While we’ve already had a scientist explain why the DNA evidence in Making a Murderer is total garbage, and even some of the jurors have admitted to not following Judge Fox’s instructions (which could potentially lead to Avery getting a new trial), we haven’t had any new information with regards to whether or not the police in Manitowoc county really planted evidence. I mean, yeah we’ve had Avery’s ex-fiancee, Jodi Stachowski, come forward to call him a “monster,” just like we’ve had Brendan Dassey’s first lawyer, Len Kachinsky, tell people he was just “misunderstood,” but this is all just opinion traded back and forth — where’s the beef, bitch?
Well according to court papers found by OnMilwaukee.com, a nurse named Marlene Kraintz was supposed to testify that the hole in the top of the vial of Avery’s blood is actually a common occurrence, and that in fact SHE was the one who put it there:
The prison nurse who originally drew Steven Avery’s blood and put it into the vial featured prominently and dramatically in the Netflix “Making a Murderer” documentary “would testify that she was the one who put the hole in the vacutainer tube at issue,” a court document obtained by OnMilwaukee says.
The nurse, Marlene Kraintz, wasn’t called to testify because the prosecution didn’t think the defense had raised the blood hole theory at trial strongly enough to warrant rebuttal.
If you think back and remember the moment defense lawyers Buting and Strang discover the hole in the vial’s rubber stopper, it’s presented as one giant lightbulb moment — which makes sense since that was their defense argument; that the police tampered with and planted evidence. However, it appears that having a hole in the tops of blood vials is a common occurrence:
Furthermore, two national experts – including the chair of the committee that writes the industry standards on drawing blood samples – told OnMilwaukee that such blood vials are supposed to have holes pierced in their rubber stoppers. According to the experts, that’s how the blood gets into the vial.
Not only is it not uncommon, but it’s the way the vials – in this case, according to court records, a purple-stopped Vacutainer – are supposed to work. According to Dennis Ernst, director of the Center for Phlebotomy Education, in Coydon, Ind., there are two ways to use such vials. The first method involves the nurse drawing blood with a syringe and then sticking the syringe into the rubber stopper top of the vial to put the blood in the tube. The second way uses what is called a “tube holder adapter,” a device with needles on both sides. One needle goes into the person whose blood is being drawn, and the other needle goes into the tube stopper to insert the blood.
“If it’s properly filled, that stopper will always have a pierced marking,” said Ernst, who is also the chair of the national committee that writes the industry standard on phlebotomy – the practice of blood drawing – and drawing samples.(via)
While this doesn’t officially eliminate the idea that police could’ve Avery’s blood out of the tube using a syringe through the already-made hole, it does mean that it’s possible police actually didn’t tamper with the blood vial.
Then again if we go back and remember the situation under which Avery’s blood was found in the Rav 4 — blood all over meaning that the cut on Avery’s finger would’ve had to have been exposed, except none of his fingerprints were found which means he would’ve had to have worn gloves making his cut finger NOT exposed — we’re back at square one. In all seriousness we really just need to revive Teresa Halbach from the dead, ask here what was up and be done with this mess. Anyone got a Ouija board? Anyone? Anyone?
[H/T OnMilwaukee]