‘Making a Murderer’ Footage ‘Manipulated,’ Says Manitowoc Sheriff
After watching Making a Murderer, Manitowoc County Sheriff Robert Hermann is reportedly “not pleased” with the Netflix docu-series, telling The Wrap that crucial footage involving Steven Avery – the Wisconsin native currently serving a life sentence on a 2005 murder charge – is “manipulated.”
“Because of all the media stuff we’ve been getting, I actually did watch with it my inspector and I still stand by that statement,” Hermann said. “In several areas throughout the film, you can see where they cut the tape and manipulated things. One place real evident is one of the interviews with Steven Avery in episode 5 – if you watch one video, it jumps from 3:20 to 3:21, then to 3:17, then to 3:22 and then to 3:18.”
The sheriff’s criticisms echo previous statements made to Herald Times Reporter, prior to having watched the series. “A documentary puts things in chronological order and tells the story as it is … I’ve heard things are skewed,” he said on December 22nd, four days after Making a Murderer hit Netflix. “They’ve taken things out of context and taken them out of the order in which they occurred, which can lead people to a different opinion or conclusion.”
The series focuses on Avery, who was imprisoned on sexual assault for 18 years before new DNA evidence led to his exoneration and release. Two years later, Avery was charged with the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach and received a life sentence in 2007. Making a Murderer presents the theory that he was framed by Wisconsin law enforcement – and major petitions have surfaced aiming to free Avery, 53, via presidential pardon.
“We’re not pleased with the way the film has portrayed us,” Hermann told The Wrap. “We’ve noticed that the family of Avery and the attorneys are embedded with the film producers, and the attorneys from the get-go have portrayed us in a negative light, but there’s not much we can do to change it.”