Making a Murderer will return for season 2 on Netflix

Making a Murderer
Making a Murderer Credit: Danielle Ricciardi

Netflix’s Making a Murderer became an instant hit on its release in December, reaching almost 19 million US viewers in its first month alone. And now fans of the true crime documentary series have more to look forward to: a second season of the show is already in production, Netflix announced today.

The second season will pick up where the first left off, following the story of Wisconsin man Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey. Following the death of a woman named Penny Bernstein in 1985, Avery was convicted of rape and attempted murder, and spent 18 years in jail before being exonerated in 2003 on the basis of new DNA evidence.

In 2005, both Avery and Dassey were charged with another murder, following the disappearance of photographer Teresa Halbach. Avery was found guilty of first-degree murder, while Dassey was convicted as an accessory to the crime. Avery maintains that he was wrongly convicted, and has petitioned for a retrial, but his appeal was rejected in 2011.

The Netflix series, which has called the guilt of the two men into question, has become one of the most talked-about shows of the year. High-profile fans include Alec Baldwin and Ricky Gervais, while director Steven Soderburgh said he binge-watched 9 episodes in a single day.

Fans of the series, many of whom believe Avery and Dassey are innocent, put forward a petition to the US government in December under the heading “Investigate and pardon the Averys in Wisconsin and punish the corrupt officials who railroaded these innocent men”.

It accrued almost 130,000 signatures, and provoked a formal response from the White House: "Since Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey are both state prisoners, the President cannot pardon them. A pardon in this case would need to be issued at the state level by the appropriate authorities."

“We are extremely grateful for the tremendous response to, and support of, the series,” said the show’s creators, Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos. “The viewers’ interest and attention has ensured that the story is not over, and we are fully committed to continuing to document events as they unfold.”

Netflix’s vice-president of Original Documentary Programming, Lisa Nishimura, added: “Because of Ricciardi’s and Demos’ incredible vision, commitment and keen eye, audiences around the globe became completely captivated by the personal stories of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey and the unique lens their experiences provide into the criminal justice system… We’re thrilled to be continuing our longstanding relationship with the filmmakers, and look forward to giving our global viewers eagerly anticipated updates on this story.”

As yet, no release date for the new season has been confirmed.

Season 1 of Making a Murderer is available now on Netflix

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