Warning: this conversation is about the Netflix Documentary Making a Murderer and will contain spoilers if you haven’t watched or yet finished HOWEVER, I will warn you before I go into spoiler-land so you can read the beginning and be convinced to watch this show if you are not watching it yet!
Welcome to 2016 and back to work/kids back to school/real life. If you had a holiday break like everyone else I know, everyone in your life has been engrossed in Making a Murderer, the Netflix Documentary following the story of a Wisconsin man named Steven Avery who was wrongfully convicted of rape in 1985, served 18 years in prison was declared innocent, only to be charged with the grisly murder of Teresa Halbach 2 years later.Watch the trailer
What you need to know:
This show is addictive AF. You will not be able to stop watching so good luck if you didn’t get through it during your time off over Christmas and New Years. Say good-bye to sleep and eating, and find yourself someone to binge this show with. You’ll need the support.
These guys FOREVER
This is Dean Strang and Jerome (Jerry) Buting, Steve’s defense attorneys. While they may not look like the kind of guys you’d draw hearts around and hang on your bedroom wall, they are. Their commitment to Steve’s innocence and emotional connection to the case is so endearing, with Dean especially. They are incredible lawyers and definitely the ones I’m calling if I ever find myself accused of murder. Let’s just say I wouldn’t mind a sext or two from THESE lawyers ! (Just an inside joke for me and my Making a Murderer peeps)
It features a hot news anchor
In case you can’t get behind Dean and Jerry because you’re the worst, you can have Aaron Keller, a local reporter who reported day-in-and-day-out from Steven’s trial. Here, I found him on LinkedIn for you to connect
This is a story EVERYONE in your life will be talking about if they aren’t already, so get to watching it. Then come back and read part 2 of this post b/c you now have to stop. Spoilers abound. Really, stop reading.
WARNING SPOILERS BELOW
Okay guys it’s just us. Do you feel like the world is divided into two now? Those who have finished Making a Murder and those who haven’t? Like, don’t even talk to me if you don’t have an informed opinion on Steve Avery okay? Kidding. Kinda.
I want to talk about my thoughts and theories, and I NEED to hear yours so let’s get to it.
Brendan Dassey is Innocent
When I first saw images and the video Brendan I thought he was a redneck thug who was definitely up to no good. And then I heard him. And saw his taped confession. And it was clear to me that Brendan is slow. It was clear that while he was a big, oafey teenage boy, physically capable of the things he claimed to do, mentally he was no where near 16 years old. He was questioned without his parents. He was questioned without his lawyer. There are so many problems and inconsistencies with his statements. And furthermore, there is absolutely zero physical proof to backup the claims Brendan made about what they did to Teresa in Steve’s bedroom.
Where I struggle is with Steve Avery himself. I think I’m 55/45 split between innocence and guilt
If Steve Avery is guilty
Then he is a monster. Obviously because he raped, murdered and mutilated an innocent woman. But also because he won’t stop trying to prove his innocence. And because he let his nephew take the fall. Even if Brendan was there and somehow involved (which, again, I don’t believe) he’s a slow boy. You’re already away for life, Steve. Take all the blame. Be the grown-up. Protect your nephew who you dragged into this.
If Steve Avery is innocent…
Then who the eff killed Teresa? And can the system have really failed the same man twice?
My problems
If Steve didn’t do it, who did?
What was up with her ex boyfriend? Guessing the passwords? And what about her brother? Shady dude. I’m not saying they did it. But I’m not saying the weren’t hiding something. And who set Steve up?
Where is this in Steve’s character?
It’s not there, if the documentary tells the whole story, which, of course it does not. There are records of Steve having a violent and sexual past. This could also help explain motive (just a sick f*ck of a dude) if true
The Key
This damn key. There is an awesome theory on reddit Beth sent me that you should check out. I only read a little bit, but the biggest thing I got out of that was WHY DOES A 25 YEAR OLD GIRL HAVE A CAR KEY WITH NO OTHER KEYS ON IT? Where is her gym tag, her grocery tag, her CVS tag, her Hello Kitty keychain? This key very much looks like a spare key, like the reddit thread suggests. With Steve’s DNA planted on it (And ZERO other DNA found).
The Blood
How are there no finger prints (suggesting gloves) but there is blood? If he had a cut that bad and deep, why isn’t there MORE blood? Why was Teresa’ blood in the trunk of the car if she was burned behind the trailer?
Brendan Dassey
If Brendan is telling the truth, then where is that evidence? There is no evidence Teresa was in the trailer, chained up, resisting against her chains on a wood bed. Are Steve and Brendan better than Dexter at cleaning up a crime scene? Didn’t they test for bleach products that would have had to have been used to conceal someone’s throat being cut on a mattress?
Unanswered Questions
What’s this guy’s phone number:
Whats happening with Sandy? Are conjugal visits a real thing?
How is Steve Avery getting this many girlfriends? And seriously, are conjugal visits a real thing?
What ever happened to Jodi?
Even Bustle is asking that question. And I thought Bustle knew everything.
I really don’t know what I think The more articles I’ve read as I’ve written this post make me question everything I thought initially. All I know is that I’m SO glad I finally finished the series so we can all talk about it freely. Some of my favorite articles and theories are below so check them out. And LET’S TALK
- Evidence against Avery
- 4 Alternate Murder suspects
- The Making of Making a Murderer
- Making Murderer Theories which includes my favorite WTF theory: “The German”: A man who visited a property near the Avery compound on the day and supposedly had “scratches on his back and a cut finger that bled intermittently.”His wife reported that she found “bloody women’s panties, fresh bones, a can of lighter fluid with bloody fingerprints, a mason’s hammer covered in dark red flecks, graphic pornographic magazines, and surgical gloves” to the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department.
