Overview

Long before Making a Murderer came The Innocent Killer, the very first book about how one of the world's most notorious wrongful conviction cases came to be, the fight to free Steven Avery, his release and then his subsequent murder conviction. In 2005, Avery was on the verge of collecting a big settlement after serving 18 years for a crime he didn't commit when he was arrested for, and ultimately convicted of, the brutal murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. In this new updated edition, author Michael Griesbach -- a local prosecutor who uncovered serious wrongdoing by his predecessors in the first Avery case -- offers new insight about Avery's 1985 wrongful conviction and his murder trial twenty-two years later, bringing to light information withheld by Avery's supporters. LEARN: - What Steven Avery was like before being accused of Penny Beernsten's rape - The glaring law enforcement misconduct that sent him to prison for a crime he didn't commit - How the law enforcement officials responsible for his wrongful conviction escaped accountability - How six of his 18 years in prison were warranted for another crime - Why his murder trial ended in a guilty verdict -- and how it might not have - Why, despite the injustice of Avery's first conviction, the author believes he is guilty of the subsequent murder

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9781989728222

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This book is a gripping read, spiraling readers from one emotion to another. -- Library Journal The Innocent Killer is a shocking yet effective example of what can happen when our justice system fails. It poses the provocative question--one which those involved in the criminal justice system must ask themselves time and time again: 'What if?' What if the investigation of Steven Avery's alleged crime and its prosecution had gone differently? Would the tragic event that happened eighteen years later still have come to pass? Unfortunately, we'll never know. Griesbach's unflinching page-turner raises all the right questions and brings us closer to the truth. -- Barry Scheck, Co-founder and Co-Director of the National Innocence Project at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Brilliantly written, The Innocent Killer is an instant true-crime classic that will either re-affirm or shake your faith in American justice. A non-fiction thriller with more twists and surprises than any fiction novel. This shocking true story will be talked about, and argued about, for decades to come. -- Burl Barer, Edgar Award winning true crime author The Innocent Killer is about tragedy, but it's also about hope. I survived my own personal nightmare when I was assaulted on the beach that day only to learn years later that I unwittingly played a starring role in someone else's. The ripple effect of this single injustice has lasted for decades, with devastating consequences for other victims and their families. We can't unring the bell of an injustice, we can't right the wrong, but we must joust with humility and learn from our mistakes - because to do anything less would be unforgivable. -- Penny Beerntsen, crime survivor and nationally known restorative justice spokesperson In a narrative that reads like a novel, Michael Griesbach, a prosecutor in that same Wisconsin county, passionately lays out the differences between working for justice and just racking up a conviction. It should be required reading for prosecutors and defense attorneys alike. It's not just a good read. It's an important read. -- Michael Kiefer, Justice and Legal Affairs Writer, The Arizona Republic The Innocent Killer is a shocking book: shocking for the jailing for 18 years of an innocent person, but shocking, also, for the sequel where the innocent man, once released, commits a heinous crime. The book is a compelling read and the prosecutor-writer explains brilliantly the internal dynamics, and shortcomings, of the many players in the cast. The rush to judgment to convict the 'obvious' killer tests the fiber of a state criminal justice system. The defense tactics in the second murder case show how the 'muddying the water' defense almost succeeded in acquitting the same person in the second criminal case. I am using the book in my criminal procedure class which focuses upon the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to show how the pretrial errors in the first case contributed to the wrongful conviction. I know that this book will be an effective, exciting balance to the traditional case analysis and courtroom visits I usually employ. -- Bruce Comly French, Director of Clinical Programs and Professor of Law, College of Law, Ohio Northern University

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