John Ferak, and Andy Thompson

Post Crescent

When "Making a Murderer" premiered one year ago, little was known about the Netflix documentary — other than its focus on convicted killer Steven Avery.

Even the major players in the 10-part docu-series, which first aired on Dec. 18, 2015, had no idea what to expect.

"Remember, more than eight years passed between the end of Steven Avery's trial and the release of 'Making a Murderer,'" said attorney Dean Strang, who assisted in representing Avery at his 2007 trial in the murder of Teresa Halbach, a 25-year-old freelance photographer. "I had no way to know if or when the film would be released, by whom, or in what format."

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"Making a Murderer" turned out to be an instant hit and an Emmy Award-winning documentary.

It introduced Avery to millions of viewers across the country and beyond. It struck a chord many people who came to believe that Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey were wrongly convicted in the 2005 death of Halbach.

It was infuriating to law enforcement agencies and to a number of citizens in the Manitowoc area who saw it as a one-sided depiction of the case. To them, Avery is clearly guilty.

The impact of "Making a Murderer" was felt far outside of Manitowoc County.

Law professors have used the series as an instructional tool; juvenile justice advocates have seized on interrogation techniques in the documentary to seek reform; and innocence projects and wrongful conviction centers have used it as a rallying cry.

Here is a partial listing of key players and contributors in "Making a Murderer," and how they have been affected by the series:

Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi: The two filmmakers behind “Making a Murderer” have drawn considerable praise for the compelling story about Avery's odyssey in the criminal justice system. The series won four Emmy Awards, including best documentary or nonfiction series. And new episodes are in the works. While “Making a Murderer” has been a massive hit on Netflix, not everyone has been impressed. Some, including former prosecutor Ken Kratz, have argued the series was heavily slanted in favor of Avery’s defense, and that evidence and testimony favorable to the prosecution was minimized or discounted. But Demos and Ricciardi have maintained the series is an even-handed examination of the justice system and how it worked, or didn’t work, in the Avery case.

Brendan Dassey: It’s been an eventful year — to put it mildly — for Dassey, who was 16 when he was arrested on charges that he was involved in the murder of Halbach. On Aug. 12, a federal magistrate judge in Milwaukee made a stunning ruling by overturning Dassey’s conviction on the grounds that his constitutional rights were violated by detectives who elicited his confession. The state appealed the ruling, and the case is now pending at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. Dassey was nearly released from prison in November. The judge who overturned his conviction ordered Dassey be set free, under a series of conditions, while the appeal is pending. But the state opposed the release and a higher court agreed. The Seventh Circuit could rule on the appeal in 2017, and that ruling will ultimately result in Dassey’s release, his continued imprisonment or a new trial.

Jerry Buting and Dean Strang: The two Wisconsin lawyers mounted a vigorous evidence-planting defense on behalf of Avery at his 2007 murder trial. They quickly became international celebrities after "Making a Murderer" was released, and Buting and Strang went on a multi-city, international tour that lasted for several months. Their presentations have focused largely on inequities in the criminal justice system, including legal representation for poor defendants. In October, Strang told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that he never envisioned the Netflix series would spark such a profound worldwide reaction. "We have noticed over time that most of the people who come to hear us, and to ask questions of us, do not come for escape or entertainment; they come for engagement in improving the quality of justice. Is contributing something to that conversation worth our time? Absolutely. Even the chance to do that has been a great gift."

The Halbachs: Members of the Halbach family have made no public statements since the release of “Making a Murderer.” But a number of friends, acquaintances and observers have criticized the docu-series, the extensive media coverage and the renewed attention for Avery and Dassey. They contend the coverage re-opens the painful wounds arising from Halbach’s death. Among those who have expressed support and sympathy for the Halbachs is Manitowoc County Sheriff Robert Hermann, who panned “Making a Murderer” and the planned sequel. “The first one has been a terrible injustice to the criminal justice system, law enforcement, our area,” Hermann said. “It’s about the money they’re making off of this, and it’s at the cost of the Halbach family.”

Ken Kratz: The former Calumet County district attorney who successfully prosecuted Avery and Dassey was thrust back into the limelight thanks to the docu-series. Kratz defended the convictions, despite withering criticism from those who watched "Making a Murderer." He said the show's producers failed to include important details that pointed to Avery's guilt. Kratz also appeared as a guest on Dr. Drew's podcast. He said he struggled with anxiety, insomnia and a dependency on prescription drugs after the Avery case. "It was a case that I was very much in the public eye, very much in the limelight for 18 straight months we were on the front page and really in a very, very, high-profile case. And then it all stopped," Kratz told Dr. Drew. Kratz is writing a book titled "Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What 'Making a Murderer' Gets Wrong." The book's overview states that "Kratz demonstrates how the Netflix series leaves out critical evidence, including bombshell facts known only to him." The publication date is listed as Feb. 21, 2017.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin: Long before “Making a Murderer” aired on Netflix, Nirider and Drizin — who are affiliated with the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at the Northwestern University School of Law — filed a habeas corpus petition aimed at freeing Dassey from prison. The lawyers argued, in part, that Dassey’s rights were violated by detectives who questioned him about Halbach’s death. Habeas cases are rarely granted by the federal courts, but Dassey’s lawyers beat the long odds. Nirider, Dassey’s primary lawyer, has been a powerful force for the defense as it now focuses on ensuring that the Seventh Circuit appeals court upholds the lower court’s ruling that overturned Dassey’s conviction. With no confession, prosecutors would be faced with a major uphill battle in a re-trial, legal observers say.

