Dateline NBC special looks at Steven Avery case

Netflix’s documentary series Making a Murderer and its subject, Steven Avery, still have viewers buzzing over Avery’s guilt or innocence, as well as authorities’ handling of his case and the filmmakers’ decision to leave some evidence out of the film. Not only is the series still going strong on Netflix, but other networks are now looking at the case, including some of the usual suspects you might expect: true-crime channel Investigation Discovery, which airs a special this weekend, and NBC’s Dateline franchise.

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Dateline NBC: “The State of Wisconsin vs. Steven A. Avery” airs Friday, Jan. 29, at 10pm ET on NBC. The one-hour special promises “fresh, new interviews” along with rare footage of a sit-down conducted in 2005 with Penny Beerntsen, the victim of the sexual assault case for which Steven Avery was wrongfully convicted. Dateline‘s Andrea Canning will be on the ground in Wisconsin’s Manitowoc County, with a new look at the controversial case surround the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach.

For the special, Canning sits down with key players representing both sides of the Avery/Halbach case, including Ken Kratz, the prosecutor in Avery and Brendan Dassey (Avery’s nephew) cases; Jerry Buting, former defense attorney for Avery; Kim Ducat, Avery’s cousin; Robert Hermann, current Manitowoc County sheriff; Steven Drizin and Laura Nirider, appellate attorneys for Dassey; and Michael Griesbach, author of The Innocent Killer and assistant district attorney in Manitowoc County.

During the special hour, Canning tells the story of Avery’s conviction and later exoneration in the 1985 sexual assault case of Beerntsen. Canning also offers a new look at the Avery and Dassey trials in the Halbach case, and the latest developments in the drama that has captured national attention.

Dateline NBC: “The State of Wisconsin vs. Steven A. Avery” airs Jan. 29 at 10pm ET on NBC.