The Case Against Steven Avery and What Making a Murderer Gets Wrong

Never trust someone who is writing a book and putting out pictures in it that were never used in the trial that should be the property of the state of WI, Also find out what conditions he has follow to practice law again, they ate pretty interesting.it will tell you what this I can't say man leaves a bad taste in my mouth will do to be the big guy again. He likes power and writing this book is his only claim to fame, besides sexting beaten women and drugs.

Millions of people around the world were introduced to the Teresa Halbach murder case via the Netflix series Making a Murderer. Whatever your feelings about the series or about the handling of the case or the guilt of the two people convicted of the crime - Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, it is undeniable that the series was portrayed from the point of view of the defense in the two trials.

This book presents the other side of the case, as told by the man appointed special prosecutor in the case, Ken Kratz. He is able to present an insider's view of the challenges presented when two small counties were faced with the task of investigating a 40 acre junkyard including 12 building, searching at first for signs of a missing young woman and then the grim task of finding out what had happened to her on that I'll-fated day.

If you are a Making a Muderer fan who wants to see both sides of the case, this book is for you.

Wish there was the opportunity to leave zero stars. Full of contradictions, untruths and major assumptions on the part of KK. Do not waste your money if you are truly interested in this case, the facts and in justice. KK should be trading places with both Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. I'm sure glad I don't or never live in Manitowoc County......God help all those citizens.

Please do not let the ridiculous 1-star reviews influence your decision to purchase this book. It's obvious that the majority of reviewers either haven't purchased and read the book or simply have preconceived notions (shapely entirely by Making a Murderer) of the author, Ken Kratz. I've read several books covering the Steven Avery story, and this is one of the very best. While I agree with many others that I would have preferred the book to be longer and more detailed, the information presented is extremely powerful, chronological, and will almost certainly impact your assessment of both Avery's and Dassey's guilt in this murder. One of the most cogent arguments made in the book is that the "frame up" defense put forth by Strang and Buting almost never came to be. They had to cross a legal hurdle linking an individual to the blood vial, and by the skin of their teeth, were able to do so. Kratz also makes it very clear that were it not for the original wrongful conviction, the "frame up" defense would have been laughed out of court.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong by Ken Kratz that I read and reviewed.
I can honestly say when I stated this book my mind was made up that Avery was innocent and should be freed from jail because of what I had seen on Making a Murder. I only wanted to read this book to see if Kratz really was the cocky jerk he was in that television series. Boy did this book give me different view of the crime and Kratz as a man.
After reading this book and having more of the case laid out I realize how biased the TV version of the crime was and now I question a lot of my beliefs that were made after I watched that show. I is really sad how if what Kratz laid out in this book is true how him and the officers have been disgraced and threatened again all these years later because of editing and how evidence was shown and spun to help a murder get freed by a Netfix TV show and looking at what Kratz had and the actual parts of the trial he uses in the book that was not in the TV series I am starting to believe that that is what is happening.
The book also change my opinion of Kratz as a man. He is not afraid to admit he made mistakes in his life. He is not going to blame them on others and hide. He is man enough to admit he messes up and that says a lot about his true grit. He may not be the kind of man you what to hang out with but he would be the kind of guy you would want to fight for you in the courtroom because he knows about mistakes and second chances.
Did Steven Avery kill Teresa Halbach? Probably. There really is no one else who could have done it as Kratz points out in this book. Did his nephew get a raw deal? Yes but he took part in the crime so he is not innocent either. There are only three people who know what really took place that day and one of them is dead. We will never know what happened that October day on the Avery Land but I can honestly say that Ken Kratz's book opened my eyes to the problems with the Making a Murder TV Series. I was ready to jump on the Free Steven Avery Bandwagon until I read this book and was reminded that people with a camera can do whatever they want to make you see what they want. All it takes is some great editing editing and some really good cliffhangers and you are eating out of their hands and maybe just maybe you are starting to believe a man really did not rape, murder and burn and woman in a pit to get rid of her body just because he was mad at women because he spent 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong gets five out of five stars from me.

