The filmmakers for the hit Netflix documentary "Making a Murderer" told NBC's TODAY Show Tuesday that a juror in Steven Avery's 2005 murder case believes Avery was framed by law enforcement officials.
Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos claim that the juror told them that they never spoke up because "he or she feared what might happen."
Ricciardi told TODAY that the juror believes Avery "deserves a new trial, and if he receives a new trial, in their opinion it should take place far away from Wisconsin."
The juror makes claims of "behind-the-scenes vote-trading," and that the verdicts on each count were "a compromise," according to the filmmakers.
"That was the actual word the juror used and went on to describe the jurors ultimately trading votes in the jury room and explicitly discussing, 'If you vote guilty on this count, I will vote not guilty on this count,'" Ricciardi said. "So that was a significant revelation."
Avery served 18 years in prison for rape until he was exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003. Two years later, he was convicted of murder in the death of Teresa Halbach and sentenced to life in prison.
The juror also the filmmakers that their decision to convict Avery was made under duress, because if a mistrial was called, "it would be easy to identify which juror had done that and that they were fearful for their own safety"
The filmmakers say they have not been able to verify the juror's claims with any other jurors on the case.
Thousands of people have signed online petitions to free Avery, however, the prosecutor and the Manitowoc County Sheriff have both said that the investigation and trial were fair.
Numerous state appeals of Avery's conviction have been rejected.
