Making A Murderer’s Brendan Dassey Has Had His Conviction Overturned

Brendan Dassey, whose confession to involvement in the murder of Teresa Halbach was depicted in the wildly popular Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer“, may be released from prison by Thanksgiving. He gives prosecutors 90 days to decide whether to retry Dassey.

U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffin said “misconduct” by Dassey’s lawyer, Len Kachinsky, in defending Dassey was “indefensible”.

Two attorneys who have represented Dassey through his appeals process released a statement saying they are “overwhelmed”.

Here’s what he had to say. His videotaped interrogation and confession, which was subsequently recanted, played a pivotal role in the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer.

The federal judge who ruled Brendan was wrongfully convicted did not give anyone a heads up, so not only were cameras NOT rolling, the immediate family was out of state, visiting relatives in MI.

Undoubtedly, Dassey’s overturned conviction will play a part in Netflix’s second season of Making A Murderer, which has been been confirmed to be in production.

At the center of this Netflix original series is Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who spent 18 years in prison for a violent sexual assault he didn’t commit. Avery was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and being a felon in possession of a gun.

Netflix got an awesome boost from “Making a Murderer” – so much so it’s producing a sequel – so imagine how much it stung when a judge virtually opened the prison door for Brendan Dassey and producers were totally out of position. Avery is pursuing his own appeal.

The statement added that the legal team will take the appropriate next steps toward getting Dassey released as soon as possible, but didn’t specify the next legal move.

Dassey was convicted in 2007 of the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. In his ruling, the judge said this combined with his low intellect and the lack of an adult present with him made his confession involuntary and his conviction was overturned. At the time of the crime, Avery’s nephew Brendan Dassey was only 16-years-old, and he was charged as an accessory to the crime after he confessed to assisting his uncle in the murder.

“We are thrilled for Brendan Dassey that his conviction has been overturned”.

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