In the last 24 hours, Brendan Dassey’s conviction for the murder of Teresa Halbach in 2005 was overturned by a federal judge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Dassey who, along with his uncle Steven Avery, was the subject of the explosive Netflix documentary series Making A Murderer. Footage from the series showed the intellectually deficient Dassey being coerced and pressured into giving often-contradictory statements to the police.
In the end, it was the actions of the detectives that undid the case against Dassey, causing his conviction to be overturned, with Magistrate William Duffy writing “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.”
Dean Strang, Steven Avery’s lawyer who became very popular in Ireland (not least for having a hurling statue on his desk), has weighed in on the latest developments.
Speaking to the Huffington Post, Strang said: “Our federal courts are often the last protectors of our liberties and justice. We are thankful and proud that a federal court fulfilled its fundamental role for Brendan Dassey today. In doing so, this federal court served all Americans.”
Steven Avery’s conviction is also under appeal.
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