But we are dealing with the state of Wisconsin, a place I lived and worked at two different times in my life, and for that reason, I would say it's 50-50. "Shocked seeing the Netflix series 'Making a Murderer.' "You kind of look like a goofball when youre calling up and venting like that to the wrong agency.. Although he is not a very widely discussed figure, the Hermann father certainly left his mark on the department, and was directly responsible for creating the holy trinity of corruption, made up of Kocourek, Petersen and Bushman, very prominent figures in the Penny B, Ricky H and Teresa H cases, and extremely consequential figures to Steven Avery. I see him leading a laid-back life and enjoying the solitude. In short - MCSD did the framing and the DOJ tied up the loose ends, thereby cooperating to orchestrate one of the worst injustices the state of Wisconsin has ever seen - the second wrongful conviction of Steven Avery; the first wrongful conviction of Brendan Dassey; and the continued blight the state of Wisconsin must endure with a murderer very likely walking around free (exactly like when Gregory Allen walking around free after Steven's 1985 case). It said it would get involved in the legal dispute between the Manitowoc County Sheriff Department and Steven Avery to reveal police corruption. "[Making a Murderer] touched on some of my investigation and expert experiments but not in as much detail as the book. But I am equally as certain that what I did see, and hear, was more than enough to not only show a preponderance of reasonable doubt, but to convince me that Manitowoc County is replete with corruption. Steven Avery was wrongfully convicted in 1985, exonerated in 2003, and filed a lawsuit in 2004 seeking millions in damages from Former Sheriff Kocourek and former DA Vogel for their intentional misconduct. "Some of the emails, in my opinion, have been borderline threatening. As of Wednesday,the historical society hadreceived two phone calls, 14 emails and 72 Facebook comments or reviews. 79-80). Unfortunately threats and intimidation are often effective. Kocourek wanted underlings who felt indebted to him, who would cover for the department as he covered for them. IMO the evidence strongly suggests that Bushman, Lenk and Colborn covered up evidence of a crime at the Kuss road cul-de-sac (Teresa's scent and the scent of death were emanating from the burial site). Among other things, Petersen told reporters Steven "could be a con man" (false and inflammatory) that he burned a cat alive (false and inflammatory) and that if he wasn't convicted of Teresa's murder he would kill AGAIN (speculative and inflammatory). Unfortunately, threats and intimidation are often effective. They were just sitting out in the open since October 31! Bushman knew the Hermann family well enough to list the Hermann father as a reference on his application to MCSD (Pg. One of the loudest voices in the public conversation about Steven Avery's possible innocence is Kathleen Zellner, Avery's attorney, who was featured on the Netflix documentary series about the Wisconsin murder case, Making a Murderer. The injustice that Steven Avery experienced during the murder trial of Teresa Halbach is INSANE! Vandedrinck, who was visiting the city for work, said he had seen four episodes and is skeptical of its portrayal of events. Manitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of. MANITOWOC - The Manitowoc community is pushing back as it finds itself in the suddenly uncomfortable glare of a documentary that has brought international attention to the shores of Lake Michigan. Just to set the stage a bit - The Kuss road incident has long been a famous unresolved mystery of this case, and for good reason. "You should be ashamed of yourself and the crooked department you run. The coroner later quit due to the obstruction she faced. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Both Petersen and Bushman were hired by MCSD with no prior experience in law enforcement; both were in serious collisions in their squad cars; both became loyal underlings to Sheriff Kocourek; and both names turn up during the 1985 Penny Bernsteen assault case, the 1999 Ricky Hotchstetler vehicular homicide case, and the 2005 Teresa Halbach criminal homicide case. Yellow S. Las Vegas, NV 15 19 2/25/2023 Corrupt police department. You and your department are the very reason that great officers and departments throughout our country are losing respect and trust from the American people. Based on what she had seen, Bolick said she thinksthe series is one-sided. The series seems to have convinced much of its audiencethat twoManitowoc Countymen currently sitting in prison for the murder of a young photographer may, in fact, be innocent and the local legal system corrupt. Please know that your judicial system looks like you all are unethical, immoral and corrupt. Now the boys had to come up with a way to reasonably dismiss these newly found car parts as being totally unrelated to Ricky's death, and as we can see below, it's painfully clear they were not up to the task (Pg. In addition to their ever increasing involvement in the Sheriffs Department, the Hermann family owned the long operating Cleveland Auto Salvage (CAS) in southern Manitowoc County, one of a select few salvage yards that competed with the Avery Salvage Yard (ASY). "I would be fearful to ever take my family on a trip and stop in your county to even get fuel. ", Vandedrinckfirst learned about the trials when he started the series. Examining the Hotchstetler case is important to understanding Ferak's theory about Bushman's conduct during the 2005 investigation into Teresa's disappearance, specifically regarding his time at the Kuss road cul-de-sac where a suspected burial site was discovered by Bushman's search team. Many locals were unwilling to weigh inpubliclyon the series, but those who did are far less likely than outsiders to turn against officials anddont seem to give the series much weight. I think if it documented everything correctly and wouldnt have downplayed some of the key points, the response would have been totally different. 