Avery’s wrongful conviction for rape and attempted murder, exoneration, decision to sue the state and subsequent arrest and conviction for the murder of missing photographer Theresa Halbach has captured worldwide attention after being made the subject of the popular Making a Murderer documentary.
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Dassey’s uncle, Chuck Avery, said Saturday there are no grounds for a retrial.
Authorities involved in the case have called the series biased, while the filmmakers have stood by their work.
US Magistrate Judge William Duffin referred to Mr Kachinsky’s representation as misconduct that was “indefensible”. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice, which was handling the case, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. In his 91-page ruling, Duffin considers the reliability of Dassey’s confession and whether it was voluntary, ultimately criticizing “deceptive interrogation tactics” by investigators. The 10-part series tells the story of Dassey’s uncle, Steven Avery, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 18 years for sexual assualt, and Dassey and Avery’s alleged role in the murder of Halbach. His attorneys argued that his constitutional rights were violated throughout the investigation. While Stachowski believes Dassey was innocent and should be let free, she maintains that Avery is guilty.
“Dean and I are very gratified that a federal judge has found Brendan Dassey’s statements to law enforcement were coerced and involuntary”.
Avery’s attorney, Kathleen Zellner, who took up the appeal case in January, added: “Steven Avery is so happy for Brendan”.
Avery and Dassey, who was 16 at the time, were sentenced to life in prison. On Friday, the judge ruled that how the confession was conducted, including Dassey’s “intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult … made him more susceptible to coercive pressures”.
Her charred remains were discovered in a burn pit on the Avery Salvage Yard ten days later along with her Toyota RAV4, mobile phone and vehicle keys. Avery is pursuing his own appeal.
In a statement, Dassey’s legal team said: “We fully expected this outcome from an unbiased court that carefully examined his confession”.
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The series, written and directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, largely focused on the story of Avery, both in his turbulent years leading up to the Halbach murder and those following it. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
