Making a Murderer

{{main|Steven Avery|Brendan Dassey}}

Making a Murderer details the life of Steven Avery, a man whose family owned an auto salvage yard in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin and the murder of a woman called Teresa Halbach.

In 1985, Avery was arrested and convicted of the sexual assault of Penny Beerntsen, despite having an alibi. After serving 18 years in prison, Avery was exonerated with the aid of the Innocence Project, when the DNA in the case was matched to another man known to police. Avery was released in September 2003.

In October 2004, he filed a $36 million civil lawsuit against Manitowoc County and county officials associated with his conviction.{{cite web|title=Lenk, Colborn, O'Kelly: Where are they now?|url=http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/steven-avery/2016/01/15/lenk-colborn-okelly-where-they-now/78840672/|website=Post-Crescent Media|access-date=January 21, 2016}} In November 2005, Avery was arrested and charged with the murder of Teresa Halbach, a photographer who disappeared after she photographed a vehicle at Avery's salvage yard on 31 October 2005. The handling of the Halbach murder case is highly controversial. Avery and his lawyers argued at his trial in 2007 that he had once again been set up. Bloodstains recovered from the interior of Halbach's car matched Avery's DNA.{{Cite journal |title=The "Making a Murderer" Case: A Brief Description on How EDTA Is Measured in Blood |journal = Frontiers in Chemistry|volume = 4|pages = 41|author1=Wilson, Steven R. |author2=Tolley, Luke |date=October 20, 2016 |doi = 10.3389/fchem.2016.00041|pmid = 27812524|pmc = 5071312|bibcode = 2016FrCh....4...41W|doi-access = free}} Avery maintained the murder charge was a frameup, promulgated to discredit his pending civil lawsuit. His attorneys accused Manitowoc officials of evidence tampering after a vial of Avery's blood, stored in an evidence locker since the 1985 trial, was found with broken container seals and a puncture hole in the stopper, suggesting that blood from the vial could have been used to plant incriminating evidence in the victim's vehicle.{{Cite episode|title=Indefensible|series=Making a Murderer|network=Netflix|date=December 18, 2015|season=1}} The Avery tube contained ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA), which prevents blood coagulation and degradation. EDTA is not naturally present in human blood, and the defense argued that if EDTA was found in the crime scene blood, it would prove the blood was planted.Wilson, S.R. and Tolley, L., 2016. The "Making a Murderer" Case: A Brief Description on How EDTA Is Measured in Blood. Frontiers in Chemistry, 4. While the tampering charge was never substantiated, accusations of prosecutorial misconduct have persisted.{{cite news | url=http://www.techinsider.io/making-murderer-edta-test-quality-2016-1 | title=What an expert says about the FBI in 'Making a Murderer' could be damning to Steven Avery's defense | work=Tech Insider | last=Mosher | first=Dave | date=February 3, 2016 | access-date=April 21, 2016}} The series explores issues and procedures in the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department that led to Avery's original conviction, and argues the department had a conflict of interest in investigating Halbach's murder.

The series covers the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of Avery's nephew, Brendan Dassey, who was accused and convicted as an accessory to the murder, based largely on his confession under interrogation. The series depicts his trial, along with subsequent accusations of coercion and ineffective assistance of counsel. Avery is found guilty of intentional homicide, and Dassey found guilty of sexual assault and party to a homicide and mutilation of a corpse. In Summer 2007 Avery, aged 44, is sentenced to life imprisonment, without possibility of parole; Dassey, 17, is sentenced to life imprisonment, with possibility of parole in 2048.

