A documentary filmmaker says a “notable” convicted killer in Wisconsin claims to have killed Teresa Halbach, the woman whose death drew national attention after being featured in the Netflix docuseries “Making a Murderer” in 2016.
“We haven’t confirmed the legitimacy of the confession,” filmmaker Shawn Rech said in an interview with Newsweek, “but seeing as it was given by a notable convicted murderer from Wisconsin, we feel responsible to deliver any and all possible evidence to law enforcement and legal teams.”
In a follow-up interview with USA Today, Rech said that he doesn’t know whether or not the confession will bear out because the convict — who was free at the time of Halbach’s murder — is a “proven liar.” He has declined to name the individual but says it was neither Steven Avery nor Brendan Dassey, the two men who have been jailed for the crime and are featured in “Making a Murderer.”
“I probably lean toward ‘no,’ but I think it’s pretty important that it’s thoroughly investigated,” Rech said.
“Making a Murderer” examines the 2007 convictions of Avery and Brendan Dassey for the 2005 murder of Halbach, casting doubts on Avery’s guilt, which hinged on evidence collected at the family’s auto salvage yard in Manitowoc County. Notably, it pursues a theory that law enforcement may have held a grudge and was looking to settle a score with Avery after he was released from prison earlier after a sexual assault charge was disproven by DNA testing.
Rech told Newsweek that the confession came during production on his “Making a Murderer” follow-up series, “Convicting a Murderer.” The series, which does not yet have distribution, bears no connection to the Netflix original.