‘Making a Murderer’ Subject Brendan Dassey’s Conviction Upheld, Confession Stands
Another shocking development in the Making a Murderer case just broke, as Brendan Dassey has been denied a new trial after a group of judges ruled that his confession was not coerced.
:: BREAKING NOW: 7th Circuit judges rule 4-3 Brendan Dassey's confession NOT coerced, deny him new trial. #MakingAMurderer pic.twitter.com/vkRDdLX9Z6
— Steve Chamraz (@TMJ4Steve) December 8, 2017
Dassey and his uncle Steven Avery were convicted of the murder of Teresa Halbach in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, back in 2005. Both were sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole for Avery and with the possibility of parole in 2048 for Dassey. The case might have ended there, but the story received renewed attention when a documentary about it debuted on Netflix in 2015.
Viewers were struck by Dassey, who told detectives that he helped his uncle rape and kill the victim. Many believed that his confession was coerced. And the courts seemed to agree when a judge overturned his conviction back in August 2016. There were reports that fall that he would be released from prison, but a court blocked his release on an appeal from prosecutors.
Now, more than a year later, the case has taken another unexpected turn. On Friday, Dassey was denied a new trial after the 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction, ruling (in a tight 4 to 3 vote) that police properly obtained the confession. Dassey will continue to serve the remaining time in his sentence behind bars.
Making a Murder will have a lot to cover if and when season 2 comes to Netflix.
What do you think about the latest development in the Making a Murderer saga? Let us know @BritandCo.
(photo via Netflix)
