The mother of Steven Avery, the convicted killer at the center of the Netflix docuseries “Making a Murderer,” died the day before his 59th birthday.
His lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, confirmed the death of Dolores Avery in a tweet Thursday afternoon. She was 83.
“Fate dealt another cruel blow to Steven Avery today right before his birthday tomorrow; his mother Dolores Avery passed away at 6:50 am. He needs your support now more than ever,” she wrote.
Avery’s brother, Earl, told TMZ that Dolores has been battling dementia and spent the last three weeks in hospice care. He added the last time she spoke to Steven was likely 8 or 9 months ago.
“Losing my parents before I got out has always been my worst nightmare. Now it has happened,” Avery told the website.
“I worry my Dad will not live to see me as a free man. Today I lost the person I most wanted to take care of and give a better life when I am freed. I cannot put in words the pain of losing my mom.”
Steven and his 31-year-old nephew, Brendan Dassey, are both currently serving life sentences for the murder of Theresa Halbach. The young photographer vanished Oct. 31, 2005 shortly after a visit to Avery’s home, where she snapped images of a car he intended to sell.
Amid their search for 25-year-old Halbach, police discovered her Toyota RAV4 hidden among the junked vehicles in a salvage yard near Avery’s home. Her charred remains were later discovered in a fire pit on the property and Avery’s DNA was found inside Halbach’s vehicle.
Both Avery and Dassey have long maintained their innocence in the case, with each of them repeatedly attempting to appeal their prison sentences. The hit Netflix doc that premiered on the streaming platform in 2015 explored theories that authorities’ key suspect and his nephew were set up for Halbach’s murder.
Dolores, who also appeared in “Making a Murderer,” did not believe her to son to be a killer.
“Loved her family, lived for the day Steven was freed, never stopped believing in him and his innocence,” Zellner said. “Her spirit and devotion will sustain us. Steven knows she is watching over him.”
