Steven Avery & Teresa Halbach Knew Each Other

The story of Steven Avery, showcased in Netflix's Making A Murderer is still captivating viewers everywhere, and while many of the issues at stake are up for debate, one thing that's for certain is that Avery was convicted in 2005 for the death of 25-year-old Teresa Halbach. The docuseries suggests Avery is not guilty for Halbach's death, which would mark the second time he's been wrongfully convicted of a crime. But it's also important to note that Avery and Halbach were not strangers prior to her death.

Halbach was a professional photographer, and one of her clients was the auto sales publication AutoTrader. On Halloween 2005, Halbach visited three homes in the Manitowoc County area in Wisconsin, with her last stop at Avery's family garage. According to Avery, she snapped photos of a Dodge Caravan and left. It was the last day she was ever seen. Three days later, she was reported missing.

Prior to his arrest, Avery told reporters Halbach had visited his salvage yard several times in the previous year to take pictures of vehicles that were up for sale. Avery denied ever knowing Halbach beyond that working relationship. In court, however, Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz argued Avery sought out Halbach and called AutoTrader the very morning she went missing and requested for "that same girl who was here last time."

According to the FBI, you're more likely to be murdered by someone you know than a stranger, and whatever casual acquaintance Avery and Halbach had likely shed a particular lens on her death and his subsequent conviction for the jury. For that matter, however, Avery, having been exonerated once before for a 1985 sexual assault he did not commit, has maintained his innocence for Halbach's death since being sentenced to life in prison in 2007.

Images: Netflix