Retired sheriff’s detective, Andrew Colborn is suing Netflix for defamation, claiming that the hit show Making a Murderer falsely implied that he planted evidence to frame the murder suspect, Steven Avery, Varietyreports.
Colborn’s lawyer, Michael Griesbach asserts that his client has endured “worldwide ridicule, contempt, and disdain” since the show premiered in 2015. The case was filed in Wisconsin’s Manitowoc County.
“He is filing this lawsuit to set the record straight and to restore his good name,” Griesbach said, per Variety.
The 10-part documentary chronicled the case involving Avery and his 16-year-old nephew Brendan Dassey, both of whom were convicted for murdering freelance photographer Teresa Halbach.
According to Variety, Colborn alleges that the show omits key facts and alters events so it appears that Colborn and other officers framed the suspects and influenced trial testimonies, bringing viewers to false conclusions.
Named in the suit as defendants are writers and directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, as well as Netflix executives Lisa Nishimura and Adam Del Deo, and editor Mary Manhardt.
Making a Murderer was one of Netflix’s biggest shows in 2015. In 2016, the series won four Emmy awards for writing and directing. The show also spawned Making a Murderer 2, which picked up the story after Avery and Dassey were convicted.
