“Making a Murderer” fans are not just limited to the U.S. — in fact, users from 144 countries have signed a Change.org petition to pardon Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, both of whom were convicted of a crime that some fans are sure they didn’t commit.
“Globally, fewer than half of all signatures on the petition came from the United States — 41 percent,” Max Burns, U.S. Communications Manager for Change.org, told TheWrap.
Other countries vouching for Avery’s innocence include the U.K. (4 percent), Canada and Ireland (3 percent each) and Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden (1 percent each).
Fans from Zambia, Albania, Qatar, Portugal and India have shared their opinions as well, signing the petition as well as leaving comments on the platform. All in all, said Burns, “144 countries have at least one signer on the petition.”
There is also a formal petition to the White House demanding presidential pardons for Avery and Dassey in light of evidence that suggests wrongful convictions in the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach.
Since launching in late December, the Whitehouse.gov petition has gathered almost 19,500 signatures on top of the almost 199,000 signatures on the Change.org petition. The former is more consequential in reaching President Obama’s desk, but it still needs almost 89,000 signatures before Jan. 19 to receive formal consideration.
The series is a harrowing look at Avery’s long, troubled history with law enforcement in his native Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. After DNA evidence exonerated Avery on a rape charge for which he served 18 years in prison, he was again convicted in the 2005 killing of Auto Trader freelancer Halbach.
View the graphic below for the global distribution of pardon petitioners.
Credit: Change.org
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.
