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Making a Murderer

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Making a Murderer
GenreDocumentary
Written byLaura Ricciardi
Moira Demos
Directed byLaura Ricciardi
Moira Demos
Theme music composerGustavo Santaolalla
ComposerKevin Kiner
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producersLaura Ricciardi
Moira Demos
Lisa Nishimura
Adam Del Deo
Production locationManitowoc, Wisconsin
CinematographyMoira Demos
Iris Ng
EditorsMoira Demos
Mary Manhardt
Running time47–66 minutes
Production companiesNetflix
Synthesis Films
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseDecember 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)

Making a Murderer is an American web television series that first streamed on Netflix on December 18, 2015.[1] The ten-part documentary, written and directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, explores the story of Steven Avery, a Manitowoc County, Wisconsin man who served 18 years in prison for the sexual assault and attempted murder of Penny Beerntsen, and who was exonerated in 2003. In 2005 he was arrested and in 2007 convicted of the murder of Teresa Halbach, a local photographer.[2] The series also covers the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of his nephew Brendan Dassey, who was also charged in the murder.

The series was filmed over the course of ten years, with the creators moving back and forth from New York City to Wisconsin during filming.[2] To promote the series, Netflix released the first episode concurrently on YouTube and on Netflix streaming, which it had not done for any other original programming.[3]

The series was favorably compared to the HBO series The Jinx and the podcast Serial.[4][5][6] Making a Murderer has generated considerable controversy, both in Manitowoc County, where the documentary is set,[7] and nationwide. A petition to the White House to pardon Avery garnered more than 128,000 signatures. In response, the President stated he had no authority to act in a state case.

Subject matter

Main article: Steven Avery

Making a Murderer details the life of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man whose family owned an auto salvage yard in Manitowoc County. In 1985, Avery was arrested and convicted of the sexual assault of Penny Beerntsen, despite having numerous alibis. 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 guilty of crimes in the area. After Avery was released from prison in 2003, he filed a $36 million civil lawsuit against Manitowoc County and several county officials associated with his first arrest. Soon after filing the lawsuit, he was accused of the murder of Teresa Halbach, a photographer who was last seen on the Avery family property to photograph a minivan for sale.

Making a Murderer explores issues and procedures in the Manitowoc County sheriff's department that led to Avery's original conviction. It suggests the county officials had a conflict of interest in participating in the investigation of Halbach's murder. Brendan Dassey, Avery's nephew was also accused and convicted as an accomplice in the murder. The series depicts his trial as well.

In other media

The story of the initial crime for which Avery was charged and imprisoned was featured on the March 26, 2013 (season 11, episode 5), edition of the radio program Radiolab, titled "Are You Sure?" in the segment "Reasonable Doubt". The show featured an interview with the victim, Penny Beerntsen.[8]

Avery family

  • Steven Avery – Defendant, convicted of Halbach's killing
  • Allan Avery – Steven Avery's father
  • Dolores Avery – Steven Avery's mother
  • Chuck Avery – Steven Avery's brother
  • Brendan Dassey – Defendant, Avery's nephew, convicted of assisting Avery in Halbach's murder
  • Bobby Dassey – Brendan Dassey's brother
  • Barb Dassey – Steven Avery's sister, mother of Brendan and Bobby Dassey
  • Scott Tadych – married Barb Dassey after the trials), stepfather of her children

Victims

  • Steven Avery – Wrongfully convicted in 1985 of sexual assault of Penny Beerntsen, for which he served an 18-year sentence
  • Penny Beerntsen – Married mother of two, active community volunteer - 1985 victim of sexual assault and attempted murder
  • Teresa Halbach – Photographer and 2005 murder victim

Defense lawyers

  • Dean Strang – for Steven Avery
  • Jerry Buting – 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

Prosecution and judges

Law enforcement

  • Gene Kusche – Manitowoc County Chief Deputy Sheriff, at time of Avery's 1985 conviction
  • Tom Kocourek – Manitowoc County Sheriff, 1980s
  • Judy Dvorak – Deputy, Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department
  • James Lenk – Lieutenant, Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department
  • Andrew Colborn – Sergeant, Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department
  • Kenneth Peterson – Manitowoc County Sheriff, 2005 through conviction (period of Halbach's murder and prosecution)
  • Tom Fassbender – Investigator with the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, working with Calumet County officials in prosecution
  • Mark Wiegert – Sergeant with the Calumet County Sheriff's Department

