Has Steven Avery let fame get to his head? Last week we reported that the Making a Murderer subject broke things off with his fiancée, Lynn Hartman, because he believed that the 53-year-old legal secretary was a "golddigger." And while there’s certainly nothing wrong with ending a relationship with someone who's in it for the wrong reasons, it’s the way in which Avery ended things that’s raised some eyebrows.
Avery, who’s currently serving a life sentence at Wisconsin’s Waupun Correctional Institution, had his lawyer Kathleen Zellner send Hartman what effectively amounts to the coldest breakup letter we’ve ever read.
“Please let this letter act as formal notice that Mr. Avery terminated his engagement with you effective October 2,” it reads. A deeper dive into the letter reveals that it was definitely an interview that Hartman gave to Dr. Phil recently, that sparked Avery’s sudden change of heart. “As Mr. Avery expressed to you during your relationship with him, he deems his correspondence and communications with you to be confidential. This constitutes an oral agreement with him. You should therefore cease and desist giving interviews of any kind concerning your relationship with him.”
Although their relationship is officially over, it appears Avery still has concerns about Hartman profiting from his fame. He warns her not to sell or distribute any records of their correspondences, which began eight months ago after Hartman contacted Avery in prison.
As for Zellner, audiences will get to see Avery’s legal pit bull in action when season two of Making a Murderer hits Netflix presumably some time next year. Whether or not we’ll also get a glimpse into Avery and Hartman’s short-lived relationship remains to be seen.
