. >> reporter: and then, he hustled over to this special land in manitowoc county. had you heard his name before? >> only through the media. >> reporter: steven avery was a big story. but 18 years later, dna evidence exonerated him and he was freed. he was welcomed back with open arms. >> were you aware he had filed the lawsuit against the local sheriff's department? >> i heard that. >> reporter: avery was hoping winning the lawsuit could help him get back on his feet. >> he had an opportunity to make something of his life. it appeared he was headed in that direction. >> reporter: now, two years after the conviction, he was back in the news and not in a good way. he learned teresa halbach had an appointment on october 31st. >> this is teresa with "auto trader" magazine. just giving you a call to let you know that i can come out here today, in the afternoon. it will be around 2:00. >> reporter: steven avery confirmed to investigators that teresa had been on the property that day and left around 2:00 p.m. avery didn't tell them much more. but for investigators, a dark