'Making a Murderer' Fans Mount Yelp Offensive Against Former Prosecutor Who Convicted Steven Avery

Posts from across the nation have called the prosecutor's tactics and character into question

Photo: Morry Gash/AP

The Wisconsin attorney who handled the prosecutions of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey – the uncle and nephew whose murder convictions are heavily scrutinized in Netflix’s new documentary series, Making a Murderer – is coming under fire from fans of the series, who’ve taken to Yelp to lambaste the litigator.

Reaction to the 10-part series, including several death threats, began flooding the Yelp page of former Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz’s law practice soon after the streaming service debuted Making a Murderer two weeks ago.

An “Active Cleanup Alert” now greets visitors to the Yelp page, informing them their posts may be removed, depending on their content.

Kratz spearheaded the prosecution of Avery for the murder of Teresa Halbach, which resulted in a guilty verdict and a life sentence for a man who’d previously served 18 years for a sexual assault for which he was later exonerated.

Avery has long maintained his innocence of the murder. At trial, his lawyers argued the Manitowoc County Sheriff s Department had framed their client and gad even coercing a confession out of his learning disabled nephew, allegations prosecutors have denied.

Dassey, the nephew, was also tried by Kratz, and also received a life sentence for Halbach’s killing.

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One angry Yelp user wrote: “I’m not sure I have ever seen, met, encountered or otherwise engaged a more arrogantly dishonest and evil person.”

Another simply stated, “You are a horrible, horrible person.”

Another Yelp user takes aim at Kratz’s alleged treatment of Dassey, writing, “I hope you will one day be able to apologize for the absolutely horrific things that you allowed to happen to a 16-year-old who couldn’t even think for himself.” The user adds, “He was coerced, and you damn well knew it.”

Other posters referenced the alleged sexting scandal that ultimately compelled Kratz to resign from office in 2010.

“Scum of the Earth,” wrote one poster. “A sleazy, corrupt, disgusting excuse for a human being! Your conduct is appalling and karma is taking its justified toll on you now! Burn in hell!”

Kratz recently told told FOX 11 News that Making a Murderer was biased in favor of the defense.

“Anytime you edit 18 months’ worth of information and only include the statements or pieces that support your particular conclusion, that conclusion should be reached,” he said.

He declined to participate in the show’s production.

“I believe there to be 80 to 90 percent of the physical evidence, the forensic evidence, that ties Steven Avery to this murder never to have been presented in this documentary,” he told FOX 11.

Manitowoc County Sheriff Robert Hermann, who hasn’t seen the series, told the The Post-Crescent, “I’ve heard things are skewed.”

He contended the filmmakers have “taken things out of context and taken them out of the order in which they occurred, which can lead people to a different opinion or conclusion.”