Ep 7. Framing Defense

In Making a Murderer Season 1 Episode 7 titled "Framing Defense", viewers are taken into the core of a courthouse in Wisconsin where Steven Avery's defense takes the center stage. The episode focuses on the defense's strategy to prove that Avery was framed for the murder of Teresa Halbach.

The episode starts with the defense team investigating the bullet fragment found in the garage that had Teresa's DNA on it. The defense team believes that the bullet was planted since it was found months after hundreds of searches were conducted in the same spot. A forensic adviser to Avery's defense team, Dr. Michael Spence, explains how luminol was not used in the initial search for Halbach's car on the property and the possible use of EDTA to test the blood samples. The use of EDTA on blood samples could help prove whether the blood samples were planted from a vial of Avery's blood that was already in police possession.

In Framing Defense, viewers get to see how the defense team deconstructs the prosecution's evidence. For example, when Ken Kratz, the lead prosecutor, introduces a hunting knife found in Avery's room with Halbach's DNA on the blade, the defense team counterpoints that the knife was cleaned by law enforcement before any DNA was detected, making the knife evidence of no use.

The episode also throws light on how the defense team's way of discrediting law enforcement's point of view. For one instance, they bring in a forensic printer specialist, Farid Ahmed, who testifies that the prosecution's exhibits have been altered. He points out that two photographs of Halbach's car have been digitally edited to add blood stains where there was none in the original photos.

Defense attorney Dean Strang faces criticism from a section of the press and the public as he is accused of trying to play dirty games in his defense. Strang, considered one of the best defense lawyers of Wisconsin, argues that it is his role to cast doubt on the prosecution's case and ensure his client gets a fair trial.

The episode ends on a compelling note as the defense team unearths new evidence in the form of voice mails left by Halbach on Avery's phone, messages that the prosecution had not made available to the defense team. The voice mails raise a lot of questions and put a big question mark on the prosecution's case.

Overall, "Framing Defense" does an excellent job of showcasing the defense team's efforts to dismantle the state's case to prove Avery's innocence. The episode's greatest strength is showing how the defense team operates outside the courtroom and the immense preparation that goes into a high-profile trial. The episode proves that in such cases, the defense is not about proving innocence but creating reasonable doubt in the jury's mind. It is a compelling episode that leaves the viewers questioning the legitimacy of the state's case and the legal system as a whole.