1/9/2016 12:30 AM PT. . When this shit happens over decades what you're left with is not exactly the crme de la crop. Seems about right. ", 16. Kocourek, Petersen and Bushman were a powerful and corrupt trio in the community. I imagine the Hermann father helping elect Kocourek had something to do with the Hermann sons becoming first and third in command decades later. Keep in mind, Ferak attempts to draw a correlation between Bushman's conduct during Ricky's case compared to his conduct during Teresa's case. What originally drew you to the case of Avery? After everything, MCSD escaped facing civil liability and a family was forced to say goodbye to their daughter. Why him? Sheriff at the time of Steven's 1985 wrongful arrest and conviction. He was quickly hired on, likely because Bushman listed the Hermann father as his reference (Pg. There is no question thats what this film did, he said. You are unbelievable. Steven Avery, was accused and sent to prison in 1985 for the rape of a Manitowoc (Wisconsin) woman, Penny Beerntsen. "I know you keep defending your crime mob department saying that people dont know all the facts and by discrediting the documentary, but whether he is guilty or not, how in the hell do you and your mobsters sleep at night? From Zellner's investigative instincts to Avery's current standing in the court system to a detailed analysis of the accusations against former prosecutor Ken Kratz, Ferak covers a variety of new angles in the book and expands on the key points that make the case so polarizing. Bushman would retire soon after Kocourek; Ken Petersen would become Sheriff; Rob Hermann would become Under Sheriff; Gxxx Schetter was Deputy Inspector; and Detective Lenk would take over for Bushman as lead investigator of Ricky's hit and run homicide, making absolutely no progress on the case (Pg. This wasn't great for the boys, because as Ferak says, "the discovery of a genuine crime scene off Kuss road was not conductive to the: Steven Avery is a bloodthirsty-psychopathic-killing-machine' narrative that Ken Petersen wanted to gin up in the community, (Pg. How confident are you that Zellner will be able to exonerate Avery? ", 17. ", 9. The facts and evidence tell a different story. Ricky's dad in particular was said to be frustrated and angry about this possibility. She said she'll finish the series but didn't have an opinion on whether the men are innocent or not. At the end of the day, despite whispers and worries of townspeople, the cover-up was successful. Jost) met with Lt. Bushman and due to the fact the pieces looked newer, he did not believe they belonged to the suspect vehicle on the hit and run fatality. Everything your pathetic county stands for is forever tarnished with the mockery of justice that was promulgated in that courtroom. ", 10. 80). I used to think of cranes when I heard the name Manitowoc, not. Not to mention, was Ricky's father even embarrassed, or was he red faced and flustered because he realized a corrupt cop was trying to intimidate him into staying silent about his concerns of a police cover-up? The moment a corrupt leader enters the picture the corruption slowly becomes the culture in that department. The Hermann father helped elect Kocourek as Sheriff - and as Sheriff Kocourek would go on to repeatedly promote Petersen (See Part One). WISN/YouTube. I could see him taking up fishing, having a motorboat or perhaps a pontoon. If Bushman was bold enough to fuck with a crime scene during Rickys hit and run case to help out Hermann, he likely was bold enough to do it again during Teresas case and help out not only Kocourek, but the entire department. Although only MCSDs history is examined in the post, the same lesson applies to other departments. In 1981 Petersen was speeding over the limit during a foggy night and ran over a young woman (Gina) who had just been in a minor motorcycle collision with her two male companions. Not to myself but to members of our law enforcement community," Brey wrote. And while he called its portrayal of events "subjective," he did allow that if Avery were innocent, it would be scary to think "what people can do.". Here is a link to PART ONE: Fuck-ups, Cover-ups and Promotions, largely concerning Sheriff Kocourek and his repeated promotions to inexperienced new hires, Petersen and Bushman, who both happened to be involved in (separate) grossly negligent on-duty traffic accidents that were quickly swept under the rug by Kocourek. Hermann collected the broken vehicle parts from the perpetrators vehicle, but failed to properly photograph, tag or log the evidence. Organizations that had nothing to do with the cases have been feeling the backlash, too. 86): Your excellent service to Manitowoc and the Sheriffs Department in your past positions have prepared you to assume the responsibilities of Lieutenant, and I am sure you will do an excellent job as you have in the past.. I find it amazing that anyone involved from your county involved in the Steven Avery case can sleep at night. Although I don't believe Petersen is the sharpest knife in the drawer, it appears he at least knew to learn from Kocourek's mistakes re: the 1985 case. Eventually townsfolk, including Ricky's parents, were openly discussing their suspicions of a police cover-up. Barbier said comments havent slowed down despite the departments efforts