A federal judge in Wisconsin on Friday overturned the conviction of a man found guilty of helping his uncle kill a woman in a case profiled in the Netflix documentary series "Making a Murderer," ruling that investigators used deceptive tactics in obtaining a confession.
U.S. Magistrate William Duffin overturned Brendan Dassey's conviction and ordered him freed within 90 days unless prosecutors decide to retry him. The state Department of Justice, which handled the case, declined immediate comment.
Duffin said in Friday's ruling that investigators made false promises to Dassey by assuring him "he had nothing to worry about."
"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 (of the U.S. Constitution)," Duffin wrote. The ruling comes after Dassey's appeal was rejected by state courts.
Dassey confessed to helping his uncle Steven Avery carry out the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach, but attorneys argued that his constitutional rights were violated throughout the investigation.
Dassey was 16 when Halbach was killed in 2005 after she went to the Avery family auto salvage yard to photograph some vehicles.
Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide. Both Avery and Dassey are serving separate life sentences.
Dassey's case burst into the public's consciousness with the popularity of the "Making a Murderer" series that debuted in December.
Attorneys for Dassey did not immediately return messages seeking comment. A spokesman said the Wisconsin Department of Justice was reviewing the ruling and had no immediate comment.
Kathleen Zellner, an attorney for Avery, said in a statement that Avery was thrilled to hear of the ruling for his nephew. Avery is pursuing his own appeal.
"We know when an unbiased court reviews all of the new evidence we have, Steven will have his conviction overturned as well," Zellner said.
Joe Friedberg, a defense attorney in Minnesota who was not involved in the case but is familiar with it and participated in a forum on it with Avery's first defense attorney, said he doesn't believe the decision will have any bearing on Avery's case.
"The kid's confession was not entered into evidence against Avery, and I don't think it impacted Avery's trial at all," Friedberg said.
The filmmakers behind "Making a Murderer" cast doubt on the legal process used to convict Avery and Dassey, and their work has sparked national interest and conjecture. Armchair investigators have flooded Twitter and message boards, and key players in the case have appeared on national news and talk shows.
Authorities involved in the case have called the 10-hour series biased, while the filmmakers have stood by their work.
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Kathleen Zellner, Steven Avery’s attorney gave the following statement to Access Hollywood:
“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. I was just visiting Steven Avery and he is so happy for Brendan. We know when an unbiased court reviews all of the new evidence we have, Steven will have his conviction overturned as well.”
Access Hollywood has reached out to Manitowoc Sheriff's department for comment.
Access Hollywood has reached out to the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office for comment.
