Aphrodite Jones takes another look at the Michael Peterson case

One of Durham's famous true crimes gets another airing tonight at 10 on "True Crime with Aphrodite Jones" (Investigation Discovery; channel 114).

It's the Staircase Murders aka the Michael Peterson case, in which the Durham socialite/author/failed mayoral candidate was convicted of killing his wife by bashing her head with a fireplace poker. Or, if you ask Mr. Peterson, she fell down the stairs. Just like his friend in Germany.

Jones has covered this ground before; she wrote a book on the case, "A Perfect Husband." But Peterson didn't talk to her for the book. This time she scores a prison interview with him.

Jones has pretty much made up her mind about his guilt, so she doesn't ask Peterson anything really probing in the interview. She lets him talk about that night and his relationship with Kathleen, and Peterson, who looks awfully good for a prisoner, basically tries to charm his way through the whole thing. But I guess it doesn't really matter that she doesn't try to grill from Peterson, who insists he's innocent. He seems in his own world anyway.

A lot of Durham and NC folk appear including Nick Galifianaikis,  judge Orlando Hudson, juror Kelli Colgar, Freda Black (Jones calls her Free-da) and the Petersons' former neighbor Larry Pollard who swears an owl probably killed Kathleen. (Jones basically says he's in denial.)

Despite the interviews, there's not much new here, if you followed the case, except to experience Peterson, the man Jones calls a 'wolf in an intellectual's clothing' and because of that, one of the most dangerous people she has dealt with.