The Netflix true crime documentary Making a Murderer is a riveting watch, a 10 hour investigation of what’s wrong with our system of justice as told through the cases of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. In the end – spoiler alert – the two are sentenced to decades each in prison, which is a pretty big bummer if you’re one of the many people who were convinced by the show that they’re most likely innocent.
But perhaps the sequel will have a happier ending. And it sounds like there will be one. Making a Murderer directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos talked about the idea at a Stranger Than Fiction panel at New York’s IFC Center. Via Variety:
“From our perspective this story is obviously not over,” Ricciardi said. “It’s real life and (Avery’s and Brendan Dassey’s) cases are both still pending. We have no idea when the magistrate will make a decision in Brendan’s case. We do know that two potential outcomes are that the judge could order Brendan’s release or he could order a new trial. So we are on the edge of seats about that. To the extent that there are significant developments, we would like to continue documenting this (case).”
The two have already been in touch with Avery’s new lawyer Kathleen Zellner, who is behind a lot of the hope people have that Avery and Dassey will see their convictions overturned. Zellner specializes in wrongful convictions and is responsible for having a whole bunch of convictions thrown out. She took up Avery’s case back in January and has since been using Twitter to share her thoughts on the case as she prepares her appeal.
Last week, she went so far as to say she wasn’t just going to free Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, but that she’d prove who really killed Teresa Halbach as well. That’s some big talk and we’re unsure if she can really back it up. But based on what we’ve seen of her in another recent documentary about wrongful conviction called Dream Killer, the lady is one kickass lawyer.
Regardless of if there is a sequel to Making A Murderer on Netflix, we’ll be able to follow along with the developments as they happen through the news. Before, no one outside of Wisconsin cared much about the case. With all the exposure the documentary has garnered, all eyes will be on Manitowoc County when Avery’s request for an appeal is heard. That should happen soon – barring any more requests for more time, the county’s Clerk of Circuit Court should process Avery’s appeal request by the end of March.
(via Variety)