Albeit I wanted this to be a longer, more detailed accounting of the prosecution of SA and BD, I thought the book was interesting, informative and well written. I have been so appalled by the reckless criticisms thrown at Ken Kratz -- (especially by those idiots who watched Making a Murderer and did NO OTHER RESEARCH about the case) that I relished the opportunity to hear Ken's side of the FACTS. I wasn't in the court room, or on the jury, but I am a private investigator and an ex-FBI Special Agent who researched this case for months and I truly believed Ken Kratz did a great job prosecuting a monster and putting him where he belongs. This book puts it all in perspective from someone who was actually there and involved from day one! He tells us about the evidence and sorry folks, but even circumstantial evidence is STILL evidence. In addition, he sheds some light on just exactly how preposterous the notion is that the police planted the evidence. Really!? Then who really killed Teresa? Did the cops do that as well or did they just figure since her car was hidden on the Avery's property, her bones were in Steven's burn pit, her phone was in his trash barrel and Steven Avery was the last one to see her that they'd just plant some blood and the keys to ensure he'd be successfully prosecuted? All at the risk of losing their jobs and their pensions if ever caught? Ridiculous! I especially loved his comment about Kathleen Zellner's promise to tell us (months ago) who Teresa Halbach's REAL killer is. Not ever gonna happen!! Anyway, I digress....Thank you Ken for sharing your experience, for enlightening us to the facts left out by MAM and for sharing with us the work you've done to combat your demons. You've suffered enough from the mean hate-mongers and you deserve some kudos. ESPECIALLY for putting a really, really bad man away for life!!!

Inaccurate information. Don't waste your money or your time reading Kratz account of what happened. This account is clearly about Kratz saving his own reputation and credibility and NOT about the REAL FACTS surrounding this case. Kratz account is full of lies and misrepresentation. But that's nothing new.....

If you haven’t watched the Netflix documentary Making A Murder yet, I would definitely recommend it. Like ever. In Avery, the prosecutorial attorney on Steven Avery’s trial, Ken Kratz, attempts to argue against some of the allegations made during the documentary about Steven Avery being framed for Teresa Halbach’s murder. There’s something just naturally unlikable about Kratz, and it definitely comes through in both the documentary and his writing. I have to be honest though that his book did make me think twice about some of the aspects of the Making The Murder claims that were instrumental in convincing me of Steven Avery’s innocence. However, nothing anyone said or wrote could convince me to believe the confessions of Brendan Dassey, Steven Avery’s teenage nephew. He was a minor, clearly with some comprehension issues, who was ambushed by investigators and policemen without the presence of his parents or lawyer, and transparently coached through his confession statements by the people interrogating him. That alone is troubling enough when considering that Brendan’s confessions were instrumental in his and Steven’s convictions. If you’re a Making A Murderer fan like me, it may be interesting for you to read Ken Kratz’s account of the prosecutions side of the story, straight from his mouth.

This book is a desperate attempt to try to preserve his flailing reputation from all of the lies and corruption involving the Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey trial. This book is a work of fantasy, written by a narcissistic liar, who twists and turns the facts into his own false narrative. He cruelly prosected a vulnerable, suggestible, innocent, 16 year old boy with an IQ of 70 and stole his life from him. Kratz does NOT deserve any money from the proceeds of this book, nor should he be able to practice law from the mistreatment of Brendan and the prosecutorial misconduct from a damaging press conference he held, where he destroyed any chance of a fair trial. Kratz's behavior is disgusting at best. NO Blood, No DNA, NO evidence of a brutal crime. Only a planted key after several searches, a planted bullet 4 months later, planted blood from Avery's 1985 vial of blood, a moved RAV4. There is so much corruption in this case, from how they found all the "evidence", to how they coerced Brendan's "confession". If you want TRUTH, buy Shaun Atwood's book, "Unmaking A Murderer". Now, he is a person of integrity and truth, along with the true telling of what truly happened in Manitowoc all those years ago.

