Toyota RAV4

The **Toyota RAV4** was Teresa Halbach's vehicle at the time she went missing. It was discovered at Avery’s Auto Salvage by a volunteer searcher. The prosecution argued that discovery of the vehicle was legit, Avery's defense found it suspicious the vehicle was found in about 30 minutes on a large terrain containing many vehicles.

Steven Avery's blood was found in the front part of the car and his DNA was found underneath the hood of the car. Halbach's blood was found in the back of the vehicle.

## Description

A 1999 model in a SUV series of vehicles by Japanese manufacturer Toyota. Described as either blue, green, or teal. When it was discovered at Avery’s Auto Salvage a blinker light had been broken and the license plates were missing.

## Discovery

On Wednesday 3 November 2005 Halbach had been reported missing by her mother. Many volunteers began searching for her, or any sign of her, that day and the following days.

On Saturday 5 November Pamela and Nikole Sturm, relatives of Teresa Halbach, wanted to help search for Halbach but they arrived late for a search effort by a volunteer group that morning. They decided to search on their own and wanted to check out the Avery’s Auto Salvage property, as it hadn't been checked yet by the other volunteer searches.

As they entered the property, they met with Steven's brother Earl and asked him if it was okay if they could check out the salvage yard. Earl gave them consent and gave them directions.

Pam and Nikole intended to check every vehicle they saw on the salvage yard. As Nikole started going into a western direction checking cars there, her mother went southwards up to some sort of ridge where there were about seven or eight cars. As she walked over the ridge, she noticed there was one car partially covered with branches, a hood of the vehicle. At the back it said "Toyota RAV4" and Pam figured it had to be her missing relative's car. She called her daughter, who had searched about 50 vehicles by now.

## Forensic examination

*See also: blood in the RAV4*
On Sunday 6 November Steve Harrington, an analyst for the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, informed the DCI that a very visual amount of blood had been observed in the back of the vehicle and a stain had been observed near the ignition. The latter was swabbed and submitted to a presumptive test which indicated the presence of blood.

On Monday 7 November forensic scienstist Sherry Culhane examined the RAV4. Inside the RAV4 she observed numerous pieces of (potential) evidence. Each item was designated and photographed.

Also on 7 November was an examination by Nick Stahlke, a bloodstain pattern analyst with the State Crime Lab. Looking for stains, Stahlke found no stains on the exterior of the vehicle, but observed numerous stains inside the vehicle. Stahlke believed most of the stains in the front of the car were drops or contact transfers and they were consistent with someone bleeding from a cut on their finger.

Stahlke also observed blood in the cargo area of the vehicle. A large stain was observed near the back of the cargo area, of which a part looked like a bloody hair transfer. Stahlke observed no blood on the carpet right next to the stain. Stahlke described stains on the cargo door as "impact stains", possibly being flung off a bloody object that was handled near the door, possibly a body.

Stahlke noticed the battery of the RAV4 had been disconnected.

The list of potential evidence recovered from the RAV4 was:

* A-1 a six inch stain in the cargo area of the vehicle;
* A-2 a stain from a plastic strip in the cargo area;
* A-3 a stain from the cargo area surface;
* A-4 a stain near the cargo door frame;
* A-5 a hair recovered from the back seat;

* A-6 a stain on the front driver's seat;
* A-7 a reddish-brown crust found besides the console;
* A-8 a stain by the ignition;
* A-9 a stain on the front passenger seat;
* A-10 a stain on a CD case on the front passenger seat;

* A-11 material from the
* A-12 a stain on the passenger side between the backseat and the cargo area;
* A-13a DNA recovered from a compact flash card;
* A-14 a Wild Cherry Pepsi can;
* A-15 blinker light recovered from the cargo area;

* A-16 a lug wrench recovered from the cargo area;

* A-23 a stain on the cargo door handle;
* A-25 unidentified fingerprints;
* ID a swab taken from a latch under the hood.

## At trial and appeals

### 2016 - 2023 Kathleen Zellner appeals

In January 2016 postconviction attorney Kathleen Zellner took Steven Avery's case following its portrayal in the Netflix series *Making a Murderer*. Throughout her representation Zellner has been very vocal on social media about the case, which includes tweets about the RAV4 and the evidence find in and on it. Some of Zellner's earlier tweets include:

* 2 January 2016: #Makingamurderer is a simple recipe; a tablespoon of your blood planted by cops in victim's car blended with false confession of slow teen.
* 4 February 2016: RAV4: no mix SA & TH DNA, no SA prints but skin cells on latch/blood in car. So SA gloves had holes or planters did not. ‪#MakingAMurderer
* 10 February 2016: Theresa's car was locked when it was found. Killers don't do that-- preserves the evidence. Kinda obvious who locked.‪#MakingAMurderer
* 17 May 2016: SA: evidence planted -trailer, garage, fire pit. burn barrel & car. BD: evidence planted - in his mind. Both: badly done #MakingAMurderer

Though the RAV4 gets mentioned here and there Zellner doesn't specify who she believes planted the RAV4 on Avery's Auto Salvage. Her Tweet from 10 February suggests she believed the cops were involved.

