Their cases have gained worldwide attention since the 10-part Netflix docu-series “Making a Murderer” was released December 18.
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The half-brother of Brendan Dassey – the subject of Netflix documentary series Making A Murderer along with his uncle Steven Avery – has released a rap protest track proclaiming the pair’s innocence.
Steven Avery was convicted over the death of Teresa Halbach in 2007 in Wisconsin. Avery is now serving life in prison without the possibility of parole, while Brendan is serving a life in prison with the possibility of parole sentence.
“Making a Murderer”, a 10-episode documentary on the Netflix streaming service, questioned the handling of the case and the motivation of Manitowoc County law enforcement officials.
Avery was convicted in 1985 in the rape of jogger Penny Beerntsen on a beach near her home in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. He was exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003. In 2011, the Court of Appeals upheld Avery’s conviction.
Stachowski, who appeared throughout the docuseries, told HLN Avery was abusive throughout their two-year relationship, and threatened to kill her, her family and a friend. Dassey’s case is being argued in federal court by Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth.
The juror is alleged to have urged other members to find Avery guilty, telling them “if you can’t handle it why don’t you tell and just leave”, according to the filed document.
In the filing, littered with spelling and grammatical mistakes, Avery takes issue with a search conducted during the murder investigation, saying the investigation improperly included multiple properties and therefore any evidence that was uncovered is clearly “FRUIT OF THE POISONOUS TREE”.
Phone and email messages left with the former district attorney who handled the case, Ken Kratz, were not returned.
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“I’m disappointed that Mr. Avery’s appellate lawyers are allowing him to continue to file pleadings with the court on his own – that’s what lawyers are hired to do”, he said.
