Jerry Buting represented Steven Avery during his murder trial depicted in Netflix’s “Making a Murderer,” in which Avery was convicted of killing 25-year-old Teresa Halbach. Debate whether Avery is innocent or guilty has swept the nation since the show’s premiere, and Buting has now spoken with ReasonTV about the intriguing case.
1. Buting still believes Steven Avery is innocent
“When I look at the evidence, I never bought the state’s case,” he said in the interview. “There certainly was reasonable doubt. He had no motive, he was going to get a $400,000 tax free check … separate from his $36 million lawsuit.”
2. Why the defense never named any alternative suspects
When asked why the defense never submitted names of other suspects when they believed Avery was innocent, Buting said that the “rule of law requires the defense to prove motive, but the state is allowed to give alternate theories.”
3. A Reddit theory was actually one he wanted to present
Buting claims that he has read the alternate theories on who killed Teresa Halbach, and that one of them was actually part of what he wanted to present during the trial. “Some of it, yes, but we were stopped by the judge’s rulings,” he said.
4. He’s not sure what Kathleen Zellner has up her sleeve
Avery’s new lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, who specializes in wrongful convictions, has been very vocal on social media, claiming she has found fresh evidence that will exonerate Avery, as well as cellphone evidence that would give him an alibi.
“I’m not sure exactly what she’s referring to,” Buting said. Zellner will file a brief on August 29 and perhaps reveal all.
5. Bone evidence was not submitted to trial
Buting elaborated on how bones were found in three different locations. “If the jury believed she (Teresa) was burned elsewhere, then Steven Avery is innocent and they would have had to acquit. In one way or another, they were moved.” He also said that the quarry pit should have been treated like an archaeological site with maps and grids, and he believes that the bones were burned elsewhere, scooped up by the burn barrel and then dumped into the Avery pit.
6. His thoughts when Avery was convicted
“All I could think of was what was going through his mind, thinking, ‘oh my God, not again. I put my faith in the jury once before, I was wrongly convicted.’ It was hard for Avery to deal with, and for me and Dean to deal with.”
7. Buting’s daughter was disgusted by people calling her dad “sexy”
When the documentary came out, people started calling the attorney “sexy.” Buting’s daughter was so disgusted by it, she deleted her Facebook.
