Making a Murderer – Episode 4

I started watching Making a Murderer the other night despite my deadlines. I couldn’t resist anymore and I’m currently on Episode 4. Now I needed to start blogging about my experience with this documentary because 1) It is brilliant 2) I am constantly so confused and 3) I need to rant and discuss it.

I was utterly shocked with the treatment of Steven Avery in the first initial episodes, sure technology wasn’t up to the standards we have now back when he was first arrested in regards to the ‘Attempted Rape’ case but the complete lack of disregard for the truth was startling. I could not fathom how the police were clearly ignoring the real evidence in order to pin this on Steven, the simple fact that he had 20+ alibis for that day wasn’t enough. What all 20 people were lying about different times of the day? Come on. Seriously?

Episode 4 brought up ALOT of  thoughts/ questions. Alot of the information on the Police side really didn’t add up or make sense to me;

 1)Brendan

• Firstly it is very clear that Brendan was being coerced by the 2 investigators. They were asking closed questions; there was no other option but for Brendan to agree. Not to mention he was alone, with no lawyer and without his mums knowledge?
• Brendan takes long pauses as he is clearly guessing what they want him to say and he later explains this to his mum himself ‘I was guessing like I do for my homework’, he was guessing what they wanted to hear. He knew there was a right answer in their heads so he continued until they said yes.
• Brendan asked how much longer the interview would take stating that at 1.29 he had a project due for sixth period at school. Yet the investigator had said to him ‘You can sleep now, I bet you haven’t living with that’. Well he’s just asked them about when he can go back to school so he can hand in a project? He clearly doesn’t understand that they are interviewing him seriously.

2)  The Key (Evidence)   / House

• The Key to Theresa’s car was found on the floor in front of the door as soon as you enter the bedroom next to a pair of slippers, in plain site. The police didn’t find this until the 7th entry? The bedroom was tiny, there was no chance they could of missed that, bare in mind their first entry was recorded by the Sheriff Department? Did they not look that hard? It was in front of their eyes.
• When police look for evidence they do a thorough sweep of the house, they look for blood splattering etc. Did they not do any of this?
• Why did the key only have Steven Avery’s DNA on it as well, Theresa had driven that car up there and they would of been in her hand so where did her DNA go?

In terms of the car, the police also state that the car had Steven Avery’s blood in there but none of his finger prints were found, so what? He wore gloves and swung his hands around after cutting himself? Wouldn’t his DNA be around the area where he touched in order for the blood to be on the surfaces. Baring in mind the cut Steven had was on his hand therefore his fingerprints would of been on that area?

• Why were the police in the house 18 times! Looking for evidence, even a member of the Police Force commented how bad this was. They never go in that many times unless that have to go in a 2nd time to look for what they missed.
• The first time they search the house when the Sherrif is recording she reads out a letter of Avery’s on the desk which is an invitation as part of the Avery Initiative and she starts to laugh and joke ‘Doubt he’s gonna make that’.

To me that was a key part of evidence, why would she say that? There was no evidence that he had killed Theresa. She’s clearly saying he’s going to be going to prison. She knows the outcome already because its PLANNED!!

3) Kenneth Peterson

• Kenneth Peterson clearly dislikes Steven Avery, he falsely accused him of the previous rape crime therefore why was anyone from that district police force allowed anywhere near this case?
• In a TV interview Kenneth Peterson states ‘if we wanted him elimated we could of done it easily’, when prompted by the reporter to clarify he states ‘ Well if we want him in prison or killed, well we could just kill him’ WOW. HOLD UP. So he unwittingly just confessed how easy it would be for them to put Steven into prison or even kill him if they wanted too?

4) Jodi

• Jodi was given a no contact order for the Avery’s and she was pulled up on this 3/4 times, one of which was for simply smiling at him. In that smile did she have verbal contact no?
• It seems they harassed her until she wanted to get away from the Avery’s, it follows the exact same pattern as the ‘Attempted Rape Case’, Stephen lost his wife now he has lost his girlfriend who he loves the most. They are isolating him.

5) The Car

• When the Car was found it was hidden just under some branches. If Steven had committed an offence why would he go to such great lengths to hide evidence and the body if he was going to leave the car in plain view? He had a crusher at his disposal which he knew how to use.

5) Brandon’s Lawyer – Len

• Len was appointed by the state because Brandon’s family couldn’t afford a lawyer, it seems very fishy that the Lawyer that was chosen for Brandon happened to obviously feel how guilty he was.
• He let Brandon be interviewed by the investigators on his own, why?
• He wanted Brandon to take a plea bargain by saying he was guilty, but Brandon has stated on numerous occasions he doesn’t understand what’s going on because he didn’t do anything.
• Len hires an investigator to speak to Brandon alone, who wants Brandon to sign a form and write what happened down. Brandon does and he continuously tells Brandon he is lying and not writing the truth, constantly prompting him to write about Theresa, a similar technique used by the easier detectives? We know Brandon already wants to give the right answer so he guesses, he’s doing what they want to get it right.
• Why is this very same detective making him draw vivid pictures, prompting him to draw it bigger and a certain way. Again feeding him what to say.
• When Brandon originally writes his statement of events and the investigator tells him he is wrong, he has wrote a statement very specific given certain times. This same statement and timings are in his letter to the judge, so he know’s exactly what he’s said and what times from the first time, this is clearly not lying. He has an IQ of 69, would he remember all the key points in his statement to write it word for word again later on?
• Len is continouosly in the face of the news camera’s and journalists. Laughing and Joking, explaining the situation in a way that doesn’t comment on who he is meant to be defending. Looks very much like a claw to the limelight?

Lastly! THE EVIDENCE KIT

This was the most shocking thing about episode 4, the seal on the evidence kit from Steven’s original arrest was broken. On the outside of the box, on the inside box and the test tube of his blood was still liquid. The test tube lid itself had a tiny hole at the top big enough for a needle to take out a sample, something which the testing lab explicitly says THEY DO NOT DO. SO SOMEONE ELSE HAD ACCESS TO THAT CASE AND THEY DID IT?!

As you can see my brain is swimming with different questions and theories right now and I still have 6 episodes to go. Although we already know that their is no happy ending to this. It is simply a case of was he framed or not?

What do you think so far? Nothing adds up and makes sense! This program is truly gripping and keeping me on the edge of my seat in a state of suspense.

Let me know your thoughts, I love to discuss this!