Even if you haven’t watched Netflix’s wildly popular documentary series Making a Murderer, you’re probably at least passingly familiar with the strange story of its subject, Steven Avery.
After being falsely convicted of sexual assault in 1985, Avery served 18 years behind bars before his conviction was overturned on the strength of new DNA evidence.
Before he was able to follow through with his planned $ 36 million civil suit against law enforcement officials in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, Avery was arrested for the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach.
Following a controversial trial that prompted countless allegations of corruption, Avery was found guilty and has been behind bars ever since.
Bizarrely, prison officials have prevented Avery from speaking to the press in the weeks since Making a Murderer renewed the public’s interest in his case, but the 53-year-old has found ways to make his voice heard.
Avery has filed an appeal, and he may soon get a chance to testify on his own behalf, but in the meantime, his new lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, is doing the speaking for him.
Last week, a letter that Avery wrote to a local reporter was published in a Wisconsin newspaper and quickly went viral.
Perhaps noting the overwhelmingly favorable response online, Avery decided to issue his first formal statement since Murderer aired.
Unable to address the public directly, Avery apparently passed a handwritten note to Zellner during their most recent visit.
She posted a photo of the note on her Twitter page on January 29. It reads simply:
“To my supporters: I want every forensic test possible done b/c I am innocent.:
Along with the image of the note, Zellner tweeted, “Third visit WCC: SA thrilled about chance of new forensic testing — like innocent men always are. #MakingAMurderer.”
The same day the note was posted, Zellner was interviewed for a Dateline NBC special about the Avery case, in which she stated that she’s confident that advances in forensic science will exonerate her client.
