The controversial Netflix series "Making a Murder" has influenced more than 250,000 people to sign two petitions that call for the release of Wisconsin native Steven Avery and his cousin Brendan Dassey who are both imprisoned for life after being convicted for the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach. One of the petitions is posted on Change.org while another on the White House's official page.
As of January 5, the Change.org petition has surpassed the 200,000 signature mark with 221,176 supporters. It was created by Michael Seyedian, a resident of Arvada, Colorado, and is addressed to President Barack Obama and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
The said petition asks the President that Avery "should be exonerate at once by pardon, and the Manitowoc County officials complicit in his two false imprisonments should be held accountable to the highest extend of the US criminal and civil justice systems."
Seyedian wrote that he is outraged with the corruption Avery suffered under the hands of "corrupt law enforcement" highlighting that their "injustices" are "an abomination of due process."
Meanwhile, the White House petition has solicited 26,683 signatures by Monday night. It implores President Obama to give Aveery and Dassey "a full pardon" for "wrongful conviction." The petition created by a resident of San Bruno, California also accuses the Manitowoc County Sherriff's Department for using "improper methods" which left a "black mark on the justice system as a whole."
"Based on the evidence in the Netflix documentary series 'Making a Murderer', the justice system embarrassingly failed both men, completely ruining their entire lives," stated the petition, which has been published on the site since December 20.
Aside from signing petitions to free Avery and Dassey, viewers of 'Making a Murderer' are demanding Netflix for feature updates and additional materials on the case. However, Netflix revealed that they have no plans of adding more.