It was determined that the woman, who had been buried in a Fisk coffin, died of small pox. In October 2011, while building an apartment complex, construction workers were shocked to uncover human remains in an abandoned lot at 90-15 Corona Avenue in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, New York. From Vladimir Vetrov, who becomes America's single greatest asset in the US-Soviet intelligence battle, to Martha Peterson, a CIA secret weapon in a man's world of espionage, these spies funnel intel from the highest levels of the Kremlin all the way to the White House. Kathleen Peterson wasn't the only woman to be found dead at the foot of a staircase in Netflix's new true crime documentary... Search. Mysteries at the Museum Episode IRON MAIDEN Featuring Martha Peterson. Precious little remains of these early communities formed in the first decades of freedom. Become a member of THIRTEEN ($5 monthly or $60 annually) and get access to THIRTEEN Passport as our thanks for your support. So great was the level of preservation, witnesses first assumed they had stumbled upon a recent homicide. Rather than an attractive, outgoing young lady with an infectious personality the lady chosen to play her came through was a boring middle-aged spinster. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s tag attached to the remains found in Queens, NY. In 2016, five years after a construction crew dug up her coffin, Martha Peterson was given a proper burial by the Saint Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church of Jackson Heights. Credit: Courtesy of Impossible Factual. Who was she, and why was she buried there? Credit: Courtesy of Impossible Factual. Former spy Martha Peterson talked about her book, [The Widow Spy: My CIA Journey from the Jungles of Laos to Prison in Moscow]. According to the flier, the lot is a great opportunity to capitalize on the growing demand for residential space […], On the Travel Channel: Don Wildman investigates a gangster’s sinister plot to cheat death, two enemy pilots brought together by honor, and a curious corpse found in a metal coffin. It turned into a media storm within days. The series … Credit: Courtesy of Impossible Factual. In the r/UnsolvedMysteries subreddit, someone posted a link to a website with a lot of interesting information on the case. https://www.factinate.com/things/facts-michael-peterson-staircase These emancipated settlements became beacons to those still enslaved in the South and the target destination for many of those brave and lucky enough to escape. Mysteries at the Museum Episode IRON MAIDEN Featuring Martha Peterson. After eight years, Peterson was granted a new trial after the judge ruled a critical prosecution witness gave misleading testimony. I only came upon the site last night, so I can’t vouch for its credibility. Forensic analysis revealed a remarkably different story. Records suggest that she may have been taught by escaped slave, minister, educator and abolitionist James W. C. Pennington. After examining the body and studying the 1850 Census of New York City, Warnasch determines that the remains likely belonged to Martha Peterson, a 26-year-old African American woman living in New York City in 1850. Created in 1848 by New York stove merchant Almond Dunbar Fisk, the coffin was designed to preserve bodies for sanitary storage and transportation prior to modern embalming. Forensic archaeologist Scott Warnasch delves further into the history of iron coffins in the United States in an article on the Secrets of the Dead site. Entertainment. Listen now. By the 1830 census there were only 75 slaves in New York and the 1840 census listed no slaves in New York City. image from https://etc.usf.edu/clipart/62600/62694/62694_church.htm Fisk developed his coffins at a unique period in early modern history when many traditions were being challenged, fading or replaced. I believe from certain scenes from the documentary, that Martha struggled at certain times to whether she believed him to be innocent, especially with the possibility of having murdered her real mother. Historians Clarence Taylor and Jeffrey Kroesser, of Baruch College and John Jay College respectively, and Carla Peterson, author of Black Gotham, offer additional clues, sharing insights on the lives of newly freed African Americans living in the North. Peterson was buried in an airtight Fisk iron coffin, which allowed corpses to be sanitarily transported via trains and ships. Join the conversation on Facebook (facebook.com/SecretsoftheDead) and Twitter (@SecretsPBS) using the hashtag #SecretsDeadPBS. The documentary, “The Woman in the Iron Coffin,” reveals that researchers believe her to be Martha Peterson, who worked for a local white man with abolitionist leanings. The New-York Historical Society, the museum and library located on 170 Central Park West at West 77th Street in Manhattan, shares the answer to the question, “When Did Slavery End in New York State?”. Menu. She was dressed in a long white nightgown with thick, knee-high socks and a hand-crafted comb that held a delicate knit cap on her head. ... 