Steven avery and his nephew convicted of murder in the haunting killing of a young photographer. But were they really innocent . I didnt do it. Somebodys doing a good job against me. Did you have a vendetta against steven avery . Absolutely not. A lead investigator defends his interrogation which led to a convictions over term. This was seen by many as a false confession. I feel it was a real confession. Those officers wanted that information in the worst way. And they got it in the worst way. The prosecutor fights back with an explosive book. People are going to hear the other side of the story. And a promise from Steven Averys high powered attorney. Return to Manitowoc County. At the center of it all, steven avery. Then the investigators fought back, two sides, one truth. Who will you believe . The mystery of what happened here in the sprawling fields of rural wisconsin has captivated the country. We the jury find the defendant steven a. Avery guilty. In 2015 the Netflix Series making a murderer convinced many viewers that they both convicted of murder had been railroaded by Law Enforcement. Its a case dateline has been following for more than a decade match as their lawyers worked tirelessly to free them from prison we posed the questions aven everyones been asking. Why would steven avery do this . Thats a great question. We speak to ken krats, that steven avery made himself a murderer. Steven avery started planning this event the very first day he went to prison. Why are you sitting here today . Finally realized that someone needed to speak and bring forward the truth of what happened. So what did happen here . Our story begins with teresa ha halbach. They became fast friends in college. Both were photographers working at the same studio in green bay. She would get this smile. That was one thing i think she really loved to do is just make other people smile. The two stayed in touch after graduation as they launched their careers, but that would all change suddenly on october 31st, 2005. Kim caught a story on the local news. Teresa was messing. Investigators say the 25yearold photographer was on assignment for auto trader magazine when she disappeared. And i just kind of dropped knowing it was somebody i knew. And what do you do in that moment . I felt helpless because you want to just deny it, you want to get in touch with her. Didiotry to call her . I did try to text her but no response . No response. Wisconsin Police Quickly launched a massive search. After two days a big break. They had found teresas vehicle on the avery salvage yard. Tom, then a special agent with the wisk department of criminal investigation hustled over to this 40acre stretch of land, home to the salvage hard and auto mechanic steven avery. Had you heard his name before . Only through the media. Hed been convicted of rape in 1985 but 18 years later dna evidence exonerated him and he was freed. A wrongfully convicted man welcomed back into society with open arms and looking for justice of his own. Were you aware that he had filed a lawsuit against the local Sheriffs Department . Yes, id heard that. Avery hoped winning the 36 million lawsuit could help him get back on his feet. He had an opportunity to make something of his life, and it appeared that he was headed in that direction. Now two years after his release from prison this poster boy for Wrongful Convictions was back in the news and not in a good way. I hope she comes back so she can go back to her family. When he rived on site he learned Teresa Halbach had an appointment at the salvage yard to take photos of this van averys sister was selling. Teresa had left a message that morning. Im a photographer and just egiving you a call to let you know i can come out there today in the afternoon, and it will probably be around 2 00. Steven avery confirmed to investigators that teresa had been on the property that day and left around 2 30 p. M. Avery didnt tell them much more, but for investigators a dark tale started emerging from the physical evidence, especially when they made a gruesome discovery in the back of teresas suv. We found teresa emphasis blood in the vehicle, primarily in the cargo area. And in the front, more blood. There was blood on some of the upholstery and on the ignition switch. That test showed it was Steven Averys. You believe you can explain the blood from steven avery . Yes, absolutely. Steven avery had a cut on his righthand middle finger that was freshly scabbed over, and if you took that key and put it in that ignition switch, it just lined up perfectly with a contact pattern swipe. How did he explain that cut in. Im not sure if i remember that. I think he claimed he had cut it in the junkyard doing work on vehicles. He feared the worst and after four days of searching his team found something disturbing in a fire pit near averys trailer. What appeared to be bone fragments. Human bones. Most interesting because family members told investigators that steven avery had built a bon fire hours after teresa had been at the house that day. There was a huge bon fire, flames going as high as the edge of the roof on the garage. Does it all make sense to you . Look agate the whole picture, absolutely. And that picture came into focus when his team found another clue, ateresas key inside the bedroom. The toyota key with a little fob connected to it. This is huge. Yes, it is huge. Especially when the crime lab found averys dna on it. The evidence was stacking up against steven avery, and fast bender says that rav 4 would later tell investigators one last thing. We had tested the hood latch and found dna matching steven on that hood latch. He believed avery had some explaining to do, so nine days after teresas disappearance he and his partner brought avery in for an interview. Date hine filed a freedom of information request to obtain the video. You know the key is there because you put the key there. Thats the only way the key gets there. No. Avery was defiant and even claimed cops were framing him, planting evidence. They werent buying it and placed steven avery under arrest. I didnt do it. Somebodys doing a good job on me. Investigators were convinced they had their man. Still, they didnt know how or why teresa had been killed. Coming up, shackles, handcuffs, strange behavior. Teresas creeped out. Could something in his past have led him to murder . Why would steven avery do this . We know that hes a psychopath. We know that he has do we know that . When return to Manitowoc County continues. 