The verdict is in: season 2 of Making a Murderer is officially coming to Netflix.
The internet-based streaming service announced on July 19 that new episodes of the documentary series is currently in production.
First released on Netflix on Dec. 18, 2015, Making a Murderer quickly became the obsession of true crime fans everywhere. Created by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, the series was filmed on a 10-year span and followed the story of Wisconsin resident Steven A. Avery, who was first wrongfully found guilty for the rape of a woman in Lake Michigan in 1985.
After serving 18 years in prison, DNA evidence exonerated him in 2003, but Avery's freedom was short-lived after he was then accused of the murder of another woman, 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach, in 2007. He is currently serving a life sentence for the crime.
Making a Murderer followed all the points of both cases, including the bizarre twist of events, the alleged conspiracy theory that the Manitowoc County Police Department framed Avery after he filed a $36 million lawsuit against them.
The plot also thickened when Avery's then-16-year-old nephew Brendan Dassey was also found guilty for the murder of Halbach, although many viewers believe that the teen was forced into making a false confession.
The series was so popular among viewers that a petition to pardon Avery even reached the White House, and earned six Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
With the spotlight on the case, well-known appeal lawyer Kathleen Zellner has taken on Avery's case, along with the Midwest Innocence Project, with plans to present new evidence in court.
Since this story is far from over, it was only a matter of time until the news that there would be a season 2.
Here's what we know about season 2 of Netflix's Making a Murderer thus far.
The Next Chapter
Season 2 of Making a Murderer will pick up where season 1 left off, providing more insight into what is currently going in with Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, their legal teams, including Avery's new lawyer Kathleen Zellner and Dassey's legal team, led by Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin, and others who are involved in the cases, including the State and family members.
"This next chapter will provide an in-depth look at the high-stakes post-conviction process, as well as, the emotional toll the process takes on all involved," Netflix writes.
New Evidence?
Ricciardi and Demos will return as the directors and executive producers for season 2. The women previously stated that they had even more recorded conversations with Avery that could be used in future episodes if there was enough evidence to continue with the story.
This may include the inconsistencies surrounding the instance when Halbach's body was found, which could help prove that Avery was not given a fair trial. These include the death certificate's date being the day before her bone fragments were found and when they were positively identified, conflicting reports on whether an autopsy was performed and if a body was found.
Zellner also revealed that there were a few new suspects she was looking into, as well as cell phone tower records and advanced scientific testing. Shockingly, Avery alleges that his brother Charles Avery could be the real murderer.
Cellphone tower records of SA & TH provide airtight alibi for him. She left property he didn't. #MakingAMurderer #UnmakingAMurderer
— Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) March 6, 2016
All day re-tracing TH steps. No doubt she left Avery property alive. All roads lead to one door & it's not Steven Avery's.#MakingAMurderer — Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) April 9, 2016
Prosecutor Ken Kratz has also spoken out that there were many pieces of evidence that further prove Avery's guilt that was left out of the docs-series. With Kratz writing a book about the trial, more details could be revealed this time around.
Release Date
It is not yet known when season 2 of Making a Murderer will be released or how many episodes the docs-series will include. The series' second season could differ a lot from the previous one, since the new developments are happening in real-time, as opposed to fleshing out details over the span of 10 years.
"The story does continue," Demos said in an interview with Deadline. "We are committed to finding a way to follow it, and we'll need to explore a different way to do it this time, because it is in the zeitgeist, it is in the 24-hour news cycle. So we're looking at new ways of doing that."
There's a good chance that viewers will continue to be captivated by the next chapter of Making a Murderer.
Source: Netflix
