Donnie Wahlberg went on TV to debate Nancy Grace about Making a Murderer
“The jurors made the decisions and the jurors in this case are the ones most qualified.’’
Blue Bloods actor and New Kids on the Block-er Donnie Wahlberg has joined the growing conversation about Netflix’s show Making a Murderer.
In case you’re not following (but really, why aren’t you?), the ten-episode docu-series recounts the tale of Steven Avery, a man in Wisconsin who was convicted of rape and attempted murder in 1985 and subsequently sent to prison for 18 years. Avery was later exonerated, only to be convicted of a separate murder charge years later.
Avery’s nephew, Brendan Dassey, later confessed to playing a role in the murder, but his confession was obtained under questionable circumstances — Dassey is learning disabled and was 16 years old at the time of his confession.
Many viewers, after seeing the series, strongly believe in Avery’s innocence. There are even a fews petitions to release Avery circling around online: this one has over 400,000 supporters.
One viewer who’s taken a more even-keeled position on the docu-series is Wahlberg, who penned an editorial about Making a Murderer for the Chicago Sun-Times on January 7. In it, he urged viewers to understand that the series only shows Avery’s side of the story — and he then compares Avery’s case to O.J. Simpson’s.
Wahlberg appeared on Nancy Grace Monday night, and told Grace that Avery’s nephew Dassey is “potentially a victim in some way, too.’’
“Even if he’s guilty in this, you know, he’s a victim of his uncle if that’s the case because there’s no way his uncle ever had him [over],’’ he said.
Grace countered: “He raped Teresa Halbach. He is not a victim. If your uncle called you and said, ‘Hey Donnie, let’s cut this lady’s hair off and rape her and then I’ll kill her.’ How does that make him a victim?’’
The two agreed that Avery and Dassey’s convictions were in the hands of the jurors, whom they both said they trust.
Here’s a two-minute snippet from Wahlberg’s appearance on Nancy Grace. If you’ve seen the show, you know this debate could have gone on much longer.
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