The Wrongful Conviction Of Mr. Avery Case Summary

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Case Analysis: The Wrongful Conviction of Steven Avery. Mr. Avery, at the age of 22, was convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder in 1985 in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. The victim, Penny Beerntsen, was brutally attacked while jogging on a beach. Based on her identification, Avery was arrested, despite having an alibi supported by numerous witnesses. Avery was convicted and sentenced to 32 years in prison. The primary evidence against Mr. Avery was the victim's eyewitness identification. The victim, Mrs. Beerntsen, was in the lineup, but unfortunately, Mr. Avery stood out, which led to improper police procedures and mistaken identification. Further investigation led to finding out there was a lack of physical evidence; there was no connection linking Mr. Avery to the crime scene, but despite that information, all focus was on Mr. Avery, ignoring any other leads. The investigation also struggled to validate and corroborate any of Mr. Avery’s witnesses, but they were not acknowledged at all. The prosecution relied solely on the victim's misidentification of Mr. Avery, despite the discrepancies in the evidence. Evidence that could have exonerated Mr. Avery, which included another suspect with similarities to Mr. Avery’s, was not taken into account. When reading back into my notes, I realized that the prosecution …show more content…

This reduces the likelihood of suggestive influence (Wells et al., 1998). Investigations should prioritize gathering corroborative evidence, including physical and forensic evidence, to support eyewitness testimony. Law enforcement officials should receive training on the risks of cognitive bias and the importance of maintaining objectivity in investigations. Courts should allow for post-conviction DNA testing in cases where new forensic evidence is

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