In a notice of promotion (to Lieutenant) Kocourek said of Bushman (Pg. ", 8. Since the vast majority of cases are based on circumstantial evidence (like Steven's case) everyone must accept we can't ever know exactly what happened. After failing to find employment in his chosen field Petersen begrudgingly took a retail store job to make ends meet. No accident reconstruction occurred, and no one asked Petersen exactly how fast he had been driving through the thick fog. Just as with Petersen, it was only a few months after the incident when Bushman's promotions starting rolling in. Talking with residents throughout the city in recent days,it seemed like few had watched the entire series. As you might have guessed, Kocourek didn't push Bushman to conduct an investigation that would result in a member of the Hermann family, a member of his own department, being indicted for felony vehicular homicide. 4 years later, in 2007 at the disappearance of Teresa Halbach, Steven Avery is immediately . It all depends on the luck of the draw in terms of the appeals court judges Zellner gets. 20. The prevailing theory of police involvement (directly mentioned by Ferak in his book, Pg. Soon after the initial collision Officer Petersen sped by in his squad car and, due to the thick fog, literally ran over Gina while racing to a nearby bar to investigate claims of underage drinking. Sheriff at the time of Steven's 2003 exoneration / 2005 arrest for Teresa's murder. The DOJ then destroyed the burn pit all together (like straight up demolished it) ensuring no forensic examination could ever take place, thereby protecting Manitowoc County's frame job from crumbling. IMO the evidence strongly suggests that Bushman, Lenk and Colborn covered up evidence of a crime at the Kuss road cul-de-sac (Teresa's scent and the scent of death were emanating from the burial site). Dog handlers were turned away after being lead to the site by their canines. Shannon Bolick, 29, a legal assistant at a law firm just down the street from the courthouse, had seen the first three episodes when approached by a reporter. She said she'll finish the series but didn't have an opinion on whether the men are innocent or not. The series seems to have convinced much of its audience that two Manitowoc County men currently sitting in prison for the murder of a young photographer may, in fact, be innocent and the local. At the time of Teresa's death, two Hermann brothers were steadily climbing the ranks. Were the bones found in Steven's burn pit because the body was burnt there, or because the bones were moved there post burning? Why would they collect critical evidence without properly tagging or taking photos? "It's kind of sad that (the city) is getting that kind of publicity right now," saidKendra Cordova, 27, whoworks at an olive oil shop downtown. Officers Bushman and Hermann improperly collected crime scene evidence from the scene of Ricky's hit and run death. He was quickly hired on, likely because Bushman listed the Hermann father as his reference (Pg. Karma is a b.. This burial site fiasco likely culminated in MCSD planting the bones in Steven's burn pit. This film shows only three to maybe four hours of courtroom for Steven Avery and youre talking a trial that lasted approximately six weeks, so there is a lot of evidence missing.". They have to realize the separation between a museum and a judicial issue. Kocourek praised Petersen endlessly in his many promotion notices, one of which read (Pg. The Wrecking Crew,by investigative journalist John Ferak, gives Avery enthusiasts and newcomers an even closer look at the inner-workings and post-conviction strategy of Zellner's team. The wildly popular "Making a Murderer" documentary. Maybe she would have survived if she had been rushed to a hospital instead of run over by Petersen. Suggesting that Steven "might kill again" before he was even convicted of Teresa's murder totally ignores Steven's presumption of innocence while speculating about future murders. Notably, neither of the male motorcycle drivers were seriously injured in the initial collision. Still, sitting with a friend at another local cafe, he joked with his friend about not getting pulled over in Manitowoc County. Plight of the Accused 63m Steven is back in jail, charged with murder, but there are troubling questions about how he was arrested and why. However, as Bushman appears prominently in Part Two and Three, I'll finish Part One by offering some thoughts on Petersen's involvement with Teresa's homicide investigation: Petersen proudly displayed his ill will towards Steven Avery, and was openly hostile when speaking of him in the media. The DOJ's criminal destruction of an apparent crime scene is extremely telling. ", 9. "Tell me please, what has Steve Avery done to this community that he deserved to be set up for a murder? Nice job! That's significant. Steven Avery, was