Steven Avery: Innocent Or Guilty?
Steven Avery is not only a man in prison, he is also the main focus of the Netflix documentary, Making a Murderer. In 1985, Avery was convicted of raping a woman in Manitowoc County in Wisconsin. After serving 18 years of his sentence, Steven was found innocent and wrongfully accused. Avery was freed and went on to live a free man’s life, until 2007, when Avery’s nephew and Steven were convicted of murdering photographer Teresa Halbach, according to ABC News. They both were convicted and Avery and his nephew both received life sentences.
President Obama was petitioned for a pardon, but because they were tried at the state level, they can only be pardoned by the governor of the state, who is unwilling to give any grace. Avery’s nephew will be up for parole in 2048, according to ABC News. Many people think that Avery and his nephew should receive full pardons based on the Netflix documentary, but according to the prosecutor of the Steven Avery case, the documentary left out vital information about the case and presented a biased opinion. While Steven was innocent in the case of the woman raped in Manitowoc County, Avery has also pleaded guilty to many cases since he was 18-years-old, including burglary and animal cruelty. Steven may not have committed rape, but rape and murder are two different stories.
White House responds to petition for Steven Avery of "Making a Murderer": https://t.co/zIAheknIi5 pic.twitter.com/J7UgDVGaga
— ABC News (@ABC) January 8, 2016
According to TMZ, Steven believes that his brothers murdered the photographer and framed Avery so they could receive the family business. Steven says that he and his brothers were fighting over who would run the family business. Avery claims his brothers found a way to make it look like he committed the murder in order to keep Steven from getting the business.
According to TMZ, Avery’s brother, Charles, was convicted of sexually assaulting his own wife and would stalk women after they came to the family junkyard. Numerous people reported that they had received phone calls from Charles stating that he wanted to see them. The women also said that Charles would drive past their homes and would not leave them alone. While Avery says that the brothers would bother women who were in the same area Teresa Halbach was found, their history does not suggest murder. Steven’s brothers may have harassed women, but that is a far cry from murder. Steven’s brothers may have wanted the junkyard, but this is not the only way to ensure they would receive the family business.
Making a Murderer subject Steven Avery is getting an ID special https://t.co/Upy8Z4ahGm pic.twitter.com/D4sCLGMocX
— IGN (@IGN) January 8, 2016
Steven Avery has been charged with numerous crimes since the age of 18. He was found innocent in some of the cases, but many he willingly pled guilty to and served time in prison for his actions. Avery was convicted of robbing a bar at the age of 18. At 20 years of age, he pled guilty to animal cruelty when he poured gas on his pet cat and threw it into a fire while it was still alive. He may not have raped a woman, but animal cruelty is a known sign of a person who will grow up to become a murderer. Three years later, he was convicted of assaulting his cousin and possessing a firearm while still on parole. Avery spent another six years in jail for this crime. In light of Steven Avery’s criminal history and history of abuse, the governor had a substantial reason for not pardoning Steven in the murder case.
[Photo by Morry Gash, AP Images File]
