‘Making a Murderer’ makers talk justice

The filmmakers behind Netflix’s documentary say they expected a backlash that would lead people in the media to demonise Steven Avery (right), the Wisconsin man whose prosecution in the 2005 death of a woman formed the centrepiece of the 10-part series issued last month.

Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, at a news conference on Sunday, sought to deflect discussion on the question of Avery’s guilt or innocence and instead pointed to questions raised about the criminal justice system in their film.

Making a Murderer has followed the NPR podcast Serial and HBO’s The Jinx as a compellingly told true crime epic, leading many people who have seen it to take up the cause of Avery, who served 18 years in prison following a wrongful conviction of rape and two years after his release was charged in the death of photographer Teresa Halbach. The documentary questions whether Avery was treated fairly.

Yet prosecutors — who the filmmakers say declined their request to participate in Making a Murderer — have claimed the film omits physical evidence against Avery. A former fiancee of Avery’s, Jodi Stachowski, told HLN this week that Avery was “a monster” who had threatened to kill her.

Ricciardi said she would not want to be treated by the criminal justice system the way Avery was. She said that “if you watch the series, I think it’s clear that the American criminal justice system has some serious problems and that it is urgent that we address them.” —AP