NetflixIf you’re one of the many, many internet investigators that hit the web after binge-watching ‘Making A Murderer’ on Netflix recently then you’ll be pretty clued up on the whole situation by now – like me.
In short, the now extremely popular true-crime show followed the true story of Steven Avery and his nephew, who were convicted for the brutal rape and murder of photographer Teresa Halbach.
The whole angle for the show was, basically, that Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey were innocent, and that Steven was framed for the horrific murder by the Manitowoc Sheriff’s Department, after Teresa’s remains were found on his land. However, what made this case even more prolific was the fact that Avery had already wasted 18 years of his life when wrongly convicted of rape back in 1985.
Steven Avery, left, Brendan Dassey, rightThe story is a compelling one, and the 10-episode Netflix series does an exceptional job in putting the case against the police officers in question, out there.
On top of the evidence that currently exists, and the evidence documented in the show, hardcore users over in the /r/MakingaMurderer subreddit have compiled some of their own, in order to prove that Avery was wrongly convicted for a second time, and even more sinister, framed:
- Contradicting prosecutor Ken Kratz’s most recent statement, a gun expert with the Wisconsin State Crime Lab said he couldn’t conclusively link the bullet found in Avery’s garage to the .22 rifle in Avery’s bedroom. He could only confirm the bullet was fired by a .22 rifle
- There were little drops of deer blood all over Steven Avery’s garage, proving that the garage hadn’t been washed clean with bleach after the murder of Halbach as the prosecutors claimed.
- A forensic anthropologist testified for the defense that an open fire couldn’t have generated enough heat to burn a body and destroy bones the way Halbach’s remains were found.
- The leg irons and handcuffs found in Avery’s home had the DNA of Steven Avery and at least one other unidentified person. Teresa Halbach’s DNA was not found on them.
- One of the investigators that found DNA under the hood of Halbach’s RAV4 admitted to not changing gloves after handling evidence inside the vehicle.
- Forensic scientist Sherry Culhane was involved in Steven Avery’s 1985 rape case (that he was pardoned for) and testified that one of Steven Avery’s hairs was found on victim Penny Beerntsen’s shirt.
- Avery’s lawyers also contend that Culhane delayed processing the DNA test that proved Steven’s innocence in the 1985 rape for an entire year.
- So many problematic jurors were removed by Avery’s defense team that they hit the legal limit of dismissals. They still ended up with a man whose son was a Manitowoc sheriff and a county clerk’s husband.
Steven Avery's garage / NetflixWith the show’s popularity still skyrocketing, new evidence continues to make its way onto the internet, while petitions to free the pair have garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures.
And with growing pressure on those who convicted them, there are multiple avenues coming to light that can be explored and could justify having the case re-opened, but right now, said avenues just seem to be acting as promotional material for the show – which isn’t a bad thing.
