Steven Avery Case Confessions /// Off The Record | Forensic Files

[music] [music] [music] All right. Howdy, partner. >> Welcome on in. >> Welcome on.
>> Come on in. >> Come to the garage. >> Don't let the door hit you. I love when
people say your guys' accent cracks me up. >> Well, it cracks me up, too. >> Smalter. Did you fer?
>> Well, when you when you grew up watching this much HeiHehaw, >> they call me Heihaw.
>> Yeah. [laughter] >> Which I It must have been really funny back then. Maybe it was never funny. I
don't I don't know. I don't I don't know that I ever got that. >> We were probably just too little. But
but sometimes when you watch shows that you thought were funny for the you know as an adult you're like why did I laugh
at this? >> I used to think this was great. >> Shows you thought were funny when you
were a child. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I'll skater. But on the land of I think we've talked about this before,
but if you're going to make a a true crime documentary, if you're going to cover a case, one of
the the best things you can do is is get subjects that talk a little funny >> is de Yeah. Develop an Ohio accent. No,
like with the West Memphis 3, it it made a little twist to the story and uh and it almost seemed like it put it Well,
because we're not from that area, it seemed like it kind of puts it in a little box. Everybody becomes in that
little world. >> Yeah. >> And um but yeah, so we're talking about the Stephen Avery case this week. There
was some news. There was a confession. Um, >> is this Do you think that this news is
like super widespread? >> It is because Well, what what's strange is >> cuz I'm on I'm on the internet all the
time and I don't think I've seen any >> Well, that's the thing. >> Pop-ups. >> I didn't see any popups about it.
>> I was told of this by you which which was >> which was sent by a listener like, "Hey,
have you checked this out?" Now, normally when something like this happens, maybe you get 10, 20
uh emails or direct messages on social media. I only got like one or two. >> That's why I'm questioning if this is
like widespread or do you think that it's like >> I think it is because when I Google
searched it, it was like pages and pages of like Inside Edition, uh the Today Show, like CNN. There's a bunch of
people that at least covered the story. Do you think that maybe the interest level is
kind of kind of bouncing around in the middle of of the meter there because it's kind of a we have some new
information. There's a break in the case. Oh, we got to wait to find out if it's true. Well, so what happened was
what happened was they had Stephen Avery's uh attorney come came out and I believe on Sunday she or Saturday night
she actually posted a Twitter message saying here's the confession. I believe she actually showed a picture of the
front of the letter. Um, >> so but she even said this might not matter at all >> and and there's going to be a lot more
work that we have to do on this and she didn't seem that confident. So for for somebody that if anybody knows
anything about her um they know that she's a very confident person. Kathleen Zelner,
amazing uh attorney, and I just like the way she views a lot of things. So, the fact that she came out and said, "Look,
there's this there's a new documentary that's being made, and I think it's by a different set of team than who made
Making a Murder, but I believe >> it's a series called Convicting a Murder, >> I believe. So, and it seems like they've
been doing research on on the documentary for about 18 months, and they got a known uh killer from
Wisconsin. Through their research, he confessed to the crime, meaning that Steven Avery would be innocent, meaning
that Brandon Dassie would be innocent, meaning that he would have been the one that killed Theresa Halbach.
I do want to point out that I feel that Katherine Zelner, did I say her name right?
>> Yeah. >> Okay. I believe her to be of of great integrity as well. And that's why I I I
love following her. I love that she is on this case. She strikes me as the type of defense attorney that would probably
walk away from somebody that she believed to be guilty unless she can represent them in that fashion.
>> Right. >> Um, and I say that because a case we covered, the uh Tony Muny, which was a Columbus
case, it's it's unsolved. It's incredibly cold by this time. It's I think it was 1983.
There was a a suspect that was named as a suspect in the papers in our Columbus newspapers here. He was considered a
suspect because he was a bit of a traveling serial killer and he he targeted uh children or boys the age
roughly the age of Tony Muny, >> right? Katherine Zelner represented him. And actually what she did was was not
only represent him in in court, but she also got him to confess to future or future to other uh murders and other
crimes. and she convinced him to to give a list, provide a list to her that, you
