When "Making a Murderer" was released on Netflix, it immediately had viewers debating whether
Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey were guilty or innocent. However, the popular true crime
show left a few details out. Here are some things "Making a Murderer" never told you.
Before Steven Avery was wrongfully convicted of rape, he was accused by his then-sister-in-law
of abusing his wife Lori. According to Vocal Media, a report of an incident was
filed with the Manitowoc County police wherein Avery's sister-in-law alleged,
"[Steven] beat up on his wife, and she left home and went to a domestic violence center."
The couple divorced in 1988, and although Steven Avery never remarried,
he pursued a relationship with Jodi Stachowski. Stachowski was featured in "Making a Murderer,"
and she and Avery lived together after his release from prison. In the middle of filming the series,
the couple ended their relationship, but Jodi was depicted as a supporter of Avery. However,
Jodi revealed that Steven purportedly threatened to kill her and her family,
and her claims were supposedly substantiated by documents as well as a court order for
Avery to pay a fine and keep his distance from Stachowski for three days, per Vocal Media.
After "Making a Murderer" aired, Stachowski revealed in an interview
that her participation and support for Avery was an act. During an interview with HLN, she said,
"He told me how to act. You know, smile, be happy."
Stachowski further alleged,
"I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to get hurt."
She also alleged that she wanted to leave Avery so badly that she once
ingested rat poison just so she could go to the hospital to be away from him,
per The Sun. Stachowski stated that she doesn't believe that Avery is innocent.
At the beginning of the series, the documentarians addressed Steven Avery's false conviction.
He was convicted of rape and attempted murder, which left him in prison for 18 years before
DNA evidence exonerated him of the crime. What "Making a Murderer" failed to mention
was that Avery had prior sexual assault accusations against him before he went to prison.
One of the cases against Avery involved his cousin, whom he briefly mentioned in "Making a
Murderer" when he admitted he threatened her with a gun. However, it seems that was not the whole
story. Per a report from Vocal Media, an affidavit filed by the cousin's mother states that Avery
pulled a gun on her teenaged daughter to warn her not to divulge information about the rape
that allegedly took place. The cousin never filed a rape case against Avery in fear of retaliation.
Similarly, a different woman claimed to have been assaulted by Avery but never
filed a report with authorities because Avery allegedly threatened her life.
In "Making a Murderer," Teresa Halbach is introduced as a photographer for AutoTrader
magazine who went to the Avery property to photograph some vehicles for sale. What the
documentary failed to mention was that Halbach had been to the property before and met Steven
Avery. She apparently told her employer she did not want to go back out of fear of Steven Avery,
according to an article by People. Allegedly, the first time Halbach visited the property,
Avery answered the door in just a bath towel, which "creeped" her out.
Before Halbach went to the property and went missing, Avery specifically requested her in
a phone call to the magazine. Avery also did not give his name, and instead used
his sister's name when he made the call. On the day Teresa visited the Avery property,
phone records showed that Avery contacted Halbach twice before her arrival, but used the *67 feature
to block his number. Later, he called Halbach a third time, without using the *67 feature,
according to People. Steven's last call was made at 4:35 p.m., and some believe he did
so to create an alibi, so he could say Halbach never showed up to the scheduled appointment.
"If I did it, why would I stick around if I'm guilty?"
"Making a Murderer" opened the possibility of forensic evidence being planted by the police
at the crime scene to help convict Steven Avery. While that is possible
since the authorities had Avery's blood from his previous arrest,
the makers of the docuseries seemingly failed to delve into another piece of DNA evidence,
which was sweat, according to Vocal Media. Steven Avery's sweat and other contact
DNA evidence were discovered on the handle of Halbach's car, as well as on the trunk's latch.
The sweat, said prosecutor Ken Kratz, is a piece of evidence that would have
been difficult to plant. In a New York Times interview, Kratz said,
"How do you get Avery's sweat underneath a hood
latch of a vehicle? That is completely inconsistent with any kind of planting."
The sweat purportedly came from Avery's hand and was a crucial detail, as Avery claimed that
he never came in contact with Halbach's vehicle, and the evidence was presented in court. However,
an agent testified that while checking the vehicle, he failed to change his latex gloves,
and that might have resulted in the transfer of Steven Avery's DNA when the agent opened the hood.
Brendan Dassey is Steven Avery's nephew, who allegedly aided him in the crime.
Dassey confessed to the police, but many think his confession was coerced. "Making a
Murderer" showed Dassey as a meek boy who had a low IQ, which made him easily manipulated.
What was not revealed in the series was that Dassey alleges that Avery sexually abused him.
As reported by Business Insider, Brendan said in a phone conversation with his mother from prison,
"He would grab me somewhere where I was uncomfortable."
Not only that, but Dassey also alleged his brothers were molested by Avery as well.
According to The Wrap, those who reexamined Avery's case did not look into Dassey's
allegations of molestation thoroughly and chose to ignore it. Transcripts of Dassey's police
interrogation also show that Brendan told the police that Avery would touch him inappropriately.
While others say that Brendan has no reason to lie about being molested,
Avery's attorney denies the allegations and said that her client never molested Dassey.
Others believe, however, that Dassey is more vulnerable to suggestion
after experiencing being molested, which is why he allegedly aided Avery in the crime.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape,
Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)