'Making a Murderer' Detective Andrew Colborn Sues Netflix for Defamation

The retired officer claims he's been subjected to "worldwide ridicule, contempt and disdain"

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Dec 18, 2018

While Making a Murderer may have recently wrapped Season 2, the hit Netflix docuseries is now getting hit with a new defamation lawsuit.

Retired sheriff's detective Andrew Colborn has filed the suit against Netflix and the show's creators, alleging Making a Murderer falsely suggested that he planted evidence to frame murder suspects Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey.

As Variety reports, the suit was filed in Manitowoc County Circuit Court in Wisconsin, alleging that Colborn has been subject to "worldwide ridicule, contempt and disdain" since the show first debuted in December 2015.

"His reputation and that of Manitowoc County, itself, has been severely and unjustly defamed," Colborn's lawyer, Michael Griesbach, said in a press release. "He is filing this lawsuit to set the record straight and to restore his good name."

The lawsuit itself reads, "Their manipulation... testimony falsely conveyed to viewers that plaintiff located Halbach's SUV somewhere other than at the salvage yard days earlier and likely assisted other law enforcement officers plant it there at a later time. The impression is false and gave to viewers the exact opposite impression of what plaintiff was asked and how he responded at trial."

In addition to naming Netflix in the lawsuit, other defendants include Making a Murderer directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, Netflix executives Lisa Nishimura and Adam Del Deo, and editor Mary Manhardt.

Netflix has declined to comment, but you can see the full lawsuit over here.

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