Takeaways from first 3 episodes of 'Convicting a Murderer,' the response to 'Making a Murderer'

A new docuseries, "Convicting a Murderer," criticizes the 2015 Netflix series "Making a Murderer," which brought international attention to the 2005 Manitowoc-area homicide of 25-year-old Teresa Halbach and subsequent convictions of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey.

In the first three episodes, which premiered Friday on DailyWire+, a streaming platform owned by conservative media company The Daily Wire, "Convicting a Murderer" discusses evidence and stories that gravitate toward the likelihood of Avery's guilt. Critics of the Netflix series argue it was one-sided and left out evidence, wrongfully painting Avery innocent.

The first episode is also free to watch on X, formerly Twitter.

"Convicting a Murderer," directed by Shawn Rech, has been in the works for over six years, but The Daily Wire announced in April that it had secured the show in a streaming deal and would have political commentator Candace Owens as its host.

The first three episodes feature interviews with some of Avery's family members, journalists and researchers who followed the case, and "case enthusiasts" who got deep into research and online debates following the release of "Making a Murderer." The interviews are paired with archival video footage from various media outlets, recorded jail phone calls and investigator interviews.

What are the basic facts of the case?

On Oct. 31, 2005, Teresa Halbach, a 25-year-old freelance photographer from Green Bay, went missing after shooting photographs on assignment for Auto Trader magazine at Avery's Auto Salvage, a family business in Two Rivers.

Steven Avery, then 43, was arrested. Just two years prior, he was released from prison, where he spent 18 years for a sexual assult he did not commit. Avery was released after DNA evidence determined a different man was the attacker.

In 2007, both he and his teenage nephew, Brendan Dassey, were convicted of Halbach's murder. Dassey was also convicted of sexual assault and mutilating a corpse.

Avery was the plaintiff in a $36 million lawsuit against Manitowoc County and former county officials for his wrongful conviction at the time he was charged in Halbach's murder. "Making a Murderer" raised questions about the role law enforcement played in the investigation, leading some supporters to believe Avery was framed.

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What does 'Convicting a Murderer' say about 'Making a Murderer'?

The first episode of "Convicting a Murderer" opens with an audio recording of a phone call recording from Manitowoc County Jail, where a friend of Avery's tells him a "lady from New York" called and wants to interview Avery because she's "trying to make a film."

Owens, an outspoken voice in the conservative political sphere, voices criticism of "Making a Murderer" filmmakers and Netflix. She says the filmmakers, Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, focused primarily on "several pieces of evidence" while not including others in the series.

Owens and people interviewed speculate that the massive popularity of "Making a Murderer" in 2015 came from the right combination of factors — including a desire for true crime dramas, dissatisfaction with law enforcement and Netflix's release of the show right around the holidays, when people were home and looking for something to watch.

Recap of Episode 1: An Unraveling Narrative

The first episode primarily discusses "Making a Murderer" and its cultural impact. After the series premiered in December 2015, people all over the world, including celebrities, began voicing their opinions on the case.

Two sides developed: The "guilters," who believe Avery was rightfully convicted of Halbach's murder, and the "truthers," who profess his innocence and advocate for both Avery and Dassey to be released from prison. People took to social media platforms like Reddit and Facebook to share theories and argue over opinions.

The first episode also provides an overview of evidence that was shared in "Making a Murderer," and how for some, it raised concerns about the possibililty of foul play by law enforcement. But "Making a Murderer" did not provide all the details surrounding some other incidents where Avery got in trouble with the law, "Convicting a Murderer" says.

Recap of Episode 2: Sharing Wives

The second episode delves into Avery's history, both with criminal charges and allegations of abuse.

It opens with discussion of a 1982 incident in which Avery was charged with animal cruelty for setting his family cat on fire. While "Making a Murderer" cites Avery's description of the incident as a mistake made while messing around with a group of friends, "Convicting a Murderer" cites police reports describing it as a much more intentional killing.

It also discusses a 1985 incident in which Avery, driving a vehicle, ran his cousin off the road then pointed a gun at her. "Making a Murderer" shares Avery's version of the events, that he did it to scare his cousin because she was spreading false rumors. However, the new docuseries argues that the Netflix series offered an inaccurate depiction of Avery's cousin and belittled the severity of the incident.

When Avery was sentenced to 32 years in prison for the 1985 sexual assault he did not commit, he also received a concurrent six-year sentence for the incident involving his cousin.

Episode 2 introduces Avery's brother, Earl Avery, who says he recalls an incident of Avery abusing his dog and alleges Avery, while in prison, asked Earl to have sexual contact with Avery's wife.

The episode additionally discusses Avery's relationship with his children. While in prison, he sent letters to his children that expressed hate and threats toward their mother, who was filing for divorce.

Recap of Episode 3: Avery's Niece

The third episode primarily highlights Avery's relationships with women.

Multiple family members are interviewed about an allegation that Avery sexually assaulted his 17-year-old niece in 2004. The niece spoke to investigators in 2006, but charges were eventually dropped. In the episode, family members discuss an inappropriate relationship between Avery and the teen following Avery's release from prison in 2003.

Also included in the episode is footage of Avery's ex-girlfriend, Jodi Stachowski, in a 2016 interview saying Avery was physically abusive to her and believes he is guilty of killing Halbach — despite not saying so in interviews for "Making a Murderer."

The episode ends describing the handful of interactions Halbach had with Avery in the months and weeks leading to her death. She visited Avery's Auto Salvage six times between June and October 2005 to take photographs. A friend interviewed for the docuseries said Halbach mentioned being "creeped out" by Avery and described him answering the door on one occasion wearing a towel.

What about Brendan Dassey?

"Convicting a Murderer" has not had much to say about Dassey in the first three episodes, beyond some footage from interviews between Dassey and investigators, and opinions from viewers of "Making a Murderer" that Dassey's confession to involvement in the sexual assault and murder of Halbach seemed coerced.

"Easily the most sympathetic character that 'Making a Murderer' introduced was Brendan Dassey," Owens said.

Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli. 

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Takeaways from first 3 episodes of 'Convicting a Murderer'