know, and and that's kind of an old story, but that's really where her, if you want to call it fame, kind of
started. That's where she became a household name in Illinois, I believe. And so, this is really interesting that
this has come about because this could mean that there's a confession to the murder of Terresa Hallback. Uh there's
some some things right away and I had not read the confession or didn't know the details of of such, but you and I
had an interesting conversation before we flipped on the mics that my immediate thought was I I pointed out I
said Katherine Zelner has offered or her team has offered a reward for information in the case.
>> Yeah. And that and that is what the >> the confession starts off with one attorney Kathleen or yeah Kathleen
Zelner and it's saying I am making a claim to your reward offer for the information in the Stephen Avery case.
>> I would like the money. >> Yeah, that's what it starts off with. So that shows you the motive.
I don't know why she Okay, maybe it was starting to get leaked out and that's why uh Zelnner posted this.
That's what I'm guessing. Um I'm trying to blow it up so I can actually I know on oxygen.com
there's actually um says I'm making the claim to your reward for the information in the Stephen Avery
case. I've been trying to contact you by phone and through a friend and a family
member, but seem to get nowhere. It's hard to read because it's >> it's a picture of and you have to zoom
in. >> Yeah. And it's uh I wanted to say it was in cursive, but it's not it's uh but it's kind of it's
not the clearest handwriting. Do you write in cursive? No, I speak in cursive though.
>> Okay. Uh but yeah. So I but but I again I'm fascinated by this because you can make claims all day and want to
try to get that money, but if you can't prove it, and I think that's kind of what Zelner is saying. If
this guy can't prove it, then you know this is just nonsense and who cares and we need to move on. So
>> likely my my gut tells me it's a lie. You know, unless we see some some information like you said and like she's
saying, unless there's some way of backing up some of the story, it sounds like >> the the inmate, which they've not named
the inmate, right? >> No, they have. the they have >> Yeah. >> Okay. Sorry. The article I read said
that they would not name the inmate until such and such. >> Well, that's why I think this blew up
because it it started leaking. And so then of course it gets uh the inmate who identifies himself as Joseph Evans.
>> Oh. >> Started off his letter by stating, "I making a claim to your reward." The
information in the Steven Avery case. Uh, but it says October 31st, 2005. I was on my way home back from Shabboan.
And as as I was >> Shabboan, that's where the um John Candy in Home Alone where his uh uh poker band
was from. >> Remember she hitch your ride? She had a hitch a ride. I'm trying to uh
>> So, this dude's a convicted killer, correct? This Joseph Evans or who identifies himself as Joseph Evans?
>> Yeah, as I was It's hard. I can't make I need to make this damn thing bigger. I
can't see it. Uh, zoom in. >> Okay, while while you're figuring it out, let me go through this. It says,
"Joseph Evans, a Wisconsin prisoner serving life imprisonment for murdering his wife."
Yeah. So, yeah. So, on my way back from Shabboan and as I was coming, that would be the word, coming
into Manito, I went out to Avery Savage uh Savageard. Salvage art. >> Salvage. Sorry. Savage. It's both. It's
a salvage and savage art. >> It truly is. You're You're right on both. Both. >> It's just so weird because like
if you saw the letter, like from a distance, it looks kind of clean, but it's just just little things like his
his O looks like a I there. So, uh, [sighs] he was coming into, uh, he decided to go
out to the salvage yard to see if they had a cover lens for the front passenger side.
Uh, I I'm guessing that's >> for his headlight or something. >> Yeah. So, it was for the light because my wife
hit a car just weeks earlier and I needed to replace my back window on my Chevy Tahoe.
So, when I went out there, I was told to go out in the yard and talk to a person named Earl or something like
that. So, I drove and that's there might be more pictures of this letter, but this is the only one I'm seeing. I think
they don't want to release >> cuts off >> everything. Um but on oxygen.com because
I want to give them at least credit says that um and his letter uh you know he's serving
life sentence for killing his wife like you said claims he was stopped he stopped at the salvage yard looking for
parts for his wife's car. He wrote that he visited the same day as Halbach. Uh he was and she was there taking
photos of the car for her job. He claims that he was driving through the property. Halbox stepped in front of his
car and he hit her causing her to fall and strike her head on a large rock. He said that he got out to check on her.
