Steven Avery - Netflix's "Making a Murderer"

johnnyskeleton

Has anybody been watching this series on Netflix? I think it just came out on the 18th December.

Basically, a guy called Steven Avery from a small town in Wisconsin was falsely convicted of sexual assault and was subsequently exhonerated by the Innocence Project. There were significant problems with how the police handled the investigation, not least

that the Sheriff handling the investigation is married to a cousin of Avery's who had been in a feud with him

or that

the District Attorney was aware of the real culprit's modus operandi (Gregory Allen) and had been advised by his underlings that it could have been the Allen

or even that

it had been reported to the local police that Allen had confessed but this report was suppressed

.

The main point of the documentary, however, is that just as his claim for compensation was gaining momentum,

he was suspected of murdering a young photo journalist named Theresa Halbach. His property was searched over eight days and ultimately they found her car in his lot, Avery's blood in the car, her keys in his bedroom and human remains in the back garden

More information here:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/netflix-series-brings-worldwide-spotlight-to-steven-avery-case-b99639845z1-363521841.html

Some interesting points here:

http://www.bustle.com/articles/131698-was-steven-avery-the-only-suspect-in-teresa-halbachs-death-making-a-murderer-only-showed-part

But what I thought might be interesting as a conspiracy theory is (if you're still reading you probably don't need spolier tags!) that while the film makers try to blame other people who knew Halbach for the killing, there may be a suggestion that the police planted evidence. It is possibly also suggested that the police themselves or another member of Avery's family was the actually killed her:

http://stevenavery.org/who-killed-teresa-halbach

Normally these exonerations are due to false confessions caused by police misconduct, incorrect identifications caused by human error or sometimes by poor quality legal representation. And while a lot of people will, in such circumstances claim a conspiracy against them when the truth is more pedestrian, this series has captured my imagination (sure what else would you do on Christmas day).

I'm only 3 episodes in so far, but I thought it might be worth checking out.

The conspiracy theory is that the police and prosecutors colluded together to plant evidence on him to stop the investigations into their professional misconduct. While there is some level of plausibility to low level planting of evidence, the big difficulty is who actually killed her or tried to dispose of the body. I find it hard to believe that a police force in the USA could collude to destroy or remove human remains to plant them on his property, much less the allegation that they might have killed her, but it makes for an interesting theory nonetheless!

Overheal

This is a theory about the events in the plot of a television show?

johnnyskeleton

Overheal wrote: »

This is a theory about the events in the plot of a television show?

It's a documentary about a person who claims he was wrongly convicted due to a conspiracy by the police and district attorney. Similar, in some ways, I suppose, to Serial.

Overheal

Fiction or non fiction

AlonzoHarris

Fantastic doc.
Finished it in 1 day :-)

johnnyskeleton

Overheal wrote: »

Fiction or non fiction

Well, his original trial conviction acquittal, civil suit, charge with murder, conviction and his maintaining his innocence are documented undisputed facts. That he claims that there is a conspiracy amongst the police and prosecutors is also beyond doubt. It is also the case that Ken Kratz, the prosecutor in the murder trial is getting death threats as a result of the documentary:

http://wgntv.com/2015/12/24/prosecutor-says-he-is-getting-death-threats-over-netflix-documentary/

Whether they the authorities did actually collude to have him falsely convicted the second time around is unclear. I have my doubts but it is sufficiently plausible that it can't be dismissed out of hand. Which I suppose is the hallmark of a good conspiracy theory!

DK man

It is compelling viewing - watched 6 episodes on the trot last night and I'm not really a telly person.

This poor unfortunate spent 17 years of his life behind bars and as soon as he was let out via Dna exoneration he is framed by the same city who wrongfully stitched him up first time round.

After watching the 6 episodes I can't believe that the case against him didn't collapse as the defence picked so many holes in it.

As for his nephew - what kind f 'justice' system allowed such a vulnerable child to be questioned in such a forceful way without legal representation

I have no doubt that these two will walk the walk of freedom but hopefully they won't have wasted too many years in their quest for justice

DamagedTrax

Great doc, i couldnt turn it off :eek:

Thanks OP!

La_Gordy

I haven't finished the series, but watching Brendan is very hard. He'd agree to anything. And when he says to his ma that he does this because he's stupid, it's so painfully self aware.

The Nal

Finished it yesterday.

After an unbelievable first 4-5 episodes I got a little bored once the trial started. The series is about 3 or 4 hours too long. It was too one sided for me and the film makers obviously left out a shedload of evidence - which I've since discovered they did. I got more and more frustrated as the show went on.

But what an incredible collection of characters. And what an incredible story. Made all the more interesting by the fact most of the characters are slightly inbred and borderline simpletons.

Have to laugh at this petition. Hundreds of thousands of people asking Obama to release them both!

Good article here if you've watched it all.

http://www.pajiba.com/netflix_movies_and_tv/is-steven-avery-guilty-evidence-making-a-murderer-didnt-present.php

Enjoyed it but its certainly no "The Jinx"!

Jaketherake

If you liked this then watch "The Staircase"

Its even better.

ScumLord

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

http://stevenavery.org/who-killed-teresa-halbach

That's a bit of a weird link. It's on Avery's site but basically calls the whole documentary and Avery into question. Was it taken from somewhere else and just posted up there?

Watched this over the Christmas and was glued to it, regardless of anything else it was a very well made piece of entertainment.

What I don't understand is why even Averys legal team aren't focused as much on getting Brendan acquitted? As far as I could tell there's zero evidence against him, bar the confession, and if they get that conviction quashed then surely it would call into question Averys conviction?

I would have also thought that Averys legal team would be looking for an alternative killer. Either the police just came across the murder victim and moved all the evidense, or they actually killed her, or they know who killed her and protected that person by framing Avery. But it seems like the police are involved illegally at some point. The fact every court in wisconsin has dismissed both cases despite Brendan's lawyer acting outside the law makes no sense to me. Whatever about Avery Brendan seems to just be some poor kid caught up in this.

anothernight

ScumLord wrote: »

I would have also thought that Averys legal team would be looking for an alternative killer.

They weren't allowed. They mention this a few times in the documentary, without giving much explanation for why. This is the first result Google gives me for why that was the case: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/10/making-a-murderer-meet-the-men-steven-avery-thinks-may-have-killed-teresa-halbach.html

nacho libre

Jaketherake wrote: »

If you liked this then watch "The Staircase"

Its even better.

"The Owls are not what they seem" A really strange case.

joebloggs32

Brendan Dassy has just got his conviction overturned http://entertainment.ie/tv/news/Brendan-Dassey-has-had-his-conviction-overturned/384132.htm
Interesting times ahead

ScumLord

Bout time. Never understood how he could still be in prison after everything his lawyer did became public.

StringerBell

Jaketherake wrote: »

If you liked this then watch "The Staircase"

Its even better.

How does one watch this?

Rorok

I found making a murderer incredibly boring, fell asleep during an episode

gerrybbadd

Rorok wrote: »

I found making a murderer incredibly boring, fell asleep during an episode

Did you watch just the one then?