US Court Orders Release Of Nephew In ‘Making A Murderer’

The twisting tale of Brendan and his uncle Steven Avery’s rape and murder trial and convictions had the nation gripped when the 10 part series dropped on Netflix in December 2015.

A federal court has overturned the conviction of a man found guilty of helping his uncle kill a woman in a case profiled on Netflix’s “Making a Murderer”, The Associated Press reported Friday. The Wisconsin judge found on Friday that Dassey’s confession in the investigation into Halbach’s murder was involuntary. The judge determined the confession was coerced using deceptive tactics.

Halbach, 25, was an aspiring photographer who was hired to take photographs for Auto Trader magazine when she disappeared.

After his release from prison, Avery filed a civil lawsuit for US$36 million in damages against Manitowoc County, its sheriff, and its district attorney.

Avery made headlines in 2003 when he was released from prison after spending 18 years behind bars for a rape he didn’t commit.

Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide.

November 15, 2005: Avery is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and mutilating a corpse.

Another dramatic day in Manitowoc County… Kratz even went so far as to contact Avery in prison by letter this year.

February 12, 2007: Avery’s trial begins.

Avery was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. At one point during the interview with police on an episode of Making a Murder, Brendan can be heard asking if being arrested means he will miss Wrestlemania. Avery is acquitted of the charge of mutilating a corpse.

However, the overturning of the conviction calls into question the circumstances under which Dassey confessed.

April 23, 2007: Dassey testifies in his own defense, saying he lied when he gave the statement but doesn’t know why. Sentencing is scheduled August 2.

Dassey, who along with Avery served as the subject of “Making a Murderer”, had attempted to recant his confession after making it. He was serving a life sentence with a chance for early release in 2048.

The murder conviction of Brendan Dassey, whose trial was detailed in the Netflix documentary “Making A Murderer”, was just overturned by a federal judge.

Furthermore, the judge explained that Brendan Dassey’s significant learning disabilities (he has an extremely low IQ) may have led to the ease with which a confession could be coerced from him.