Steven Avery's loved ones are hopeful that justice is finally on its way.
After a federal judge in Wisconsin overturned the 2007 murder conviction of Avery's nephew, Brendan Dassey, on Friday, the family told Access Hollywood that despite their initial shock they're aware the court ruling is a potential breakthrough.
According to Avery's niece, Carla Chase, Avery's mother Dolores is "stunned" and over the moon about the development and what it could mean for her son's future.
Steven Avery
"It gave her the hope that she's been waiting for," Chase told Access.
After separate trials, Avery and Dassey were both found guilty for the 2005 killing of Teresa Halbach and each sentenced to life in prison. The men were the key subjects of the popular Netflix docuseries "Making a Murderer," which premiered on the streaming network last December and put the case back in the national spotlight.
Avery's brother Earl told Access that the family was still processing the news on Friday, adding that the reality hadn't quite hit any of them yet.
Earl, Chase, Dolores and Earl's daughter Kayla were on their way to visit Avery at the Waupun Correctional Institute when they learned Dassey's conviction had been overturned.
According to Earl, Avery thought it was a hoax when they told him.
Dassey, now 26, was a teenager at the time of his conviction and Earl told Access that the ordeal has been incredibly tough.
"Brendan has been through a lot sitting up in Green Bay with all those guys," Earl said of his nephew's prison experience.
"It must've been terrible," he added.
Dassey is currently incarcerated at the Columbia Correctional Institution and will go free within 90 days per the judge's order, unless prosecutors opt to retry him.
Chase told Access that Dassey's mother, Barbara Tadych, is in Michigan for the weekend and had already left town when the news broke. Earl said he informed Dassey's father, Alan, over the phone.
As previously reported, Avery's attorney Kathleen Zellner issued a statement to Access Hollywood after Friday's ruling.
"We are thrilled for Brendan Dassey that his conviction has been overturned. We fully expected this outcome from an unbiased court that carefully examined his confession," her statement read.
Zellner said she is also optimistic about what the development could mean for her client.
"I was just visiting Steven Avery and he is so happy for Brendan," she continued. "We know when an unbiased court reviews all of the new evidence we have, Steven will have his conviction overturned as well."
"Making a Murderer" filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moria Demos shared their reaction to Dassey's overturned conviction and hinted that their series may chronicle this latest turn of events.
"Today there was a major development for the subjects in our story and this recent news shows the criminal justice system at work," they said in a statement released to Access Hollywood on Friday. "As we have done for the past 10 years, we will continue to document the story as it unfolds, and follow it wherever it may lead."
Access Hollywood has reached out to Manitowoc Sheriff's department for comment.
Access Hollywood has reached out to the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office to ask whether or not they will refile charges.
