The murder conviction of Steven Avery has received renewed attention recently, in part by questions raised by a new Netflix documentary series.
Although he sought a review of his case, the Wisconsin Supreme Court indicated this week that it had denied his request.
Witness presents shocking claim
As Fox News reported, Avery is serving a life sentence following his 2005 conviction in connection with the death of photographer Teresa Halbach.
He has continued to maintain his innocence, however, and the Netflix series Making a Murderer has presented evidence leading some to believe he might not be responsible for the crime.
Specifically, the documentary has raised questions about police misconduct and presented an interview with one witness who believes another suspect might be the actual killer.
According to newspaper delivery driver Thomas Sowinski, Avery’s nephew and another individual could be seen “suspiciously pushing” an SUV toward a junkyard around the time of the murder. He said the pair attempted to stop him but he was able to drive around them.
Avery’s lawyer Kathleen Zellner told Fox News that Sowinski’s account should warrant a closer look at her client’s conviction.
Attorney claims prosecutors “suppressed” evidence
“The information provided by the new witness corroborates the statements of two other witnesses and shows the car was in possession of Bobby Dassey and it was moved onto the Avery property on November 5, 2005 to frame Steven Avery,” Zellner said.
She went on to argue that the defense team believes the evidence is “vital” to Avery’s effort to clear his name.
In a court petition, Zellner asserted: “The State suppressed the evidence of Mr. Sowinski’s report to the Manitowoc Sheriff’s Office that he had witnessed Bobby and another individual in possession of and moving Ms. Halbach’s vehicle onto the Avery Salvage Yard after Ms. Halbach’s disappearance and prior to her vehicle’s discovery.”
The attorney suggested that Avery’s conviction “will withstand the scrutiny of an evidentiary hearing” if he is actually guilty of the crime, suggesting that “[w]ithout such scrutiny the question of the integrity and fairness of Mr. Avery’s trial hangs like a dark cloud over the Wisconsin judicial system.”
Nevertheless, Avery has received no sign thus far that evidence in his case will receive another look. In addition to the state’s highest court, his motion was also denied by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
The post Wisconsin Supreme Court denies motion to review Steven Avery’s murder conviction first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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