‘Making A Murderer’ — Everything You Need To Know About The Latest ‘Serial’-Like Obsession

Netflix’s newest documentary show, Making A Murderer, is quickly becoming this year’s most talked about true crime series. With the ten part documentary being filmed over the course of a decade, Making A Murderer has plenty of twists and turns that will get just about anybody riled up. With that in mind, here’s all there is to know about the new hit.

Making A Murderer centers on the controversial case of a man from Wisconsin named Steven Avery. According to CNN, Avery was convicted back in the 1980s for viciously attacking and sexually assaulting a woman. Avery served 18 years in prison for the crime. However, in 2003, new DNA evidence proved that Avery was not responsible for the attack and he was subsequently released.

Upon his release from prison, Avery filed a civil suit against the police department responsible for his wrongful imprisonment. The civil suit dragged on over the course of several years, and before the case was settled, police once again arrested Avery. This time, he was arrested for the murder of Teresa Halbach. Halbach was a local photographer who was reportedly last seen at Avery’s residence.

In addition to Avery, his nephew, Brendan Dassey was also arrested following his confession that he helped Avery commit the murder. However, according to E! Online, Dassey’s confession was made under questionable circumstances and should have been dismissed by authorities.

The documentary mainly focuses on the murder trial and the inconsistencies made by the police in their initial investigation. By the end of the documentary, audiences are left with the feeling that Avery was once again wrongfully convicted, only this time for a murder he did not commit.

Given the controversial viewpoint of the series, the show has quickly managed to become one of the most popular documentaries on the streaming service, drawing comparisons to similar crime docs like The Jinx and Serial.

In fact, several celebrities have even taken to social media to share their experience of watching the true crime series. “Never mind an Emmy or an Oscar… @MakingAMurderer deserves a Nobel Prize,” Ricky Gervais wrote on Twitter. “The greatest documentary I’ve ever seen.”

At the same time, many people are left wondering what is next for Avery and Dassey, and whether or not the two have a shot at being exonerated. As far as Avery is concerned, he is still working hard at appealing his case, though his former lawyer Dean Strang does not believe his chances are very good.

“I think the realistic chances for Steven are slim but not vanished or nonexistent,” Strange stated. “And I think they lie under the heading of new evidence, which would either be someone coming forward, someone admitting something, someone revealing a secret they’ve been carrying that would point in another direction or an advance in scientific testing so that the blood and the EDTA can be revisited.”

As far as Dassey is concerned, the young man is currently engaged in a lawsuit that might force authorities to take another look at his confession. If he succeeds, then there is a possibility that a judge could throw out his confession and order a new trial all together.

Meanwhile, the main prosecuting attorney on the case, Ken Kratz, has been plenty busy trying to keep his law firm afloat following the public outcry from the case. As is noted in the documentary, Kratz was also involved in sexual harassment cases that were filed by some of his own clients. Even still, Kratz remains adamant that the verdict reached by the jury was the right one, and that Avery and Dassey were responsible for the murder of Halbach.

Tell us! Do you think Making a Murderer will help Steven Avery get a new trial? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

[Image via Netflix]