Shivangi Sinha
In 1983, Steven Avery was convicted of sexual assault, though he consistently maintained his innocence. It wasn’t until 2003 that the Wisconsin Innocence Project employed DNA testing to reveal the true perpetrator — Gregory Allen. He was a known offender with a history of violence against women and had been overlooked by authorities. This revelation led to Avery’s release in 2003 while Allen was already serving time in Brown County, Wisconsin, for another crime. Netflix’s ‘Making a Murderer’ provides a detailed account of these events and explores how Allen managed to evade scrutiny from law enforcement for so long.
Gregory Allen Was Not Treated as a Suspect in the 1985 Assault Case
While very little is known about Gregory A. Allen’s early years, reports suggest that he was living in North Carolina during the mid-1970s. He reportedly struggled with drug addiction and was sentenced to 18 to 24 months for felony narcotics possession in 1974, only to be released after serving nearly a year. By the early 1980s, he had relocated to Two Rivers, Wisconsin, where he quickly gained a reputation for trouble. In 1983, police suspected him of involvement in a sexual assault at a Lake Michigan beach. With a criminal history marked by violent behavior, often targeting women, authorities began keeping a close watch on him.
In July 1985, when Penny Beerntsen was sexually assaulted at a beach, Allen was considered a suspect alongside Steven Avery. However, due to the physical resemblance between the two men, Penny identified Steven as her attacker in a lineup. As per reports, she was not even shown a picture of Allen for identification at the time. While Avery served time for the crime, Allen continued his pattern of criminal behavior. Between 1987 and 1989, he was incarcerated for public indecency, causing disturbances, and other minor offenses. Following his release, he moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and began working at a coal company. In 1994, he committed another sexual assault, this time targeting a woman on the town’s west side. The victim identified him, leading to heightened surveillance of his activities.
Gregory Allen’s Escalating Criminal Activities Finally Led to His Arrest
In June 1995, Gregory Allen broke into the home of a 34-year-old woman in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, around 3 am. She has been legally identified as Amanda E. He concealed his identity with a towel, which he also used to cover the victim’s head. He assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she saw his face before fleeing the scene. Just a month later, he was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior in an unrelated incident. Given the nature of the June attack and his prior modus operandi, police strongly suspected him. Fingerprints recovered from the crime scene positively matched Allen, and additional evidence further implicated him.
In October 1995, Allen was formally charged with second-degree sexual assault, burglary, and kidnapping. While awaiting trial in Brown County Jail, he confessed to police that he had committed a sexual assault in Manitowoc County for which someone else had been wrongly imprisoned. The case he referred to was Penny Beerntsen’s assault. Although this information was relayed to law enforcement in Manitowoc County, no further investigation was conducted at the time. In July 1996, a jury convicted Allen on all charges against him, and he was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Gregory Allen is in a Wisconsin Prison Even Today
Based on DNA testing, Steven Avery was exonerated of the sexual assault charge, with Gregory Allen identified as the true perpetrator. However, he could not be charged for the crime because the statute of limitations had expired. At the time, he was already serving his sentence in Brown County Jail. He attempted to appeal his conviction, claiming ineffective counsel during his trial, but his appeal was rejected. In 2016, he became eligible for parole and was granted a hearing; however, his request was denied.
Although Allen has not been convicted, police have long suspected him of involvement in other crimes, including the murder of Donna Marie Emmel in North Carolina during the mid-1970s. He is also a suspect in an attempted sexual assault on a girl in the Green Bay, Wisconsin, area, among other cases. Allen has been a registered sex offender since 1996, following his conviction for criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. Now 70 years old, he is incarcerated at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. His maximum discharge date is set for 2055, but he will be eligible for his next parole hearing on April 24, 2025. Given his extensive criminal history and the nature of his offenses, it is highly unlikely that Gregory Allen will be granted parole.
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