‘Convicting a Murderer’ documentary attracts millions of viewers out of the gate

(City Tribune) — “Convicting a Murderer,” the response to Netflix’s controversial “Making a Murderer,” attracted 1.7 million viewers within the first 90 minutes of its premiere on DailyWire+, according to director Shawn Rech.

Episodes 1 and 2 dropped Wednesday at midnight for free. The third is available for DailyWire+ subscribers, while the remaining seven installments will be released weekly for subscribers only.

The first three episodes introduces some of the series characters who focus largely on Steven Avery’s personal life and criminal history which, for more than 40 years, have been largely intertwined.

“Convicting a Murderer” revisits some of the events shown by Netflix, but from a different perspective, one that shows that before 25-year-old Teresa Halbach was killed in 2005, Steven Avery displayed a well-documented pattern of attacking women, even from behind bars.

Fronted by DailyWire’s Candace Owens, the project delves into things even ardent MaM followers who crowdfunded Avery’s case file may not have known, such as disturbing details about his marriage and the twisted relationship he had with his niece before he allegedly raped her.

Rech says some of the fervor can be attributed to staunch Avery supporters and detractors who watched the first two episodes or bought a DailyWire+ subscription so they can pick the part the entire series, something that is already well underway.

“To the Truthers who watched the first three episodes on #DailyWirePlus, first of all, thank you for subscribing,” Rech tweeted. “Secondly, some are saying we, like MaM, made deceptive edits. If so, please point out any case in which we changed the meaning of a statement. We will answer each (civil) tweet in earnest.”

Rech also responded to a review by The Telegraph, which panned the series, seemingly because of Owens’ involvement.

“In 15 years we’ve never had a fully negative review,” Rech said on Facebook. “We do now. This one appears to be because the author despises the host. But when I read this, the headline doesn’t really match the body of the story. The worst thing he says is that it’s dreary.”

Jerome Buting, one of Avery’s trial lawyers, also tweeted his disdain for the series.

“Theme of Convicting a Murderer is to trash Avery based largely on inadmissible rumors & gossip,” the attorney said. “One interviewee expressly stated: ‘it was just bar talk. I had no proof that she said it or proof that it really did happen, it’s just what my friend told her.’”

That interviewee, as both documentaries show, is Sandra Morris, the Manitowoc woman who Avery claimed was “spreading rumors” about him. In response to those rumors, Avery ran her car off the road before attempting to force her into his at gunpoint. Avery was later convicted of that crime and sentenced to six years in prison.

“Making a Murder” only glosses over the Sandra Morris incident, leading viewers to believe Avery was convicted because Morris was married to a county deputy.

Episode 4 of “Convicting a Murderer” will be available at midnight Wednesday.