Netflix’s newest true crime documentary, Making a Murderer , has been one of the most popular and heated topics of the new year. While many people who watch the 10-part series quickly find themselves frustrated with how Stephen Avery’s criminal case went down, there are some pieces of evidence that were not included in the series.
According to Pajiba , the information excluded from the show points towards Avery’s guilt in the murder of Teresa Halbach. With that in mind, here are the most damning pieces of evidence Making a Murderer did not include in the documentary.
For starters, Avery had met Halbach months before her disappearance. The nature of their relationship was not exactly healthy. In an obsessive manner, Avery requested Halbach every time he called her employer to have someone come out and take pictures of his vehicles.
For her part, Halbach objected to visiting Avery after he answered his door in a towel. Phone records indicate that on the same day Halbach disappeared, Avery had phoned her cell on three occasions. Avery called from a blocked number on two of those occasions.
Meanwhile, a bullet recovered from the scene contained evidence of Halbach’s DNA. That same bullet was fired by the gun Avery kept in his bedroom for protection.
Additionally, one piece of information in Brendan Dassey’s testimony is perhaps the most damning for Avery’s case. Although Dassey’s confession was clearly taken under questionable circumstances, he did admit to helping Avery move Halbach’s vehicle to the junkyard. In his statement, Dassey told investigators that Avery had unlatched the hood in order to disconnect the battery.
Police were then able to obtain non-blood DNA from the hood of Halbach’s car that matched Avery. While many people suspect that police had planted some of the evidence, it is less likely that investigators had the means to plant this type of evidence.
According to AV Club , there were additional pieces of evidence that proved damning to Avery’s case. This included the presence of Halbach’s camera and Palm Pilot in Avery’s burn site. Furthermore, Dassey confessed that Avery had molested him in years past and that Avery had a history of animal abuse.
Taken together, these additional pieces of evidence are particularly damning for Avery. The exact reason why filmmakers chose not to include these bits of information is not clear, but their attachment to the Avery family may have been one motivating factor.
That being said, if there is corruption at the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s department, then perhaps this evidence is another example of that corruption. Whatever the truth, it is clear that many people still believe in Avery’s innocence and are willing to take action to see him exonerated.
In fact, so many people feel strongly that prosecutors wrongfully accused Avery that they have created an official White House petition. The petition already has 64,922 signatures and only needs 35,000 more for the case to be addressed by President Obama.
The petition cites Making a Murderer as evidence that Avery and Dassey are innocent of the murder of Halbach, and that “the justice system embarrassingly failed both men, completely ruining their entire lives.”
The petition goes on to place the blame on the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department for not handling the case in a proper manner. The petition concludes that Avery’s case 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.”
According to AV Club , a similar petition was created on Change.org . This petition has managed to gain some 175,000 signatures so far. Both petitions call for a pardon for Avery and Dassey, both of whom are currently serving time for their part in the murder of Halbach.
Tell us! Do you think Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey should be granted new trials after what was presented (or not presented) in Making a Murderer ? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via Netflix]