The Netflix documentary "Making A Murderer" has become a topic of controversy and discussion across the nation. This highly addictive and chilling series is a work of advocacy journalism that highlights the flaws of the American justice system and follows the life and trial of Steven Avery. Originally, Avery was well-known for being accused and charged with violent sexual assault. After being found guilty, he spent 18 years in prison, serving the sentence for a crime that he did not commit. In 2003 he was exonerated and found not guilty by DNA evidence that was not previously found due to less-advanced technology. However, Avery's freedom did not last long. In 2007 Avery was found guilty in the case of the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach.
The documentary followed the case for 10 years and focused on the defense attorneys, Steven Avery, and his family. Since the series was released, over 200,000 people have signed a petition for Avery's pardon and release. Many of these people accuse the police officers and prosecution involved in the case of framing Avery, and believe that he is innocent. When I finished the series, I, like most people, was left feeling angered and disappointed at the justice system for locking up an innocent man twice. However the documentary leaves out multiple pieces of evidence and information that may paint Avery in a more guilty light than the filmmakers make it seem.
Although I do agree that there are flaws in the American justice system, and that the police may have planted a few pieces of evidence (like Halbach's car key) to ensure that he was locked up and convicted, when one really looks at the facts, it seems very likely that Avery was indeed the one who killed Teresa. Here is what we know, and the reasons why Steven Avery is guilty as hell.
First, it is obvious that Avery had a history of crime. However, the documentary belittles the aggressive and violent nature of these previous crimes and leaves many out. He had been charged with animal cruelty, as he doused his family's cat in gasoline and oil and threw it into a bonfire. Not only is cruelty to animals a predictor of later criminal activity, it also shows that Avery is capable of severe violence and taking a life. He also ran naked multiple times in front of the deputy's wife, threatened a female relative at gunpoint, engaged in domestic violence, threatened to kill his ex-wife, threatened to kill his ex-fiance, committed perjury in previous cases, and molested many other members of his family. By looking at these previous offences, it's not hard to imagine that Avery was capable of killing Teresa Halbach.
Second, it seems as though Avery had been planning to kill Halbach for some time. The months leading up to the murder, he called Auto Trader to have her come out to his residence multiple different times. After going to the residence a few times, Teresa asked Auto Trader if she could no longer take photographs for Avery after he had waited for her and greeted her only wearing a towel multiple times, which is sexual harassment. In order to have Teresa come out and take pictures the day of the murder, Avery called Auto Trader under a fake name and specifically requested Teresa. It was also shown in phone records that he had called her multiple times before in the day to ensure she was coming. It was clear that he had an obsession with Halbach.
A motive for killing Halbach was difficult to figure out. In the interrogation of Brendan Dassey (the transcript can be found here) he offers his own ideas as to why Steven may have committed the murder.
O'Kelly: How long was he planning this?
Dassey: I don't know.
O'Kelly: What's your idea?
Dassey: I could have a reason why he could have did it.
O'Kelly: Go ahead.
Dassey: That I think he wanted to do it because like maybe he wanted to go back to jail.
In fact, Brendan's guess might not be too far off. In an interview with a reporter not long after he was exonerated, Steven Avery stated:
"Sometimes I feel like it's easier [in prison], some days. Just put me back there, get it all over with."
Third, in Avery's trailer, cuffs and leg shackles were found. Avery claims that they were for his girlfriend Jodi, however he had bought them three weeks before the murder and Jodi was serving six months in jail, was not getting out, and had already been in jail a while. This is highly suspect, in my opinion.
In the confession of Brendan Dassey, he specifically describes the leg shackles without any pressure or ideas from O'Kelly. His confession is a piece of the case that is difficult to leave out. I am unsure if Dassey is truly guilty of murder, or whether he was coerced by Avery or just a witness, some of the details found in the transcript of the interview given by Dassey are too specific and correct to be made up.
O'Kelly: OK [BD writes] And how come she didn't get up from the bed?
Dassey: Because she was tied down.
O'Kelly: What was she tied down with?
Dassey: Cuffs.
O'Kelly: What kind of cuffs?
Dassey: Leg cuffs.