to redirect them. Unbelievable! The first post appeared on Dec. 21, a few days after the release of Making a Murderer., Then it kind of snowballed from there, said Amy Meyer, historical society executive director. I hope that detective Lenk and Goulburn (sic) rot in hell as it is almost certain that they are behind this corruption and lies I hope use (sic) all cant sleep at night and justice comes your way. Id run the grave risk of being arrested for arson and armed robbery before my tank was filled with gasoline. Two years after Ricky's death (2001) Kocourek would retire and become an executive of the local Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program (where he would work alongside the wife of Calumet Investigator Mark Wiegert). They have to realize the separation between a museum and a judicial issue. Its for entertainment purposes and to make money off of. And like others, she expressed concerns that the series and the international reaction are re-opening wounds for Halbach's family. and our Jost, along with agents from the DOJ, ensured the bones were quickly collected using shovels, boxes and garbage bags, all without any photos or measurements being taken or experts being called to forensically examine the scene. 3. The Gina Hxxxxx incident didn't slow down Petersen's rise within the department. "Never have I heard of such corruption at the hands of law enforcement as in the case of Steven Avery. The DOJ then destroyed the burn pit all together (like straight up demolished it) ensuring no forensic examination could ever take place, thereby protecting Manitowoc County's frame job from crumbling. Handcuffs and leg shackles were found in Averys bedroom. Bushman (a college drop out turned bus driver) applied to the Manitowoc County Sheriffs Department in the 1970's even though he had no law enforcement experience. The repairs to vehicle set the department back nearly $4 000 in 1989 money. Just as with Petersen, it was only a few months after the incident when Bushman's promotions starting rolling in. No mention of the accident or fatality can be found Petersens employment file or in any of his promotion notices. Bushmans accident was brought before the County's Accident Review Board, which quickly concluded no action would be taken, and that Sgt. I'll save that drama for PART THREE: "Thin Blue Lines and Suicides". Manitowoc organizations not involved with the case also are feeling a backlash from the series. For example, Coroner Kakatsch quit her position as County Coroner after Steven and Brendan were convicted, telling the filmmakers through watery eyes although she loved her job she didnt feel safe working in the position any longer. The whole trial, despite. Of course IMO the decision to back away from the case was only for the benefit of the public's perception. So Petersen takes the initiative to threaten Kakatsch with arrest if she should try and access the scene to do her job (Kakatsch eventually quit after Steven was convicted due to fearing for her safety). Meanwhile, Petersen graduated from high school in 1968 and went on to attain an Associates Degree in Marketing. "I just wanted to reach out with disgust at how your department handled the Steven Avery case. ", 15. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, "Wrecking Crew: Demolishing the Case Against Steven Avery", Petersen told reporters Steven "could be a con man", offering to pay for the investigation if another department took over. Nice job! Ferak claims to have spoken to many former MCSD employees who said Petersen was driving way over the limit through the fog in a reckless manner. I can, however, now look my children in the eyes and say, 'at least we dont live in Wisconsin. Officers Bushman and Hermann improperly collected crime scene evidence from the scene of Ricky's hit and run death. Amazing! Oddly, neither of Gina's male companions were injured in the initial motorcycle collision, which suggests perhaps Gina would have survived if not for Petersen striking her with his vehicle at high speed. Neither Steven nor his lawsuit had a snowflake's chance in hell if the authorities were willing to disregard their own laws in order to manipulate evidence and destroy crime scenes. Plight of the Accused 63m Steven is back in jail, charged with murder, but there are troubling questions about how he was arrested and why. Notably, both cadaver dogs and bloodhounds independently made their way to the scene, which meant the burial site was emanating the scent of decomposition as well as Teresa's scent, likely because her decomposing remains were present at the burial site. In Florida, John Rider of the Village of Virginia . ", Alison Dirr: 920-996-7266 or adirr@gannett.com; on Twitter @AlisonDirr;Manitowoc Herald Times ReporterreporterSarah Kloepping:920-686-2105 or skloepping@htrnews.com; on Twitter@SarahKloepping. As we can see from above ^ it seems as though Kocourek went to great lengths to avoid investigating the incident or mentioning it anywhere in department filings. In this THREE PART series of posts I will explore information about the troubling history of Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department as revealed by Jxxx Ferak in his book, "Wrecking Crew: Demolishing the Case Against Steven Avery". 163): "I (Sgt. If they had simply done their job properly when collecting those car parts, no one could make such claims. Although not explicitly stated by Ferak, I imagine the implication here was to question whether or not Gina could have sustained terminal injuries in a collision that barely injured the two others she was with. This ^ level of inaction could only be the result of Kocourek sanctioning it. 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