Steven Avery’s new attorney, Kathleen Zellner, plans to use “advanced luminol testing to exonerate Avery.”
The official Twitter page for Netflix’s “Making a Murderer,” which chronicles the trial and conviction of Avery in the murder of Teresa Halbach, disclosed the plans for the advanced testing.
According to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, luminol testing is used to detect blood in large areas that can’t be seen during the visual examination. “Scientists can take advantage of the luminol reaction to locate potential blood evidence that would be undetectable through visual examination. The light, or luminescence, emitted in the luminol reaction is thought to result when an oxidizing agent, such as blood, catalyzes the oxidation of luminol by hydrogen peroxide in a basic solution.”
Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Who Is Steven Avery's New Lawyer Kathleen Zellner?
Avery hired Zellner in January, who says there’s “new evidence” to present, and that she’s “confident” that Avery’s murder conviction will be overturned.
In a statement provided to TheWrap, Illinois-based attorney Zellner said, “We are continuing to examine every aspect of Mr. Avery’s case and all of his legal options. We are confident Mr. Avery’s conviction will be vacated when we present the new evidence and results of our work to the appropriate court.”
Wisconsin resident Avery is currently in prison for the murder of photographer Halbach. He continues to maintain his innocence, and the case has gained worldwide attention since the December premiere of the Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer.”
Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Prosecutor to Write Tell-All Book
Attorney Dean Strang, who represented Avery during his murder trial, told TheWrap in January that a “mass” of potential new evidence has emerged since the “Making a Murderer” premiere. Strang cited “leads, ideas [and] possibilities that have arrived in a mass from emails and calls since the film came out.”
Zellner’s firm specializes in reversing wrongful convictions. Her clients have included Joseph H. Burrows, who was sentenced to death for the murder of Illinois farmer William E. Dulin before being exonerated.
Zellner and the former prosecutor in Avery’s case, Ken Kratz, have not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
