Manitowoc County Sheriff Reacts to ‘Making a Murderer': ‘We’re Not Pleased’ (Exclusive)
Robert Hermann tells TheWrap he has watched the series for the first time and stands by previous statement that Netflix series is “skewed”
Beatrice Verhoeven | January 4, 2016 @ 8:10 AM
Last Updated: January 4, 2016 @ 9:07 AM
"Making a Murderer" / Netflix
Manitowoc County Sheriff Robert Hermann has watched “Making a Murderer,” telling TheWrap on Monday that he stands by a statement he had made prior to viewing the Netflix series, which he is “not pleased with.”
“Because of all the media stuff we’ve been getting, I actually did watch with it my inspector and I still stand by that statement,” Hermann told TheWrap. “In several areas throughout the film, you can see where they cut the tape and manipulated things. One place real evident is one of the interviews with Steven Avery in episode 5 — if you watch one video, it jumps from 3:20 to 3:21, then to 3:17, then to 3:22 and then to 3:18.”
On Dec. 22, Hermann told HTR News that he can’t call “Making a Murderer” a documentary because “a documentary puts things in chronological order and tells the story as it is … I’ve heard things are skewed. They’ve 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.” At the time, he hadn’t yet seen the series.
“Making a Murderer” explores the case of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who was imprisoned for sexual assault for 18 years before being exonerated on DNA evidence and released — only to be charged and convicted for the murder of a young woman three years later. Kratz successfully prosecuted Avery for the rape and murder of photographer Teresa Halbach, the crime for which Avery is now serving a life sentence.
Since its premiere on Dec. 18, the series strongly suggests that Avery was framed for the crime by Wisconsin law enforcement.
“We’re not pleased with the way the film has portrayed us,” added Hermann. “We’ve noticed that the family of Avery and the attorneys are embedded with the film producers, and the attorneys from the get-go have portrayed us in a negative light, but there’s not much we can do to change it.”
Finished 'Making a Murderer'? 9 More Infuriating Documentaries Streaming on Netflix (Video)
Before we go any further, we have to make sure: You've seen "Making a Murderer," right? If the answer is "no," then what are you waiting for? Watch the trailer to get an idea of what all the hype is about.
"The Central Park Five" (2012): Documentarian Ken Burns examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park, and spent between six and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed. This one might also appeal to fans of HBO's "The Night Of" for its look at how the criminal justice system works... and sometimes fails.
"The True Cost" (2015): This deep dive into the fashion industry not only exposes the deadly cost of cheap clothing, it shows just how little executives at some of the most successful companies capitalizing on foreign labor care about it. Even more upsetting, though, is the uphill and seemingly hopeless battle workers in poor countries are facing for working conditions Americans take for granted.
"The Race to Nowhere" (2010): Remember what it was like to be a kid without any responsibilities? Lucky you, because this documentary exposes a sad reality that grade-school students across the country are bombarded with so much homework and pressure to prepare for college before they even hit high school that they're already as stressed out as working adults. And some of them end up taking their own lives as a result.
"Kids for Cash" (2013): Prepare to be even more disgusted with the criminal justice system, as this film details the disturbing decision of a once-celebrated judge to sentence kids to outrageously long juvenile detention sentences in exchange for money from the private company building the detention center.
"Divorce Corp." (2014): As if the criminal justice system hasn't failed enough Americans, this documentary makes family law seem downright criminal. After watching this terrifying exposé on how the big business of divorce ruins the lives of parents and children caught in the crossfire, you'll think twice about ever popping the question.
"The Farm: Life Inside Angola Prison" (1998): This doc chronicles the lives of several inmates inside the nation's largest prison. While some of them were guilty of their crime, it's heartbreaking to see one who swears he's innocent show a parole board evidence to support his claim, only to have them promptly disregard it.
"Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father" (2008): This heartbreaking film focuses on an unbelievable custody battle between a murdered man's parents and the ex-girlfriend who took their son's life, while pregnant with their grandchild. One would think this strange scenario would be an easy decision for a judge, but get ready to get angry.
"Fed Up" (2014): The tragedy Katie Couric's voiceover presents in this documentary isn't just that both the government and food industry place profit above public health, it's the realization that even those parents who are actually concerned about their children's poor diet have no idea how to eat healthy themselves.
"How to Survive a Plague" (2012): This Oscar-nominated documentary will make your blood boil when you see how the American government and members of the medical community turned their backs on homosexuals and HIV patients during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Thanks to the tireless efforts of groups like ACT UP and TAG, the country has made substantial progress on the issue, but remember this battle when society inevitably finds another population to stigmatize and stand up before it's too late.
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The best documentaries are enlightening, infuriating and sometimes even frightening — “Making a Murderer” certainly was. But if you’ve finished all 10 episodes of the true-crime saga, check out these docs currently streaming
Before we go any further, we have to make sure: You've seen "Making a Murderer," right? If the answer is "no," then what are you waiting for? Watch the trailer to get an idea of what all the hype is about.