Part 2 of the series looks at the many attempts to overturn the convictions of Avery and Dassey. It includes further forensic tests undertaken by Avery's lawyers. In August 2016, Dassey had his conviction overturned by a federal judge on the grounds he was unconstitutionally coerced by the police into confessing to the murder, and this was the only substantial evidence in the case.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/08/making-a-murderer-brendan-dassey-conviction-overturned|title=Making a Murderer: Federal Judge Overturns Brendan Dassey's Convictions|last=Bradley|first=Laura|date=August 12, 2016|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=August 13, 2016}} On November 14, 2016, Federal District Court Judge William Duffin ordered Dassey's release from within 90 days if Wisconsin prosecutors did not move forward with a retrial.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wisconsin-dassey-release-idUSKBN1392I8|title=Wisconsin judge orders release of nephew in 'Making a Murderer' case|last=Carroll|first=Rory|date=November 14, 2016|access-date=November 14, 2016|publisher=Reuters}} On November 17, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit blocked Dassey's release while the appeal was being heard.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brendan-dassey-making-a-murderer-appeals-court-blocks-release/|title=Appeals court blocks "Making a Murderer" subject's prison release|date=November 17, 2016|publisher=CBS News|access-date=November 18, 2016}} A three-judge panel from the 7th Circuit affirmed Judge Duffin's decision to release Dassey, and stated that Dassey should be freed unless the state chose to retry him.{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-making-a-murderer-confession-coerced-20170622-story.html|title='Making a Murderer' confession was coerced and Dassey should be freed, court affirms|date=June 22, 2017|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=June 22, 2017|publisher=Associated Press|location=Chicago, Illinois}} In December 2017, an en banc panel of seven judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled in favor of upholding the original conviction, in a split vote of 4 to 3, ruling police had properly obtained Dassey's confession.{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/court-making-murderer-defendants-confession-stands-210420808.html|title=Court: 'Making a Murderer' defendant Brendan Dassey's confession stands|last=Tarm|first=Michael|date=December 8, 2017|access-date=May 31, 2018|newspaper=Associated Press}} In June 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Dassey's appeal of the 7th Circuit's en banc decision.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/supreme-court-declines-take-appeal-murder-case-featured-netflix-n885401|title=Netflix 'Making a Murderer' case won't be heard by Supreme Court|last=Williams|first=Pete|date=June 25, 2018|publisher=NBC News|access-date=June 25, 2018}}

The story of the crime for which Avery was initially charged and imprisoned was featured in the Radiolab episode, "Are You Sure?" (airdate March 26, 2013), in the segment "Reasonable Doubt". The show featured an interview with Penny Beerntsen, the subject of the attack for which Avery was wrongfully convicted.{{cite web|url=http://www.radiolab.org/2013/mar/26/reasonable-doubt/|title=Reasonable Doubt|website=Radiolab|date=March 26, 2013 |access-date=December 25, 2015}}

• Steven Avery – Wrongfully convicted of a sexual assault, for which he served an 18-year sentence. Defendant convicted of Halbach's murder.
• Allan Avery – Steven Avery's father
• Dolores Avery – Steven Avery's mother
• Chuck Avery – Steven Avery's brother
• Earl Avery – Steven Avery's brother
• Barb Dassey – Steven Avery's sister, mother of Brendan and Bobby Dassey
• Brendan Dassey – Avery's nephew, son of Barb Dassey, defendant convicted of assisting Avery in Halbach's murder.
• Bobby Dassey – Brendan Dassey's brother, son of Barb Dassey
• Scott Tadych – married Barb Dassey (before the trials), stepfather of her children
• Kayla Avery – Brendan Dassey's cousin
• Kim Ducat – Steven Avery's cousin
• Carla Chase - Steven Avery's niece, Brendan Dassey's cousin
• Brad Dassey - Brendan's half brother, voice actor, and aspiring rapper.

• Penny Beerntsen – Victim of a sexual assault and attempted murder in 1985, for which Steven Avery was wrongfully convicted
• Teresa Halbach – Murder victim in 2005
• Rape victim of Gregory Allen, convicted for an attempted rape on Penny Beerntsen.