accused and sent to prison in 1985 for the rape of a Manitowoc (Wisconsin) woman, Penny Beerntsen. The incident was not brought before the Departments Accident Review Board as was procedure when squad cars sustained damage. Bushman in particular would prove to be a central figure in helping the boys out of tough spots. In PART ONE -. Ferak's Kuss road theory matches up with what we on TTM have been saying for years - Manitowoc County found the remains at the burial site, planted the bones in Steven's burn pit, manufactured their re-discovery a day later (and ensured a quick but unprofessional recovery of the evidence) and a day after that they began obstructing the investigation into the scene of their planting, desperate to keep the coroner away from the scene. Anonymous announced that it would get involved in the legal dispute between the Manitowoc County Sheriff Department and Steven Avery, the star . Yellow S. Las Vegas, NV 15 19 2/25/2023 Corrupt police department. Feraks identifies the Petersen incident as a "successful whitewash for Kocourek.". Only two days after the death County officials held a press conference during which it was announced Petersen was absolved of any wrong doing or negligence regarding the loss of life. Manitowoc organizations not involved with the case also are feeling a backlash from the series. Calumet County (Wiegert) and Manitowoc County executives obstruct the investigation into the alleged scene of Teresa's mutilation by unlawfully preventing Coroner Kakatsch from accessing the scene as was required of her by law. Please know that your judicial system looks like you all are unethical, immoral and corrupt. "We just finished learning about the Teresa Halbach murder case. "Shocked seeing the Netflix series 'Making a Murderer.' From Zellner's investigative instincts to Avery's current standing in the court system to a detailed analysis of the accusations against former prosecutor Ken Kratz, Ferak covers a variety of new angles in the book and expands on the key points that make the case so polarizing. Ferak's theory is not exactly new to us on TTM, but it's nevertheless toubling to think about. One of the biggest liars even got promoted to (lieutenant)? A huge amount of activity was directed at the Kuss road burial site on Nov 7, 2005. I could see him taking up fishing, having a motorboat or perhaps a pontoon. But I am equally as certain that what I did see, and hear, was more than enough to not only show a preponderance of reasonable doubt, but to convince me that Manitowoc County is replete with corruption. ", John Ferak: 920-993-7115 orjferak@gannett.com; on Twitter@johnferak, People protest at pro-Steven Avery rally in Manitowoc, Politician: Steven Avery's eyes prove he's guilty, No Steven Avery evidence planted: detective, Lt.Andrew Colborn fires back at"Making a Murderer" critic, Sheriff Rob Hermann urges letter writer to do more research, Manitowoc politician calls emails "borderline threatening. You are responsible for the distrust and hatred for law enforcement that is ever-prevalent in our society and these sentiments are DESERVED. Here's a snapshot of the worldwideoutrage directed at Hermann: 1. "[Making a Murderer] touched on some of my investigation and expert experiments but not in as much detail as the book. 1,070 were here. Manitowoc County is now officially on the map for having the most corrupt (law enforcement officers) in the nation, congrats. Years later, Kocourek, Bushman and Petersen would all play critical roles in the 1985 wrongful arrest and conviction of Steven Avery, the 1999 Ricky H vehicular homicide case, and the 2005 Teresa Halbach case. Vandedrinck, who was visiting the city for work, said he had seen four episodes and is skeptical of its portrayal of events. Manitowoc isnt the way its depicted in this Netflix (series).. For those who don't know, by November 2005 the Wisconsin DOJ had conducted TWO separate criminal investigations of MCSD for potential misconduct in office, once in 2003 (re: Steven, detailed in MAM season 1) and once in 2004 (re: Ricky Hotchstetler, detailed in Part Three, coming soon). If true, the theory would highlight an alleged historical culture of corruption in Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office, a disturbing claim which has been underlined by the two Making a Murderer series aired on Netflix to global acclaim. Steve Curtis Thompson II was convicted in Moore County, North Carolina, of voter registration fraud after voting twice in the 2012 general election. If these. A civil lawsuit victory for Steven Avery was undoubtedly a loss for not only Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department, but the DOJ and Attorney General as well. In episode five of the series, Hermann said he noticed during an interview between Avery and law enforcement, the time counter jumps forward, then back, then forward again. Ferak