She was dead so he put her in in her rav before driving her up to the Avery home
for help. Nobody was there. He wrote uh that he panicked, drank some brandy, and
swallowed some pills before entering um Avery's unlocked trailer home where he claims he stole Avery's rifle. He
wrote that he pulled Halbach's body out of her car, shot her three times, though
he didn't explain why since she was supposedly dead already, and then he put her body back in the car. Evans wrote
that he then uh burned her body in a burn barrel on the property all while drinking brandy and consuming more
pills. Now, a lot of this to me sounds like nonsense, but the fact that you start going,
"Well, he's consuming a bunch of pills and drinking." But okay, so he was convicted in 2009
for killing his 40-year-old wife in 2008. >> Yeah. >> He claims that he accidentally shot his
wife, but we know that eventually he's convicted of her murder, serving life in prison.
>> Uh I I don't know what order any of this stuff is taking place in the the letter
to Katherine Zelner, but >> that's not clear. Yeah. >> Yeah. It's kind of you're getting little
snippets, but here's a snippet that I found. This is according to patch.com. >> Old patch.com.
>> Yeah. Patchadams.com. >> All right. >> It says, and this is a quote. Don't anybody get mad at me. I didn't say
this. Joseph Evans said it. >> Oh god. >> Don't hear what I'm not saying. [laughter]
Uh, it says, quote, "Keep your panties on and your skirt down because I'm not out to screw you. This is a deal
relationship. you, me, you'll win when I give all up and the full cover up story
that took place and how the state and others used me to get to Steve. I'm done with all that. I'm jumping ship to look
out for myself and my children and eight grandchildren. Your choice. I'm already
set. Now it's up to you for the next move. So, so at some point in this letter, he's claiming that
>> he was aware of the cover up and involved >> Yeah. >> in the cover up. >> Well, here's one problem that he's
facing is this jack ass wagon face. Um is this is letter is to Zelner. You know, keep your panties on. I'm not
trying to [ __ ] you. Well, guess what, Joseph Evans? You ain't that smart. You're not smarter than Zelner. So, if
you are telling the truth, she will get all the piece of of evidence that she needs, which is great.
Uh, if it's true. And if you're lying, she will figure out that you're lying and you'll get nothing. and and now you
just promoted your people now kind of know who you are now. Uh so good, you just promoted yourself as a scumbag. But
the letter goes on to request I think a $2,000 down payment. Um and he also requests uh a4 million
instead of $100,000 originally offered. But son of Sam Laws, he wants to give this money to his kids and his
grandchildren probably, >> right? >> Because he's not going to be able to. >> So this patch.com patchadoms.com
>> patchadams >> has um one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. It has counting exercises. No,
it's has seven um snippets of the confession letter if people want to get on there and and read more of that.
Yeah. So, I guess um that Joseph at some point uh mailed uh different letters to
several local news outlets in 2016 claiming claiming that Avery had confessed to him during their time as
cellmates that he killed Halbach during the um during that time. So, okay. Oh, we we
have a guy now confessing wanting money and but this guy earlier was saying that
Avery confessed to him. So that it's it's very strange. >> Very strange. And but
>> I'll tell you how strange it is or if it's if it's just pathetic, right? >> Right. I get that. But it's also like
one of those things. It's it's he this this asshole's got nothing to lose. He's like, you know what I mean? He's
probably thinking, "What are they going to do to me? give me another life sentence. I'm I'm stuck in here
regardless. Maybe I can get some money for my family. The problem with that th this is how a lot of these dudes
operate. They're just they're [snorts] self-centered. They care nothing about anybody else. And it's it's making a
name for himself. It's it's getting his fat picture in the papers. And it's it's
it's disgusting. And it and it is sad. And here's the other bad part of it. If Stephen Avery is guilty of
>> Yeah. >> Theresa Halbach's murder, then you're putting a very dangerous person back out
in society. >> And it's not that simple. They don't want Steven to go. We know that.
>> Uh Zelnner is not an idiot. Like I said, I mean it. Look, if it was another lawyer on this case, they would be
going, "We have a guy confessing, >> right?" And that's why I'm glad that it's her on this case. And I'm glad that
this this what I called a strange situation is now in her hands. I have full faith and confidence that she will
handle it brilliantly and and handle it the best way that anybody possibly could. She'll get to the truth and that
