansion, the Durham novelist is being held at Nash Correctional Institution. Officials say he is working as a teacher's assistant, making $1 a day, filing papers, stocking supplies and keeping the classroom neat.