19 Things Making A Murderer Covered Up About The Steven Avery Case
13. The Anonymous Letter
As reported in The Milwaukee Journal, on March 8th, 2007, the defence team wanted to present a letter to the jury that was mailed anonymously to the Manitowoc County Sheriff's office revealing that Halbach's body had been burnt in the smelter at the salvage yard.
The defence team said the letter - from which no fingerprints could be pulled - was more indication that key evidence was ignored wilfully when it didn't fit their theory. The prosecution said the letter came after they'd already ruined the smelter out of the investigation, but the source of the letter remains a mystery.
Oddly, the smelter did come up in the docu-series - as evidence that Avery could have hidden evidence of Halbach's body a lot easier than he did - but the letter remained unmentioned.
12. Teresa's Camera And Palm Pilot Were Found In Avery's Burn Barrel
Steven Avery's burn barrel was mentioned as a key part of the case for both sides: the defence suggested that it could have been used to transport Halbach's body to Avery's home to plant the bone fragments, while the prosecution said it was a second burn site.
The fact that there were bone fragments found in the barrel was obviously discussed - perhaps because it fit the idea of framing and brought balance - but what wasn't discussed by the documentary was the fact that Teresa's palm pilot and phone were found in the barrel too. That much was only revealed in December by Angenette Levy, one of the reporters who is seen in the show's press conferences.
It's an odd thing to have missed.
11. The Bullet Came From A Confiscated Gun
Clearly, the incriminating bullet that was found in Avery's garage was a cause for serious debate. How come it wasn't found at first? Why was the flawed DNA process not scrutinised further? Wasn't it all very convenient, considering the frequency that the Averys admitted to firing bullets?
The documentary seemed to suggest that the bullet was to be considered as merely coincidental, assuming it wasn't planted, and that it could have been fired at any time. It's curious then that they didn't state in the documentary that the bullet that was found to have Halbach's DNA on it actually came from the gun that Avery kept above his bed.
And more importantly, that gun was confiscated in the initial search of the property, making it impossible for it to have been shot after the alleged killing. Or making it easier for the PD to stage a shooting, if they so desired. Either way it would have been narratively pertinent information to include.
10. Brendan DID Reveal Details About The Crime Himself
Again, Brendan Dassey's coerced confession was one of the more emotionally devastating components of the show, which painted him as a naive, intellectually sub-normal child whose major concerns were watching WrestleMania, handing in homework and getting home to his family.
The idea that he had had his confession planted in his head by the police was also one of the show's biggest hooks, and the footage of his interrogations (and the circumstances of them) was despicable. To storytellers, it would have been irresistible content, so it's somewhat inevitable that they missed out some of the bits where it was clear that Dassey was presenting information of his own accord.
No matter how flawed the process - particularly in terms of his own defence - the full transcript of his confession confirms that he actually gave a very detailed account, including stating that Avery pulled the gun he used from above his bed.