For all of the accolades the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer has received since it aired last month, there's been a strong dissenting voice.
The show documents the trials of Steven Avery, who was exonerated of a sexual assault while in prison, only to later be charged for the murder of a woman named Teresa Halbach. Making a Murderer chronicles the missteps of local police, and makes a powerful argument that the justice system failed Avery not once, but twice.
But critics of the show have accused the creators of building a one-sided representation of the case. In particular, they say, the documentarians failed to properly give time to relevant evidence. They point to DNA evidence under the hood of Halbach's car, recent comments by Avery's ex-fiancee about Avery's guilt, and statements alleging that Avery had an unhealthy obsession with Halbach before she was killed.
In a series of tweets published yesterday, the creators of Making a Murderer, Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi, attempted to answer some of those questions.
On "misconceptions" about the show:
Biggest misconception is that we went into the project to try to prove something. (1 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/CINrmQHVdz
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
The truth is we set out to examine something and ask questions. (2 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/CINrmQHVdz
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
We went where the record, events and facts led us. (3 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/CINrmQHVdz
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
After 10 years of research and production we responsibly presented what we found as a documentary series. (4 of 4) https://t.co/CINrmQHVdz
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
MaM isn't about whether or not Avery is guilty. (1 of 2) https://t.co/7LR4RYm5TU
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
It's about what the state of Wisconsin did or didn't do in its efforts to convict Avery. (2 of 2) https://t.co/7LR4RYm5TU
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
On whether they set out to prove Avery's innocence:
People may have come away from the series feeling that way but that's not what we did. (1 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/Mx1mTvTCZp
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
Our goal was not to convict or exonerate anyone. (2 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/Mx1mTvTCZp
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
It was to go where the facts led us. (3 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/Mx1mTvTCZp
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
MaM is not about whether Steven is innocent or guilty. It's about whether the process was fair (4 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/Mx1mTvTCZp
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
On evidence that was left out:
No. Strongest evidence of guilt is in the series. The evidence left out is less significant, redundant... (1 of 2) https://t.co/fv38WDT3pr
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
Disputed, and in some cases inadmissible (unreliable/irrelevant/prejudicial) (2 of 2) https://t.co/fv38WDT3pr
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
On accusations from Avery's ex-fiancee:
We had her permission to use all the footage. It's not true that she asked us not to be part of the documentary. https://t.co/jqOQdMt33j
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
We have no idea what's behind Jodi's recent statements. (1 of 2) #AskMAM https://t.co/Iwg9qeVic7
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
The filming we did w/ her 9 years ago accurately captured her views and state of mind at the time. (2 of 2) #AskMAM https://t.co/Iwg9qeVic7
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
On alleged complaints about Avery:
The judge excluded the evidence. The woman who outside the presence of the jury testified abt conversation (1 of 4) https://t.co/DZmrAkYzFf
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
...with Teresa was the receptionist for Auto Trader (2 of 4) https://t.co/DZmrAkYzFf
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
Who said it was a 10-15 second conversation about unusual or funny things that happened with customers (3 of 4) https://t.co/DZmrAkYzFf
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
And here Teresa said "Ew" and laughed. You can check the trial transcript. (4 of 4) https://t.co/MRkQKdTqo9 https://t.co/DZmrAkYzFf
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016
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