Indefensible

The Missing Truth About Steven Avery, Teresa Halbach, and Making a Murderer

By: Michael Griesbach

Narrated by: James Foster

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

An insider exposes the shocking facts deliberately left out of the hit Netflix series Making a Murderer - and argues persuasively that Steven Avery was rightfully convicted in the 2005 killing of Teresa Halbach.

After serving eighteen years for a crime he didn't commit, Steven Avery was freed - and filed a thirty-six-million-dollar lawsuit against Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. But before the suit could be settled, Avery was arrested again - this time for the brutal murder of Teresa Halbach - and, through the office of a special prosecutor, convicted once more.

When the saga exploded onto the public consciousness with the airing of Making a Murderer, Michael Griesbach, a prosecutor and member of Wisconsin's Innocence Project who had been instrumental in Avery's 2003 exoneration, was targeted on social media, threatened - and plagued by doubt. Now, in this suspenseful, thorough narrative, he recounts his own re-examination of the evidence in light of the whirlwind of controversy stirred up by the blockbuster true-crime series.

As Griesbach carefully reviews allegations of tampering and planted evidence, the confession by Avery's developmentally disabled nephew, Brendan Dassey, and statements by Avery's former girlfriend Jodi Stachowski, previously sealed documents deemed inadmissible at trial by Judge Patrick L. Willis - and a little-known, plausible alternate suspect - Griesbach shows how the filmmakers' agenda, the accused man's dramatic backstory, and sensational media coverage have clouded the truth about Steven Avery.

Now as Avery's defense counsel files an appeal and prepares to do battle in the courtroom once more, Griesbach fights to set the record straight, determined that evidence should be followed where it leads and justice should be served - for as surely as our legal system should not send an innocent man to prison, neither should it let a guilty man walk free.

©2016 Michael Griesbach (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Feeling complete

Grateful for added insight. I loved Making A Murder and was one who "binge watched" it with my wife. After watching the full series when he just watched that Steven went to jail... I knew he did it. It was GREAT entertainment! It was not convincing enough to belief, as you reference in your book, that essentially the whole police force would have to be in on it. One or two bad cops I believe, but people are talkers and their messy and the truth would eventually come like it did with Avery's first conviction. We know what the Sheriff and DA did because you can't hide things forever. Loved the book.

Guilty as I already knew.

The power of propaganda is proven by these two biased filmmakers is frightening. We have people signing petitions to the POTUS trying to get this monster freed.
I do hope more people who have based their faith in this evil man, Avery, will listen to reason. I hope they will listen or read this audiobook that is filled with common sense and logic and critical thinking.
Conspiracy nuts abound and some are harmless. When they attempt to loose a dangerous sociopath on the rest of us, they are dangerous.
This book is very well written and enlightening and the narrator does a great job.
After following this sordid and tragic story for many years, the documentary shocked me. The critical information that was edited out, the manipulation and the skillful way they created a new Avery, a sympathetic one, simply by playing fast and loose with splicing and omitting facts is not only maddening, but disappointing. I don't know why these two supposed intelligent people fell so in love with this violent criminal, but that's how it looks. How did they lose their perspective? It makes me wonder....what's in it for them?
Shame on them! May the victim, Ms Halbach RIP.

Good and bad

So I listen to the whole thing and maybe I can help you on your decision to buy this. I purchased this book hoping to hear some alternate views on the case. And this book definitely delivers that. Be aware that despite the author saying ad nauseam that he is not bias he is clearly bias throughout the entire book. That doesn't mean his opinions or wrong or not valid. I would say buy if you want to hear his personal views on the case but just be aware that just as making a murderer picked and chose what to put in and how he set up the scene, he did as well.

Choppy and unreserved geographical knowledge

The narrator mispronounced city names horribly, being from the area, it really gets irritating that the simple 30 seconds wasn't taken to pronounce a word that you are going to be saying 100+ times.
The story really produced nothing that you couldn't get from newspaper articles. Although factual, the writer doesn't miss an opportunity to hammer home how "fair and neutral" he is.

the Netflix challenge

I challenge anyone who believes Avery to be innocent due to the Netflix "documentary" Making a Murder to read (or in my case, listen to) this book. If, at the end, you're still believing him innocent, PLEASE, tell me why, tell me how?!?!!!?
There's so much more to this story. Check it out.

Interesting. New facts were introduced.

Interesting, but much too often, it felt like a lawyer justifying his much deeper wisdom...

Brilliant Resolution

Answered all the questions I had after watching the series! The author provides thorough, objective, educated and concise reasoning that squarely confirms the only logical conclusion.

wow before I read this I thought he was innocent.

cant believe Netflix allowed MAM to not put all the evidence in it. wow. can't believe it

Finally Proof that Justice was Served!

Ever since Making of a Murderer aired on Netflix I have wanted the rest of the story. I work in criminal law so I really focused on the facts and my instincts but something was missing something just didn't add up. There were things about this case that confused me, like where was the blood? I focused most of my attention on Brandon and his jail house phone call with his mom because that's when he was being most honest. She asked him "so you were there?" And he said "Yeaaaah" I needed facts though to quiet the doubters. This book offers all the facts, all the proof we didn't get to see in the docuseries. James Foster takes the case apart piece by piece and answers all the unanswered questions. What really struck me is that he wasn't out to just prove Avery was guilty he was seeking the TRUTH! This is a great book!!

If you watched MAM- You must listen!

You always have to listen to the other side, and that's exactly what this book is. It's a must listen for anyone who has watched Making a Murderer. Great story!