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'Making A Murderer Part 2' Trailer Drops And Reveals Massive Hole In Original Case

'Making A Murderer Part 2' Trailer Drops And Reveals Massive Hole In Original Case

The series will be released globally on Netflix on 19 October

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

With only ten days left until its Netflix release, our appetites have been well and truly whetted with the official trailer for Making A Murderer Part 2.

The ten-episode series documents the twists and turns in the cases of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey since the conclusion of the first series, which was awarded an Emmy.

Filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos remain at the helm and have been granted exclusive access to Avery and Dassey, providing "an in-depth look at the high-stakes post-conviction process, exploring the emotional toll the process takes on all involved."

The second season revolves around Avery's post-conviction lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, and her fight to win his freedom. Zellner has righted more wrongful convictions than any private attorney in the USA but faces her greatest challenge yet, uncovering unexpected evidence along the way. A notable example is revealed in the trailer, with Zellner revealing a huge hole in the original case.

She says: "The prosecution's case was Teresa never left the property, but the last call pings off a cellphone tower miles away from the Avery property."

The series also follows the efforts of Dassey's lawyers - Laura Nirider and Steven Drizin - as they try to prove his confession was involuntary.

The first series garnered a huge international audience when it was released in November 2015. The series documented the case of Avery, who was charged with murdering photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005 and convicted in 2007.

Avery's nephew, Dassey, who has learning difficulties, was also convicted in connection with the murder, based primarily on a confession he made while under interrogation. Both men were sentenced to life in prison.

Netflix

Avery was previously imprisoned for 18 years after he was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder, only to be exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003. Following his release, Avery filed a civil lawsuit against Mantiwoc County for $36 million (£27.3m), which was still pending when he was arrested in connection to Halbach's murder. Avery's lawyers argued that the prosecution's evidence was inconsistent, claiming they were attempting to frame Avery in retaliation to his lawsuit.

The footage for the series was filmed over a ten-year period in Manitowoc County, USA, and after it was released, a petition to the White House requesting a pardon for Avery was signed by more than 500,000 people. However, the President didn't have the authority to grant the pardons as the conviction was made in state courts.

Read on for possible spoilers

Since the first series aired there have been numerous developments in the cases. Prosecutor Ken Kratz argued that the series didn't provide a balanced or fair account of the case, even releasing his own book entitled, Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery And What 'Making A Murder' Gets Wrong. However, Kratz was forced to resign as district attorney after several women came forward claiming he sexually harassed them. A notable example was a 26-year-old woman, who was the victim in a domestic abuse case he was prosecuting, who claimed he sent her more than 30 'sexually coercive' texts.

Meanwhile, a federal judge overturned Dassey's conviction in August 2016 on the grounds he was coerced into a confession. But in December 2017, a court of appeals panel voted in favour of upholding his original conviction, in a vote that was split four to three. Just this June, the US Supreme Court rejected a motion requesting arguments be heard in favour of overturning the decision in the appeals court.

Netflix

Avery has also experienced similar rejections in recent years. His new lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, has had an appeal for a retrial denied but has said she will not give up on the case.

According to Digital Spy, she said: "It does not matter how long it takes, what it costs or what obstacles we have to overcome - our efforts to win Mr Avery's freedom will never stop."

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: TV and Film, Making A Murderer, Netflix