• Kathleen Zellner – post-conviction attorney for Steven Avery
• Dean Strang – for Steven Avery
• Jerome Buting – for Steven Avery
• Robert Henak – post-conviction attorney for Steven Avery
• Stephen Glynn – civil rights lawyer for Steven Avery
• Len Kachinsky – Brendan Dassey's first appointed lawyer
• Mark Fremgen – for Brendan Dassey, appointed lawyer (second lawyer)
• Ray Edelstein – for Brendan Dassey, appointed lawyer (second lawyer)
• Steven Drizin – post-conviction attorney for Brendan Dassey
• Robert Dvorak – post-conviction attorney for Brendan Dassey
• Laura Nirider – post-conviction attorney for Brendan Dassey

• Denis Vogel – Manitowoc County District Attorney, prosecuted Avery's 1985 sexual assault case
• Ken Kratz – special prosecutor, district attorney of Calumet County, Wisconsin, prosecuted Halbach murder case
• Tom Fallon, special prosecutor, "they do so at their peril". Cross-examined Brendan Dassey.
• Norm Gahn – special prosecutor, assistant district attorney of Milwaukee County

• Leslie Eisenberg, forensic anthropologist in Wisconsin
• Scott Fairgrieve, forensic anthropologist from Canada.

• Patrick Willis – Manitowoc County Circuit Court Judge, presided over Steven Avery's trial
• Jerome Fox – Manitowoc County Circuit Court Judge, presided over Brendan Dassey's trial
• Angela Sutkiewicz - Manitowoc County Circuit Court Judge, presides over Steven Avery's appeals

• Tom Kocourek – Manitowoc County Sheriff (1979–2001)
• Kenneth Petersen – Manitowoc County Sheriff (2001–07)
• Gene Kusche – Manitowoc County Chief Deputy Sheriff at time of Avery's 1985 trial
• James Lenk – lieutenant, Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department
• Andrew Colborn – sergeant, Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department
• Judy Dvorak – deputy, Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department
• Tom Fassbender – investigator, Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, lead investigator in Halbach murder trial
• Mark Wiegert – sergeant, Calumet County Sheriff's Department
• Jerry Pagel – Calumet County Sheriff

• Michael O'Kelly – investigator hired by Len Kachinsky

The series was written and directed by filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos. They met as graduate students in Columbia University's film program.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/21/arts/television/behind-making-a-murderer-a-new-documentary-series-on-netflix.html?mtrref=query.nytimes.com&gwh=E35BD465FED11B57ACFF74A16AA80A34&gwt=pay&_r=0 |title=Behind 'Making a Murderer,' a New Documentary Series on Netflix |last=Murphy |first=Mekado |date= December 19, 2015 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=December 23, 2015}} The two learned about Avery after reading a 2005 article in The New York Times about his 2003 exoneration and 2005 arrest for murder. Both thought that his case could be an interesting subject for a documentary.

Before meeting with Netflix, Demos and Ricciardi met with executives at PBS and HBO, but neither network was interested in the project. Netflix originally planned an eight-episode first season, but later expanded its order to 10.

The show's graphics and main title sequence were completed by Santa Monica–based design studio Elastic.{{cite web |url=https://vimeo.com/145672872 |title=Making a Murderer Main Titles |date=November 13, 2015 |publisher=Vimeo |access-date=January 17, 2016}}

The series received praise and criticism from critics. Some praised its comprehensive nature, and the first season has an approval rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7 out of 10. The site's critical consensus describes Making a Murderer as "a spellbinding slow burn that effectively utilizes the documentary format to tell a twisty mystery."{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/making-a-murderer/s01/ |title=Making a Murderer: Season 1 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=January 7, 2016}} On Metacritic, the first season has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/making-a-murderer/season-1 |title=Making a Murderer: Season 1 |website=Metacritic |access-date=January 7, 2016}} Lenika Cruz, writing for The Atlantic, commended the series for its "sense of total immersion". Mike Hale, for The New York Times, described it as giving an:

{{blockquote|almost Dickensian account of the tragedy of the Averys. The uniformly stoic family members shift allegiances over the years, while Mr. Avery's parents, as movingly bewildered and terrified as any fictional creations, steadfastly believe in their son's innocence, even as their long battle takes down their business and any sense they may have had of belonging to a community.}}

