The Netflix original documentary series that has recently gotten copious amounts of attention, focuses on the brutal case of Teresa Halbach’s rape and murder. Over the course of 10 episodes, the filmmakers work to give the audience a new perspective on this case that went haywire.
In 1985, Steven Avery was put in jail for a crime he did not commit. He remained imprisoned for 18 years until finally, DNA evidence and a crucial confession from the true assailant set him free. Gregory Allen was given 18 years of freedom to continue sexually assaulting women in areas surrounding Manitowoc, Wisconsin while Avery served the time that should have been Allen’s. The documentary, "Making a Murderer," gives you one minuscule episode on the 18 years Avery did before fast forwarding to the early 2000’s when he is arrested again, this time for a more heinous crime. Again, he pleads innocence the second he sits in the interrogation room and doesn’t give up to this day. But is he innocent this time?
"Making a Murderer" is giving the audience an obvious push to believe that Avery is innocent. The focus is on the mistakes of the police force of Manitowoc County in the previous investigation where Gregory Allen was looked over, the defense’s evidence during the trial and the screw-ups of the prosecution lawyers. All of this alongside the emotionally heavy interviews with Steven’s girlfriends/wives/fiancés' and family members, including mother and father. What are we missing? We are missing extremely important evidence from the prosecution. We are ignoring the fact that prisons incarcerate but do not rehabilitate. We are forgetting that before any of these investigations happened he was found guilty of setting a cat on fire and masturbating in public, the latter being a common trait among serial killers. We have been deprived of the knowledge of what happened to him and how his mind could have been altered during his 18 years behind bars. While in prison he spoke about raping and killing women; sound familiar? It should, because that’s what he’s been accused of this time around. Avery also has quite a low IQ making his mind more impressionable than that of someone with an average intelligence level, also meaning that he is probably not too good at making quick decisions or dealing with being under pressure. None of this information is shown or even slightly mentioned in the documentary, which sways the audience more than it should.
After the attention this documentary has received, jury members from Avery’s trial have come forward confessing that they believe he could be innocent. Why hadn’t they voiced that 10 years ago? Because they were shown, equally, both sides of the situation and presented with evidence from not only the defense side but the semi-neglected prosecution side. Had there been no prosecution during the trial, I have no doubt that Avery would be walking the streets of Manitowoc County today. The jurors and other accusatory citizens that are changing their minds are doing so because they seem to be sitting in trial again, without a prosecutor. But there’s two sides to every story.
Imagine some sort of counter documentary, one that pulls emotion from the victim’s side of the situation, one that provides every piece of ground breaking evidence from the prosecution. A documentary such as this could sway people the other way, even those who have been swayed by "Making a Murderer." It has been 10 years since Avery was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Teresa Halbach –– 10 years passed and no new evidence has come. No confessions, not even the smallest sign of someone else being a possible suspect.
There is highly suspicious evidence against the police force provided by the defense of Steven Avery. Discarded pieces of tested evidence, unsupervised and unwarranted visits to the Avery residence, pin holes in blood samples. But there is also a lot of seemingly legitimate evidence that could have put anyone being accused of this crime in the slammer for the rest of their lives. Blood, car keys, bullets and bone remains.
I remain ambivalent about Steven Avery’s sentencing. I am in no place to accuse the justice system of being wrong, and I am in no place to accuse a man of being guilty of such a brutal crime. God will judge Steven Avery when that time comes, for it is not our place. For now, let’s remember that when you point one finger at the justice system, you are pointing three at Steven Avery. When you point one finger at Steven Avery you are pointing three at the justice system.