Kathleen Zellner: The lawyer from suburban Chicago took on Avery's post-conviction case in January. After watching "Making a Murderer," Zellner, who is among the country's top lawyers for the wrongfully convicted, traveled to a Wisconsin prison to meet with Avery. Zellner said she is convinced of Avery's innocence and has vowed to overturn his conviction through advanced scientific tests. In late November, Zellner reached an agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Justice to proceed with a new battery of tests on nine items of evidence. Zellner expects the testing to be completed in 60 to 90 days. From there, she plans to file her formal post-conviction petition in Manitowoc County Circuit Court.

Federal Magistrate William Duffin: The Milwaukee-based judge issued a blockbuster ruling on Aug. 12, overturning Dassey’s conviction and ordering the state to either free him from prison or re-try him. Duffin found that investigators made false promises to Dassey during multiple interrogations that — taking into account Dassey’s age at the time (16) and intellectual deficits — rendered his confession involuntary. Dassey’s ruling was hailed by those who believe Dassey had nothing to do with Halbach’s death, but the Wisconsin Department of Justice is appealing the ruling, saying the conduct of the detectives did not rise to the level of “coercive police activity.” A three-judge panel at the Seventh Circuit in Chicago will review Duffin’s ruling. It’s anybody’s guess when a decision will be issued.

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Andrew Colborn: The veteran Manitowoc County sheriff's deputy became a central figure in the Halbach murder investigation. A few weeks before her death, Colborn was deposed as part of Avery's $36 million civil lawsuit against the county and Colborn's former boss, Sheriff Tom Kocourek. Colborn helped lead evidence collection efforts on Avery's property. Colborn was inside Avery's bedroom on Nov. 8, 2005, when a spare key for Halbach's Toyota RAV4 was spotted near the bed in a small room that had already been searched extensively. Following Avery's arrest, Colborn received a special recognition report from his agency's command staff, praising him for his role in helping secure Avery's arrest. A road patrol shift supervisor in 2005, Colborn was later promoted to lieutenant in charge of the detective bureau, one of the highest ranking positions his department.

James Lenk: At the time of Halbach's murder, he was the top detective and evidence room custodian for Manitowoc County. Like Colborn, Lenk came under scrutiny as part of Avery's civil rights lawsuit. Like Colborn, Lenk helped lead the evidence collection efforts against Avery in November 2005. Lenk discovered the spare key for Halbach's vehicle in Avery's bedroom, an area the two men had previously searched. Lenk received a special recognition report from current under-sheriff Gregg Schetter, thanking Lenk for showing initiative at Avery Salvage Yard. After Lenk retired in December 2011, Colborn was named head of the detective bureau.

Michael Griesbach: An assistant district attorney for Manitowoc County, Griesbach has authored books about Steven Avery. Griesbach was not directly involved in the courtroom prosecutions for Avery or Dassey. Since the release of "Making a Murderer," Griesbach has insisted his fellow county employees got it right in their pursuit of Avery as Halbach's killer. The docu-series rekindled interest in Griesbach's 2014 book, "The Innocent Killer." On Aug. 30, Griesbach published his latest book, "Indefensible: The Missing Truth about Steven Avery, Teresa Halbach, and Making a Murderer."

Len Kachinsky: The 63-year-old Kachinsky has been under unyielding criticism since “Making a Murderer” debuted a year ago. He has been blasted on social media for his representation of Brendan Dassey in 2006. Kachinsky, who recently retired from private practice but has stayed on as a municipal judge in the Village of Fox Crossing (formerly Town of Menasha), says he hasn’t dwelled on the criticism. He fell quickly into disfavor for what was viewed as his betrayal of Dassey for allowing him to be questioned by detectives without an attorney, and for working on a plea deal with prosecutors early in the case. Kachinsky acknowledged that he erred by not being present when Dassey was questioned in May 2006, but has maintained that he preserved appeal issues by challenging Dassey’s earlier confession.

Rob Hermann: The current sheriff of Manitowoc County was on the receiving end of intense criticism following the release of the docu-series. In 2005, Hermann was the under-sheriff and Ken Petersen was the county sheriff. Over the past year, Hermann has tried to minimize the outrage. He granted several interviews with state and national media outlets, suggesting his agency had no motivation to frame Avery or plant evidence. Hermann also spoke with a national sheriff's association, which provided media relations advice for Hermann in the wake of the festering outrage that was being directed at his department. In August, Hermann spoke at the National Information Officers Association meeting in Nashville. He talked about the impact the Netflix series had on his agency. First elected in 2006, Hermann ran unopposed in 2010 and 2014.

John Ferak of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin: 920-993-7115 or jferak@gannett.com; on Twitter @johnferak; Andy Thompson: 920-996-7270 or awthompson@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @Thompson_AW