Two online petitions to pardon “Making a Murderer” subjects Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey grew to 136,000 signatures on Sunday.
The petitions were sparked by the Netfix docu-series, which investigates Avery’s troubled history with law enforcement in his native Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. After DNA evidence exonerated Avery for a rape charge that saw him unjustly serve 18 years in prison, he was convicted in the 2005 killing of photographer Teresa Halbach.
Dassey, Avery’s nephew, was also convicted for his involvement in the same case. The series highlights flaws in the investigation and prosecution of the murder cases.
Since the series debuted on December 18, more than 18,200 people have signed a Whitehouse.gov petition appealing to President Obama to pardon Avery and Dassey. It needs a total of 100,000 signatures by Jan. 19 to reach the President’s desk. A similar petition from Change.org. has been signed by another 118,000 people and counting.
Halbach disappeared following a photo shoot for “Auto Trader” at Avery’s family-owned junkyard in 2005, with her remains later found on the property. Prosecutors said Avery lured Halbach to the location, tied her up, raped and stabbed her, shot her in the head and then burned the body on a burn pile in his backyard.
They also said that Dassey, his then-17-year-old nephew with a low IQ, aided in the crime.
But the series highlights multiple flaws in the case, including a conflict of interest by investigating detectives who were being sued by Avery over the previous rape conviction. The defense alleged that evidence planted by corrupt police, including Avery’s blood found in Halbach’s vehicle.
There was no physical evidence tying Dassey to the crime. He was convicted based on a confession that he later retracted. In addition, none of Halbach’s blood was found where prosecutors said she was tortured, raped, stabbed and shot.
Kratz has since spoken out against how he is portrayed, and alleged that the filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos ignored physical evidence that linked Avery to the homicide.
All ten episodes of “Making a Murderer” are currently available to stream on Netflix.
6 Times Hollywood Shook Up Criminal Justice Before 'Making a Murderer'
"Making a Murderer" subject Brendan Dassey had his conviction overturned by a federal judge on August 12. But it's not the first time a film or documentary has been a factor in a major legal reversal of fortune.
"Gimme Shelter" (1970)
A documentary directed by the Maysles brothers, "Gimme Shelter" started out as a simple concert film about The Rolling Stones, but turned out to be essential documentation of the fights and violence that erupted at the Altamont Free Concert.
Cinema 5
"The Thin Blue Line" (1988)
Errol Morris' documentary depicted Randall Dale Adams, a man serving life in prison for a murder he did not commit. Adams was exonerated and released from prison a year after the movie's release.
Miramax
"Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" (2003-11)
In a series of three documentaries, filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of the West Memphis Three, a trio of teenagers wrongfully accused of murdering three children with Satanic overtones. By the time the final installment aired on HBO, the case had generated enough publicity to with the trio's release from prison.
HBO
"The Invisible War" (2012)
The Oscar-nominated "The Invisible War" documented the culture of widespread sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military, and led to new legislation changing the way those cases are handled.
Cinedigm
"Serial" (2014)
The first season of Sarah Koenig's podcast re-investigated the case of Adnan Syed, who was convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. Thanks in part to the attention from "Serial," Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Martin P. Welch on June 30 2016, officially vacated Syed’s conviction and life sentence, and ordered a new trial.
The night before the high-profile and highly incriminating series finale aired, real estate heir Robert Durst was arrested in New Orleans and charged with murder. In February, he pleaded guilty to gun charges but still awaits trial in L.A. for the killing of his friend, Susan Berman.
“What the hell did I do?” Durst asked himself while still mic-ed in the final episode. “Killed ’em all, of course.”
The overturning of Brandon Dassey’s murder conviction isn’t the first time a documentary has helped right a legal wrong
"Making a Murderer" subject Brendan Dassey had his conviction overturned by a federal judge on August 12. But it's not the first time a film or documentary has been a factor in a major legal reversal of fortune.