Some critics, however, have described Making a Murderer as one-sided{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/25/dead-certainty |title=How "Making a Murderer" Went Wrong |magazine=The New Yorker |first=Kathryn |last=Schulz |date=January 25, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2016}} and emotionally manipulative.{{cite news |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2016/01/making_a_murderer_is_so_emotionally_manipulative_it_left_me_angry.html |title=The Emotional Manipulations of Making a Murderer |work=Slate |first=Bronwen |last=Dickey |date=January 15, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2016}} Prosecutor Ken Kratz claimed key evidence from the trial was omitted from the documentary, claiming that, on one of Halbach's previous visits, Avery had come to the door in his towel, and that Halbach "said she wouldn't go back because she was scared of him."{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/nation-now/2016/01/19/seven-details-left-out-making-murderer/79010588/ |title=Seven details left out of 'Making a Murderer' |work=USA Today |first=Alison |last=Dirr |date=January 19, 2016 |access-date=January 21, 2016}}

Making a Murderer has been compared to The Jinx, a miniseries on HBO, and Serial, a podcast. All three investigate criminal cases: The Jinx detailed murders allegedly committed by Robert Durst.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/robert-dursts-grotesque-confession|title=The Queasy Finale of "The Jinx"|last=Mead|first=Rebecca|date=March 16, 2015|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=December 26, 2015}} The first season of Serial dealt with the Killing of Hae Min Lee.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/culture/sarah-larson/serial-podcast-weve-waiting|title="Serial": The Podcast We've Been Waiting For|last=Larson|first=Sarah|date=October 9, 2014|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=December 26, 2015}}

The second season received positive reviews from critics, though less acclaimed than the first season. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 71% approval rating based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6 out of 10. The site's critical consensus is, "Making a Murderer{{'}}s return may not yield closure for this maddening saga of crime and punishment, but the series' exploration of the U.S. justice system remains riveting."{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/making-a-murderer/s02/ |title=Making a Murderer: Season 2 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=October 20, 2018}} On Metacritic, it has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/making-a-murderer/season-2 |title=Making a Murderer: Season 2 |website=Metacritic |access-date=October 20, 2018}}

The series gained a very large international audience. Some celebrities, including Alec Baldwin, Ricky Gervais, and Mandy Moore, praised the series on social media.{{cite news |url=http://www.bustle.com/articles/132211-16-celebrities-who-watched-making-a-murderer-cant-stop-talking-about-it|title=16 Celebrities Who Watched 'Making A Murderer' & Can't Stop Talking About It|last=Piwowarski|first=Allison|date=December 28, 2015|work=Bustle|access-date=January 2, 2016}}

A petition to the White House that requested pardons for Avery and Dassey garnered more than 128,000 signatures. The White House responded that, as the convictions were made in state court, the President had no authority to pardon either defendant.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/white-house-responds-to-making-a-murderer-petition-20160107 |title=White House Responds to 'Making a Murderer' Petition |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=Althea |last=Legaspi |date=January 7, 2016 |access-date=January 12, 2016}} Then-governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin said he would not consider a pardon.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/07/why-scott-walker-will-never-ever-issue-a-pardon-in-response-to-making-a-murderer/ |title=Why Scott Walker simply will not issue a pardon in response to 'Making a Murderer' |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Amber |last=Phillips |date=January 7, 2016 |access-date=January 12, 2016}}

Dassey is being represented by the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at Northwestern University.{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/making-murderer-reid-interrogation-technique-brendan-dassey/Content?oid=20761110 |title=A Chicago-based legal team is appealing the Making a Murderer case |website=Chicago Reader |first=Deanna |last=Isaacs |date=January 5, 2016 |access-date=January 12, 2016}} Appeals within the state courts failed, but his conviction was overturned in federal district court on August 12, 2016, by a Magistrate Judge, based on the unconstitutional coercion of his confession. His defense team had petitioned the court to hear his case on habeas corpus grounds. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted a stay of the release on November 16, 2016, pending resolution of the appeal.