Most people who are interested in this book are already familiar with the Netflix docu-series, "Making a Murderer". Unfortunately, the docu-series is one of the most slanted "documentaries" that I can think of. The series does very little to try to remain objective, but it's quite obvious from the very first episode that it tries to portray Steven Avery as a poor man who is being framed by law enforcement for the murder of Teresa Halbach, a 25 year old photographer.

I have to admit that when I originally began to watch Making a Murderer, I initially thought, "Ah, the police are setting this man up so that they don't have to pay the $36 million!" However, as I continued to watch, it became apparent to me that the documentary was very slanted in favor for Steven Avery's innocence. So I decided to keep an open mind, and after watching the documentary, I decided to do some further research. And I'm glad that I did. I found many omissions from Making a Murderer; and it was pretty obvious why these details were omitted: the creators of Making a Murderer are trying to paint a narrative for Avery's innocence, and including these other details would not help their cause.

Fact of the matter is that the real victim here is Teresa Halbach, not Steven Avery. But Making a Murderer has caused legions of people to forget this fact. Also, we have to remember that all the physical evidence for Teresa are found on the Avery property:

-Her RAV4 SUV.
-Her burnt remains in Steven's burn barrel
-The bullet with her blood DNA found in Avery's garage
-The key to her SUV found in Steven's bedroom
-Steven's blood found in her SUV
-Steven's skin/blood DNA found under the hood of the RAV4 (not mentioned in Making a Murderer)

Those are the facts, and there are other evidences too, but I won't list them all. But the question then becomes whether or not these evidences are there because they were planted by a corrupt police force, or whether they're there because Avery murdered Teresa Halbach. But another thing to consider is Steven Avery's question character, which is largely glossed over in Making a Murderer:

-Avery doused his family cat in flammable liquid and tossed it in a fire (the series allows him to explain this away as just kids goofing around, again spinning the narrative in favor for Avery)

-In 1985,Avery's own cousin, Sandra Morris, claimed Avery would do perverted acts such as masturbate in front of her as she drove past him. When she told others about this incident, Avery got wind of her telling others about his and he ran her off the road and pointed a gun at her. Making a Murderer then spins this incident by making Avery look like the victim in this situation. The show allows Steven to imply he was justified in his acts because was spreading supposedly false rumors about him and he claims the gun was unloaded (as if that makes it ok to point a gun at someone). And what's disturbing about the way the narrative handles this situation is that it seems to imply that the only reason Avery was prosecuted for this incident was because Sandra Morris was married to a Sheriff's deputy; but I'd like to think that people can figure out for themselves that if you run someone off the road and point a gun at them, loaded or not, then that person has every right to press charges and you will be prosecuted, regardless of whether or not you are married to a law enforcement officer!

-Avery has apparently also been abusive to his ex-wife, as his sister-in-law reported in 1983 that Avery, "beat up on his wife, and she left home and went to a domestic violence center". Also, in a letter to his ex-wife, while he was wrongly imprisoned for a rape he did not commit, Avery said, "...if you dont [sic] brang [sic] up my kids I will kill you I promis.[sic] Ha Ha"

-In a recorded phone conversation between Brendan Dassey and his mom, Dassey reveals some disturbing information that is omitted from Making a Murderer, and that is he implies that Steven Avery inappropriately touched him and a female family member. Dassey also when asked by his mom, "So Steven really did it (referring to the murder of Teresa Halbach)" Dassey's response was "yeah." This was a conversation between Dassey and his mom. This is pretty revealing.

It's also worth noting that his ex-fiance who was featured in the docu-series, Jodi Stachowski, believes he is guilty of the murder of Teresa Halbach. This is a person who knows more about him on a personal level than any arm-chair detective who never even heard of "Steven Avery" until December of 2015.

There is so much more that can be said about this case. Unfortunately, though, if Making a Murderer has revealed anything, it's that all it takes to get people to believe a lie is a documentary that is able to spin the narrative. Truth is, you can make anyone look innocent or guilty of a crime if you have the power of editing and manipulating which information makes it into the documentary.

I urge everyone to honestly take a look at the evidence. The ONLY way the defense here works is if the entire police force is that corrupt. What we should not do is base our opinions solely on a documentary that was clearly created as a defense piece for Avery. Unfortunately, it seems that Making a Murderer has done it's job quite effectively in blinding people from objectively looking at the evidence.

