Steven Avery's Engagement Is Over

More bad news for the subject of the Netflix docuseries Making a Murderer. Steven Avery's engagement to girlfriend Sandy Greenman is over. Greenman made the announcement during a taping of Dr. Phil, and the news quickly broke on social media. But unlike another ex-fiancée of Avery, Greenman is still adamant in maintaining his innocence.

Greenman told Dr. Phil why she chose to end the relationship, and some may be surprised to learn that it had nothing to do with the case. "Steve and I were engaged to be married, and I broke it off. It's not that I've ever stopped trying to work for him, but it was a religious thing. I cannot marry someone that's not a Christian ... Since we broke off the engagement, I've visited him less and less. It's too hard for me. I still love him and want the best for him. I want him out."

Yes, the end of their relationship doesn't mean that Greenman thinks Avery is guilty. "I personally believe that he's innocent," she said during the interview, which aired Monday. "He just doesn’t have the makeup to do something like that … he’s not this violent monster that … everyone has made him." This defense of Avery is a stark contrast to the Jan. 13 interview with Jodi Stachowski, Avery's girlfriend at the time of Teresa Halbach's murder in 2005.

In the series, Stachowski stood firmly by Avery's side for months while she was allegedly harassed by police for associating with him and his family — only when she was issued a restraining order did she cut contact with the Averys. But her stance changed drastically during the interview. But she demonstrated a radical change in attitude during her recent interview with HLN.

"He threatened to kill me and my family and a friend of mine," Stachowski said, painting a terrifying portrait of her former fiancé. "[I] ate two boxes of rat poison [to] get away from him." She also claimed that Avery physically abused her, and broke the windshield of her car to prevent her from leaving him.

The contrasting descriptions of Avery's personality and behavior are further complicating the already complicated situation of Making a Murderer. The testimonials of these women are so important in this particular case, which is now being argued extensively in the court of public opinion. Although Greenman and Avery's engagement is over, she is staying loyal to her ex-fiancé, which could be meaningful for Avery's supporters.

Image: Netflix