Netflix’s new crime documentary Making A Murderer has made stars out of many of the key legal representatives and sheriffs surrounding the case. Some, like special prosecutor Ken Kratz, would rather the spotlight go away due to some scandals in his past. But others like Steven Avery’s defense attorneys Dean Strang and Jerry Buting are using all the attention to voice their concerns about the way the justice system denies rights to the poor. And to call for a new trial for Steven Avery, of course.
On Friday morning, they showed up on CBS This Morning to talk about the case, and here’s what they had to say. Via The Hollywood Reporter:
When asked straight up if they were convinced of Avery’s innocence, Strang said: “I am not convinced of his guilt. I am not at all convinced of his guilt, never have been.”
When the hosts asked if he had some doubt of Avery’s innocence, Strang replied “absolutely,” adding “if it was OK to convict people on maybes, I wouldn’t be worried about this, but it’s not.”
The duo reiterated that evidence was planted.
…
Buting said he has received numerous calls from scientists the world over, telling him that DNA testing has greatly improved since the early 2000s and the blood which the two lawyers argued was planted should be retested.
This is some huge positive news for Steven Avery, who is still filing appeals from behind bars. Avery’s lawyers have said time and time again that new evidence would be the key to getting one of those appeals approved, and now we’re hearing from various experts that EDTA testing has evolved enough since 2006 for questionable blood samples to be tested.
Steven Avery’s defense team has said they believe blood found inside murder victim Teresa Halbach’s Jeep was taken from an old evidence box the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department had access to. If that’s the case, it should contain traces of EDTA, the chemical used to keep blood samples from coagulating and spoiling. During the original trial, the FBI came forward with a new test for finding EDTA and claimed no EDTA was found in the blood. But many people are skeptical about the quality of the testing done and want a new test done with modern methods by an independent third party. The possible existence of EDTA in samples of Steven Avery’s blood could blow the case wide open.
Or it could close the door completely on Avery’s chances of an appeal, if no EDTA is detected. But one way or another, it looks like we’re finally on the brink of discovering if blood found in Teresa Halbach’s vehicle was indeed planted by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department.