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There are some days when i have my, my downs and then i have to rely on my mom to come pick me up from work. We need to be connected on a regular basis. Sometimes i get hundreds of texts from her and im like stop. I owe everything to her, shes my world. I love you mom. I love you too. vo there for you when it matters most. Unlimited on the best network now comes with apple music on us. Get a free galaxy s10e when you buy the new galaxy s10. Only on verizon. Welcome back. Steven avery had been exonerated from a wrongful rape conviction and was trying to make something out of his life. Then investigators uncovered dna and other evidence linking him to the murder of 25yearold Teresa Halbach. Despite averys claim hed been framed he was arrested and charged. Now detectives were about to interview averys nephew. The grimly details hed share would send the case into overdrive. Once again andrea kim. Reporter in january 2006 steven avery pleaded not guilty to the murder of Teresa Halbach. What do you feel people know the least about in this case . The book is about the case against steven avery that is setting forth a better representation of what the real evidence was. Better, he said, than the way the evidence was presented in making a murderer. In his book krats laid out his complete theory of the case with new details hed never shared before. For one thing krats told dateline he believed stevenaviasteven avery had set his sights on Teresa Halbach leading up to her behavior. As he got auto traders records he learned teresa had actually made five earlier visits to the salvage yard to take photos, some at Steven Averys request. He starts making calls to directly to Teresa Halbach rather than going through auto trader. And he determined the day before one of those visits avery purchased shackles and handcuffs. He answers the door that day wearing a small white towel and teresa we know is creeped out by that behavior. She tells friends and coworkers about that. Krats believes averys behavior shows a sexual obsession with teresa that led to murder. Why would steven avery do this when he was on the verge of getting this big wind fall, potentially millions of dollars . Thats a great question. We know that hes a psychopath. Do we know that . Lets say i allege that, okay. I believe that deep down. He discovered more on averys past. 18 years before teresas murder avery wrote this letter to his estranged wife from prison saying i will kill you. And a former fiancee told police he had physically abused her. I krats said he learned something even more disturbing. This 2006 Police Report says a teenage girl accusedaviary of raping her a year after his release from prison. It all came together forcrats. He believed avery had developed a deep resentment of women which had started with his Wrongful Conviction and had only grown over the years. He has no remorse for his behavior, feels incredibly entitled. But as he continued to investigate the case, krats had a problem. You still didnt know how she was killed, exactly where she was killed. Was that bothering you . Yes, but sometimes, you know, you have what you have. It was all coming together in bits and pieces. He and his team kept digging until they got a big lead. In march 2006, four months after teresas murder tom and his partner spoke with averys 16yearold nephew in a series of now highly scrutinized interviews. What was your First Impression of brenden dassie . A shy kid, somewhat introverted. But once he opened up the details he revealed would stun investigators. What else did he do to her . Raped her. Did he tell you that . Fastbender says dassie described a brutal scene. On that hollywood afternoon his uncle asked him to come over to his trailer. Dassie says they each sexually assaulted theresa in averys bedroom and avery later shot her in the garage and burning her body in the bonfire. And after speaking with dassie fastbender had his team return to the avery property once more, and they found this in his garage, a bullet fragment. And that was missed the first time around . Well, i guess i could say it was missed. Looks like a piece of dirt possibly. It was tested . It was tested, yes. Teresas dna was on that bullet and the bullet was shot from stevens rifle, the one above his bed. Do you now believe teresa was shot in that garage . Yes. One strange thing, though, when they searched the garage for blood, they never found a drop. How could you cleanup all that blood . Bleach, paint thinner, it cleans up blood. Teresas friend kim said when she heard the details about teresas final moments she was heartbroken. I remember crying and just hoping she was who she was and fought because she was a very strong person. Krats charged brenden dassie as a coconspirator in her murder. I intend to hold each of these defendants accountable for the rape, the torture and the murder of Teresa Halbach. But not so fast dassie recanted his statements. Just before