State Supreme Court to Hear Peterson Appeal

Convicted murderer Mike Peterson will have his appeal heard before the state Supreme Court on Sept. 10.

Peterson, 63, was convicted in October 2003 of first-degree murder in the 2001 beating death of his wife, Nortel Networks executive Kathleen Peterson. She was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham mansion.

The former Durham mayoral candidate and novelist, who contends his wife fell down the staircase, is currently serving a life sentence at Nash Correctional Institution.

Earlier this year, Peterson reached a $25 million settlement with his stepdaughter, Caitlin Atwater, in a wrongful death suit. The settlement also states that Peterson admits no guilt or liability in the death of his wife.