‘Making a Murderer’ Creators Defend Docu-Series Against Accusations of Bias

After three years of dominating true crime conversations and fueling online debates, Making a Murderer is back with 10 more episodes. And its creators want everyone to know exactly what it’s trying to accomplish. During a screening and a panel for Making a Murderer Part 2 led by Alison Stewart for 92Y, filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos responded to critics of the original docu-series and clarified exactly why they created a Part 2.

Released in December of 2015, Making a Murderer Part 1 followed the shocking cases and trials of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. After serving 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Avery was arrested less than two years later for the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach. His nephew, Brendan Dassey, was also arrested for the crime. Filmed over the course of 10 years, the first installment of the docu-series followed Avery and Dassey’s cases as they go to trial. Part 2 picks up after Avery and Dassey’s convictions and the release of the Netflix original, showing the appeals process for both cases and exploring how the viral popularity of Marking a Murderer‘s first season affected the lives and cases of these men, their families, and their town.

Soon after Part 1 of the series became a national hit, both experts involved with the prosecution of these cases and viewers accused the docu-series of being biased toward Avery and Dassey. “Frankly, we felt like people who were feeling that either misunderstood what we were doing — what our motivations were, what the process was — or had a vested interest in people believing what they were saying about our process,” Ricciardi said. “Certain parties understand the power of accusation. If there’s nothing legitimate to critique, or otherwise critique, about the show, then they attack the credibility of the authors of the show.”

Creating the first season of Making a Murderer was a 10-year sacrifice for both Ricciardi and Demos. The project and its authenticity was something they both took very seriously. “I really thought that we were offering something meaningful to viewers, so I think I was a little blindsided by [the criticism],” Ricciardi said. “I heard from lots of people that this is part of the process, this is bound to happen.”

Instead of addressing every source of criticism, Ricciardi and Demos just want to continue to work and have their documentaries speak for themselves. “I could spend probably the next 10 years of my life trying to defend the things that we did, but the reality is I ventilate myself quite a bit. I’m asked about it in every interview now,” she said.

According to Ricciardi, if people want to know about the filmmakers’ motivations, process, and the boundaries they’ve set for themselves, she’s more than happy to talk about it. But if people have already written off her work as biased, she sees no point in continuing the conversation. “We will continue to do our work and if you want to tune in, great. If not then I guess we’ll get the message eventually,” she said.

As for why they’re releasing a Part 2 at all, that decision came down to the many developments that have happened in both Avery and Dassey’s cases. Demos noted that they never considered the possibility of a sequel while making Season 1. But once new developments started happening in Dassey’s case and Kathleen Zellner, a well-known wrongful conviction attorney, took over Avery’s case, the pair became interested in this story again.

“When we finished Part 1, there was an element of knowing that the story was not over,” Demos said

For Ricciardi protectiveness over Making a Murderer‘s story led her to consider producing a Season 2. The intense media coverage the series received led to other publications pushing forward with Avery and Dassey’s stories. “I was starting to feel like, ‘Oh other people are picking up the story we had told.’ And I was a little envious,” she said.

However, this new installment won’t solely be about learning about America’s appeals process. “You will learn new things,” Demos said. “There are major reveals all through Episode 10.”

Watch Making a Murderer on Netflix