‘Making A Murderer’ Update: Officer Blasts Filmmakers, Says They ‘Ruined Reputations’


On April 1, a police officer wrote a story about Making a Murderer, and it was anything but flattering to the filmmakers who created the famous Netflix docu-series. He not only accused them of disrespecting the Wisconsin police system, but of also cashing in by exploiting a murder case and misleading the public.

Post-Crescent reports that Barney Doyle, a police officer who once worked as a news reporter, ripped filmmakers Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi in his story, titled, “How ‘Making a Murderer’ made a mockery of the justice system.'” Doyle wasn’t in any way affiliated with the case against Steven Avery, the centerpiece of the documentary, but he wrote that Avery is guilty and where he belongs, despite popular belief by masses of people who think he was framed.

Police officer Barney Doyle thinks that Steven Avery is guilty and is exactly where he belongs. (Photo by Netflix)
Police officer Barney Doyle thinks that Steven Avery is guilty and is exactly where he belongs. [Photo by Netflix]

“A Wisconsin jury reviewed the evidence and determined that Avery was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s how criminal courts work. The rest of the nation reviewed a 10-hour charade stitched together by Demos and Ricciardi and determined that Avery was innocent, the police framed an innocent man, the people of Wisconsin are idiots, defense attorneys are pillars of integrity and Netflix is the supreme arbiter of truth and justice.”

Doyle accused the filmmakers of being “opportunists” who “made a mockery of the justice system.” He wrote that Demos and Ricciardi aren’t attorneys, but instead, filmmakers looking to cash in on a fascinating story about a man arrested for murder after spending 18 years in prison on a rape charge he didn’t commit.

“They are opportunists. They were following the story of a man who was convicted of a rape that he didn’t commit. It was a sad and compelling story. Not only was Avery sent to prison for a rape he didn’t commit, but the actual rapist went on to commit other heinous crimes. They could have told that story without exploiting a tragedy. But the ending didn’t happen like they were expecting.”

Police officer Barry Doyle says Making a Murderer filmmakers' original story centered around Avery's 1985 wrongful conviction. (Photo by Manitowoc Sheriff's Office)
Police officer Barry Doyle says Making a Murderer filmmakers’ original story centered around Avery’s 1985 wrongful conviction. [Photo by Manitowoc Sheriff’s Office]
He also wrote that the filmmakers’ original intent was to portray Avery as a wrongfully convicted man who sued Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, after being exonerated from prison in 2003. Yet, when Avery was accused of murdering Halbach, the story’s happy ending changed, and in turn, Demo and Ricciardi had to switch the focus of the film and hone in on unfairness in Avery’s murder case.

“Demos and Ricciardi couldn’t sell a story with that ending. Stories need heroes, or lessons, or calls to action. They had none of it. They had an awful man who committed an awful crime. His previous wrongful conviction was reduced to a minor point in the plot of a larger story about an evil man. A story nobody was particularly interested in hearing.”

The police officer, who claims he distrusts lawyers, did admit that after watching the film he felt that injustice was portrayed. However, while millions of other viewers saw injustice within the legal system, Boyle wrote that the only injustice he saw was that of the filmmakers making a mockery of Wisconsin authorities and misleading the public by leaving out numerous key facts in the Avery case.

Regardless, Avery still has massive amounts of supporters that reach across the globe. On Sunday, numerous people in London participated in a gathering to protest Avery’s incarceration, including actress Miriam Margolyes, best known for her role as Professor Sprout in Harry Potter. A crowd of people met up at the U.S. Embassy and marched to the Parliament, protesting the legal system and advocating for Avery.

Steven Avery still maintains his innocence and according to his attorney Kathleen Zellner, has high hopes of being released from prison soon. He’s currently serving a life sentence at the Waupun Correctional facility, in Waupun, Wisconsin. The Making a Murderer filmmakers have yet to comment on Doyle’s story.

[Photo by Calumet County Sheriff’s Office]

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