By David Lohr
August 7, 2007
MANITOWOC, Wis. (Crime Library) — "I didn't do it. I wouldn't do nothing like that," was the emotionless plea 17-year-old Brendan Dassey uttered before Judge Jerome Fox Thursday as he prepared to be sentenced in the Halloween 2005 death of 25-year-old Teresa Halbach, a freelance photographer from Hilbert. Dassey's uncle and co-conspirator, 45-year-old Steven Avery, was sentenced in June.
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| Avery Auto Salvage |
Teresa's life came to an end on October 31, 2005. On that day she had an appointment at Avery Auto Salvage in Gibson to take photos of a used vehicle for Auto Trader Magazine. Steven Avery, one of the business owners, greeted Teresa when she arrived at the junkyard. What happened next would not be revealed for another four months.
Avery was well known in the area. He had recently been released from prison after serving an 18-year sentence for a rape he did not commit. His attorneys had used DNA evidence to prove his innocence. Following his release, he filed a $36 million lawsuit against Manitowoc County for wrongful conviction. In 2005, the case was still pending.
On November 3, 2005, Teresa's family reported her missing to the Calumet County Sheriff's Department. In retracing her steps, some of her friends went to Avery Auto Salvage and received permission from Steven's younger brother, Earl Avery, to search the property, which consisted of several hundred acres and nearly 4,000 junk vehicles. Not long into their search the group spotted a blue Toyota Rav4 similar to Teresa's. The vehicle was partially concealed by tree branches and auto parts. The sheriff's department was immediately notified of the discovery and within hours they were able to obtain a search warrant for the property.
There were no license plates on the vehicle; however, investigators were able to confirm it was Teresa's car by entering the Vehicle Identification Number into their motor vehicle database. The car was then transported to the Wisconsin Crime Laboratory in Madison.
When investigators searched Avery's mobile home they found suspicious red droplets on his bathroom floor and several items of interest, including leg irons and handcuffs. A key found in his bedroom was later identified as the ignition key for Teresa's car. During a search of the outbuildings, investigators found 11 spent .22 caliber casings on the floor of a nearby garage. The rifle that fired the casings was among a multitude of items confiscated from Avery's trailer.
On the fourth day of their search, investigators found Teresa's license plates in a junk car and a burn barrel that contained several partially burned items, including a cell phone, camera and shovel. Nearby, investigators found a large fire pit. Upon closer inspection they found bone fragments and teeth among the ashes. Two forensic anthropologists examined the evidence recovered from the fire pit. It was their determination that the bone fragments belonged to an adult human female. DNA would later confirm the victim was Teresa.
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Steven Avery, Junk Yard Owner, Killed Teresa Halbach
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