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Read the disturbing text messages that caused Making a Murderer's Ken Kratz to lose his job
If you're part of the population that became obsessed with Netflix's docuseries Making a Murderer over the holidays, then you are well acquainted with the face of Ken Kratz, the Wisconsin prosecutor responsible for Steven Avery receiving a life sentence in the 2005 death of Teresa Halbach.
While the series has polarized viewers, raised a million questions about Avery's guilt and caused many to wring their hands at the American judicial system, there's one thing most of us can agree on: Kratz is pretty creepy.
His overconfident demeanor during the trial mixed with his love of stepping up to the mic to address local media was skeezy for sure, and as fans of Making a Murderer became obsessed with the show and started googling Kratz's name, more information about him began bubbling to the surface.
As we learned at the end of Making a Murderer, Kratz was involved in a sexting scandal in 2009, in which he sent a series of inappropriate texts to a female domestic violence victim. Kratz was prosecuting the woman's ex-boyfriend for allegedly strangling her when Katz sent upwards of 30 sexually suggestive messages to the victim.
The woman told investigators she felt threatened by the messages and was "afraid that if she doesn't do what he wants, Kratz will throw out her whole case," according to ABC News. The scandal led to Kratz's resignation as Calumet County district attorney after the governor sought his removal.
The text messages he sent that led to his resignation are now public — and pretty disturbing.
"It was nice talking with you! Feel free to text me (between 8 and 4) if you are bored. You have such potential. See ya. KEN (your favorite DA)," Kratz messaged the victim on Oct. 20, 2009, the first message in a three-day series of texts used in the woman's civil suit against Kratz, obtained by Radar Online.
"No text yet today? I’m feeling ignored. Are you even up yet?" Kratz followed up with. According to Radar, the woman replied that she was ill and Kratz offered to bring her soup and a margarita — which she declined.
At 11:30 a.m. on the same day the victim told Kratz she was ill, his text advances became more aggressive.
"I know this is wrong. I am such an honest guy, and straight shooter…but I have to know more about you… Are you the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA…the riskier the better?" he wrote.
"Still wondering if I’m worth it? Can I help you answer any questions?" he persisted as the woman shut down his advances. “Why would such a successful, respected attorney be acting like he’s in 7th grade? Are you worried about me?”
The victim then told Kratz that she would not lie and she was uncomfortable with his behavior, but Kratz persisted.
"You should never lie to me! Obviously we have talents and this to offer that the other is intrigued by [sic], or you would have called me creepy. You wanna accept."
On Oct. 21, 2009, Kratz began to verbally attack the domestic abuse victim when it became clear that she was not reciprocating.
"It would go slow enough for Shannon’s case to get done. Remember it would be special enough to risk all," he texted the victim, alluding to the fact his sexual fantasy about her would last the duration of her former boyfriend's abuse case.
When the woman didn't respond, Kratz kept the texts coming by demeaning her and talking himself up. "Hey..Miss Communication, what’s the sticking point? Your low-self esteem and you fear you can’t play in my big sandbox?[sic]
"You may look good at first glance, but women that are blonde, 6ft tall, legs and great bodies don’t like to be shown off or to please their men! [sic]" he wrote on Oct. 21.
"I’m the atty. I have the $350,000 house. I have the 6-figure career. You may be the tall, young, hot nymph, but I am the prize."
His final texts came on Oct. 22, 2009.
"I would not expect you to be the other woman," he wrote. "I would want you to be so hot and treat me so well that you’d be THE woman! R U that good?"
The woman filed a sexual harassment suit, which was settled out of court in 2013, according to Radar.
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