Steven Avery became synonymous with true crime following the 2015 release of the Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer.” The series follows Avery, a Wisconsin man who served 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, only to be wrongfully convicted of another crime two years later. In this article, we will look at Steven Avery’s life and the legal battles he has faced.
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Quick Facts
| Nick Name/Celebrated Name: | Steve Avery |
| Birth Place: | Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, the United States |
| Date Of Birth/Birthday: | 9 July 1962 |
| Age/How Old: | 62 years old |
| Height/How Tall: | In Centimetres – 185 cm Feet and Inches – 6′ 0″ |
| Weight: | Kilograms – 98 Kg In Pounds – 216 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | Blue |
| Hair Color: | Light brown |
| Parents Name: | Father – Allan Avery Mother – Dolores Avery |
| Siblings: | Chuck, Barb, and Earl |
| School: | N/A |
| College: | N/A |
| Religion: | Christian |
| Nationality: | American |
| Zodiac Sign: | Cancer |
| Gender: | Male |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Divorced |
| Girlfriend: | N/A |
| Wife/Spouse Name: | Lori Dassey (1982-1988) |
| Kids/Children Name: | Bill, Jenny, Steven Avery Jnr. and Rachel Avery |
| Profession: | Convicted murderer |
| Net Worth: | $500 thousand |
Steven Avery Age, Biography
Steven Avery was born in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, on June 9, 1962. In Two Rivers, he grew up on a small family farm. Avery grew up in a difficult family; both of his parents were alcoholics, and his father was physically abusive to his mother. He is the second youngest of two brothers and four sisters.
Avery struggled in school and eventually dropped a grade. Due to his poor academic performance, he dropped out of high school in his junior year. After dropping out, Avery concentrated his efforts on learning auto mechanics and working on cars.
Despite his lack of formal education, Avery was able to find work in the automobile industry. He worked for a local salvage yard for many years, where he specialized in repairing and restoring old cars. During this time, Avery also became involved in the local auto racing scene.
Career
From 1978 to 1982, Avery served in the United States Marine Corps, and from 1982 to 1985, he worked as an auto mechanic. Avery was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder in 1985 and sentenced to 32 years in prison.
He was imprisoned for 15 years. Following his release, Avery sued the County of Manitowoc and the local law enforcement agency for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. He settled the lawsuit for $400,000 in 2006.
Avery was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Teresa Halbach in 2005. In 2007, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals reversed his conviction and ordered a new trial in 2016. The Wisconsin Supreme Court, however, upheld the conviction, and Avery remained incarcerated.
Crime & Conviction Summary
Penny Beerntsen was attacked while running on a beach in Manitowoc County on July 29, 1985. She was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted by an unknown assailant. Beerntsen reported the attack to the police and provided a detailed description of her attacker.
After several days, the police arrested Steven Avery, whom Beerntsen identified in a lineup as her attacker. Avery was charged with first-degree sexual assault, attempted murder, and false imprisonment by the court. In addition, he was found guilty and sentenced to 32 years in prison by the court.
Steven Avery’s Jail Time
Avery was imprisoned for the next 18 years for a crime he did not commit. Throughout his time there, he maintained his innocence and attempted several times to overturn his conviction. The court, however, denied all of his appeals, and it wasn’t until 2003 that new DNA evidence proved Avery’s innocence.
The Halbach Murder Case
Avery was arrested again in 2005, just two years after his release, this time for the murder of Teresa Halbach. Halbach was a photographer who went to the Avery salvage yard to photograph a car that Avery’s nephew, Brendan Dassey, allegedly assisted him in selling. According to the prosecution, Avery and Dassey raped, murdered, and dismembered Halbach. And that her remains had been burned in a fire pit on the Avery property.
In 2007, Avery was convicted of Halbach’s murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He has maintained his innocence and has filed appeals and post-conviction relief petitions. However, all of his attempts to have his conviction overturned have been futile.
Steven Avery Wife
Despite being a convicted murderer, Avery is married and a father. He married Lori Mathiesen on July 24, 1982. They were deeply in love and had four children as a result of their marriage. Their children are Steven and Will, as well as Rachel and Will.
Lori was already a single mother because she had children from previous relationships when she married. Lori could no longer bear it after Avery was arrested and sentenced in 1985, and she divorced him in 1988. When Avery was 18 years old, he was convicted of robbery and sentenced to two years in prison.
