Documentary Review Making a Murderer P2 E1 Number 18

Enter Kathleen Zellner. Her expertise is appeal law, she's responsible for the exonerations of seventeen prisoners when she decides to take Steven Avery's case "pro bono" after the Wisconsin supreme court ignores his plea. Her earnings come later in damages for wrongly imprisoned defendants. We don't know her middle name but it might as well be Meticulous. The main secret to her success from what we can gleen in this series is she is a better investigator than anyone in law enforcement. Her strategy involves finding an expert to interview regarding each piece of evidence and then recreating what the prosecution claims happened tearing it apart point for point.

Kathleen says from the beginning not to request her services if you are guilty, because she will find out.

Regarding Brendan Dassey, lawyers Steven Drizin and Laura Nirider from the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth continue to defend Brendan. His original judge Fox denies his appeal. So do the court of appeals and Wisconsin supreme court. Now it goes to federal judge William Duffin as a habeas petition. He's been sitting on it for 20 months. Here their hands are tied specifically to the coerced interrogation and disloyal defense attorney, constitutional violations on the part of State and local governments.

Regarding Steven Avery, he is left to public attorneys while original judge Willis denies his appeal. So do the court of appeals and Wisconsin supreme court.

Specifically speaking the Wisconsin supreme court basically refuses to even entertain the thought of reviewing either case, which would be different from a denial after consideration.

Kathleen buys the same model rav4 Teresa had to recreate the prosecution's story. She spends a lot of time on it and starts with a blood splatter expert. Recreating an active bleeder starting the car, that one stain that looks like it came from a swab (kind of looks like an L, for Lenk, or Liar) just does not appear. The ignition area on the column is a good 2 inches from the stain. There is no blood on the gear shift though experiments show it should have substantial quantities. No blood on the door handle, no blood on the steering wheel, no blood on the hood latch. Blood splatter experts know the difference between dropping blood on something vs real life splatters. They go through their experiments meticulously and simply cannot confirm the state's story. Nothing is consistent.

Kathleen states, "once I uncover one lie like that, I know there's a whole bunch more lying going on."

Kathleen states most courts will want to know what the defense is saying really happened in addition to just tearing apart the prosecution's theory. Interesting how that will unfold because until now smearing law enforcement is done at the defense's "peril", as a prosecuting attorney stated during trial. She also states this is a case of, "gross, extreme, egregious prosecutorial misconduct." We are not lawyers here but we are assuming these are the constraints she is working under, just like Brendon is focusing on coerced confession and disloyal counsel. We're assuming this is the constraint she is working under by statute to exonerate Steven.

Do it To it, Kathleen.

Looks like he could be competent.