As of January 9, 2016, Avery was being represented by Kathleen Zellner and Tricia Bushnell, legal director of the Midwest Innocence Project.{{cite news |first=Ian |last=Cummings |url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article53941115.html |title=KC lawyer to join 'Making a Murderer' case's defense team |newspaper=The Kansas City Star |date=January 9, 2016 |access-date=January 12, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.thewrap.com/making-a-murderer-who-is-steven-averys-new-lawyer-kathleen-zellner/ |title='Making a Murderer': Who Is Steven Avery's New Lawyer Kathleen Zellner? |website=The Wrap |first=Tim |last=Kenneally |date=January 11, 2016 |access-date=January 12, 2016}} In April 2019 Bushnell stopped representing Avery.{{cite web |title=Manitowoc County Case Number 2005CF000381 State of Wisconsin vs. Steven A. AVERY #122987 |url=https://wcca.wicourts.gov/caseDetail.html?caseNo=2005CF000381&countyNo=36&mode=details |website=Wisconsin Circuit Court |access-date=26 July 2020}}

Local reporter Angenette Levy was interviewed after the series and said: "I did notice there were some parts of the state's theory, and some other things that weren't discussed in the documentary," but she also noted that it was a six-week trial with much evidence reviewed in court.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/making-a-murderer-star-reporter-this-case-shouldve-been-famous-years-ago-20160111 |title='Making a Murderer' Star Reporter: This Case Should've Been Famous Years Ago |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=Lauren |last=Kelley |date=January 11, 2016 |access-date=January 13, 2016}} She said she was surprised that the trial, which she found compelling on many levels, had not received more national attention when it was being conducted. She found Dassey's conviction "tragic," as was Avery's wrongful conviction in 1985 but did not comment on the conviction in the Halbach case.{{cite news|last1=Agard|first1=Chancellor|title=The Journalists in Making a Murderer: Where Are They Now?|url=http://www.people.com/article/making-a-murderer-journalists-who-covered-steven-averys-trial|access-date=January 17, 2016|work=People|date=January 8, 2016}} TV reporter Diana Alvear wrote on her blog that she believed Halbach's life and character deserved more coverage in the series.{{cite web |url=https://medium.com/@dianaalvear/her-name-was-teresa-halbach-what-netflix-missed-with-making-of-a-murderer-f95becb4c628 |title=Her name was Teresa Halbach: What Netflix Missed with "Making a Murderer" |website=Medium |first=Diana |last=Alvear |date=January 7, 2016 |access-date=January 13, 2016}} Other local reporters said that the case still weighed on them nearly a decade after the trial.

In an interview with the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, Sheriff Robert Hermann criticized the series, calling it "skewed" and not objective, but he admitted he had not watched it.{{cite news|url=http://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2015/12/21/sheriff-making-murderer-movie-not-documentary/77715576/|title=Sheriff: 'Making a Murderer' is a movie, not documentary|last=Kloepping|first=Sarah|date=December 22, 2015|newspaper=Appleton Post-Crescent|access-date=December 24, 2015}}

According to Fox local news, Ken Kratz, the former Calumet County district attorney who prosecuted Avery, said that he had not been able to give his side of the story.{{cite web|url=http://fox6now.com/2015/12/22/netflix-documentary-on-steven-avery-case-generating-buzz-but-some-say-it-doesnt-tell-the-whole-story/|title=Netflix documentary on Steven Avery case generating buzz, but some say it doesn't tell the whole story|last=Delong|first=Katie|date=December 22, 2015|publisher=Fox6|access-date=December 24, 2015}} In another interview, he said that in 2013 Demos and Ricciardi denied him an opportunity for an interview.{{cite web|url=http://www.maxim.com/entertainment/making-a-murderer-prosecutor-ken-kratz-2015-12|title=We Spoke to 'Making a Murderer' Prosecutor Ken Kratz|last=Killoran|first=Ellen|date=December 30, 2015|website=Maxim|access-date=December 31, 2015}} The documentary makers said this statement was false, as it was Kratz who refused an interview.{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/making-a-murderer-burning-questions-answered#.mqM0M3RPD42|title=12 Burning Questions About "Making A Murderer" Answered|last=Wieselman|first=Jarett|date=December 30, 2015|website=Buzzfeed|access-date=January 15, 2016}}