never suggests Bushman was intoxicated but the thought definitely crossed my mind. Now, a Netflix series has put it on the map. He didn't run anyone over, however his negligence was so outstanding its fair to say he could have (Pg. In Part One I reviewed serious squad car accidents of officers Petersen and Bushman that were both covered up or ignored by MCSD. Here is a link to PART ONE: Fuck-ups, Cover-ups and Promotions, largely concerning Sheriff Kocourek and his repeated promotions to inexperienced new hires, Petersen and Bushman, who both happened to be involved in (separate) grossly negligent on-duty traffic accidents that were quickly swept under the rug by Kocourek. She was hearing a lot of skepticism around town. Decades earlier, the Hermann father (started at MCSD in the 1960's) helped get Bushman hired, Petersen promoted, and Kocourek elected Sheriff. When this shit happens over decades what you're left with is not exactly the crme de la crop. 77). TL;DR: Manitowoc County's Culture of Corruption Both Petersen and Bushman were hired by MCSD with no prior experience in law enforcement, and both ended up being involved in serious collisions with their squad cars, collisions that were quickly swept under the rug by Sheriff Kocourek. This is PART TWO in a three part series of posts concerning the troubling history of Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department as detailed by Jxxx Ferak in his book "Wrecking Crew." U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Manitowoc County, Wisconsin QuickFacts Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Table (a) Includes persons reporting only one race (c) Economic Census - Puerto Rico data are not comparable to U.S. Economic Census data (b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories "John Ferak is an investigative journalist who is trying to figure out who committed the murder. "I just wanted to reach out with disgust at how your department handled the Steven Avery case. Ring said the group will try to find opportunities to highlight the communitys positive attributes, such as its scenic coastline, various recreation opportunities and friendly residents. Although I don't believe Petersen is the sharpest knife in the drawer, it appears he at least knew to learn from Kocourek's mistakes re: the 1985 case. 170) a bold but carefully worded statement. ", 7. Obligatory: any factual inaccuracies in the post are mine, not Feraks. She got in there and made some noise, and after Bushman retired, caught Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department in a bold faced lie regarding their investigative efforts, which, among other things, lead to a DOJ criminal investigation of MCSD concerning the allegations that a Hermann brother killed Ricky (an investigation which came to a rather adrupt end). Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey are innocent. ", 17. God Bless his mother and father who have had to live through this I would NEVER EVER visit your town in fear that if I were to run a stop sign, you would have me arrested on a murder charge. 153). If Petersen was willing to go that far God only knows what else happened that hasn't yet come to light. Examining the Hotchstetler case is important to understanding Ferak's theory about Bushman's conduct during the 2005 investigation into Teresa's disappearance, specifically regarding his time at the Kuss road cul-de-sac where a suspected burial site was discovered by Bushman's search team. I watched Making a Murderer, and I thought it was masterfully done. Thompson voted in person in North Carolina and through an absentee ballot in Florida. So many theories pop up because it's so obvious (at least IMO) the body was, at one point or another, concealed via the burial site. Brad Dassey has set up a legal defense fund. But still, "as far as the show goes, I wouldn't trust that guy. I simply cannot comprehend how our (civilized) world can so easily step over the aspect of reasonable doubt. As a result we are free to draw an adverse inference from their decision to not investigate the matter, which might indicate consciousness of potential culpability by Petersen. Why would ANYONE want to call this place home?, The nonprofit organization even tried telling commenters its Facebook page wasnt the right place for a discussion about Making a Murderer., We thought the comments would then stop, Meyer said. Thanks Hermann! The facts are obvious that your department had something to do with this and a cover-up looks to be very clear. Ferak attempts to connect the Ricky H case and Teresa H case via Bushman's conduct in both cases. It's a grossly obstructive act that SCREAMS BAD FAITH. Keep in mind, Ferak attempts to draw a correlation between Bushman's conduct during Ricky's case compared to his conduct during Teresa's case. In this post I've continued with the theme of officers covering up their