averys trial the judge dismissed the rape charge against him and didnt allow any of those allegations about averys treatment of women saying they didnt prove anything about teresas murder and avery was never charged with assaulting his exfiancee or raping the teen. Juries in separate trials convicted bothaviary and dassie of murdering teresa. They were each sentenced to life in prison. You are probably the most dangerous individual to ever set forth in this courtroom. Eight years later making a murdererer would put fastbender, krats, and their entire team in the hot seat. Coming up. Did they plant evidence . Sure, they did. Was steven avery framed . Is it possible that that blood could have been planted . A lead investigator answers allegations. Did you have any kind of vendetta against steven avery or his family . Absolutely not. When return to Manitowoc County continues. Return to mani county continues thats not a bug, thats not a bug burke hit and drone. Seen it, covered it. We know a thing or two because weve seen a thing or two. We are farmers. Bumpadum, bumbumbumbum this and even this. Hark, i deep clean messes like this. But i dont have to clean this, because the selfcleaning brush roll removes hair, while i clean. [announcer] shark, the vacuum that deep cleans, now cleans itself. To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best to make you everybody else. Means to fight the hardest battle, which any human being can fight and never stop. Does this sound dismal . It isnt. Its the most wonderful life on earth. In december 2015 netflix released making a murderer and inignited a bonfire of controversy over the convictions of steven avery and brenden dassie. Now many viewers believe the claim he was making all along, that he was framed by Law Enforcement. Who would want to set you up in Something Like this . So they didnt have to pay nothing out. Did they plant evidence . Sure they did. Kim is averys cousin. She says she had predicted something bad might happen to him after he was exonerated in that earlier rape case. Remember he had recently filed a lawsuit against his local Sheriffs Department for his Wrongful Conviction. I did tell him manitowoc want done with him. Why did you think they werent done with him . Something just told me they werent going to hand steven avery 6 million or any dined of money. They were just going to be watching him and look what happened. Avery ended upsetling that lawsuit for 400,000 before his trial. The county did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. He used the money to hire his defense attorneys. We knew going in it was a going to be a difficult defense. We spoke to him in early 2016. We had a very tough defense in this case because nobody wants to try and use as a defense that the police deliberately tried to plant evidence or frame somebody. Thats not it goes against society. Those people are there to help us. Theyre the police. Right. But its where we thought the evidence pointed. Averys attorneys believed the fact that officers from the county he was suing were part of the is search made for a huge conflict of interest and for a possible mischief at the crime scene. What i can say is from the evidence ive looked at i think he was innocent is innocent. Preparing for trial he learned about a vile of averys blood leftover from his overturned rape conviction which had been sitting in the Manitowoc County clerks office. Saw there was a styrofoam box that had been slit open with evidence tape. Thats really the big ahhah moment. It was. And for many viewers it was the ahhah moment in making a murderer. The attorneys theres thad someone could have poked a hole in that vial and spread averys blood. As for her car key . You believe the car key was planted. That is where we thought the evidence pointed, yes. By police. By someone. It was not, you know, in six or seven entries to the trailer. Were talking about a trailer. It didnt add up. Tom fastbender worked along the inside the local county sheriffs deputies but was employed by a different agency, the Wisconsin Department of justice. This was the first time hed responded publicly to the accusations against him and his former Law Enforcement colleagues. Did you have any kind of vendetta against steven avery or his family . Absolutely not. I didnt know steven avery, didnt know his family, never been there. Fastbender bristles at the idea the local investigators could have done anything unethical. The people that were there that i worked with from Manitowoc County were hardworking. They only wanted to do the right thing and do this investigation the right way. Is it possible that blood could have been planted . No. Everything all the evidence says no. Fastbender notes that a chemical called edta had been used to preserve averys blood in the vial and at trial tests showed no presence of edta in averys blood found in the suv. Didnt match the blood in the vehicle. Fastbenders argument since that blood found in the vehicle didnt contain the chemical, it couldnt have come from the vial, and he notes that a nurse was prepared to testify she had made that hole in the vial as part of her usual routine when she drew blood from avery. The so fact thez a little hole in the top of the vial is normal. And regarding teresas car key not found until the seventh search of averys trailer . Why was that key missed during those other searches. Because primarily where the key was located in a small bookcase that wasnt searched yet. And if it was, it was just kind of looked at. Why not do the thorough search earlier. I guess part of it is because we didnt lack a motive on steven avery. We went in there and did that first search but we had 12 more buildings and four more residences to search. So