‘Making a Murderer’: 5 Things We Learned From ID’s Steven Avery Special

“Steven Avery: Innocent or Guilty” revealed new details about case documented in Netflix series

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Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery aired a new special about Steven Avery and the murder of Teresa Halbach Saturday, revealing new details about the case made famous by Netflix’s “Making a Murderer.”

The Netflix series documented Avery’s false conviction for a brutal sexual assault in 1985 and his subsequent exoneration in 2003, only to show that he was charged with Halbach’s murder two years later. The series, from Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, strongly suggested that Avery was framed by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department for the 2005 murder.

Since the docu-series debuted last month, outrage over the handling of investigation and trial has grown online, with petitions calling for his release garnering enough signatures to earn a response from the White House.

Some information was shared in Saturday’s hour-long special, with the prosecution, defense and filmmakers all given the opportunity to address a few of the series’ lingering questions.

Steven Avery had 16 alibi witnesses in the 1985 trial

There was no shortage of facts revealed in the series to make the fact that Avery served 18 years for a crime he didn’t commit look like a joke, including a police sketch clearly drawn from a an old mugshot, evidence that the sheriff’s department was acting out a vendetta against Avery, and the confession of someone else entirely. On top of all of that, 16 people testified to his whereabouts, saying that Avery could not have been Beernsten’s attacker.

All vials of blood have a hole on the top

One of the most damning scenes in “Making a Murderer” is when Avery’s defense attorney Jerry Buting discovers that a vial of Avery’s blood had been punctured by a syringe. It’s a key piece of evidence to suggest that Avery’s blood had been planted by police in Halbach’s car.

However, as revealed in the ID special, all vials of blood have a puncture hole. That’s how they get the blood into the vial in the first place.

Avery may not have been targeting Teresa Halbach

Since the show’s premiere, prosecutor Ken Kratz has been vocal about some facts that were left out of the series. One of the biggest was that Avery had previously invited Halbach, a photographer, to his family’s salvage yard to take pictures of a car he intended to sell. After she expressed fear about returning to the property, Kratz says Avery invited her over again to photograph another car, this time using a false name.

But it may not be that simple. Buting responded to Kratz’s assertions in the special, revealing that Avery used his sister’s name because she was the seller of the car being photographed. And he invited Halbach back because she was the only photographer for the magazine in which they intended to sell the car.

Avery’s DNA was found in Halbach’s car, but no fingerprints

Avery’s attorney’s argued during the trial that their client’s blood had been planted in Halbach’s car as part of the frame job by the sheriff’s department. But Kratz argued that Avery’s sweat was also found beneath the hood of the car, something the police couldn’t possibly have planted. But either way, none of Avery’s fingerprints were found either inside or on the vehicle.

There may be new evidence coming

Avery, who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder, now has a new high-profile attorney working his case. Kathleen Zellner, a lawyer who specializes in wrongful conviction cases has taken on Avery as a client. And according to Buting, since the investigation of Avery in 2005, new tests have been developed that could provide more evidence in the case.

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