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Making a Murderer: The Breakdown
Other | Friday 26th February 2016 |
If you haven't seen Netflix's docu-series 'Making a Murderer' yet - where have you been? The Internet has been bombarded with shock, outrage, theories, petitions and memes.
The series focuses on Steven Avery, now 53 years of age, who was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault in 1985. He served 18 years in prison before he was released and exonerated after a DNA testing proved he did not commit the crime. After being released from prison in 2003, Avery pressed charges of $36 million against Manitowoc County for his unjust imprisonment. Yet, not long after in 2005, whilst the lawsuit was still pending, Avery was arrested for supposedly murdering a photographer from Wisconsin, Teresa Halbach.
Though the documentary has been deemed biased in favour of Avery being innocent, there is no denying of the injustices that he has faced, as well as the injustices that have been committed by Manitowoc County. From the police tampering with evidence, to Avery's then-16 year old nephew, Brendan Dassey, being implicated into the case, the show is full of evidence that makes you query how lawful the police force really are.
Making a Murderer does not answer the question of who killed Teresa Halbach and unfortunately it does not look like we will ever truly know who comitted the crime. However it does examine the possibility that this case could in fact be a huge miscarriage of justice, thanks to an impossibly complicated judicial system that allows for the exploitation of police power.
Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey have both been sentenced to life imprisonment, but Avery has now got a new defense lawyer and is in hopes for a re-trial.
The show has spawned a huge public outcry and supporting for Avery, and a second Netflix series as well as a film are in the talks.
