Making a Murderer’s Steven Avery has been denied a new trial
Avery's lawyers are still hoping to display new evidence in the case made famous by the Netflix true crime series
Steven Avery, the protagonist of hit Netflix true crime series Making a Murderer, has been denied the chance at a new trial.
Mr Avery was previously sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2005 rape and murder of photographer Teresa Holbach. However, the Netflix documentary series (filmed across a decade) challenged some of the evidence and testimony involved in the case.
Last year saw Avery’s nephew Brendan Dassey (who was accused of assisting in the murder and given a life sentence) have his conviction overturned, but a judge rejected Avery and his legal team's request for a new trial.
On Tuesday Wisconsin judge Angela Sutkiewicz struck down the request for a new trial, stating that she felt that based on the existing evidence there were insufficient grounds to grant a new trial and saying in her ruling that “the defendant has failed to establish any grounds that would trigger the right to a new trial in the interests of justice." (via BBC News).
55-year-old Avery’s defence team had been hoping to introduce new evidence at a second trial, but they say they remain hopeful that there will be another trial in the future.
“We have additional test results and witness affidavits,” Avery’s attorney Kathleen Zellner said in a statement. “The scientific testing is not completed, we remain optimistic that Mr. Avery’s conviction will be vacated.”
The upcoming second season of Making a Murderer is expected at some point later this year or next year.
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
