The filmmakers behind Netflix’s real-crime hit Making a Murderer, Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, made a bombshell statement on the Today show Tuesday morning.
The co-creators said that one of the jurors in the Steven Avery case disagreed with the guilty verdict, and felt that the Manitowoc, Wisconsin authorities framed Avery. (For those unfamiliar with the story, Steven Avery was charged and ultimately found guilty of the first-degree murder of Teresa Halbach, a photographer who was on his property the day she disappeared. Avery had previously spent 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. His wrongful conviction was overturned by DNA evidence.)
WATCH: More than 170K sign petitions calling for the pardon of Making a Murderer subjects
Of course, the entire trial, which is the focus of the TV show, centred on the big question: was Avery framed by local authorities? The defense sought and ultimately failed to prove that the police, lawyers and investigators involved in the case were out to sink Avery. But now, as Ricciardi and Demos attest, it seems one of the jurors has come forward to say they believe that Avery deserves a new trial, and if he gets one, it should take place “far away from Wisconsin.”
According to Ricciardi and Demos, the unnamed juror said that they supported the guilty verdict because they “feared for their personal safety.” The filmmakers revealed this startling information in the clip, below:
Ricciardi and Demos met as graduate students in Columbia University’s film program in 2005. The duo spent a decade whittling down 700 hours of legal proceedings and other footage to craft the 10-episode docuseries. They are still in contact with and recording Avery, who is serving his sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
MORE: Canadian director Xavier Dolan writes angry letter to Netflix
WATCH: Netflix series “Making A Murderer” raises questions about Wisconsin murder case.
The prosecution in the case has said Making a Murderer is biased, and the filmmakers have purposefully omitted key evidence, including:
- Avery’s penchant for violence towards women and animals.
- His alleged obsession with Halbach.
- The bullet found at the purported scene of the crime matched Avery’s rifle.
More than 170,000 people have signed online petitions calling for a presidential pardon to free Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who was also given a life sentence for Halbach’s murder.
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