In an interview with People magazine, Kratz has said that the Netflix documentary left out key pieces of evidence against Steven Avery.{{cite journal|url=http://www.people.com/article/steven-avery-prosecutor-ken-kratz-says-netflix-series-forgot-key-evidence|title= Steven Avery Prosecutor Says Netflix Series Omitted Key Evidence: 'You Don't Want to Muddy Up a Perfectly Good Conspiracy Movie' |journal=People |first=Tara |last=Fowler |date=December 29, 2015 |access-date=December 30, 2015}} He said Avery used a fake name when requesting Halbach as a photographer, and that he had placed three calls to her cell phone on October 31. Kratz said Halbach's cellphone, camera and PDA were found near Avery's trailer. He noted other physical evidence that was found in the firepit on Avery's property, and that Avery's DNA was found on the hood latch of the victim's car. A ballistics report indicated that the bullet found in the garage was fired by Avery's rifle. In an email sent to The Wrap, Kratz alleged that while in prison for the rape conviction, Avery told another inmate of his intent to build a "torture chamber" to use for young women when he was released.{{cite web |url=http://www.thewrap.com/making-a-murderer-prosecutor-ken-kratz-steven-avery-9-reasons-guilty/ |title='Making a Murderer' Prosecutor Emails Us 9 Reasons Steven Avery Is Guilty |website=The Wrap |first=Beatrice |last=Verhoeven |date=January 4, 2016 |access-date=January 13, 2016}}

In February 2017, Kratz published a book titled Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong.{{cite news |title=Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong by Ken Kratz |url=http://detroitcast.com/books/avery-case-steven-avery-making-murderer-gets-wrong/ |newspaper=TDC Podcast |access-date=August 9, 2020}}

The filmmakers have said that they gave prosecutors an opportunity to answer questions, but that Kratz refused invitations to be interviewed for the series.{{cite journal|url= http://www.thewrap.com/making-a-murderer-filmmakers-fire-back-at-prosecutor-hes-not-entitled-to-his-own-facts/|title= 'Making a Murderer' Filmmakers Fire Back at Prosecutor: 'He's Not Entitled to His Own Facts' |journal=The Wrap |first=Daniel |last=Holloway |date=December 31, 2015 |access-date=January 5, 2016}} Demos and Ricciardi said they believed the documentary was fair and included the most significant evidence of the six-week trial, including much of the state's key evidence.{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Former-Prosecutor-Says-Making-a-Murderer-Netflix-Documentary-Unfair--363552121.html|title=Former Prosecutor Says Netflix 'Making a Murderer' Docu-Series Unfair|date=December 26, 2015|publisher=NBC Chicago|access-date=December 26, 2015}} Demos said that Kratz "is going on television and lodging accusations against us. Much of what he says, simply his facts are not true. It's not about 'do we include it, do we not include it', they simply are not facts."{{cite news |url=http://www.thejournal.ie/making-a-murderer-interview-directors-2546797-Jan2016/ |title=They had no funds and no Netflix – but here's why Making a Murderer got made |work=TheJournal.ie |first=Aoife |last=Barry |date=January 16, 2016 |access-date=January 16, 2016}} The filmmakers maintain that their documentary was thorough, accurate, and fair.

Dean Strang, one of Avery's attorneys for the Halbach trial, stated the filmmakers did "a good editorial job" with the documentary. Strang noted that the trial lasted for six weeks and featured approximately 200 to 240 hours of evidence. Strang believes that showing the full trial would have been too long for audiences and that only the most significant points on both sides could be shown. He disagreed that significant evidence was left out.{{cite news|last=Buxton|first=Ryan|title=Dean Strang Discredits Claims Of Missing Evidence In 'Making A Murderer'|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dean-strang-missing-evidence-making-a-murderer_568d51b3e4b0c8beacf53b78|access-date=January 13, 2016|work=The Huffington Post|date=January 6, 2016}}

Jodi Stachowski, a former fiancée of Avery's, defended him in the documentary. But, during an interview on HLN's Nancy Grace in January 2016, she was asked whether she believes Avery killed Halbach. She said, "Yes, I do, because he threatened to kill me and my family and a friend of mine." Stachowski also said that Avery forced her to lie to Netflix producers, threatening that otherwise she would "pay for it." She quoted other alleged comments by him.{{cite news|last=Marquina|first=Sierra|title=Steven Avery's Ex-Fiancee Jodi Stachowski Believes He Murdered Teresa Halbach: 'He Threatened to Kill Me and My Family'|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/steven-averys-ex-fiancee-jodi-stachowski-believes-he-killed-teresa-halbach-claims-he-also-threatened-to-kill-her-w161627|access-date=January 13, 2016|work=Us Magazine|date=January 13, 2016}}

