Making a Murderer filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos took to Twitter and conducted a brief but meaty Q&A with fans of the show. Lots of us had lots of burning questions for the pair, especially as public perception of Avery’s guilt seems to change along with the tides. They covered most of the ones we would have asked. They addressed how they found Steven Avery, questions about all the evidence that they left out, and what's going on with Jodi Stachowski recanting her statements from the film. There were also some interesting tidbits on just how close the state of Wisconsin came to shutting down production entirely. What the filmmakers didn't cover is the most recent bit of internet sleuthing: That Teresa Halbach's keychain appeared to be much more than just a single key attached to a fob. And that makes sense. Why would someone carry just one key? Nobody does that, outside of serial killers or ten-year-olds who have a backdoor key for when they get home after school. Whether that's evidence that the police planted the key or that Avery detached the key, carried it back into his trailer, and hid it so well that it remained out of sight for days (but not so well that it wasn't in plain sight eventually), we'll never know. One of the strange features of true crime is that more often than not the participants are normal people. Kratz, Buting, Stang, Stachowski, the Averys, and the Halbachs are not celebrities, but now they're household names. Ricciardi and Demos are now reaching that status as well. So it’s interesting to see them now in the moments before they become famous documentarians. We picked out highlights of the questions and their responses below, but the entirety of the Q&A session is on Twitter.
@MakingAMurderer why were you so interested in this case among many of the wrongly convicted prisoners?? #AskMAM
— Trisha Mcconnon (@Trisha_Mcconnon) January 19, 2016Steven's unique status as one of WI's first DNA exonerees + efforts to improve the system (1 of 2) https://t.co/fahRgCNLoZ
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016(2 of 2) Before he was charged again made the context for the new case significant. https://t.co/fahRgCNLoZ
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016#AskMAM how do we stop this from happening to again? How do we change the system? What r ur ideas/first steps? What exactly needs to change
— Renee Groom (@Renee_Groom) January 19, 2016Vote to encourage ethical behavior by those working in the system (1 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/Qnc3dmypF5
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016Support reforms re how juvenile suspects are questioned, support funding for public defenders (2 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/Qnc3dmypF5
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016Demand accountability for misconduct in office (3 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/Qnc3dmypF5
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016Write to editors and/or news directors when you see/read prejudicial pretrial publicity (4 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/Qnc3dmypF5
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016What has been the biggest misconception from the public surrounding this project? @MakingAMurderer @netflix #AskMAM
— Moored As Before (@rsolonhamer) January 19, 2016Biggest misconception is that we went into the project to try to prove something. (1 of 4) #AskMAM
https://t.co/CINrmQHVdz
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016The truth is we set out to examine something and ask questions. (2 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/CINrmQHVdz
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016We went where the record, events and facts led us. (3 of 4) #AskMAM https://t.co/CINrmQHVdz
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016After 10 years of research and production we responsibly presented what we found as a documentary series. (4 of 4) https://t.co/CINrmQHVdz
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016@MakingAMurderer how are his parents doing? I really felt for them. #AskMAM #MakingAMurderer
— J-Reub (@josephreuben815) January 20, 2016They continue to suffer every day Steven and Brendan are in prison. But they're feeling uplifted ... (1 of 2) https://t.co/1TJkxTHctE
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016(2 of 2)... by the recent letters of support they've received, and encouraged that Steven has a new lawyer. https://t.co/1TJkxTHctE
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016@MakingAMurderer A lot of people are saying the most important evidence was left out, do you believe that is true?#AskMAM
— Melissa Frontine (@MelissaFrontine) January 19, 2016No. Strongest evidence of guilt is in the series. The evidence left out is less significant, redundant... (1 of 2) https://t.co/fv38WDT3pr
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016Disputed, and in some cases inadmissible (unreliable/irrelevant/prejudicial) (2 of 2) https://t.co/fv38WDT3pr
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016@MakingAMurderer are you guys working on any new projects?? #AskMAM
— ShawnDeez4 (@ShawnD04) January 20, 2016Still working on this one. Our hope is to travel+speak to students across the US about the system and its failings. https://t.co/sot2PfGyuJ
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016#AskMAM Do you think Jodi was afraid of #StevenAvery? Did U see anything that made you think she was being threatened/'forced' to act/lie?
— Amanda McCarthy (@JonesNTip2014) January 16, 2016We saw no indication of that. (1 of 2) #AskMAM https://t.co/Gf7NZNibTs
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016We saw a woman who was supportive of Steven & Brendan & under a tremendous amt of pressure frm law enforcement (2/2) https://t.co/Gf7NZNibTs
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016#AskMAM @MakingAMurderer Do you believe that Theresa Halbach's brother deleted critical evidence from her voicemail?
— Red (@ItsRedRidingH) January 20, 2016We don't know who deleted her messages. He testified he did not. #AskMAM https://t.co/D3IcnZwwmp
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016@MakingAMurderer #AskMAM How do you feel about interview with Steven ex-fiancee, Jodi saying he's a monster? https://t.co/qFvG6qhVxA
— Adrienne Grierson (@A_Grierson) January 17, 2016We have no idea what's behind Jodi's recent statements. (1 of 2) #AskMAM https://t.co/Iwg9qeVic7
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016The filming we did w/ her 9 years ago accurately captured her views and state of mind at the time. (2 of 2) #AskMAM https://t.co/Iwg9qeVic7
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016How do you explain the evidence of Avery's DNA found under the hood of Halbach's car? #AskMAM
— Meagan Hatton (@meaghat) January 20, 2016The question is how it got there. A crime lab expert testified that he went under the hood after... (1 of 4) https://t.co/2KN6Q5lAJD
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016(2 of 4) handling other evidence and did not change his gloves. The defense argued there was the potential... https://t.co/2KN6Q5lAJD
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016(3 of 4) for contamination. The alternative argument was planting. It was disputed evidence and ... https://t.co/2KN6Q5lAJD
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016(4 of 4) neither side was presented in the series with respect to this less significant evidence. https://t.co/2KN6Q5lAJD
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016#AskMAM what do you think to all the claims you skewed the show in Avery's favour when evidence not covered in the show points to guilty?
— Loop (@pedicabote) January 17, 2016MaM isn't about whether or not Avery is guilty. (1 of 2) https://t.co/7LR4RYm5TU
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016It's about what the state of Wisconsin did or didn't do in its efforts to convict Avery. (2 of 2) https://t.co/7LR4RYm5TU
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016@Netflix_ME #AskMAM what was the most challenging/difficult part when making this documentary?
— ℛeem (@R_AlMulla) January 19, 2016There were many challenges (1 of 4) https://t.co/ptkgwrymrw
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016One was when the State of Wisconsin tried to subpoena our footage. (2 of 4) https://t.co/ptkgwrymrw
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016We had to hire a lawyer and file a motion to quash the subpoena which we won. (3 of 4) https://t.co/ptkgwrymrw
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016If State had won they would have effectively shut down the production. (4 of 4) https://t.co/ptkgwrymrw
— Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) January 20, 2016