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Tiddy Smith, Author of DEATH BY TALONS, Gives Background Information on The Owl Theory

The Owl Theory and the Michael Peterson Case

It was a couple of weeks before Christmas in 2001 when Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her Durham, North Carolina property. She had bled terribly from deep slices in her scalp. Her husband, Michael Peterson, claimed that she must have fallen down the stairs. But authorities soon zeroed in on Michael. He was charged with her murder and found guilty after a lengthy trial in 2003.

It has become one of the world's best known true crime mysteries, popularised by two series, both called The Staircase, released more than a decade apart.

The two major theories about how Kathleen died are difficult to square with Kathleen's injuries. And the sheer amount of blood found at the crime scene was equally difficult to explain.

It was in 2003 that a neighbour of the Petersons, Larry Pollard, put forward the incredible theory that Kathleen was attacked by an owl late at night, along the front path of her house. He proposed that Kathleen may have run inside and fainted in the stairwell, bleeding to death.

Larry's theory has been the object of much ridicule, but it has much more to recommend it than most people are aware of. Moreover, there is evidence that suggests that Larry was only half right. A bird of prey was inside the house with Kathleen when she died.

The evidence for the bird of prey theory includes the following strange facts:

  1. scalp with talon marksThe Scalp
    Kathleen's head injuries were arranged in the shape of two identical trident-shaped wounds, side by side. Suspiciously, this arrangement strongly resembles an attack by a bird of prey.
  2. The Elbows
    Each of Kathleen's elbows were punctured with three needlepoint incisions. This suggests that she may have been covering her face with her forearms when an owl lunged with its talons at her head.
  3. The Droppings
    On the bottom step of the staircase, directly under where Kathleen's head had rested, white splats were found over the blood. They resemble bird droppings or "mutes" to use an ornithologist's term. This suggests that a bird was under Kathleen's head inside the stairwell.
  4. The Chipped Talon
    Stamped into one of the steps of the staircase was an object which the lead forensic technician, Dan George, described as like a "mini-talon". The object was found deposited under a clot of blood and it mysteriously vanished from its evidence container during Michael's trial.
  5. The Feather Fragments
    Kathleen had pulled over 50 hairs from her head. In her dead hands, she was still clutching the clumps of hair when her body was discovered. A microscopic analysis of one of these hairs uncovered the existence of two feather fragments, caked in blood. The existence of these feathers was denied by the District Attorney before Larry discovered their existence in the years following the trial.

Even though it seems fantastical to imagine that Kathleen was killed by a bird of prey, the evidence is strong enough to make this a live possibility. And even though it seems a wild idea that a bird may have been inside the house with Kathleen when she died, there is much to suggest that this was how her attack unfolded.

In my new book, DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl 'Murder' Kathleen Peterson, I explore the evidence available for this theory. Included in the book are exclusive photographs to support the evidence. Pre-order your copy today and discover the strange and troubling facts of this case that even the jury was denied the opportunity to hear.

Filed Under: Blog, DEATH BY TALONS, Tiddy Smith, True Crime Tagged With: bird of prey, crime scene, Durham, Evidence, Kathleen Peterson, Larry Pollard, Michael Peterson case, new book, North Carolina, owl theory, scalp, Staircase, theories, theory
January 11, 2023 By Tiddy Smith Leave a Comment

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DEATH BY TALONS by Tiddy Smith

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Gallery | DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson? by Tiddy Smith

Get DEATH BY TALONS   eBook   Paperback   Audio Book DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson goes beyond the theories and speculations and uncovers the shocking conspiracy surrounding the infamous “Staircase” investigation. In this photo gallery, find the color versions of black and white images contained in the paperback and hardcover copies of the book. […]

Death By Talons Book Cover

Author Tiddy Smith Explores ‘Owl Theory’ and North Carolina’s Infamous ‘Staircase Murder’ in DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson?

It was not enough to suggest that Kathleen began to bleed outside. It was not enough to point to prior owl attacks on humans. Larry needed a smoking gun. And he would find it. —from DEATH BY TALONS by Tiddy Smith On December 9, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a […]

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Author Tiddy Smith Discusses Police Misconduct in Durham

Get DEATH BY TALONS   eBook   Paperback   Audio Book The city of Durham in North Carolina had a serious problem with police misconduct at the beginning of the 21st century. The most famous example was the so-called “Duke Lacrosse” case, which gained worldwide attention. In this case, a young Black woman accused three Duke University students, […]

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A Fatal Owl Attack Has At Least One Historical Precedent, Says Author Tiddy Smith

Get DEATH BY JTALONS The unusual death of Kathleen Peterson in her home in Durham, North Carolina has attracted a tremendous amount of media attention since it occurred in December, 2001. It was first brought to international prominence by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s docuseries The Staircase, released in 2004. It was later rereleased in extended form […]

Author Blog Quote "It's not science fiction any more; it's science fact."

Author Tiddy Smith On ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Boys from Brazil’

In 1996, a sheep called Dolly was born. She was the first mammal in history to be cloned from an adult. For this reason, Dolly had three mothers: the one who provided the egg, the one who carried her to term, and the one who provided the DNA. It was a remarkable leap from science […]

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Scholar and DEATH BY TALONS Author Tiddy Smith Answers “Who Is Larry Pollard?”

Get DEATH BY JTALONS Thomas Lawrence Pollard, better known as Larry Pollard, was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1948. He was the son of Julia Davis Pollard and Forrest Pollard sr. Studying law at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, he would go on to work in some of the most prestigious legal […]

Author Tiddy Smith Tells Why He Wrote About The Kathleen Peterson Case

Get DEATH BY JTALONS I have always been intrigued by claims of the strange and unusual: Things like ghosts, extraterrestrials, sea monsters and sinister conspiracies. ghosts, extraterrestrials, conspiracy, Ira Levin, Rosemary’s Baby, The Boys from Brazil For this reason, perhaps, my favourite fiction writer was always Ira Levin. I remember reading Rosemary’s Baby for the […]

Author Tiddy Smith, PhD

Blog Posts by Author Tiddy Smith

Gallery | DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson? by Tiddy Smith April 6, 2023 Author Tiddy Smith Explores ‘Owl Theory’ and North Carolina’s Infamous ‘Staircase Murder’ in DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson? March 14, 2023 Author Tiddy Smith Discusses Police Misconduct in Durham March 8, 2023 A Fatal […]

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