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Judge
Patrick L. Willis delivers his sentence to Steven Avery at
the Manitowoc County Courthouse in Manitowoc, Wis. In March,
Avery, 44, of Mishicot, was convicted of first-degree
intentional homicide and possession of a firearm by a
convicted felon in the 2005 slaying of 25-year-old Teresa
Halbach. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole
for first degree intentional homicide and five years in
prison for possession of a fire arm by a felon.
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MANITOWOC - Teresa Halbach made a
video diary three years before she died - never imagining her words
and easy smile would be considered Friday by the judge deciding
whether the man convicted of her murder should go away for life.
"Let's say I died
tomorrow," Halbach, a photographer, said into the camera.
"I don't think I will. I think I have a lot more to do. ... I
just want people I love to know that whenever I die, that I was
happy. That I'm happy with what I did with my life."
Steven Avery, 44, was sentenced
Friday to life in prison with no chance for parole.
Avery was convicted in March of
killing the 25-year-old Halbach on Halloween 2005 near his family's
rural auto salvage lot. He also was convicted of being a felon in
possession of a firearm and sentenced to 10 years on that charge.
Manitowoc County Circuit Judge
Patrick Willis reviewed Avery's history of convictions for
burglaries, threatening a woman with a gun and dousing a cat with
gasoline before throwing it in a bonfire, before sentencing him. The
offenses escalated over time, Willis said, and the latest one -
Halbach's murder - was a "calculated" case of premeditated
murder.
"You are probably the most
dangerous individual ever to set foot in this courtroom,"
Willis said Friday. "From what I see nothing in your life
suggests that society would ever be safe from your behavior."
Avery spent 18 years in prison for
rape before he was freed in 2003 after DNA samples proved another
man committed that crime.
His attorneys argued during his
five-week trial that Avery was set up by the sheriff's department
that wrongly put him away, in retaliation for a civil lawsuit he
filed against it. Avery has maintained his innocence and in April
told The Associated Press he was confident he would be exonerated
for a second time, as long as he kept his private lawyers.
He spoke briefly Friday, saying he
feels sorry for Halbach's family and their friends - as well as his
family and himself.
"It's hurting everybody,"
he said.
But he said once again that he would
eventually prove his innocence.
"Teresa Halbach, I didn't kill.
I am innocent for all of this," he said. "I figured later
on I will prove myself innocent."
His lawyers, Dean Strang and Jerome
Buting, lost a motion for a new trial last month but said they plan
to consider other avenues to exonerate Avery, including other
motions and an appeal. Strang said Friday he wasn't sure if he and
Buting would stay on the case or if Avery would have new lawyers.
Four months after Avery was arrested,
authorities charged his 17-year-old nephew, Brendan Dassey, after he
said the pair raped and killed Halbach and then burned her body. He
later recanted his statement but was convicted in April of
first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault and
mutilation of a corpse. His sentencing is Aug. 2.
Strang asked the judge to grant Avery
the chance at parole "to preserve the prospects of
progress" for him.
But five of Halbach's relatives urged
the judge not to grant any possibility of parole.
Halbach's younger brother. Mike
Halbach, who has been stoic as family spokesman, broke down when he
read his statement. He said he didn't choose this heartbreak.
"Steven Avery chose my sister
Teresa," he said. "He thought only of himself. He chose to
end her life, he chose to redeem his sins inside himself and point
blame to everyone else."
Halbach's family sobbed Friday as
prosecutors played Halbach's video. Mike Halbach later said the
family found it after she died.
In the video, she also said if she
dies early she wished she could have been a mother.
"Because that's the one thing
I've always known that I want to be - a mom. But there's a reason
for everything. And I will be a good mom one day. I will."
"As long as I'm happy," she
says with a smile.
She said she loved hugs, her family,
God, making people laugh, traveling, people giving her compliments
and music groups the Beatles and No Doubt.
"I love knowing that I like who
I am," she said. "I love taking pictures. I love holding a
camera in my hand. I love kids. I love babies.
"I don't hate anyone. I love a
lot of people. I feel loved."
There was no show of emotion from the
Halbachs or Avery when the judge read his decision.
Mike Halbach said later that he was
relieved.
"He got what he deserved,"
Halbach said. "He murdered my sister. There's no doubt about
that. He should pay for it. I hope we never hear from Steven Avery
again."
Strang said he was sorry Avery would
have no chance at parole.
"It's a slow death," he
said.
Strang said he did not know what
happened the day Halbach was murdered, but he believes in Avery.
"There's more good in this man
than there is bad," he said.
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