Production

The series was written and directed by filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos. They met as graduate students in Columbia University's film program in 2005.[4] The two learned about Avery after reading a 2005 article in the New York Times about his 2003 exoneration and 2005 arrest for murder.[4] 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.[4] Netflix originally planned an eight-episode first season, but later expanded its order to ten.[4]

Reception

Critical response

The series was well received by critics, who praised its comprehensive nature.[6] The series has an approval rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 34 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. 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."[9] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

Lenika Cruz, writing for The Atlantic, commended the series for its "sense of total immersion".[1] Mike Hale, for The New York Times, described it as giving an "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."[2]

Making a Murderer has been compared to The Jinx, a miniseries on HBO, and Serial, a podcast. All three are series that investigate criminal cases: The Jinx detailed murders allegedly committed by Robert Durst.[11] The first season of Serial dealt with the murder of Hae Min Lee.[12]

Public reaction

Celebrities, including Alec Baldwin, Ricky Gervais, and Mandy Moore, praised the series on social media.[13][14]

A petition to the White House that requested pardons for Avery and Dassey garnered more than 128,000 signatures. The White House stated that, as the convictions were made in state court, the President had no authority to pardon either defendant.[15] Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin said he would not consider a pardon.[16]

Dassey is being represented by the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at Northwestern University.[17] As of January 9, 2016, Avery is being represented by Kathleen Zellner, a noted Chicago-area attorney, and Tricia Bushnell, legal director of the Midwest Innocence Project.[18][19]

Local response

In an interview with the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, Sheriff Robert Hermann criticized the series, calling it "skewed" and not objective. Hermann conceded that he had not watched the series.[20]

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[21] and that in 2013 Demos and Ricciardi denied him an opportunity for an interview.[7] Kratz has also said that the Netflix documentary left out key pieces of evidence against Steven Avery.[22]

The filmmakers have asserted that they gave prosecutors an opportunity to answer questions,[4] and that they provided information relating to much of the state's key evidence.[23] Demos and Ricciardi subsequently responded to allegations made by Kratz, stating they believed the documentary was fair and included the most significant evidence of the six-week trial. They said that he refused invitations to be interviewed for the series.[24] They asserted their documentary was thorough, accurate, and fair.[24]

The Halbach family stated they were "saddened to learn that individuals and corporations continue to create entertainment and to seek profit from their loss."[21]

Prosecution response

Kratz identified evidence that the documentary left out, including Avery burning his cat; Avery using a false name in his call to AutoTrader; Halbach's phone, camera and PDA being found in Avery's burn barrel; Avery telling another inmate of his intent to build a "torture chamber" when he was released and saying that the way to get rid of a body is to "burn it"..."heat destroys DNA"; the victim's bones in the fire pit being intertwined with tires thrown on the fire; Halbach's tooth and a rivet from her jeans found in the fire pit; three calls from Avery placed to Halbach's cell phone on October 31; Avery's DNA on the victim's hood latch; and a bullet found in the garage being fired by Avery's rifle.[25]

Local reporter Angenette Levy corroborated Kratz's claims that it left out key evidence: "I was surprised that there were some things that weren't in there. For instance, there were some things that weren't in there about Steven Avery requesting Teresa Halbach that day ... There was testimony to that effect during the trial, that he had specifically requested her, and that she had been there many times before, photographing the vehicles."[26]

Another local reporter for NBC26, Diana Alvear, said that as she watched the documentary, she thought, "Wait a minute, what about this? Why didn't they mention that? And what about this testimony and that piece of evidence?"[27] Alvear stated that she was "outraged by what I saw in that Netflix series" and that "there are plenty of credible news outlets that are presenting evidence against Steven Avery that somehow, for reasons neither I nor my colleagues can understand, were left on the cutting room floor when this series was edited."[28]

Defense response

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 went for six weeks and featured approximately 200 to 240 hours of evidence. Strang took the position that showing the full trial would be too long for audiences and that only the most significant points on both sides could be shown.[29]

Episodes

Making a Murderer premiered on December 18, 2015. The first season has 10 episodes, released simultaneously.

