What do you see for Avery in the coming years? Manitowoc organizations not involved with the case also are feeling a backlash from the series. "I would never travel to your town as it is apparent there is a lot of corruption in the sheriffs office, the disgraceful prosecutor, and even the judges, including the appellate courts It is truly unbelievable that your community could make such a travesty of the judicial system. "I dont think weve peaked yet. Only two days after the death County officials held a press conference during which it was announced Petersen was absolved of any wrong doing or negligence regarding the loss of life. Not to mention, was Ricky's father even embarrassed, or was he red faced and flustered because he realized a corrupt cop was trying to intimidate him into staying silent about his concerns of a police cover-up? Officers Bushman and Hermann improperly collected crime scene evidence from the scene of Ricky's hit and run death. In 1999 the Hermann brothers (the ones who worked at MCSD) became unofficial suspects in a vehicular homicide of Ricky Hotchstetler, a case for which Sheriff Kocourek named Bushman as lead investigator. The repairs to vehicle set the department back nearly $4 000 in 1989 money. In 1981 Officer Petersen was involved in a traffic accident that may have caused a citizen death, possibly a preventable death Ferak argues. 80). Ultimately, Deputy Jost went to the scene, met with the family and had no choice but to report the truth, which was that these newly found car parts were from a newer vehicle and that a piece of headlight was found and appeared to have some sort of manufactures number stamped into it (Pg. Yellow S. Las Vegas, NV 15 19 2/25/2023 Corrupt police department. It is sad to see for the world that the state of Wisconsin still lives in isolation and narrow-minded thinking. Unbelievable! Brad Dassey has set up a legal defense fund. The image of the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department took a major hit afterlastDecember's release of "Making a Murderer" on Netflix, andSheriff Rob Hermann isstillstrugglingtoovercomeperception problems generated by the docu-series. Like Kocourek and Petersen before him, Sheriff Hermann made sure the upper echelon of the MCSD contained a bastion of loyalists, family and friends. It's enough to convince me the case needs to be reviewed. Organizations that had nothing to do with the cases have been feeling the backlash, too. Once he is released from prison, he probably needs to move far away from Wisconsin for his own mental health and well-being. Children are also placed on death row at age 17. Both Petersen and Bushman were hired by MCSD with no prior experience in law enforcement; both were in serious collisions in their squad cars; both became loyal underlings to Sheriff Kocourek; and both names turn up during the 1985 Penny Bernsteen assault case, the 1999 Ricky Hotchstetler vehicular homicide case, and the 2005 Teresa Halbach criminal homicide case. If Petersen was willing to go that far God only knows what else happened that hasn't yet come to light. Hermann collected the broken vehicle parts from the perpetrators vehicle, but failed to properly photograph, tag or log the evidence. MANITOWOC, Wis. (WCCO) -- Just a month ago, few knew of a Wisconsin city called Manitowoc. The desired response was to embarrass the victim's father? This wasn't great for the boys, because as Ferak says, "the discovery of a genuine crime scene off Kuss road was not conductive to the: Steven Avery is a bloodthirsty-psychopathic-killing-machine' narrative that Ken Petersen wanted to gin up in the community, (Pg. Former Manitowoc County Sheriff Kenneth Petersen, who arrested Steven Avery, the subject of the documentary series, "Making a Murderer," 31 years ago for rape in 1985, admits he heard about a phone call in 1995 that some say could possibly have cleared Avery of the rape charge. The Hermann brothers (from MCSD) were unofficial suspects in Ricky's death, and they were even investigated by the DOJ regarding those allegations. 1/9/2016 12:30 AM PT. MANITOWOC - The Manitowoc community is pushing back as it finds itself in the suddenly uncomfortable glare of a documentary that has brought international attention to the shores of Lake Michigan. (The commenters) only connection to knowing anything about Manitowoc is Netflix and then going on social media. Undersheriff in 2005; Sheriff by the time Avery stood trial in 2007 as well as upon release of MAM in 2015. And the sad thing is there is a murderer out there who has gotten away with it! Ferak argues the more than three hours between the discovery of the site and the arrival of the crime lab deepens suspicion about whether incriminating evidence of a crime scene was being hauled away (Pg. ", 19. Maybe the nightly news has been right all along: we live in a corrupt and violent world where not even small-town justice is free from corruption and agendas The city of Manitowoc and the state of Wisconsin should be ashamed of who was/is representing them and who was/is supposedly protecting its citizens. I'll finish by reviewing how critical the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department was during the discovery, planting, re-discovery and recovery of the bones, and why it's reasonable to believe both the MCSD and Wisconsin DOJ were working together to cover up the truth of Teresa's death via obstruction of justice and the