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Morry Gash/PA

Hundreds expected at protest in support of Making a Murderer accused

Police said they are expecting anti-activists to show up.

A LARGE PROTEST is due to take place today in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, in support of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, who feature in the popular Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer.

Both men were convicted over the 2005 murder of Teresa Halback.

There are three separate protest groups which will all gather together at Manitowoc County courthouse this morning. Organisers say it will not just be their voices, but those of Steven and Brendan, that will be heard. Hundreds of people are expected to take part.

On the Steven Avery Project Facebook page, protesters are reminded to “keep it peaceful”.

MISSING WOMAN Brendan Dassey, who was 16 when first arrested in connection with the woman's murder. Morry Gash / PA Morry Gash / PA / PA

“There will most likely be anti Steven [and] Brendan protesters as well,” organisers warned. “Keep our signs clean and supportive.”

Police told WLUK they are making preparations for the protest.

“Obviously there are a lot of people that feel very passionately about what they’ve seen on Netflix and if they want to come and exercise their rights they certainly can do that,” commented Captain Larry Zimney.

“We’re trying to be as accommodating as possible, as we can be. We realise and we respect their First Amendment constitutional right to do what they are doing. There are a lot of people in Manitowoc County that think Steven Avery is right where he needs to be. We’ve planned for that, so if we do get anti-activists showing up, we are prepared to deal with that.”

Read: Dean Strang defends Ray D’Arcy after interview criticism>

Read: Gang members, DNA evidence and Making a Murderer: The burden of proving innocence in the US>

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49 Comments
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    Mute Daz
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    Jan 29th 2016, 6:29 AM

    Should they be exonerated? No. Do they need an immediate retrial? Yes.

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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:39 AM

    I expect there would be be one in Oconnell Street organised by Fine Gael in support of Avery if they thought it would win the some votes

    70
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    Mute Mark Byrne
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    Jan 29th 2016, 8:17 AM

    Wow you managed to make this about FG?

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    Mute ads20101
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    Jan 29th 2016, 8:22 AM

    Are they innocent (70% convinced imho)?

    But this isn’t the question. The one thing that is clear is that there was definitely reasonable doubt.

    They should’ve been acquitted.

    But yes OP – I think a retrial is now necessary

    147
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    Mute Leo Lowe
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    Jan 29th 2016, 8:31 AM

    Josephine, I think they call that monomania – when you are obsessed with one topic. There is help out there.

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    Mute Teddington
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    Jan 29th 2016, 9:47 AM

    I still can’t convince myself that he is innocent entirely but I am 100% certain that there is enough uncertainty and definitely far too much police incompetence or downright illegality for that verdict to be safe.

    102
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    Mute Joe Phillips
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:05 AM

    Whether or not they’re actually guilty is only a part of the issue now. It’s a worry that a court case like that was seen all the way through and so stubbornly ignored the massive level of doubt that was very fairly and thoroughly presented right there in the courtroom. The case could be used in legal text books as the very definition of reasonable doubt, yet they were sent to prison anyway, and all appeal options closed to them without discovery of fresh evidence. That’s a worry for everyone.

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    Mute Allister
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:51 AM

    Je suis Steven

    11
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    Mute Peter
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    Jan 29th 2016, 11:26 AM

    Whatever little evidence there is with avery der is some as the post said above I’d be 70% convinced he’s innocent, it’s the dassey case that get me absolutely no evidence and was completely set up by his own liars and prosecution.

    32
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    Mute Kieran Stafford
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    Jan 30th 2016, 12:05 AM

    Why shouldn’t they be exonerated?

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    Mute Eoin Fleming
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:04 AM

    If Brendan gets out he’ll probably get detention for not doing his history project. The guy can’t win.

    256
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    Mute Mick Mouse
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:52 AM

    If Steven gets out and aboot he has that mental whooore superimposing him into pictures to deal with!

    55
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    Mute Eoin Fleming
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:56 AM

    True, he’s been framed enough in fairness.

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    Mute Conor Flynn
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    Jan 29th 2016, 11:45 AM

    But on the plus side he’ll get to see that Wrestlemania his mother recorded!

    49
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    Mute Derek mc keever
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    Jan 29th 2016, 6:30 AM

    Best of luck I hope thousands turn up in support,its the police that should be in jail not them two,poor man was done over twice and its been let happen

    125
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    Mute KevinMunster
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:03 AM

    Don’t be such a simpleton, he clearly murdered her.

