What provokes human error? Is there something innate within us? Is it hereditary, or a learned attribute? Or is it the culmination of an entire sheriff’s department misguiding you to a single, innocent, man?
In “Eighteen Years Lost”, the premier of the Making a Murderer documentary, this –near purposeful– human error is brought to light. It depicts the story of Steven Avery and his infamous wrongful conviction. Avery is described in this documentary as many things: a delinquent, an outsider, even reckless. Yet to contrast this, honest, and incapable of a violent crime such as a gruesome case of sexual assault. So what exactly led to him being misidentified in this case?
Firstly it’s important to establish the common causes of false identification in criminal proceedings. To name a few: the stress and weight of the sentencing, the pressure enforced by police, influencing lineups, and flawed memory. To a large extent, all of these factors were present in the identification of Avery as the perpetrator, which led to an 18-year sentence and a string of strenuous judicial fights. However, veiled at the time, what seems to be the largest contributor to this false testament was a social agenda.
You might be wondering how something as trivial as rumors and hierarchy plays into this case. It all comes down to the players involved in this case, and in particular, the police department that was itching to convict an outcast. Before there was even a crime (of this stature) linked to Steven Avery; the groundwork for his arrest was being set. The Averys were not the typical inhabitants of Manitowoc County, and from youth rumors about Steven the misfit were being spread. This established his place in the hierarchy, desolate in the depth chart. When the violent crime was committed, the police department ignored a known serial sexual assaulter and was immediately honed in on Avery.
This was the first step in their corruption. The second and most pivotal choice they made was affecting the memory of the witness testifying. Before they did the lineup for this witness, she was given a lineup of photos. The only common denominator was Steven Avery. So when the lineup was made, and she looked at who was standing there, the only familiar face was a man sentenced to 18 years in jail for who he was, not a crime he committed. (396)
I found it really interesting how due to a feud between the police department and Steven Avery, the department would corrupt a case and not help the victim bring justice to her assailant. I also agree that the police showing the witness a sketch of Avery prior to line up cause her to falsely accuse Avery of the crime.