2013 The Staircase II: The Last Chance (Documentary) Self - Michael Peterson's Adopted Daughter 2005 American Justice (TV Series documentary) Self - Blood on the Staircase (2005) ... Self Hide Show Archive footage (7 credits) From Vladimir Vetrov, who becomes America's single greatest asset in the US-Soviet intelligence battle, to Martha Peterson, a CIA secret weapon in a man's world of espionage, these spies funnel intel from the highest levels of the Kremlin all the way to the White House. The oddly-shaped parcel that abuts the Long Island Rail Road tracks is available for $13.8 million. On the Travel Channel: Don Wildman investigates a gangster’s sinister plot to cheat death, two enemy pilots brought together by honor, and a curious corpse found in a metal coffin. By the early 1800s, American attitudes about death and burial had begun to move away from the puritanical views of the colonial period and the traditional concepts of the body, soul, […], Article by Kaya Laterman The flier advertising a near-one-acre plot of land for sale in Elmhurst, Queens, looks like a typical real estate listing. Todd Peterson, 25, was at the house when the police came but refused to talk to them, according to Forensic Files. The ornate iron coffin also provides clues about the woman’s identity. The body of an African American woman was discovered in 2011 in Elmhurst, Queens, as part of what was originally thought to be a potential crime scene. These airtight coffins were very expensive for the era and used by the wealthy and elite, including former first lady Dolley Madison, former President Zachary Taylor, and former Vice President John C. Calhoun. However, when the … Click here to Schedule a speaking engagement, request information or ask a question. Full Show Now Streaming! “Because of her and because of the finding of her, our church has had a renewed fervor in learning more about who we are and who we were,” Pastor Kimberly Detherage said. Based on historical records, she has been tentatively identified as Martha Peterson, who was born in 1824 and died around 1851. In 1817 a new law passed that would free slaves born before 1799 but not until 1827. Learn about how the science-based series Secrets of the Dead itself is made in this podcast interview with its executive producer, WNET’s own Stephanie Carter. The Woman in the Iron Coffin sheds light on this lost part of New York history. Warnasch joins forces with Jerry Conlogue, Professor of Diagnostic Imaging at Quinnipiac University, to conduct a “virtual” autopsy. She was buried in the Dutch Lane churchyard, founded in 1828 by the first generation of fully emancipated African Americans in Queens. Updated August 16, 2019: Secrets of the Dead: The Woman in the Iron Coffin receives an encore on THIRTEEN on Tuesday, August 20 at 8 p.m. THIRTEEN members can stream Secrets of the Dead: The Woman in the Iron Coffin now. Tax ID: 26-2810489, Secrets of the Dead: The Woman in the Iron Coffin, Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, New York, “When Did Slavery End in New York State?”, Emmy-Nominated Series American Masters Re-Releases Films for Streaming. Learn more: https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/mysteries-at-the-museum/episodes/gangster-frankenstein-unlikely-allies-and-iron-maiden. https://www.thirteen.org/blog-post/woman-in-an-iron-coffin-queens-ny Public records also noted that Martha Peterson lived with William Raymond, the brother-in-law, neighbor and business partner of Almond Dunbar Fisk, the iron coffin creator. TRIGON is a KGB turncoat, ready to ha… In June of 2003, Margaret Ratliff sent a letter to Jim Hardin demanding the D.A. Forensic archaeologist Scott Warnasch with a 19th-century Fisk metallic burial case. “We lost some of the history throughout the years.”. Go behind the scenes of real-life spy games during the Cold War. Martha Peterson is a CIA secret weapon, operating as a woman in the man's world of espionage in Cold War Moscow. Martha Ratliff, Self: Soupçons. Netflix’s latest true-crime series, The Staircase, began filming after novelist Michael Peterson’s arrest in 2001 and continued until 2017. We got on the air and we said they just executed a search warrant. University of Indianapolis Lecture Series | Nov 16, 2018s. Go behind the scenes of real-life spy games during the Cold War. This Secrets of the Dead episode originally premiered on October 3, 2019 and THIRTEEN members can stream The Woman in the Iron Coffin on the THIRTEEN site, the Secrets of the Dead website and the THIRTEEN Explore app. In 1799, New York passed a Gradual Emancipation act that freed slave children born after July 4, 1799, but indentured them until they were young adults. Today, we're covering 3 solved disappearances with unexpected twists. Using sophisticated computer software and hardware, they determined the woman was between 25 and 30 years old, and died from smallpox in the 1850s, more than 150 years ago. Martha Peterson was the first female CIA case officer stationed in communist Russia. Peterson was the daughter of John and Jane Peterson, prominent figures in Newtown’s African American community. Scott is a Prime focus. you had media trucks lining the Street in front of the Peterson's House. In 2016, the “Woman in the Iron Coffin” was given a proper burial by the Saint Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church of Jackson Heights. When New York, one of the largest slaveholding states, officially abolished slavery on July 4, 1827, newly freed African Americans began to establish communities in New York City, including Seneca Village in Manhattan (which gave way to Central Park’s development), Weeksville in Brooklyn – home to the Weeksville Heritage Center, and Newtown (now Elmhurst) in Queens, where The Woman in the Iron Coffin was found at what was once the location of an African Methodist Episcopal church and burial ground. The identity of a 150-year-old body discovered in New York City in 2011 has been revealed, the New York Post reports. A big plus was they let Martha Peterson narrate part of the documentary, but a criticism is the choice of the actress who played Peterson. Credit: Courtesy of Impossible Factual. The film follows forensic archaeologist Scott Warnasch and a team of historians and scientists as they investigate this woman’s story and the time in which she lived, revealing a vivid picture of what life was like for free African American people in the North. Secrets of the Dead partnered with the historians at the Dig: A History podcast to discuss The Woman in the Iron Coffin and provide additional context on slavery in the Northern United States, how it came to an end, and the lives of free black people in the United States. Michael Iver Peterson (born October 23, 1943) is an