    14
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    Mute Stephen Ó Briain
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:24 AM

    To be honest Kevin based on the evidence “whats is clear” is that there is certainly reasonable doubt, and “what is clear” is that the evidence was tampered with and lastly “what is clear” is that evidence that the prosecutors evidence was inconsistent with there theories.

    Also what happened to a fair trial? Innocent until proven guilty this guy had his trial by media which was heavily influenced by the pre- trial prosecutors.

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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:28 AM

    my money’s on his bother in law .

    56
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    Mute Tony
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    Jan 29th 2016, 11:25 AM

    What about the dodgy interview with her ex boyfriend, who couldn’t say the time of day he saw her alive, and the fact he got into her phone details. He also suggested averys breakers yard, and camera. He did it in my opinion, crime of passion. Cops guilty of not investigating properly. Shocking

    62
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    Mute Teddington
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    Jan 29th 2016, 12:20 PM

    Tony I like him for it too, between himself and Brendan’s brother who has the dodgy alibi with the other guy who happened to be driving past him that day both of whom were going hunting that day.

    27
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    Mute David power
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    Jan 29th 2016, 8:37 AM

    I wounder did Brendan’s mum really tape wrestle mania for him

    68
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    Mute Piotrek Król
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    Jan 29th 2016, 9:37 AM

    She did, but she forgot to tape the ones after that.

    18
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    Mute Frank Cronin
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    Jan 29th 2016, 6:42 AM

    We need to examine our own history in Ireland, did the Garda heavy gang behave badly, did we permit poor standards, did judges over believe Gardai evidence and some Gardai abused thar. In every sphere of life power less accountability equals corruption

    43
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    Mute Philip Dolan
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:24 AM

    Jim Sheridan is currently making a documentary about the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder, if it focuses on the ineptitude of the Garda investigation to the extent that ‘Making A Murderer’ highlighted the failings of the Avery investigation, can’t image the Garda exactly coming out of it smelling of roses.

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    Mute jamesdoyle
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:16 AM

    If o.j Simpson got off because the glove didn’t fit well this case is riddled with doubt.a re-trial in federal court is the least they deserve

    41
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:30 AM

    tyson got convicted beacuse he made it fit.

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    Mute Paul Lane
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    Jan 29th 2016, 1:20 PM

    Apparently the glove was OJ’s son who was seen arguing with the victim in a restaurant earlier that evening

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    Mute Celtic_Horizon
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:12 AM

    Ok I haven’t watched the show yet but guessing by the comments there is a lot of uncertainty hanging(no pun intended) over their convictions?

    21
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    Mute Alien8
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:20 AM

    There was a lot of uncertainty after watching a week produced TV show about the trial featuring heavily edited excerpts of the trial and lots of insinuation. Based on the TV show, the police and state were almost 100% corrupt and the guy avery was within days of becoming a millionaire if he didn’t commit a crime, yet apparently framed for murder. In the real world, nobody has a clue if this guy killed someone or not, but he has been convicted and his appeals failed. Are they innocent? Nobody knows, but if they are then the attention is good… If not, then you have the situation where masses of people are supporting the retrial of a rapist and killer, based on a TV show.

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    Mute Celtic_Horizon
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:23 AM

    @ Alien8 Thank you. You would think the journal would have posted a short background to the story but that was perfect at least I get why its happening now.

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    Mute Paul O Mahony
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    Jan 29th 2016, 8:10 AM

    Alien, that’s exactly it. There is no evidence to prove he did. That is what is supposed to convict you “beyond reasonable doubt”. There is just too much doubt to convict him.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Jan 29th 2016, 8:40 AM

    Alien8 – Very true. It’s easy to manipulate information in a ‘documentary’, especially if there’s a vested interest in making it more commercially attractive by putting a particular slant on it.
    His ex-wife says she’s in no doubt he’s guilty – wrath of an ex? Maybe, maybe not.
    What is important is whether any evidence presented in court stands up to scrutiny or not.
    I haven’t seen it so I have no opinion either way on whether or not he’s guilty. I just hope he eventually gets justice if innocent.