The Halbach family stated they were "saddened to learn that individuals and corporations continue to create entertainment and to seek profit from their loss." In a People article, Kay Giordana, Halbach's aunt, was quoted as saying that the documentary was "terrible" and "unfortunate", and

not even close to what really happened. Everybody has their own side of a story. That is the Avery family's side of the story. I wouldn't expect it to be different. They think he is innocent. I am not surprised. I am surprised that someone would put that together in that way and have it [be] one-sided." She added that Avery is "100 percent guilty. No doubt about it."

Halbach's cousin-in-law, Jeremy Fournier, described the documentary as "very one-sided" and feels that viewers are "only getting one side of the story."{{cite journal |url=http://www.people.com/article/making-a-murderer-teresa-halbachs-relatives-slam-netflix-series |title=Teresa Halbach's Relatives Share Pain over Making a Murderer: 'This Is the Avery Family's Side of the Story' |journal=People |first=Christine |last=Pelisek |date=January 13, 2016 |access-date=January 14, 2016}}

Beerntsen, whose testimony contributed to the wrongful conviction of Avery for rape, declined to be interviewed for Making a Murderer. Beerntsen had previously apologized to Avery, in 2003, after learning of his exoneration; they later met and collaborated on The Forgiveness Project. In a 2016 interview, Beerntsen said she had watched the show and that its portrayal of her case was accurate. However, as to the murder of Halbach, Beerntsen expressed that she was "not convinced" of his innocence, and that she had refused to speak to the documentary's producers for being "too close with Avery’s family and attorneys".{{cite web |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2016/01/05/penny-beernsten-the-rape-victim-in-making-a-murderer-speaks-out |title=Penny Beerntsen, the Rape Victim in 'Making A Murderer,' Speaks Out |website=The Marshall Project |first=Christie |last=Thompson |date=January 5, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2016}}

In 2023, The Daily Wire released Convicting a Murderer, produced and hosted by Candace Owens criticizing how the Netflix documentary handled the case.{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=2023-04-21 |title='Convicting A Murderer' Series Acquired By DailyWire+ With Candace Owens Set To Front Response To Netflix True-Crime Hit |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/convicting-murderer-series-daily-wire-candace-owens-making-netflix-1235333358/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

{{Series overview

| color1 = #A62821

| link1 = #Season 1 (2015)

| episodes1 = 10

| released1 = {{Start date|2015|12|18}}

| color2 = #CCCCCC

| link2 = #Season 2 (2018)

| episodes2 = 10

| released2 = {{Start date|2018|10|19}}

}}

{{Episode table |background=#A62821 |overall=1 |season=1 |title=20 |airdate=15 |aux1=10 |aux1T=Length (minutes) |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=1

|EpisodeNumber2=1

|Title=Eighteen Years Lost

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=64}}

|ShortSummary= When Steven Avery is freed from a wrongful conviction, his search for justice raises questions about the authorities who put him behind bars.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=2

|EpisodeNumber2=2

|Title=Turning the Tables

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=57}}

|ShortSummary= As Steven starts a new life for himself, he pushes a lawsuit against Manitowoc County law enforcement officials for corruption in his case.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=3

|EpisodeNumber2=3

|Title=Plight of the Accused

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=63}}

|ShortSummary= Steven is back in jail, charged with murder, but there are troubling questions about how he was arrested and why.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=4

|EpisodeNumber2=4

|Title=Indefensible

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=66}}

|ShortSummary= An unexpected confession casts doubt on Steven's role in the murder case, but the new suspect gives conflicting accounts of what occurred.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=5

|EpisodeNumber2=5

|Title=The Last Person to See Teresa Alive

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=59}}

|ShortSummary= As Steven's trial begins, his attorneys argue that law enforcement officials framed him and were negligent in not pursuing other leads in the case.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=6

|EpisodeNumber2=6

|Title=Testing the Evidence

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=59}}

|ShortSummary= Steven's attorneys cross-examine forensic experts about contaminated evidence and the absence of proof linking Steven to the crime.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=7