destruction of a crime scene. If they had simply done their job properly when collecting those car parts, no one could make such claims. Point being, Bushman was attempting to ice any further discussion about a police cover-up from Ricky's dad, and it seemed to have worked. People like you are a plague on our country. Although a coroner determined Gina Hxxxxx died before being run over by Petersens squad car, such an opinion would ideally be backed up by a thorough investigation. Manitowoc County Drug Disposal Program is accepting unused and/or expired medications, over-the-counter medications, prescription medications and pet medications at no charge. Kocourek, Petersen and Bushman were a powerful and corrupt trio in the community. Part Three (Three Criminal Investigations) will focus on reviewing the multiple different DOJ Criminal Investigations of Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department throughout the years, including investigations concerning the department's handling of the Steven Avery and Ricky Hotchstetler cases. Ferak never suggests Bushman was intoxicated but the thought definitely crossed my mind. That was a defense strategy and it carried through into this film, said Hermann, who was undersheriff at the time of the Avery investigation. You and your department are the very reason that great officers and departments throughout our country are losing respect and trust from the American people. Let's shovel those bones into some boxes and garbage bags and carry on lads.". I'll try to keep this as brief as possible and mainly focus on Bushman and Hermann's mishandling of crime scene evidence, which IMO was done not out of incompetence, but as an attempt by two corrupt officers to cover-up the truth of Ricky's death. Four critical aspects of this corruption are: Fraudulent prosecutions (utilizing criminal conduct) that appear to be done as favors so that well-connected insiders can profit in the civil realm from the fraudulent criminal convictions. Why would they collect critical evidence without properly tagging or taking photos? But I hope that one day you will perhaps feel the embarrassment and shame that your families will feel and then maybe you will begin to understand that what you do has an (effect) on others. Barbier said comments havent slowed down despite the departments efforts to redirect them. The whole trial, despite. Ferak reveals that way back in 1978 the Hermann father helped elect Kocourek as Sheriff of the MCSD (Pg. That the culture of corruption involving the key leaders at the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department is way more extensive than many people would realize from having just watched Making a Murderer. "[Making a Murderer] touched on some of my investigation and expert experiments but not in as much detail as the book. The latest involved a bomb threat to the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office on February 3rd. Shannon Bolick, 29, a legal assistant at a law firm just down the street from the courthouse, had seen the first three episodes when approached by a reporter. Although I don't believe Petersen is the sharpest knife in the drawer, it appears he at least knew to learn from Kocourek's mistakes re: the 1985 case. In 2005, Tadych fed her 16-year-old son, Brendan, who has a severe language impairment and 70 IQ, to corrupt Wisconsin law enforcement [Tom Fassbender (Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation investigator (Ret)) and Mark Wiegert, (current Sheriff of the Calumet County Sheriff's Office), who interrogated Brendan alone in a room], the better to elicit words that the cops could falsely state constituted a confession to murder of Teresa Halbach.Law enforcement then used Brendan's so-called confession to convict the innocent Steven Avery. Still, sitting with a friend at another local cafe, he joked with his friend about not getting pulled over in Manitowoc County. First, Ricky's case, detailed in "Wrecking Crew" Chapter 15 (Cover-up) and Chapter 16 (Nothing There), Pages 147-165: One fateful night in January 1999 the snow was steadily coming down and while walking home at night, and less than a mile from his house, Ricky Hotchstetler was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver who dragged the boy under their vehicle for nearly 50 yards, and then kept driving past the boy's house and away into the night towards the village of Cleveland in southern Manitowoc County (Pg. "You kind of look like a goofball when youre calling up and venting like that to the wrong agency.. Oct. 18, 2018. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Bushman knew the Hermann family well enough to list the Hermann father as a reference on his application to MCSD (Pg. Tadych publicly protested Brendan's innocence, but Tadych also remains under suspicion for her defense of Bobby Dassey, Brendan's brother, who implicated the once-exonerated Steven Avery as the State's star witness, (Ferak, Appleton Post-Crescent). The film is definitely one sided, he said. Feraks identifies the Petersen incident as a "successful whitewash for Kocourek.". In their latest vendetta against alleged injustice, supposed members of the hacktivist group Anonymous have pledged to expose corruption in the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department. Andrew Colborn, whose integrity is questioned in the film. Such levels of coordination between departments being