‘Making a Murderer’ Sheriff Department Target of Bomb Threat

'Making a Murderer' Sheriff Department Target of Bomb Threat

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Feb 04, 2016

Since the release of the ever-so-popular 10-episode Netflix documentary, “Making a Murderer,” the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s department has been under national fire for planting evidence that keeps Steven Avery in prison for the rest of his life. On Feb. 3, however, the “Free Avery” requests became even more intense.

A caller phoned in a bomb threat directed at the Wisconsin Sheriff’s department making an apparent reference to “getting justice” for the man at the center of the documentary, authorities said in a news release.

The Manitowoc Police Department said in a statement that a male called made the threat around 6:40 p.m. warning that there were bombs inside the sheriff’s building and within a vehicle in the parking lot. The caller also made sure to mention that he was “getting justice for Steven,” something the statement described as an apparent reference to Avery.

Since the release of the documentary, the county’s police and sheriff’s departments have been inundated with threats and telephone called referencing the overwhelming public opinion that Avery was wrongfully convicted in a 2005 murder trial. Both departments have been on edge ever since.

Police swarmed into the threatened building and began to sweep for the alleged bombs. By 9 p.m. authorities deemed the area around the sheriff’s office all clear and the courthouse was checked as a precaution. No suspicious devices were found.

A second “very similar” threat was received about 20 minutes later, the statement said. Manitowoc police responded to provide security for dispatch and sheriff’s office employees who were about to go through a shift change. Again, no suspicious activity or items were discovered.

Manitowoc police and the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation are working to determine the origin of the call and the identity of the caller.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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