‘Making A Murderer’: Was Teresa Halbach A Sacrificial Lamb?

The following is purely speculation and in no way should be considered concrete facts unless future evidence proves otherwise. Spoilers ahead for “Making A Murderer.”

Netflix
Netflix

Read Part One Here.

When we last left you, my clairvoyant friend Amy and I had started investigating and “reading” members of the much-talked about Avery/Halbach case. In the previous installment, I mentioned a few people who would be featured in this piece, but when Amy looked over the photos again, plans changed — as they sometimes do when it comes to things of this nature.

Are you ready to dive back in? Because after studying the photos I sent over, Amy sent me this text:

Morning sister! I have one more day of tennis matches but want to tell you I am getting quite a bit from the woman you sent me pictures of. It is all very confusing to me… hope it makes sense to you.

And with that, we return to:

Teresa Halbach

Netflix
Netflix

Amy sent an email after doing a full read of the photos I emailed along. Here is what she had to say regarding Teresa. (A quick reminder, we are not using names so as not to taint her information, but “the sad man” is Steven Avery.)

I am just going to puke out every single thing coming as crazy as it all sounds. Hopefully you will know if any of it is even possible. It is just absolutely insane…there is so much, I don’t even know where to begin. First, I feel she was connected to some of these men. I feel like she was asked to do a “job”? That had to do with the sad man too.

As we all know, Teresa was at the Avery property to photograph a car. Now, she was not there to photograph STEVEN’S car — she was there to photograph his sister’s car, Barb Janda (Brendan Dassey’s mother.) Is her son, Bobby Dassey, involved in this? What about her husband?

She was used. They led her like a sheep to slaughter. The whole thing being contrived as an ends to a means? I feel she was meeting someone the night she was killed and I do feel she was killed.

Perhaps the car being sold was part of the setup? Teresa had already photographed cars for sale for the Averys previously. Maybe this is why they thought she’d be a good mark to get Steven back in trouble? Or were authorities goading them into finding some dirt on Steven and this seemed easier?

Not knowing a plan was hatching that she was going to be a sacrificial lamb kind of scenario? I feel the man in the police uniform you sent of the pic of is one of the men her set this whole thing in motion. I feel like this is a huge setup. A trap.

The man in the police uniform is, of course, Andrew Colborn, but let’s get to him later.

This disturbs me greatly…but I feel she is in pieces? Scattered and bloody. THE WORST part being…I feel parts of her were fed to pigs. I am being dead serious. I feel she was eaten by pigs. At least parts of her. I literally see a white bucket of blood and parts. It makes me sick.

We are aware that Teresa was eventually burnt and what was found was just incinerated body parts. But does this mean she was dismembered before being burnt? That would make sense, especially if the information provided during the case was correct: that she was burnt in one area and transported to the Avery land. Pieces burn easier than a full body, I’m sure. And as for the pigs… is this a literal translation, meaning she was actually fed to pigs, or is this a metaphor for the police? When I posed this question to Amy, she admitted spirits sometime speak in metaphors or code. I then informed her that Teresa was indeed sent for a job but that according to Colborn’s testimony, Steven Avery knew she was coming and never interacted with her.

Wow…yes, this is exactly along the lines of what I got. She was brought there for a specific reason. So what I was seeing on that property with all the cars…this is where she was brought to for this job? So he did know she was coming, but says he did not talk to her or see her. I feel that is truth. I felt he did not see her and was not close when she was there.

Very interesting. I went on to ask her if she had a clear picture on Teresa’s actual cause of death.

I have always felt she was shot. Quick death once done. And dismembered after death. Mostly because of wanting to give the illusion of wanting to “hide” her…to make sure no one would ever be able to “find her”…to really make it look like a lot of trouble had to “cover up.” Also, to make it seem like he, the sad man, had help too. I see someone saying “there is no way he could have done it on his own.”

This is, as we know, the cause of death. Two gunshots to the head. I find the insight to the dismemberment really key, that it wasn’t so much about the violence as the aspect of staging the crime. I mentioned that it was widely reported during the case that Steven Avery was the last person to see Teresa alive. Amy’s response:

He was not the last to see her. They are lying. She was set up to go there for the purpose of grabbing her on his property. Period.

This. Makes. So. Much. SENSE.

I also feel this woman was sexually involved with one of the men. Not love…sex. I don’t know why…I don’t have a flash or anything to prove that…I just feel there was something going on with one of them that made her easy for this person to ask, convince, and sacrifice.

At first, I was stumped. Who would’ve been involved in her death that Teresa might’ve had a sexual connection with? And then I remembered…

Ryan Hillegas

Netflix
Netflix

Teresa Halbach’s ex-boyfriend has been the focus of a lot of attention after the case. For example, why was he the HEAD of the search party? Why did he act so sketchy on the stand? I don’t know, something about him doesn’t sit right with me, and according to the comments I’ve received I’m not alone in feeling this. So I asked Amy to check out his photo again. (A note, without names, she refers to Ryan as “the skinhead guy.”)

The skinhead guy is lying…I see money exchanged with him. He made up a complete story and yes, I do feel a connection with the woman. It may not have been intimate…but it was definitely sexual as far as him flirting with her, charming her…trying to get to her. He got paid off.

Normally I’d think this was pretty farfetched but one must ask — again, WHY was he in charge of the search party? He was also informing volunteers not to call 911 if they found anything but to phone specific detectives. I can’t say I know a lot about the procedure there but that seems odd. Almost as if he was instructed to do so.

Speaking of being instructed to do something, let’s turn our attention to:

James Lenk

Netflix
Netflix

The balding man with glasses, suit and tie. He is lying. He is a yes man. He has a slight conscience, and I do mean slight… it is not enough for him to tell the truth or go back on what he has said or don’t do what he has been told to do. I feel he testified and his testimony was just corroboration to help make some evidence airtight?

This is interesting as I always suspected Lenk may be the brains of the operation, the one who set the whole thing in motion, but now I wonder if maybe it was someone even higher than him. Perhaps the sheriff who said it would be easier to kill Steven Avery than frame him?

I feel he feels he is doing the right thing. I hear someone basically bullying him along the lines of “It is in your best interest to cooperate with this…” Like if he doesn’t he will go down with the ship along with them type of thing. Basically a veiled threat.

We all know that Lenk was one of the police officers, as well as Colborn, who inserted himself into investigations when it wasn’t necessary. I also shared with Amy photos of the infamous car key and vial of blood:

I see posing. Things being posed. Objects. The first thing that flashed with the picture of the vial of blood and the key was a person placing it carefully, but quickly in different places. I actually feel the man in the first picture I read…baldy…has something to do with placing things? I also see a younger person too. There are at least 4 men doing individual parts of carrying out what I am seeing right now. Some placing or planting things. Some killing. Some dismembering. Some being a “lookout.”

Lenk had every opportunity to place both of those things, and I find it extremely interesting she was able to pick up that they were found in different places — and placed QUICKLY. The key, as we all know, was found a significant amount of time after initial deep searching. Hmmm.


There’s still a lot to go through from this session of reads. I promise at some point we’ll get to Brendan Dassey, Andrew Colborn, and everyone’s favorite, Ken Kratz. But as many have pointed out, there’s another suspicious character to consider: Teresa’s brother, Mike Halbach. I’m sending along some photos of him as we speak for Amy to consider. Let’s see where we go from here. I’m ready for the ride if you are. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

Read Part Three Here.

Horror writer for Creepy Catalog, ESFP, Kylo Ren advocate, Slytherin, sassbasket.

Keep up with M.J. on Instagram, Twitter and Website

More From Thought Catalog