Andrew Colborn of the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office, the lieutenant seen testifying against Steven Avery in the popular Netflix series Making a Murderer, wrote an in-depth email to a Manitowoc county prosecutor, informing her that no evidence was planted in or around Avery’s property, and that the investigation into the 2005 Teresa Halbach murder was done by the books.
Post-Crescent reports that in a public request by the USA TODAY network, an email sent from Colborn to Attorney Jacalyn LaBre in January was recently made public. In the email, Colborn wrote that despite accusations from Avery’s attorneys and his supporters, no evidence was ever planted on his property.
“No evidence was planted at any time by any law enforcement officer during the course of this investigation. The key to Theresa’s (sic) vehicle was not discovered laying next to the pair of shoes in the open, but was instead located cleverly hidden behind a bookcase, in Steven Avery’s bedroom.”
Colborn sent the email shortly after WISN ‘s radio station host Dan O’Donnell aired Debunking Making a Murderer , in which the host talks about both sides of the case and gives his take on information left out of Making a Murderer . Colborn added in several other so-called “facts” in his email that he apparently got from listening to the radio show.
Now the head of his agency’s detective bureau, Colborn wrote that Avery allegedly incriminated himself after he was arrested, something that hasn’t been substantiated yet and was never used or brought up during Avery’s 2007 trial.
“It should also be noted that during a court preparation a CASO deputy informed me, Jim Lenk, Ken Kratz, Mark Weigert (sic) and Tom Fassbender that during a movement of Steven Avery at CASO, Avery had stated mockingly to this CASO deputy, ‘I can’t believe it took you guys 8 times to find that key.’”
Colborn also wrote about the scene he was featured in, in Making a Murderer , when Avery’s attorney Dean Strang cross-examined him on calling in Halbach’s license plates on November 3, 2005. It’s one of the memorable scenes of the film as it indicates Colborn already knew Halbach’s vehicle would be on Avery’s property days before it was found there. Colborn wrote,
“I had to have this information verified in case I located her vehicle at either of the two locations I was requested to check in Manitowoc County. I made contact at both locations that CASO requested I check for Theresa, not just at Avery’s Salvage Yard.”
Watch today’s #StevenAvery lawsuit video: Sgt. Andrew Colborn at https://t.co/7zIOQWQsVG pic.twitter.com/MV12NB2dSd
— Oshkosh Northwestern (@onwnews) March 12, 2016
He also emphasized that he wasn’t employed by Manitowoc County during the 1980s when Avery was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault, and that he never planted any blood on Halbach’s RAV4, nor did any other officers. He wrote that he has never had a way to gain access to the blood vials the county keeps, indicating that there was no way he could have gotten Avery’s blood vial and taken a sample in order to frame him.
“At no time have I ever had access to any container of Steven Avery’s blood, sweat and/or other bodily fluid connected with Steven Avery. At no time did any of the aforementioned law enforcement agencies, along with the FBI, enter into any sort of conspiracy to frame Steven Avery of this homicide.”
Brendan Dassey was also mentioned in the email. Dassey was a teenager when he was convicted of murdering Halbach, and was sentenced to life in prison. Many people who watched Dassey being interrogated about the murder felt that he was railroaded and forced into a false confession. Colborn wrote that the Manitowoc Sheriff’s Department had nothing to do with the Dassey interview.
“(The Manitowoc sheriff’s office) was not involved in the interview of Brenndan (sic) Dassey.”
Colborn ended his email by writing that he’d be willing to open his military records and his Manitowoc County files to prove he’s never been involved with anything suspicious, including anything associated with Steven Avery.
“I would be willing to sign any release to allow access to both my military service records and/or my personnel file at Manitowoc County as I have never been the target of suspicion and I feel my service to both my country and Manitowoc County has always been performed to the best of my ability.”
[Photo via Netflix]