The attorney for Making a Murder subject and convicted murderer Steven Avery, who teased a “BIG ANNOUNCEMENT” on Saturday, said on Monday that a “concerned citizen” is offering a $100,000 reward for the “arrest and conviction of the real killer” of 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach.
Kathleen Zellner made the announcement on her official Twitter account, sharing an image of the press release.
“We are pleased to announce that a reward of $100,000 is being offered, by a concerned citizen, for the arrest and conviction of the real killer of Teresa Halbach. All tips should be called in to (630) 847-3733,” the press release said, with “FIND THE REAL KILLER” in all caps.
By Monday evening, Zellner had something else to say, namely that the “concerned citizen’s” reward offer and the merits of Avery’s upcoming Oct. 10 appeal had nothing to do with one another.
https://twitter.com/ZellnerLaw/status/1171184896267755524?s=20
“The Reward offer has nothing to do with the merits of Avery’s appeal which will be filed on 10/10,” Zellner said. “The law firm is not offering a reward a private individual is funding the reward. Numerous cases have been solved by reward offers. #MakingAMurderer2″
For some, the press release may be reminiscent of O.J. Simpson’s pledge to find “the killer or killers who slaughtered” Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
Avery was found guilty of the 2005 murder in 2007, but the 2015 docuseries Making a Murderer exposed viewers to the idea that authorities might have framed him for the killing in retaliation for suing them in an unrelated wrongful conviction. Avery, who is serving life in prison, has maintained his innocence. Several prior attempts to appeal the conviction have been unsuccessful.
Avery’s nephew Brendan Dassey was also convicted in Halbach’s murder, but he came closer to freedom when lower courts overturned his conviction. In the end, however, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the 7th Circuit’s en banc decision to uphold the guilty verdict.
Alberto Luperon contributed to this report.
[Image via Calumet County Jail]
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