In February 2016 Zellner bought herself a Toyota RAV4, albeit a newer, slightly different model, for investigative/experimentative purposes.

In August 2016 Zellner filed her *Motion for Post-conviction Scientific Testing*, requesting over 40 items of evidence for postconviction scientific testing with contemporary methods. Among those items was the Toyota RAV4. Later that year Zellner agreed with the State to lend her just 9 items of evidence, dropping numerous items including the Toyota RAV4.

In June 2017 Zellner filed her postconviction motion in which she alleged that Teresa Halbach's friend and former boyfriend Ryan Hillegas had access to the Toyota RAV4 after the murder, because he obtained a printed “day planner” that could only have come from the RAV4, determines Zellner. Zellner also had an unnamed audio-expert analyze officer Andrew Colborn's dispatch call from 3 November 2005 who determined that in the back a voice can be heard saying "it's hers", which Zellner believes to be a reference to the RAV4.

In September 2017 Zellner spoke to the State prosecutors and they agreed to lend her the Toyota RAV4 for a complete examination by Zellner's experts Karl Reich and Christopher Palenik. Zellner never made the agreement official and when the circuit court Judge denied Zellner's brief the next month, Zellner missed her chance to obtain the RAV4.

In an August 2018 interview for the book *Wrecking Crew* by John Ferak, Zellner is quoted saying about the RAV4:

* “The tree branches on the RAV show that it was planted by the cops.”
* “The branches and random car hood were placed on the vehicle so Kratz could argue that the flyover would not pick up the RAV because it was covered. The other tell that the cops and not the killer planted the RAV is that the vehicle was locked. The killer would not waste time locking the vehicle.”

In a December 2018 interview with Newsweek, Zellner claimed it was because of her and her team's efforts that the cops were cleared of planting blood, bones, license plates and electronic devices of Teresa Halbach. Leaving other evidence including the RAV4 as possibly being planted by the cops.

In April 2021 Zellner wrote on her Twitter account, "Tomorrow you will find out who really planted Teresa Halbach’s RAV4 on the Avery Salvage Yard." The next day she filed a new motion in which she wrote Bobby Dassey and an unknown older man with a grey beard were seen on Avery Road pushing the RAV4 towards Avery’s Auto Salvage in the early morning of 5 November 2005, hours before a volunteer searcher would discover it.

In July 2022 Zellner filed her third post-conviction motion, again claiming Bobby Dassey planted the RAV4, but now with his teenage friend Mike, rather than an older man with a grey beard.

## Photos

Trial exhibit 5 - Teresa in front of her RAV4Trial exhibit 29 - RAV4 photographed by volunteer searcherTrial exhibit 30 - RAV4 photographed by volunteer searcherTrial exhibit 31 - RAV4 photographed by volunteer searcherTrial exhibit 32 - RAV4 photographed by volunteer searcherTrial exhibit 33 - RAV4 photographed by volunteer searcherTrial exhibit 34 - RAV4 photographed by volunteer searcherTrial exhibit 130 - RAV4 with law enforcementTrial exhibit 131 - hood of the RAV4Trial exhibit 132 - front passenger side of the RAV4Trial exhibit 133 - rear drivers side viewTrial exhibit 134 - passenger side viewTrial exhibit 135 - rear view of the RAV4Trial exhibit 136 - passenger side rear viewTrial exhibit 137 - passenger side viewTrial exhibit 138 - front passenger side viewTrial exhibit 191 - RAV4 in evidenceTrial exhibit 192 - under the hood of the RAV4Trial exhibit 289 - RAV4 in evidenceTrial exhibit 307 - RAV4 in evidenceTrial exhibit 308 - RAV4 in evidence
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Avery Preliminary Hearing Transcripts*, day 2 - testimony of Pamela Sturm
2. ↑ *Wisconsin DOJ DCI ACISS Investigative 05-1776/167*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 205
4. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 206
5. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 209
6. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 220
7. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 223
8. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 24
9. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 227
10. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 228
11. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 11 - testimony of Nick Stahlke, page 230
12. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 10 - testimony of Sherry Culhane, page 145
13. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 10 - testimony of Sherry Culhane, page 146
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 10 - testimony of Sherry Culhane, page 147
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 10 - testimony of Sherry Culhane, page 144
16. ↑ *Avery Trial Transcripts*, day 10 - testimony of Sherry Culhane, page 142
17. ↑ Brennan, A., "Is Steven Avery about to be proved innocent?", *GQ Magazine*. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
18. ↑ Zellner, K., *Stipulation and Order for Independent Scientific Testing*, page 1
19. ↑ Zellner, K., *Stipulation and Order for Independent Scientific Testing*, page 2
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Ferak, J. *Wrecking Crew*, page 133
21. ↑ Wynne, K., "Kathleen Zellner Gives Steven Avery Case Update After DNA Testing Is Denied by Wisconsin Courts", *Newsweek*. December 31, 2018