devoted to boldly shirking well established law and procedure is truly unsettling and reveals Steven never stood a chance. Okay then. Unfortunately, threats and intimidation are often effective. By moving incriminating evidence closer to Steven's trailer and away from the actual scene of Teresa's death. As there were no other reported accidents or collisions that would account for the additional car parts found by Rickys house, everyone had good reason to suspect these newer car parts were from the striking vehicle. I felt that at the very least, the Sheriff's Department should place these on file in case something shows up later. When this shit happens over decades what you're left with is not exactly the crme de la crop. After the dog handlers were shooed away, MCSD officers Lenk and Colborn were called to the scene with Bushman. She got in there and made some noise, and after Bushman retired, caught Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department in a bold faced lie regarding their investigative efforts, which, among other things, lead to a DOJ criminal investigation of MCSD concerning the allegations that a Hermann brother killed Ricky (an investigation which came to a rather adrupt end). Manitowoc County Board Chairman Jim Brey, in an email sent in December, urged fellow county board membersto rally behind thesheriff's department, which was the target of angrymessages from people across the world. It is an honor to serve the citizens of Manitowoc County and to work with a dedicated staff of professionals. Steven Avery, was accused and sent to prison in 1985 for the rape of a Manitowoc (Wisconsin) woman, Penny Beerntsen. A careful and by the book collection of evidence from the burn pit should have been a top priority for all involved in running this investigation. IMO the evidence strongly suggests that Bushman, Lenk and Colborn covered up evidence of a crime at the Kuss road cul-de-sac (Teresa's scent and the scent of death were emanating from the burial site). Averys sweat DNA found on the hood latch of Halbachs vehicle discovered by Calumet County law enforcement. It all depends on the luck of the draw in terms of the appeals court judges Zellner gets. Although not explicitly stated by Ferak, I imagine the implication here was to question whether or not Gina could have sustained terminal injuries in a collision that barely injured the two others she was with. What if Ricky's mom took photos? Terrible and corruption run rampant!!! To be sure, I am not saying Mr. Avery was innocent, but, there was clear and convincing evidence, to me, of a massive amount of reasonable doubt which means he is innocent in this country. And although it's a big topic of conversation, she said, most people here are talking about the documentary itself, notdebating whether the men actually committed the crime. Your entire county is FILLED with white trash idiots and you have the audacity to bully and pick on him all this after falsely imprisoning him for 18 of his prime years of his life. ", 17. According to social media, people all across America feel the same way. I hope that detective Lenk and Goulburn (sic) rot in hell as it is almost certain that they are behind this corruption and lies I hope use (sic) all cant sleep at night and justice comes your way. And of course, the crime lab reported nothing was found at the burial site. The county was created in 1836 prior to Wisconsin's statehood and organized in 1848. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Were the bones found in Steven's burn pit because the body was burnt there, or because the bones were moved there post burning? ", 2. Sharon McConnell of Manitowoc,approached as she was reading a newspaper at a local cafe,said she hasn't seen the series and doesn't plan to watch it. 153). Again, once you know the events of November 7 - November 11, this theory presents itself fully formed. I watched Making a Murderer, and I thought it was masterfully done. ", 8. In this post I've continued with the theme of officers covering up their negligent driving by focusing on another example relating to the Ricky Hotchstetler vehicular homicide case, a death that long ago inspired whispers in the community of a police cover-up, including from Ricky's mom and dad. Permanent Dropbox Locations: Manitowoc Police Department, 910 Jay St., from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday thru Friday They were just sitting out in the open since October 31! Manitowoc, WI 34 87 162 5/1/2021 Lived in Manitowoc many years and fully support the local county sheriff and all their deputies. Dog handlers were turned away after being lead to the site by their canines. In the interest of explaining just how tangled this web is, I review the many, many familiar or social connections between the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department, Calumet County Sheriff's Department, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. He pointed to the portrayal of Manitowoc County Sheriff's Sgt. Regardless of guilt or innocence, what your office did to manipulate that young mans testimony in the Avery case was repulsive and I would suspect unconstitutional. Bushman was unable to stop the squad car before it ran off the road though the T intersection the squad car, at just less than highway speed, struck the embankment and came to a rest investigation into the accident showed the case to be a result of inattentive driving.".