http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/1-1...005-567412.html

 

 

Wis. Man Wrongly Convicted in Spotlight

By CARRIE ANTLFINGER

The Associated Press

 

MISHICOT, Wis. - Steven Avery spent nearly two decades in prison before DNA evidence exonerated him of rape and he walked out a free man in 2003.

 

Now, the 43-year-old is in the spotlight again after a missing woman's family found her green 1999 Toyota Rav4 in the Avery family's salvage lot in this rural area 90 miles north of Milwaukee.

 

Investigators discovered evidence, including DNA, that made them fear for the safety of 25-year-old Teresa Marie Halbach, Calumet County Sheriff Jerry Pagel said Tuesday.

 

Pagel said authorities have not narrowed their investigation to a suspect, and no one has been arrested in the case. Avery has maintained he and his family had nothing to do with Halbach's disappearance.

 

"I would never hurt nobody," said Avery, 43. "I'm not really violent. I might get loud once in a while, that's it. I'm a decent guy. I get along with everyone - except Manitowoc County."

 

He fears Manitowoc County officials are trying to railroad him in retaliation for a $36 million lawsuit he filed against the county and its former sheriff and district attorney. It claims they ignored evidence of the real attacker in a July 1985 rape that wrongly sent him to prison for 18 years.

 

"I'm even scared to go to sleep," he said. "They are going to come and get me and arrest me."

 

Officials in Calumet County, where Halbach lives, are leading the investigation instead of those in Manitowoc County to avoid a conflict of interest.

 

 

The day she disappeared, Halbach was taking pictures of cars for sale for Auto Trader Magazine. One of her last shoots was a 1989 maroon minivan at the Avery salvage yard.

 

"It was like, 'Hi' and then 'Bye,' that's what mostly it was," Avery said.

 

Halbach's family was struggling with the connection to Avery.

 

"Is it a coincidence that this happened on his property?" asked Halbach's 23-year-old brother, Mike. "Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe there's more to do with it."

 

Investigators have searched the 40-acre Avery's Auto Salvage lot near Mishicot and the family's homes, seizing Avery's car and the salvage yard's flatbed truck. The truck has been returned.

 

Avery said the salvage yard would be an appealing place to dump a car, with more than 3,000 vehicles and multiple entrances.

 

Authorities also have searched property not owned by the Averys. More than 100 volunteers have also been searching for Halbach.

 

Avery, who lives in a trailer near the salvage yard, was imprisoned in 1985 after a jury convicted him of sexually assaulting a jogger on a Lake Michigan beach, largely based on her testimony. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison.

 

A law school group convinced the same judge to allow new DNA testing of a pubic hair found on the victim. The testing linked the crime to a man serving a 60-year sentence for another sexual assault and ruled out Avery, who was freed on Sept. 11, 2003.

Is he safe because you can't be tried twice for the same crime or am I way off base?

Is he safe because you can't be tried twice for the same crime or am I way off base?

 

 

 

Read much..?

 

Yea.. way off base. The 2 cases have nothing to do with eachother.

Read much..? 

 

Yea.. way off base. The 2 cases have nothing to do with eachother.

 

I have the attention span of a 3 year old. Of course I didn't read the whole thing.

If he does go back to jail do you think the time he served for the wrong crime will count for the new sentence he gets.... for example it says he served what 18 years... so if he had a 20 year sentence would he only have to serve 2 of them?

If he does go back to jail do you think the time he served for the wrong crime will count for the new sentence he gets.... for example it says he served what 18 years... so if he had a 20 year sentence would he only have to serve 2 of them?

 

 

Since they are two different crimes, I don't think so. Killa would probably be able to tell us for fact.