Many 1-star reviews for this book are from people who apparently haven't even read this book; they instead are giving it a 1-star simply because it's written by Ken Kratz, or because they believe Avery is innocent and will not even listen to the other side of the argument. Honestly ask yourself: are people who do such things really looking for truth? I think not. And that's a tragedy as these are real people, and Terersa Halbach was a real victim.

Nothing new and barely factual. This is just Kratz's attempt to make money and profit from the horrible tragedy of Teresa Hallbach's murder and the further tragedy of law enforcement locking up the wrong men to avoid a multimillion dollar lawsuit. No justice for Teresa. Two innocent men in prison. And this sicko still trying to profit from it all. Definition of human filth. Don't waste your time or money. And certainly don't give Ken Kratz your money! The man manipulated women suffering from domestic violence for his own sick a d perverse agenda. I'd give negative stars if I could.

Very well written book. I was someone who had seen the series and thought there were things about the case that had been left unanswered. After reading this book, I feel like my questions have been answered. I'm about 99% sure that Avery did this crime after having read this book, although I would want to read a book written from the defense's point of view, just because there is always two sides to every story and there's always that 1% left in me that wonders.

This book is definitely a must read for anyone interested in the case.

Ken Kratz you once said in an interview that Steven Avery is a psychopath?! I'm unsure how you are qualified to make that diagnosis? Let's talk about the RAV 4 key that Took a large number of searches to find ? . Your book is crap when are you gonna tell the truth and stop with all these lies. Your evidence is flawed and so it's your justifications of that evidence. You and legal system is so corrupt you deserve calmer!

Enjoyed the perspective of the prosecutor on the Avery case. Provides valid and arguable contradictions to the Making a Murderer setup theories. Very easy read. I would recommend for anyone that was a fan of the Netflix series.

Steven Avery is guilty. Decidedly so. Attorney Kratz exposes the sleight of hand tactics utilized throughout MAM, designed to obfuscate the truth in the name of shock sensationalism and ratings. Whatever Kratz's shortcomings and he candidly owns them in the book, he prosecuted this case well and gained a justified guilty verdict despite the efforts of Attorney Strand and Buting, portrayed as saints in the documentary. Some complain about the books length but quality is not measured in page numbers. Avery is a detailed account of all the evidence, the same evidence that convinced twelve jurors who pledged to do the right thing. Then again the jurors saw all the evidence and not just manipulated snippets and sympathetic looks at Avery's counsel and family. This is a must read for all and particularly for those who feel it likely that Oswald acted alone, OJ killed Nicole, and Elvis is dead.