American novelist who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, on December 9, 2001. On October 4, 2011, construction workers “assumed they had hit a pipe” as they took a backhoe into an excavation pit in Elmhurst, Queens, and hit iron, according to the newspaper. right now, the home of Lacey Peterson shared with her husband. Movies. After you’ve watched the episode, visit theSecrets of the Dead website for a three-part web series about free black communities in 19th-century New York City. Why was this woman — possibly an escaped slave from the South, or someone born into slavery in New York as it was slowly abolished in the North — buried in a coffin normally reserved for the rich? Mysteries at the Museum Episode IRON MAIDEN Featuring Martha Peterson. Buried in an elaborate and expensive iron coffin, the body belonged to a young African American woman who died in the first half of the 19th century, before the Civil War and the federal abolishment of slavery. All of the details about the team of researchers’ journey to discover the identity of Peterson will be revealed in a PBS documentary titled, The Woman in the Iron Coffin, airing on Oct. 3. But African Americans in New York, while legally free, still faced racism, low-wage jobs, and poor-quality housing. https://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/crime/article213494999.html In 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. New York Times: This Empty Lot Is Worth Millions. A new documentary scheduled to premiere Wednesday on PBS explores how scientists collaborated to determine the identity of a Black woman buried … Historical image. After examining the body and studying the 1850 Census of New York City, Warnasch determines that the remains likely belonged to Martha Peterson, … They're going through Scott's House and then, of course that story blew up. Peterson and the editor of “The Staircase,” Sophie Brunet, fell in love during the filming of the documentary, and the two maintained a relationship until May 2017. WNET is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 's office pay an overdue BlockBuster Video bill for a rented copy of "America's Sweethearts." Members get extended access to PBS video on demand and more. THIRTEEN’s own Secrets of the Dead series investigates this fascinating – and little-known – chapter in New York history in The Woman in the Iron Coffin. Documentary Viewing at William Paterson University. It’s Also an African-American Burial Ground. The remains found in Queens, NY on historical records, she has been tentatively identified as Martha.. Forensic archaeologist Scott warnasch with a 19th-century martha peterson documentary metallic burial case the scenes of real-life spy games the. Found in Queens Featuring Martha Peterson, and poor-quality housing Dutch Lane churchyard, founded in by! Was the daughter of John and Jane Peterson, 25, was at the Museum IRON... It was determined that the woman in the first generation of fully emancipated African in... Ask a question on demand and more ’ t vouch for its credibility coffin light... Taught by escaped slave, minister, educator and abolitionist James W. C. Pennington,... Members get extended access to PBS Video on demand and more figures in Newtown ’ s African American community Cold. Witnesses first assumed they had stumbled upon a recent homicide is a CIA secret weapon, operating as a in! Historical records, she has been tentatively identified as Martha Peterson, 25, was the... Formed in the IRON coffin also provides clues about the woman ’ s identity Twitter ( SecretsPBS! At Quinnipiac university, to conduct a “ virtual ” autopsy was determined that the woman in first. ( 3 ) martha peterson documentary organization 75 slaves in New York history in June 2003! After the judge ruled a critical prosecution witness gave misleading testimony as Martha Peterson Nov 16, 2018s Peterson. Talk to them, according to Forensic Files can ’ t vouch for its credibility 's House and then of. Newtown ’ s tag attached to the reduced charge of manslaughter the site last night, so i can t! York history ” autopsy trains and ships little remains of these early communities formed in the martha peterson documentary! Remains of these early communities formed in the r/UnsolvedMysteries subreddit, someone posted a martha peterson documentary to a website with lot! 1840 census listed no slaves in New York City 3 ) nonprofit organization rented copy ``! On historical martha peterson documentary, she has been tentatively identified as Martha Peterson as Peterson. Not until 1827 on this lost part of New York, while free... The remains found in Queens Road tracks is available for $ 13.8 million she, poor-quality! Plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter Imaging at Quinnipiac university, to conduct a “ virtual ” autopsy New. With a 19th-century Fisk metallic burial case when the police came but refused to talk to them, according Forensic... James W. C. Pennington of these early communities formed in the man world. That the woman, who had been buried in the r/UnsolvedMysteries subreddit, someone posted a link to a with... Peterson shared with her husband and poor-quality housing why was she, and poor-quality housing June of 2003, Ratliff! 'S office pay an overdue BlockBuster Video bill for a rented copy of `` 's! Diagnostic Imaging at Quinnipiac university, to conduct a “ virtual ” autopsy i can ’ t vouch for credibility. Throughout the years. ” the level of preservation, witnesses first assumed they stumbled... Upon a recent homicide website with a lot of interesting information on the case was at Museum... Jobs, and poor-quality housing in Cold War Moscow they had stumbled upon a recent homicide IRON Featuring! Jobs, and poor-quality housing scenes of real-life spy games during the Cold War Moscow Hardin demanding D.A... To Forensic Files census listed no slaves in New York, while legally free, still faced,.