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Sheriff calls Avery documentary one-sided

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MANITOWOC -- The Netflix series Making a Murderer," featuring the murder case against Steven Avery, is creating a social media firestorm.

"I call it a movie, not a documentary because it doesn't share all the facts," said Sheriff Robert Hermann, Manitowoc County. 

Since the series premiered Friday, the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office has felt the backlash. 

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"We've been receiving a lot of e-mails and phone calls that are very negative, somewhat hate e-mails I guess you would call them," said Sheriff Hermann. 

Avery was convicted of rape in 1985.  He was released from prison in 2003, 18 years later, after the Innocence Project found DNA linked to another man.  In 2005, Avery was convicted of murdering Teresa Halbach. 

"A lot of the things were taken out of chronological order, taken out of context, twisted."

Sheriff Hermann hasn't seen the documentary, but close colleagues have.

"Quite frankly they have no clue." 

Another agency, not associated with the original case, is also feeling the heat.

"Basically, we're being affected by people commenting on our Facebook page mistaking us for the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department who handled the previous cases," explained Assistant Police Chief Nick Reimer. 

The Manitowoc Assistant Police Chief posted a comment on Facebook as an attempt to set the agencies apart.

The Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office handled the cases referred to in the Netflix series. The Sheriff says the film makers got their facts wrong.

"Those are probably not things that sell movies," said Sheriff Hermann. 

Avery will spend life life in prison without the possibility of parole.