To set the record straight, I would never purchase this book or any book written by Kratz to make money off of innocent people. That being said, I did want to honestly read the book before giving it a review, so I sat at Barnes and Noble today and read all I could until page 110 and I couldn't take any more of the crap I was reading. Yes, I have watched MAM ,read trial transcripts, and other docs and corresponded with peoples on both sides. I truly don't understand how someone could not see that Steven and Brendan absolutely did not get a fair trial! I believe they are innocent and that's my opinion with the evidence presented as I saw it. With Ken's behavior throughout the trial, and even now shows me what a horrible person he is. Am I to believe anything a disgraced, narcissistic, ex D A who abused drugs and had/has a sexual addiction? Stemming from interviews and this book, I still believe his problems are ongoing. He only wrote the book to make money on the tragedy of 3 people. That being, Theresa, Steven and Brendan...any way you spin it ! My disappointments start with... #1. Having Nancy Grace writing the forward, which tells me a great deal. She relies on her "core" feeling that someone is lying....really?? So we put people away for life based on our core feeling !! BS # 2. It was also NOT proven that Theresa didn't want to go to the Avery Salvage Yard as she has been many times before, with no problems. #3 Don't even get me started on the towel incident !! Should he have come to the door naked ?....smdh #4. I have never seen anywhere stated that Steven tended the fire pit all night as told by friends and family ! #5. This one really gets me...blaming the events on timing and technology because it was pre-Trump period in America and his left leaning and challenging LE statement is beyond me! Who the hell cares what your political preference is? It's the truth that matters, KK. #6. Don't blame the internet, Ken, that a bad piece of info can be repeated so many times and places, that it quickly becomes acceptable ! Yes, that's what he did at the press conference before the trial which poisoned the jury pool so there is no way on God's green earth you will get a fair trial....you ninny :( Narcissism coming through because it's all about him...the PRIZE...ugh # 7. Kratz stated Lenk and Colburn had no connection to the Avery case where an innocent man stayed in prison for a rape he didn't commit. Of course they has a connection...Colburn admitted he received a phone call from Brown Co police that they may have the wrong man in prison. Steven could have been released if Colburn had spoken up. # 8. and one of the most disturbing parts I read, was how he still blamed and belittled others . The adjectives he used to describe Brendan were appalling. Why is that necessary? Just state your facts and quit blaming Laura and Moira for not handing over everything you want. Ken elected not to participate in MAM so why complain after the fact? Oh, wait...everything has to be his way! You put down Buting in your book, but just on a recent interview, you said they did a good job and you would do the same as a defense atty ..So which is it ? With so much fiction it's hard to keep your facts straight, I guess . The things you said about Ma and Pa Avery were very belittling and it was in very poor taste for you to insinuate that Barbara was more interested in saving her brother than her son ! That tells me Kratz is still a very sick man.. I could go on , but I'll stop and just say that if you'd like to read a book full of facts and truths about this case, I recommend, Un Making a Murderer, by Shaun Attwood. Now that was something worth reading !

I thought about purchasing this book until I found out the Author is very questionable and not trustworthy. I hope someday we can find out more honest details behind this Avery case. Seems like there's so much missing in this case and I was hoping this book by Ken Kratz would fill those voids. It only appears this book may just be self serving and to place a mask on those areas we do not understand how they happened.

His words in a Wisconsin legal proceeding in which his license was revoked for a period of time:
¶39 As a mitigating factor, Attorney Kratz wrote in his
post-hearing brief that at the time of the events in question,
he "suffered from the combination of Sexually Compulsive
Disorder (SCD) and prescription drug dependence"——conditions for
which he has sought treatment. He also claimed that he wanted
"to settle the case" early in the disciplinary process, but the
OLR refused to do so, in part because it is "apparently more
concerned with how 'they look' in the zealous pursuit of an
attorney 'pelt,' rather than what result 'should' be reached."

Filled with lies and half truths. Anyone who has researched the case further than the docuseries will be infuriated with the way the author represents the "truth". The fact that disgraceful Nancy wrote part of the book should be a sign that this is tabloid garbage.

Ken Kratz you once said in an interview that Steven Avery is a psychopath?! I'm unsure how you are qualified to make that diagnosis? Let's talk about the RAV 4 key that Took a large number of searches to find ? . Your book is crap when are you gonna tell the truth and stop with all these lies. Your evidence is flawed and so it's your justifications of that evidence. You and legal system is so corrupt you deserve calmer!

Enjoyed the perspective of the prosecutor on the Avery case. Provides valid and arguable contradictions to the Making a Murderer setup theories. Very easy read. I would recommend for anyone that was a fan of the Netflix series.

Steven Avery is guilty. Decidedly so. Attorney Kratz exposes the sleight of hand tactics utilized throughout MAM, designed to obfuscate the truth in the name of shock sensationalism and ratings. Whatever Kratz's shortcomings and he candidly owns them in the book, he prosecuted this case well and gained a justified guilty verdict despite the efforts of Attorney Strand and Buting, portrayed as saints in the documentary. Some complain about the books length but quality is not measured in page numbers. Avery is a detailed account of all the evidence, the same evidence that convinced twelve jurors who pledged to do the right thing. Then again the jurors saw all the evidence and not just manipulated snippets and sympathetic looks at Avery's counsel and family. This is a must read for all and particularly for those who feel it likely that Oswald acted alone, OJ killed Nicole, and Elvis is dead.