‘Making a Murderer': Internet Flips Out Over Brendan Dassey’s Overturned Conviction

Phil Owen

Social media was ablaze Friday after a federal judge overturned Brendan Dassey’s conviction for involvement in the murder of Teresa Halbach.

The bombshell was dropped less than a year after Netflix’s “Making a Murderer” documentary series cast a light on what it suggests was a shady investigation by Wisconsin police into Halbach’s murder. Dassey’s conviction came in 2007.

Given what a cultural event “Making a Murderer” was, Dassey became a celebrity of sorts, particularly because the teenager’s shy and soft-spoken demeanor endeared him to viewers, making him appear more of a victim of the police and prosecutor’s alleged shenanigans than was Steven Avery, the main subject of the documentary. And, indeed, the judge overturned Dassey’s conviction on the basis that his confession to having participated in the murder was involuntary and coerced.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Conviction Overturned

Many of the reactions on Twitter have been related to Wrestlemania — Dassey said he was upset about going to prison because he didn’t want to miss the yearly pro-wrestling event. We also saw triumphant fist pumps about justice being served and Netflix’s part in it, topical humor about totally unrelated things and light joking about Dassey’s tendency on “Making a Murderer” to respond to questioning with a simple “yeah.”

6 Times Hollywood Shook Up Criminal Justice Before 'Making a Murderer'

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    Steven Avery Brendan Dassey Making a Murderer Netflix

    "Making a Murderer" subject Brendan Dassey had his conviction overturned by a federal judge on August 12. But it's not the first time a film or documentary has been a factor in a major legal reversal of fortune.

  • Gimme Shelter
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    "Gimme Shelter" (1970)

    A documentary directed by the Maysles brothers, "Gimme Shelter" started out as a simple concert film about The Rolling Stones, but turned out to be essential documentation of the fights and violence that erupted at the Altamont Free Concert.

    Cinema 5

  • Thin Blue Line
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    "The Thin Blue Line" (1988)

    Errol Morris' documentary depicted Randall Dale Adams, a man serving life in prison for a murder he did not commit. Adams was exonerated and released from prison a year after the movie's release.

    Miramax

  • West Memphis Three
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    "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" (2003-11)

    In a series of three documentaries, filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of the West Memphis Three, a trio of teenagers wrongfully accused of murdering three children with Satanic overtones. By the time the final installment aired on HBO, the case had generated enough publicity to with the trio's release from prison.

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  • The Invisible War
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    "The Invisible War" (2012)

    The Oscar-nominated "The Invisible War" documented the culture of widespread sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military, and led to new legislation changing the way those cases are handled.

    Cinedigm

  • Adnan Syed
    Adnan Syed

    "Serial" (2014)

    The first season of Sarah Koenig's podcast re-investigated the case of Adnan Syed, who was convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. Thanks in part to the attention from "Serial," Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Martin P. Welch on June 30 2016, officially vacated Syed’s conviction and life sentence, and ordered a new trial.

    Also Read: ‘Serial’ Podcast Subject Adnan Syed to Get New Trial

  • The Jinx
    The Jinx

    "The Jinx" (2015)

    The night before the high-profile and highly incriminating series finale aired, real estate heir Robert Durst was arrested in New Orleans and charged with murder. In February, he pleaded guilty to gun charges but still awaits trial in L.A. for the killing of his friend, Susan Berman.

    “What the hell did I do?” Durst asked himself while still mic-ed in the final episode. “Killed ’em all, of course.”

    Also Read: Robert Durst Gets 7-Year Prison Sentence in Plea Deal

    HBO

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The overturning of Brandon Dassey’s murder conviction isn’t the first time a documentary has helped right a legal wrong

"Making a Murderer" subject Brendan Dassey had his conviction overturned by a federal judge on August 12. But it's not the first time a film or documentary has been a factor in a major legal reversal of fortune.

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'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Conviction Overturned