As far as possible motives, Avery claimed they ranged from Charles' desire to "frame Steven over money [following his wrongful imprisonment settlement], a share of the family business, and over Jodi Stachowski," Steven's girlfriend at the time. Charles Avery also had a history of assaulting women who visited the Avery's salvage yard.
Earl Avery similarly had a criminal history, having been charged with sexually abusing his two daughters in 1995. He also eagerly assisted police in their investigation of Steven Avery.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Making a Murderer co-directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos said that Avery's legal team wasn't allowed to broach the topic of other suspects during Avery's murder trial. "The defense said if it was given the opportunity, they'd like to argue it wasn't Steven Avery but it may have been this person or that person," Demos said. "And the judge said, basically, 'You haven't met your burden of proof and I'm not going to allow you to mention any of those people by name. But you can name Brendan [Dassey],'" Avery's nephew whose (possibly coerced) statement pegged Avery to Halbach's murder.
