Making a Murderer: Steven Avery pardon petition now has 380,000 signatures
However, the one man capable of freeing him refuses to watch the Netflix show
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Your support makes all the difference.Making a Murderer has caused outrage around the world, with many believing the series’ subject Steven Avery is not guilty of first-degree intentional homicide.
Since broadcasting via Netflix, petitions urging the President to conditionally pardon the Wisconsin man have been signed by more than 380,000 viewers.
Unfortunately, those asking the White House to take action have thus far failed, with a statement being issued explaining how the case would need to be taken at state level.
What’s worse is that the one man capable of pardoning Avery, Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker, refuses to watch the 10-part series.
"Just because a documentary on TV says something doesn't mean that's actually what the evidence shows,” he told WQOW television. "The bottom line is that there was a crime that was committed a decade ago.
“There is a system...by which individuals can petition the courts to get relief like others have done in the past that shows that someone might actually be innocent. But I am not going to override a system that is already put in place.”
Jerry Buting, one of Avery’s defence lawyers, told Radio 4’s Today programme that all his appeals had been exhausted and only newly-discovered evidence could force the case to be re-examined.
“We’re getting new leads that can be followed up,” he said. “Scientists from all over the world have been contacting us with different approaches to present scientific evidence that…could demonstrate his innocence.”
The Manitowoc Sheriff has since complained about the documentary, saying footage was ‘manipulated’. He told The Wrap: “Because of all the media stuff we’ve been getting, I actually did watch with it my inspector and I still stand by that statement. In several areas throughout the film, you can see where they cut the tape and manipulated things.
“One place real evident is one of the interviews with Steven Avery in episode 5 — if you watch one video, it jumps from 3:20 to 3:21, then to 3:17, then to 3:22 and then to 3:18.”
He expressed how displeased he was by the series, highlighting how the show’s producers were “embedded” with the Avery family. However, it has since been revealed that members of the department were invited to appear in Making a Murderer but declined.
You can read about what’s next for Steven Avery and where do the cases in the Netflix documentary stand now, here.
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