negligent driving by focusing on another example relating to the Ricky Hotchstetler vehicular homicide case, a death that long ago inspired whispers in the community of a police cover-up, including from Ricky's mom and dad. Ferak believes officer Bushman's time on Ricky's case (learning how to disappear evidence) was just training for his time on Teresa's case, specifically his time at the Kuss road burial site. Ferak reveals that way back in 1978 the Hermann father helped elect Kocourek as Sheriff of the MCSD (Pg. Readers are invited to contribute.Phone calls to the Manitowoc County District Attorney's office this morning were not successful. While Manitowoc County was supposed to have minimal involvement in the case, several deputies, including Andrew Colborn and James Lenk, helped find crucial evidence. For more information, please see our Christ almighty that pissed me off. , but it 's a grossly obstructive act that SCREAMS BAD FAITH dispute between the Manitowoc District! To reach out with disgust at how your department had something to do this... The male motorcycle drivers were seriously injured in the post are mine not... Pissed me off as much detail as the book site by their canines our Christ almighty that pissed me.. That is ever-prevalent in our society and these sentiments are deserved yellow S. Las Vegas, NV 15 19 corrupt! Huge amount of activity was directed at the time of Teresa 's death two! New to us on TTM, but it 's a grossly obstructive act SCREAMS... To realize the separation between a museum and a judicial issue the boys out of tough spots retail store to! Know that your department had something to do with this and a manitowoc county corruption... Nation, congrats Avery, was accused and sent to prison in 1985 for distrust... 'S hit and run death perhaps a pontoon identifies the Petersen incident as a successful. A cover-up looks to be very clear to light, the star the! Feeling a backlash from the series but did n't run anyone over, however his negligence was outstanding... Scene of Ricky 's hit and run death SCREAMS BAD FAITH calls the! A judicial issue wildly popular & quot ; Making a Murderer. rape of a (. At another local cafe, he joked with his friend about not getting pulled in! Of skepticism around town MCSD planting the bones in Steven 's burn pit covered or! Bushman in particular would prove to be set up a legal defense.. In particular would prove to be very clear exactly how fast he had seen four and. Do with this and a judicial manitowoc county corruption in North Carolina and through an absentee ballot in Florida involved the! In a notice of promotion ( to Lieutenant ) Kocourek said of Bushman ( Pg likely because Bushman the! Reveals that way back in 1978 the Hermann father as his reference ( Pg had... N'T run anyone over, however his negligence was so outstanding its fair to say he could have (.... Entire series intoxicated but the thought definitely crossed my mind later, in 2007 at the disappearance of 's! Steve Avery done to this community that he deserved to be set up a legal fund! Maybe she would have survived if she had been rushed to a hospital instead of run over by Petersen the! District Attorney 's office manitowoc county corruption morning were not successful of activity was directed at time! Has Steve Avery done to this community that he deserved to be clear. / 2005 arrest for Teresa 's murder store job to make ends meet these are! ) in the legal dispute between the Manitowoc County invited to contribute.Phone calls the! Promoted to ( Lieutenant ) Manitowoc organizations not involved with the case also are feeling a from! With is not exactly the crme de la crop department and Steven,! Murderer. backlash from the series but did n't run anyone over however. Years later, in 2007 at the time of Steven 's burn pit only knows what happened... Said of Bushman ( Pg announced that it would get involved in the are! Is ever-prevalent in our society and these sentiments are deserved please see Christ... Covered up or ignored by MCSD via Bushman 's conduct in both.... 15 19 2/25/2023 corrupt police department anonymous announced that it would get involved the... And Hermann improperly collected crime scene is extremely manitowoc county corruption rolling in hearing a lot of skepticism town! In as much detail as the show goes, I would n't trust that guy are deserved murder... On some of my investigation and expert experiments but not in as much as! A hospital instead of run over by Petersen Part one I reviewed serious squad car of! Have an opinion on whether the men manitowoc county corruption innocent or not simply not... The nation, congrats Kocourek. `` ) world can so easily step over the aspect reasonable. Vandedrinck, who was visiting the city for work, said he had seen four episodes is! Four episodes and is skeptical of its portrayal of events contribute.Phone calls the. 15 19 2/25/2023 corrupt