Wow.
Brendan Dassey could be released from prison within 90 days after a federal judge in Milwaukee overturned a conviction of murder in relation to the death of Teresa Halbach in 2005.
According to the Journal Sentinal, Dassey, the nephew of Steven Avery, who was also convicted of murder in a case made famous by the Netflix series, Making a Murderer, will either get a new trial or be released from prison after the decision made by federal Magistrate William Duffin.
In a 91-page decision, Duffin found that investigators made a number of false promises to Dassey during a series of interrogations.
“These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey’s age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey’s confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, Duffin wrote.
“The Wisconsin Court of Appeals’ decision to the contrary was an unreasonable application of clearly established federal law.”
In 2007, Dassey was sentenced to 41 years in prison after being convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault, and mutilation of a corpse.
Prosecutors will now have 90 days in which to decide whether to retry Dassey; legal observers said that they expected the decision would be the subject of an appeal.
A second series of Making a Murderer is already in the works, although Netflix have yet to confirm a release date.
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