'The Staircase' has put Kathleen Peterson in the spotlight. Now her grave is a destination.

The grave for Kathleen Peterson sits in the shade of a towering oak tree, attended by mockingbirds, roses and a growing crowd of gawkers.

Her tombstone is nearly hidden by bushes and shrubs, but in recent weeks, it has been in the spotlight. The staff at Durham's Maplewood Cemetery report at least dozen people have stopped there to ask for maps leading to the grave. And on a recent day, a relatively fresh bouquet of roses lay at her marker, along with a shiny penny.

The new attention comes after "The Staircase" documentary was released earlier this month on Netflix, which follows the story of Durham author Michael Peterson’s trial for the 2001 murder of Kathleen, his wife.

Interest has run especially high because of the last three episodes, which detail more recent events related to the murder. The slain executive's sisters delivered emotional speeches during Michael Peterson's Alford plea hearing in 2017, which set him free after nine years in prison. In one of those episodes, Peterson visits his slain wife's grave and is bothered by the wind chimes, the noise of which he believes would have driven Kathleen mad.

Locating Peterson's grave in Section 3 of the cemetery requires a map or determined searching. The greenery surrounding her tombstone conceal this inscription: "Just whisper my name in your heart and I'll be there."

In the oak's branches, a pair of wind chimes have hung for at least a year, including one with a 2017 date and an inscription scratched on the metal: "For Kathleen ... Missn U."

The Peterson murder trial became one of the longest in North Carolina history.

Michael Peterson says he found his wife on the night of Dec. 9, 2001, in a pool of blood at the bottom of a back staircase in their Durham home. He was indicted on a first-degree murder charge 10 days later and went on trial in May 2003.

The award-winning 2005 French documentary series “The Staircase,” which landed on Netflix with three new episodes, has been in circulation for years — first released in England on BBC and then on the Sundance Channel in the U.S.

It drew millions of first-time viewers to Durham's infamous true-crime drama, but could also lure curious fans of the series to sites associated with the Petersons, including drive-by spectating to their house at 1810 Cedar St. That house, which no longer is occupied by Michael Peterson, can be seen from the road. The 3.4-acre property is gated and offers little to satisfy a lurid curiosity.

But Maplewood Cemetery sits almost within sight of Duke University, Kathleen Peterson's alma mater, where she was the first female student accepted into its engineering school.

"Staircase" viewers wishing to pay homage can also do so virtually. Kathleen Peterson's resting place appears on findagrave.com, where it has garnered 161 tributes, including many fresh ones left since June that reflect the wide variation of sympathies in the case.

"An amazing lady ... may you rest in peace," wrote a woman in Texas.

"Hope you are resting peacefully & your biased sisters chill," said an anonymous post.

While the publicity roars and a fresh generation discovers her story, Peterson rests in her oak tree shade.

This story was originally published June 29, 2018 at 1:44 PM with the headline "'The Staircase' has put Kathleen Peterson in the spotlight. Now her grave is a destination.."