The amazing Sudbury connection to today's hottest story

The television phenomenon of the year has a Sudbury connection.

The Wisconsin murder trial of Steve Avery is the subject of water-cooler conversations and theories around the world thanks to the hit Netflix true-crime documentary series “Making a Murderer”.

But before all the international hoopla, Laurentian University forensic anthropologist Scott Fairgrieve had a front-row seat in what many had deemed the trial of the century for the state of Wisconsin.

Avery's defence attorneys Dean Strang and Jerry Buting asked Fairgrieve to testify as an expert witness, to examine how the burned remains of murder victim Teresa Halbach were handled.

Avery was the main suspect in the murder case that took a number of incredible turns.

Halbach was killed in 2005, but only two years prior, Avery was acquitted of a violent rape he did not commit after DNA evidence proved his innocence. He spent 18 years in prison for those charges.

The 10-hour documentary series follows Avery's story after he is acquitted of that first crime, and suspected of the second two years later.

Much of the series takes cameras inside the 2007 murder trial, and questions the prosecution's arguments that Avery was guilty.

NorthernLife.ca will have more on Fairgrieve's involvement in the case as the day progresses.