that's so for the people that think that Avery might be innocent or think that he
might be guilty. I think you you can take you can take a whole bunch of good feelings out of
knowing that that Zelner is the one working. Uh and I understand that she's working on his defense, but
>> yeah, >> there there's a lot of slime balls out there and I don't believe she is one of
them. >> Okay, so Newsweek reported this is just in a tweet. making a murderer uh
confession may be false, but Kathleen Zelner says helpful tips have been shared. Okay. Um
on the 24th she put all you need to know about the confession and then she posted a link.
Um, yeah, it's basically saying that that that the confess confessor has no credibility.
Um, but again, >> did you see did you see his picture? Did you see his mug shot?
>> I want to punch him in the face. >> He [laughter] looks like somebody you want to kick.
>> Yeah, I would like to kick him right in the throat. >> Hey, spread your legs, son.
going to kick you in the grundle. Um, no. It's It's weird because there's a part of me that goes, "Ah, this is
stupid." And my >> It's interesting, isn't it? Stupid. >> Well, I mean, just we have there's been
several cases that people have, you know, made weird false confessions to and they didn't go anywhere and it's
just a distraction of getting to the truth. But there, but again, I love the fact that Zelner is on the case because
she'll get to the bottom of the confession and if I mean, she's she's so good that she could probably get the guy
if he's not telling the truth to be like, "Yeah, you're right. I I watched the documentary and I decided to get
involved." >> Um, but also if if it was true that, like you said, if it's not true, she's
not going to just go to the end of the earth to try to get her client free, >> right? Um, and so yeah,
>> she's not the type to push forward uh these these crazy claims and outrageous
>> Yeah. >> theories. >> And I think that's the thing though, too, that people always wondered uh and
we talked about with the OJ case, there was so much evidence against OJ, but there was also evidence of a cover up.
There was also evidence of tampering with evidence. So, it can be both happening at the same time. And the more
I've watched and I don't want to go back I cuz I I just went back and watched the
Adnon four-part series. I don't want to go back and watch Making a Murderer uh cuz it just takes so long and you just
go down all these rabbit holes. But just from what we've learned from her team and and some other people, this didn't
go down in the manner in which they they first originally claimed. And we know that for a fact. So,
what is the true story? Don't know. Um, and is Stephen Avery uh guilty of it? Um, don't know. I don't
know. But it's uh it's very confusing and and hopefully we get some more answers.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And I I I I know that we will. I I feel very confident that we will. I don't know.
>> But I'm hoping this whole thing is not completely bogus and it's just a guy trying to get some attention and trying
to outsmart people to get some money cuz one he like I said he won't outsmart him
which is I know but if it is but maybe there's something there just like she said maybe the confession is [ __ ]
but maybe there is something there that we just get more answers. So, if I got this correct, he originally states that
Stephen Avery confessed to him. >> Yeah. It seems like there was a claim in like 2016
>> and then then he his new story is I did it. Could >> I'm wondering have we had any anybody
publicly say that the two were actually >> cellmates >> cellmates or had access to one another?
It seems that I it doesn't seem that oxygen.com is confirming it, but it seems like they're
>> they're pushing that. >> They're led to believe that that was uh something that was true for but again,
it could have been for 3 days or we're moving this prisoner around. So, you're here for a week,
>> right? >> Who knows, >> right? [music] >> [music]

Steven Avery Case Confessions /// Off The Record OTR: Episode 75 Released: 9-30-2019

Nic and the Captain discuss: confessions in the Steven Avery Case.

www.TrueCrimeGarage.com

Brief Summary

Joseph Evans confesses to Teresa Halbach's murder, potentially exonerating Stephen Avery, while Kathleen Zelner investigates the claims.

Key points

Joseph Evans' Confession Letter. A Wisconsin prisoner claims to have information about the Stephen Avery case, but his credibility is questionable.
The Role of Kathleen Zelner. Kathleen Zelner's involvement in the Stephen Avery case brings hope for uncovering the truth.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This could mean that there's a confession to the murder of Teresa Halbach.

Implications of the new confession.

6:39WatchDec 30, 2025

Tension

65/ 100Some tension

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