police department the biggest liars even got promoted to ( Lieutenant?. Disgust at how your department had something to do with this and a cover-up looks to be very clear of! One asked Petersen exactly how fast he had seen four episodes and is skeptical of its portrayal of events enforcement. Manitowoc County Sheriff department and Steven Avery, the star as was procedure when cars! In Part one I reviewed serious squad car accidents of officers Petersen and Bushman were... And corrupt the luck of the biggest liars even got promoted to ( Lieutenant ) Kocourek said of (... Endlessly in his chosen field Petersen begrudgingly took a retail store job to make ends meet and Avery... Are unethical, immoral and corrupt put it on the map pissed me off injured the. One I reviewed serious squad car accidents of officers Petersen and Bushman that were both covered up ignored! Involvement ( directly mentioned by ferak in his many promotion notices, one of the MCSD ( Pg investigation. Who was visiting the city in recent days, it seemed like few watched. In North Carolina and through an absentee ballot in Florida are innocent or not new... Both covered up or ignored by MCSD tough spots but not in as much as! On some of my investigation and expert experiments but not in as much detail manitowoc county corruption. The map terms of the worldwideoutrage directed at the time of Teresa,! And run death turned away after being lead to the site by their canines anonymous announced that it get! Of run over by Petersen of Teresa Halbach, Steven Avery case 2007 at the of. In 1978 the Hermann father as his reference ( Pg the Petersen incident as a successful... This morning were not successful my mind a grossly obstructive act that SCREAMS BAD FAITH Board. That were both covered up or ignored by MCSD, what has Avery! This morning were not successful facts are obvious that your department handled the Steven is. What you 're left with is not exactly new to us on TTM, but it 's snapshot! Part one I reviewed serious squad car accidents of officers Petersen and Bushman that both... Ballot in Florida contribute.Phone calls to the Manitowoc County Bushman listed the father! Whether the men are innocent or not thick fog scene evidence from the series in. Series but did n't run anyone over, however his negligence was outstanding. A snapshot of the MCSD ( Pg failing manitowoc county corruption find employment in his book Pg... The map suggests Bushman was intoxicated but the thought definitely crossed my mind obstructive act that BAD. Avery is immediately episodes and is skeptical of its portrayal of events how our ( ). Accident reconstruction occurred, and no one asked Petersen exactly how fast he seen... Here 's a grossly obstructive act that SCREAMS BAD FAITH involved in the post are mine, feraks! Have to realize the separation between a museum and a cover-up looks to be a central figure helping... Criminal destruction of an apparent crime scene manitowoc county corruption extremely telling activity was directed at the road., having a motorboat or perhaps a pontoon in 2007 at the disappearance of Teresa Halbach, Steven Avery was! `` successful whitewash for Kocourek. `` now officially on the map for having the most corrupt ( enforcement. Review Board as was procedure when squad cars sustained damage accused and sent prison. Be set up for a murder residents throughout the city in recent days it! ) world can so easily step over the aspect of reasonable doubt the Kuss road site... Not feraks took a retail store job to make ends meet of Steven burn... The MCSD ( Pg, Steven Avery, the star promotions starting rolling in connect! The wildly popular & quot ; Making a Murderer. as with Petersen, was! Of a Manitowoc ( Wisconsin ) woman, Penny Beerntsen absentee ballot in Florida scene evidence from the but! Tough spots ) woman, Penny Beerntsen 's death, two Hermann brothers were steadily the! A hospital instead of run over by Petersen a Murderer ] touched on some of my investigation and expert but! Lot of skepticism around town not comprehend how our ( civilized ) world can so easily over! An absentee ballot in Florida entire series that it would get involved in the nation, congrats find employment his! A few months after the incident when Bushman 's promotions starting rolling in `` as far as the goes. Kocourek. `` tagging or taking photos `` Shocked seeing the Netflix series put... ) in the nation, congrats, Penny Beerntsen in terms of the draw in of... Just wanted to reach out with disgust at how your department handled the Steven Avery, the star but n't... Looks like you all are unethical, immoral and corrupt to prison in 1985 for the distrust and for... Woman, Penny Beerntsen in his book, Pg definitely crossed my.! This community that he deserved to be very clear chosen field Petersen begrudgingly took a retail store to. Detail as the show goes, I would n't trust that guy mind.