Before Avery was wrongfully convicted of rape, he was accused by his then-sister-in-law of abusing his wife Lori. A report of an incident was filed with the Manitowoc County police wherein Avery's sister-in-law stated that Steven "beat up on his wife, and she left home and went to a domestic violence center," according to a report from Vocal Media. The couple divorced in 1988, and although Steven Avery never remarried, he pursued a relationship with Jodi Stachowski.
Stachowski was featured in "Making a Murderer," and she and Avery lived together after his release from prison. In the middle of filming the series, the couple ended their relationship, but Jodi was depicted as a supporter of Avery. However, Jodi revealed that Steven purportedly threatened to kill her and her family, and her claims were supposedly substantiated by documents as well as a court order for Avery to pay a fine and keep his distance from Jodi for three days, per Vocal Media.
After "Making a Murderer" aired, Jodi revealed in an interview that her participation and support for Avery was an act. "He told me how to act. You know, smile, be happy. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to get hurt," Jodi said during an interview with HLN, which is available on YouTube. She wanted to leave Avery so bad that she once ingested rat poison just so she could go to the hospital to be away from him (via The Sun). Jodi stated that she believes Avery is not innocent.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
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