Man wrongly imprisoned for rape convicted of murder

He was awarded 400,000 in a wrongful-conviction lawsuit.
CHILTON, Wis. (AP) -- A man who spent 18 years in prison for a rape he didn't commit was convicted Sunday of murdering a photographer, whose charred bones were found in a burn pit outside his home.
Steven Avery, 44, put his head down and shook it when the verdict was read. He faces a mandatory life prison term for killing Teresa Halbach, 25, on Halloween 2005 near his family's salvage yard.
Halbach disappeared Oct. 31, 2005, after going to the yard in rural Manitowoc County to photograph a minivan that Avery's sister had for sale through Auto Trader Magazine. Avery had called that morning to request the photo, testimony showed.
A few days later, Halbach's vehicle was found in the Avery salvage lot under branches, pieces of wood and car parts. Investigators then spent a week on the 40-acre property and found charred fragments of her bones in a pit behind Avery's garage and in a barrel, along with her camera and cell phone.
Released from prison
Two years before Halbach died, Avery was released from prison after serving 18 years for a Manitowoc County rape that DNA analysis showed he did not commit. He later settled a wrongful-conviction lawsuit against the county for 400,000 and used it for his defense.
After the verdict was read, Halbach's brother, Mike Halbach, 24, told reporters that he was pleased and that he believed his sister's spirit guided the jury.
"What matters is that Steven Avery is going to be in prison for the rest of his life, which from the start is what we wanted," he said.
Defense lawyer Dean Strang said Avery was disappointed but not despondent. He said they plan to consider challenging the conviction within 30 days.
"He has experience with the time that can pass before others accept his innocence," Strang said. "He's in effect an old hand, unfortunately, at waiting for the criminal justice system to get it right."
The jury convicted Avery of first-degree intentional homicide and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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