Judge Orders ‘Making a Murderer’s’ Brendan Dassey Be Released From Prison
A judge ordered Monday that “Making a Murderer” subject Brendan Dassey be released from prison, under supervision, following the overturning of his conviction, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Dassey, 27, has been serving a life sentence since 2007 after he was convicted on accusations of helping his uncle, Steven Avery, kill 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005. Avery remains in prison.
The order, issued by U.S. District Judge William Duffin, comes with several conditions, including that Dassey may not travel beyond the court’s Eastern District of Wisconsin, he may not obtain a passport, and he may not possess a gun or any controlled substances. He is also prohibited from contacting Avery, as well as the family of Halbach.
Dassey will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office. It was not clear whether Dassey will be released immediately, or if his release could be delayed if the State of Wisconsin files an appeal.
A federal judge overturned Dassey’s conviction, which was based on a confession he made to investigators working for the prosecution, in August. Duffin ruled that Dassey’s constitutional rights were violated in the way he was interrogated. Dassey was 16 at the time.
Netflix’s “Making a Murderer” threw a national spotlight onto the case last year, spawning a White House petition urging President Obama to issue full pardons to Dassey and Avery.
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