|EpisodeNumber2=7

|Title=Framing Defense

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=63}}

|ShortSummary= As the murder trial continues, Steven's attorneys present their case that law enforcement officials planted evidence to frame him.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=8

|EpisodeNumber2=8

|Title=The Great Burden

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=47}}

|ShortSummary= After two long days of closing arguments, the jury deliberates. Steven's fate hinges on whether the jury believes police misconduct may have occurred.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=9

|EpisodeNumber2=9

|Title=Lack of Humility

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=66}}

|ShortSummary= Steven's trial is over, but a new one is just beginning. Will the jury find the suspect's confession or his conflicting statements more believable?

|LineColor=A62821

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=10

|EpisodeNumber2=10

|Title=Fighting for Their Lives

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|12|18}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=63}}

|ShortSummary= In the years after Steven and Brendan's very public trials, the various members of the Avery family struggle to mend their broken lives.

|LineColor=A62821

}}

}}

{{Episode table |background=#CCCCCC |overall=1 |season=1 |title=20 |airdate=15 |aux1=10 |aux1T=Length (minutes) |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=11

|EpisodeNumber2=1

|Title=Number 18

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=57}}

|ShortSummary= Powerhouse lawyer Kathleen Zellner offers to take Steven's case. Brendan's postconviction lawyers fight in federal court to try to get him released.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=12

|EpisodeNumber2=2

|Title=Words and Words Only

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=67}}

|ShortSummary= Brendan's lawyers work to prove his conviction was based on a coerced confession. Kathleen tests Steven in new ways and visits the alleged crime scene.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=13

|EpisodeNumber2=3

|Title=A Legal Miracle

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=66}}

|ShortSummary= Kathleen's forensic experts review the evidence found in Steven’s burn pit. A 1996 statute limits Brendan's chances of success in federal court.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=14

|EpisodeNumber2=4

|Title=Welcome to Wisconsin

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=58}}

|ShortSummary= Cautiously optimistic, Brendan and his family wait to hear important news about his case. Kathleen files a motion for new scientific testing.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=15

|EpisodeNumber2=5

|Title=What + Why = Who

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=64}}

|ShortSummary= Searching for evidence of tampering, Kathleen visits Steven's trailer. A new twist in Brendan's case sends his family on an emotional roller coaster.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=16

|EpisodeNumber2=6

|Title=Everything Takes Time

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=65}}

|ShortSummary= Kathleen obtains access to some of the original physical evidence from the case. The former prosecutor holds a press conference.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=17

|EpisodeNumber2=7

|Title=Item FL

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=60}}

|ShortSummary= Kathleen runs new tests on the bullet believed to have killed Teresa Halbach and tracks Teresa's movements on the day she disappeared.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=18

|EpisodeNumber2=8

|Title=Special Care

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=60}}

|ShortSummary= Kathleen uncovers evidence about one of the State's star witnesses. Brendan's case takes another unexpected turn.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=19

|EpisodeNumber2=9

|Title=Friday Nite

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=63}}

|ShortSummary= A witness comes forward with new information about Teresa's car. Kathleen attempts to build the timeline of what happened to Teresa on Oct. 31, 2005.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=20

|EpisodeNumber2=10

|Title=Trust No One

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|10|19}}

|Aux1={{Duration|m=77}}

|ShortSummary= Kathleen makes two of the biggest discoveries of the case. Brendan's lawyers take his case to the next level.

|LineColor=CCCCCC

}}

}}

• The Confession Tapes

{{Reflist}}

• {{Netflix title}}
• {{IMDb title|5189670}}

{{Netflix original ended series (2012–2018)}}

{{Navboxes

|title = Awards for Making a Murderer

|list =

{{EmmyAward Documentary Series}}

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{{TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming}}

}}

Category:2015 American television series debuts

Category:2018 American television series endings

Category:2010s American documentary television series

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:Netflix original documentary television series

Category:True crime television series

Category:Television series about conspiracy theories

Category:Television controversies in the United States

Category:Television shows scored by Gustavo Santaolalla

Category:Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

Category:Documentary films about miscarriage of justice in the United States