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    Mute Thrace Denning
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:00 AM

    Whatever about rape and murder using “scare quotes” should be a hanging offence

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    Mute cholly appleseed
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:30 AM

    There is so much omitted from the tv show deliberately to insinuate compete innocence. It won’t get the ratings if they didn’t. They deliberately omit phone calls where brendan claims steven was sexually assaulting him. They don’t mention the three complaints lodged to auto trader by the victim and how she felt uncomfortable around him. The long and the short of it is, the tv show tries to say he was framed to save paying out money this is ridiculous police forces pay out all the time. The couple of million he would of settled for is a drop in the ocean. He’s as guilty but the police did give him an unfair trial by deliberately placing certain evidence

    7
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    Mute Stephen Ó Briain
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:38 AM

    But if there’s no clear indication that someone done something (in this case inconclusive evidence and under also presented under suspicious circumstances ) can you really convict them based on a authority’s assertion who had a genuine conflict of interest in this case?

    Was he guilty beyond reasonable doubt?… what I do think is reasonable is to ask for a retrial at minimum in a federal court.

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    Mute cholly appleseed
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:44 AM

    I think he was guilty beyond reasonable doubt and i don’t buy into the farcical portrayal in the tv show. I think he deserves a re trial but alot of evidence will have to be left out and even at that, I still think a jury will find him innocent. The only thing is, can an unprejudiced jury be found after such hype surrounding the tv show.

    6
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    Mute Paul O Mahony
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:48 AM

    But the jury for the trial were more prejudice due to all the press coverage at the time.

    5
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    Mute Stephen Ó Briain
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    Jan 29th 2016, 11:57 AM

    @cholly appleseed, Fair point, but my argument wasn’t whether or not he was guilty but the circumstance in which he was found guilty was unlawful. So there has to be some reasonable doubt when an authority and possibility other parties having a motive to frame. It must be taken into consideration and a federal trial should be called regardless of me and you think.

    And when I speak of “two parties” I’m hypothetically speaking about the authorities and the actual murderer that would of been willing to frame Steven, as both would have a good motive, then this would explain in some ways as to why most of the evidence doesn’t makes. Keep in mind the prosecutors theories change to fit the evidence and are different for both Steven and Brendan’s trial.

    4
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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    Jan 29th 2016, 9:15 AM

    I’m surprised it’s only hundreds their expecting

    19
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    Mute Con Moore
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    Jan 29th 2016, 9:22 AM

    Alien8
    He was released from jail after 18 years because DNA proved he did not rape,

    “supporting the retrial of a rapist and killer”

    17
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    Mute Paul Culligan
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:33 AM

    I watched the entire series of MaM, and like many others, further investigated the facts of the case on the Internet. My opinion, for what its worth is, did these two men, irrespective of their alleged crimes, recieve every chance by law, to vindicate themselves, and did the law, from the Patrolman to the Judge, and with all its high-tech investigatory equipment and vast knowledge and experience in such procedures, act in accordance with that law, in a thoroughly fair manner? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘No’, well then its a mis-trial. Even somebody that is totally ignorant of Legal Proceedings, can tell that theres something just not right with this case. Why? Because gut instinct tells us it simply doesn’t FEEL right.

    11
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    Mute Owen McDermott
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:26 AM

    I see an Oprah interview in their future!

    11
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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:44 AM

    He looks seems like a winner alright!

    5
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    Mute casey
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    Jan 29th 2016, 7:36 AM

    Is this on TV or skybox? There’s a documentary on him on Saturday or Sunday on ID around 8 or 9 pm

    5
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Jan 29th 2016, 10:32 AM

    no its a Netflix show not on sky.

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    Mute Cian O'Callaghan
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    Jan 30th 2016, 5:29 PM

    You’re an intelligent lad so I shouldn’t have to list all the glaring elements to the case which should create reasonable doubt to any even-handed, logical person. A stitch-up of the highest order, even if he is guilty (which on the balance of probabilities I would suggest he isn’t)

    1
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    Mute Eoin Gregory
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    Jan 30th 2016, 12:09 PM

    Very little said of Teresa Halbach who he killed, he deserves to be in prison. It’s her family I feel sorry for not this murdering b**tard

    1
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    Mute Cian O'Callaghan
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    Jan 30th 2016, 1:10 PM

    You must have carried out your own investigation or watched a different show to me Big man!

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    Mute Eoin Gregory
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    Jan 30th 2016, 4:58 PM

    Mate, it’s all about editing, the makers of the program portrayed it as they wished. Guilty as charged

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