A federal judge has overturned the conviction of a Brendan Dassey, whose case was the subject of hit Netflix series Making a Murderer.
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The story of the Wisconsin teen and his uncle, Steven Avery, was catapulted into the public sphere when in December 2015 Netflix released its 10-part documentary series about the 2005 murder of Halbach in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.
The US District Court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ruled that prosecutors still have 90 days to decide if they will retry Dassey, who is now 26-years-old, and that he should be freed if no appeal is lodged.
Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos spent 10 years of their lives documenting the trial of Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey.
November 5, 2005: Halbach’s cousins find her vehicle under brush and auto parts in the Avery salvage yard.
The state can appeal the Federal Court decision in which Dassey would remain in prison. On Friday, a federal judge overturned Dassey’s conviction, leaving fans of the show to wonder when will Brendan Dassey be released from prison – but they might not have to wonder for much longer.
The state alleged that Avery tied Halbach to a bed and ordered Dassey to sexually assault her before she was stabbed and later dragged to Avery’s garage and shot.
Avery’s case has now been taken on by Kathleen Zellner, a defence lawyer known for helping to exonerate 17 men.
Brendan Dassey in a police interview that was featured in the Making A Murderer documentary. Without the ability to use that confession, it is doubtful the state has sufficient evidence to bring charges against Dassey for the death of Teressa Halbach.
US Magistrate William Duffin found that investigators coerced a confession using deceptive tactics. Throughout the series, Dassey’s story changes dramatically as he undergoes a series of questionable interrogations, some of which were encouraged by his court-appointed pretrial attorney, Len Kachinsky.
Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide.
It adds that the confession comprised “the entirety of the case against him on each of the three counts”. Judge Duffin was one of Dassey’s last chances at freedom before his possible parole hearing on October 31, 2048.
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The investigators repeatedly said that they “already know” what happened on the day of Halbach’s killing and that Dassey had nothing to worry about.
