Since the Netflix crime documentary Making A Murderer has become a massive hit, we’ve heard from nearly everyone involved in the trial of Steven Avery … except Steven Avery himself. The man who many feel was wrongly convicted of the murder of Teresa Halbach has barely made a peep from his jail cell in Wisconsin’s Waupun Correctional Institution. And it turns out that’s because his jail isn’t letting him speak to the media. Via The Hollywood Reporter:
“We are not facilitating interviews out of respect for the victims,” Joy Staab, director of public relations for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.
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Attorney Jerry Buting, half of Avery’s former defense team made famous overnight thanks to the series, told THR that the prison system’s reason to deny direct access to an inmate is a first, in his experience. “I’ve never heard that explanation given before,” Buting said.The department of corrections has “full discretion” over interviews, Buting said. Previously, Buting had only heard of a request being denied due to security purposes, he added. Still, Buting noted that he represented another high-profile homicide client years ago who was allowed to do an on-camera interview from the same prison that Avery is currently in.
It’s an odd situation. I’m sure prisons technically have the right to deny their prisoners pretty much anything, and the last thing administrators want is their facility turning into the center of a media circus. But to stop him from speaking to any news outlets? Not allowing him to call or receive calls from the media at all? Whatever practical reasons there may be start to pale next to the appearance they’re trying to keep Steven Avery from being able to proclaim his innocence.
Avery hasn’t been completely cut off from the outside world. Milwaukee ABC affiliate WISN 12 sent Avery a letter, and received one back in return that addressed recent negative comments made against him from his ex-fiance Jodi Stachowski, asking “how much money Jodi get to talk bad!”
Fortunately for Avery, he’s got some new high powered lawyers behind him including Kathleen Zellner, who specializes in overturning wrongful murder convictions. If there’s something improper about the way the Wisconsin Department of Corrections is treating him, they’ll take care of it. Until then, we’ll have to make do with more interviews with everyone surrounding Making A Murderer but the men who went to jail over it.