O'Kelly: I'm sorry?
Dassey: Leg cuffs.
O'Kelly: I don't know what you mean.
Dassey: Like the ones that they put on their legs.
It is clear in this interview that Dassey was speaking of the leg shackles found in Avery's trailer.
Fourth, the documentary shows Avery's blood sample as tampered with, and that there was a high probability that Avery's blood in Teresa's car had been planted. However, it was procedure back when the blood was drawn originally from Avery to insert the sample into the tube by a needle being inserted into the tube. It is very probable that the hole was made when the blood was inserted into the tube. The documentary makes it appear as though the sample has been tampered with, but some of the other tubes in the Styrofoam container had been used for previous DNA tests, and evidence had been opened before, upon approval. One of the most damning pieces of evidence is the lack of EDTA (a preservative chemical found in sealed blood samples) in the blood that was in Teresa's car. The defense tried to make it seem as though the lack of EDTA could have been a lab mistake or a bad test. However, science doesn't make mistakes, and lack of EDTA takes away the validity of this argument by the defense.
It is also important to note that not just blood was found in Halbach's car, but Avery's sweat was found inside the car, and under the car's hood, DNA from both blood and sweat were found. In the interrogation, Dassey speaks of Steven lifting up the hood to take out the car battery, and this level of accuracy could not have been predicted by the police. It's another example of how accurate Brendan's confession is.
Fifth, using tool mark evidence and ballistics, scientists were able to prove that the bullet found in Avery's garage had Teresa's DNA on it and was traced back to Avery's gun which hangs above his bed, where Dassey and Avery had been prior to bringing Halbach to the garage where they killed her. There is no way the police planted this evidence, since his gun had been in the evidence locker during the investigation. Did the cops get his gun from the evidence locker, fire a bullet, recover the bullet, put Halbach's DNA on the bullet and then plant the evidence the day of the investigation and return the gun? That seems a little improbable.
Sixth, not only were Halbach's remains found in the burn pit, but her camera and and PalmPilot were also found, which is a large omission in the series.
Seventh, in a phone conversation with his mother, Brendan Dassey not only admits guilt to his mother, but also claims that Steven made him do it and had been molesting Dassey and others. It is clear that Brendan Dassey was involved and Avery did kill Halbach. Here Dassey is speaking honestly with his mom and is not being interrogated. Dassey is not very bright, and I'm sure he believed that this was a private conversation with his mother where he could be honest.
Mom: Did he make you do this?
Brendan: Ya.
Mom: Then why didn't you tell him that.
Brendan: Tell him what
Mom: That Steven made you do it. You know he made you do a lot of things.
Brendan: Ya, I told them that. I even told them about Steven touching me and that.
Lastly, the most disturbing piece of evidence is the recent interviews by Steven's ex-fiance, Jodi, who appeared in the series. Jodi Stachowski calls Avery a monster, and claims that he is indeed guilty in her interview with HLN. In the documentary she seems very supportive. However, later she came out saying that Avery threatened her and made her say nice things about him. Jodi describes their relationship as being very abusive, stating:
"He'd beat me all the time, punch me, throw me against a wall. I tried to leave, but he smashed the windshield of my car so I couldn't leave him."
Their relationship was obviously not a good one and goes to show Avery's trend of aggression and violence towards women. In the interview, Jodi claims that Steven believed that all women "owed him" because of the woman who sent him to prison and wrongly accused him.
"He believed that we all owed him, and he could do whatever he wanted."
Not only was their relationship abusive, but Steven had threatened to kill Jodi before, claiming that he could "get away with it". Nobody except Steven Avery, Brendan Dassey, and Teresa Halbach know the true events that occurred on Oct. 31, 2005, but one thing is clear from this evidence. Steven Avery is guilty. I do agree that the justice process failed Avery, but not with a incorrect conviction, but rather with improper process and trial. There is reasonable doubt in Avery's case, and there are pieces of evidence that seem to be planted by the police. However, when looking at the entire Avery case, it seems as though Steven Avery is an angry man of low intelligence who had a history of violence against women and an infatuation with Teresa Halbach, and he is clearly guilty.
