Over 100,000 people sign petitions calling for the release of Making a Murderer: Steven Avery.
Since the debut of Netflix’s documentary series Making a Murderer, thousands have contributed signatures to online petitions calling for the pardon of Steven Avery. In fact, well over 150,000 people have signed a Change.org petition asking to set Avery free, while 18,000 have signed a government petition asking the Obama Administration to grant full presidential pardon to both Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey.
According to Time, if the White House petition collects 100,000 signatures by January 16, the administration has to publicly respond. The petition says, “Based on the evidence in the Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer”, the justice system embarrassingly failed both men, completely ruining their entire lives. There is clear evidence that the Manitowoc County sheriff’s department used improper methods to convict both Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. This is a black mark on the justice system as a whole, and should be recognized as such, while also giving these men the ability to live as normal a life as possible.”
This is a black mark on the justice system as a whole, and should be recognized as such, while also giving these men the ability to live as normal a life as possible.”
In late 2015, Netflix released teh series, which follows the life of Steven Avery of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, who was exonerated in 2003 by DNA evidence after serving 18 years in prison for rape. However, two years later, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Teresa Halbach. Steven Avery argues that he is innocent. Meanwhile, Avery’s nephew, Brendan Dassey, was also convicted for being a party to first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault and mutilating a corpse.
The prosecutor in the murder trial, Ken Kratz, recently told Vocativ that the show made him look like a villain and an even man. He describes Making a Murderer as “not a documentary at all, but rather a defense-generated advocacy piece.” Kratz, also told People magazine evidence that was not shared in the documentary including allegations that Avery “targeted” Teresa Halbach and rumors of Avery building a “torture chamber” to rape and kill women.
However, since the show’s release people have organized and rallied for Steven Avery’s defense. In fact, Kratz’s private law firm has been targeted by viewers on Yelp. “The people who have vilified me have not taken the time to find out the evidence they weren’t spoon fed,” he said.
