Making a Murderer: Thousands sign petitions to pardon Steven Avery
IT’S one of America’s most controversial murder cases. Now Netflix’s bombshell documentary about Steven Avery has enraged viewers. WARNING: Spoilers.
WARNING: Spoilers.
MORE than 200,000 people have signed online petitions demanding the presidential pardon of Steven Avery, the subject of Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer”.
A Change.org petition has collected more than 183,000 signatures, while more than 19,000 have signed a White House petition seeking to overturn Avery’s “wrongful conviction”.
Avery, a Wisconsin man with an IQ of 70, was sent to prison in 1985 for the sexual assault of Penny Ann Beernsten. He was released in 2003 after DNA evidence proved he was innocent.
But two years later, when he was trying to sue Manitowoc County law enforcement for $US36 million for “wrongful conviction”, he was again accused and then convicted for the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach.
The father-of-five has always maintained his innocence. During his second trial, his defence team claimed Manitowoc County police framed him for Halbach’s murder.
He is currently serving a life sentence at Wisconsin’s Waupun Correctional Institution. His nephew, Brendan Dassey, was also implicated in Halbach’s death and is behind bars.
Avery’s story has sent shock waves around the world after it was documented in Making a Murderer, an exhaustive 10-part series that details the alleged corruption of Manitowoc County bigwigs and their “vendetta” against Avery.
Officials have denied the series’ claims of legal wrongdoing.
Manitowoc County Sheriff Robert Hermann said the filmmakers “have taken things out of context and taken them out of the order in which they occurred, which can lead people to a different opinion or conclusion.”
Former district attorney Ken Kratz, who prosecuted Avery’s case, said the documentary didn’t present “80 to 90 per cent” of the physical and forensic evidence which tied Avery to Halbach’s murder.
However, the filmmakers claim the documentary provides mountains of evidence — including first-hand interviews, archival footage and detailed recordings — proving that Avery had been framed. Many viewers agree.
“I am outraged with the injustices which have been allowed to compound and left unchecked in the case of Steven Avery of Manitowoc County in Wisconsin, USA,” Michael Seyedian, creator of the Change.org petition, wrote.
“Avery’s unconstitutional mistreatment at the hands of corrupt local law enforcement is completely unacceptable and is an abomination of due process.”
The White House petition, published on December 20, states: “This (Avery’s case) is a black mark on the justice system as a whole, and should be recognised as such, while also giving these men the ability to live as normal a life as possible.”
The petition is still thousands short of the 100,000 signatures needed by January 16 to mandate an official response from the President.
Hacker group Anonymous has also weighed into the highly-publicised case, promising to release phone recordings and emails which prove police involved in the murder investigation colluded to put Avery away.
Making a Murderer was released on Netflix on December 18.
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