No. Title Length (minutes) Original release date
1"Eighteen Years Lost"64:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
2"Turning the Tables"57:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
3"Plight of the Accused"63:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
4"Indefensible"66:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
5"The Last Person to See Teresa Alive"59:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
6"Testing the Evidence"59:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
7"Framing Defense"63:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
8"The Great Burden"47:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
9"Lack of Humility"66:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
10"Fighting for Their Lives"63:00December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)

References

  1. ^ a b Cruz, Lenika (December 18, 2015). "Making a Murderer: An American Horror Story". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Hale, Mike (December 16, 2015). "Review: 'Making a Murderer,' True Crime on Netflix". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  3. ^ Vielmetti, Bruce (December 25, 2015). "Netflix series brings worldwide spotlight to Steven Avery case". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Murphy, Mekado (December 19, 2015). "Behind 'Making a Murderer,' a New Documentary Series on Netflix". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  5. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (December 18, 2015). "True crime, Netflix-style: Because you watched "The Jinx," here's "Making a Murderer"". Salon. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Lyons, Margaret (December 17, 2015). "Making a Murderer Is As Good As 'Serial' and The Jinx, If Not Better". Vulture. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Killoran, Ellen (December 30, 2015). "We Spoke to 'Making a Murderer' Prosecutor Ken Kratz". Maxim. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  8. ^ "Reasonable Doubt". Radiolab. March 26, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  9. ^ "Making a Murderer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  10. ^ "Making a Murderer". Metacritic. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  11. ^ Mead, Rebecca (March 16, 2015). "The Queasy Finale of "The Jinx"". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  12. ^ Larson, Sarah (October 9, 2014). ""Serial": The Podcast We've Been Waiting For". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  13. ^ "Celebs go nuts for Netflix's 'Making a Murderer' series". Page Six. December 25, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  14. ^ Piwowarski, Allison (December 28, 2015). "16 Celebrities Who Watched 'Making A Murderer' & Can't Stop Talking About It". Bustle. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  15. ^ Legaspi, Althea (January 7, 2016). "White House Responds to 'Making a Murderer' Petition". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  16. ^ Phillips, Amber (January 7, 2016). "Why Scott Walker simply will not issue a pardon in response to 'Making a Murderer'". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  17. ^ Isaacs, Deanna (January 5, 2016). "A Chicago-based legal team is appealing the Making a Murderer case". Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  18. ^ Cummings, Ian (January 9, 2016). "KC lawyer to join 'Making a Murderer' case's defense team". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  19. ^ Kenneally, Tim (January 11, 2016). "'Making a Murderer': Who Is Steven Avery's New Lawyer Kathleen Zellner?". The Wrap. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  20. ^ Kloepping, Sarah (December 22, 2015). "Sheriff: 'Making a Murderer' is a movie, not documentary". Appleton Post-Crescent. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  21. ^ a b Delong, Katie (December 22, 2015). "Netflix documentary on Steven Avery case generating buzz, but some say it doesn't tell the whole story". Fox6. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  22. ^ Fowler, Tara (December 29, 2015). "Steven Avery Prosecutor Says Netflix Series Omitted Key Evidence: 'You Don't Want to Muddy Up a Perfectly Good Conspiracy Movie'". People. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  23. ^ "Former Prosecutor Says Netflix 'Making a Murderer' Docu-Series Unfair". NBC Chicago. December 26, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  24. ^ a b Holloway, Daniel (December 31, 2015). "'Making a Murderer' Filmmakers Fire Back at Prosecutor: 'He's Not Entitled to His Own Facts'". The Wrap. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  25. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (January 4, 2016). "'Making a Murderer' Prosecutor Emails Us 9 Reasons Steven Avery Is Guilty". The Wrap. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  26. ^ Kelley, Lauren (January 11, 2016). "'Making a Murderer' Star Reporter: This Case Should've Been Famous Years Ago". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  27. ^ Agard, Chancellor (January 8, 2016). "The Journalists in Making a Murderer: Where Are They Now?". People. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  28. ^ Alvear, Diana (January 7, 2016). "Her name was Teresa Halbach: What Netflix Missed with "Making a Murderer"". Medium. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  29. ^ Buxton, Ryan (January 6, 2016). "Dean Strang Discredits Claims Of Missing Evidence In 'Making A Murderer'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
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