The Problem With ‘Making a Murderer’

“From the evidence I’ve looked at I think he is innocent”, said Jerry Buting, a lawyer for Avery in the Halbach case, to Dateline.

The Wisconsin man was the subject of Netflix’s hit documentary “Making A Murderer”. So how was Investigation Discovery’s much-discussed Steven Avery: Innocent or Guilty?

Ken Kratz, the former Calumet County, Wisconsin, district attorney who prosecuted Avery and Dassey, defended the way he handled the controversial case and says Avery is exactly where he needs to be – behind bars.

Signs with phrases such as “Avery/Dassey deserve new fair trial” and “We all live on Avery Road” were carried by protesters who were bundled up in heavy coats, hats and gloves in the 11-degree weather.

In downtown Manitowoc, the county seat, the talkative, curious people I had come upon a decade earlier were no longer surprised – or the least bit pleased – to see yet another reporter.

“Somebody from out of state, two weeks ago, was out at the Avery property and they invited him in and they couldn’t get rid of them”, said Manitowoc Sheriff Robert Hermann as he scrolled through hate-filled emails related to the case.

The show has turned viewers into armchair sleuths: Reddit and other sites are overflowing with people sharing their personal theories on the crime. The truth will set me free!!!!!!!,’ Avery wrote.

“That’s why we’re here, just really to be in support of the Halbach family”, Joanne Schoenke of Manitowoc said.

One of the top newsmagazine shows on TV is about to offer its take on the Steven Avery case.

The Netflix sensation saw millions of armchair detectives around the world pull apart the case against the uncle and nephew jailed for life for the murder of Teresa Halbach. But when the Netflix series was released in December, it captivated the nation, renewing interest in his case and leading many to believe that Avery was wrongly convicted.

“We could obviously get help from the sheriff’s department, if we needed it”, said Capt. Larry Zimney, Manitowoc Police Dept. “State Patrol will have people in the area that we could draw from if we needed to”. Both men are serving life sentences.

Additionally, there was the matter of Halbach’s charred cell phone and camera being found in Avery’s burn barrel, evidence of which the series omitted.

Standing in her doorway this month, Ms. Avery, a constant presence in the series, said she hoped people now saw “the crooked things the county has done” to her family.

Elsewhere, Steven’s tortured mother, who has stood by her son throughout his imprisonment, recently claimed that victim Teresa Halbach is still alive. His attorneys argued Dassey’s low IQ made him easily swayed by investigators who coerced a confession.