DOJ Asks To Keep ‘Making A Murderer’ Inmate Locked Up

Federal Judge Overturned Brendan Dassey's Life Sentence Last Year; An Appeals Court Upheld The Ruling Last Week

By
Brendan Dassey
Dan Powers/AP Photo

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is asking a federal appeals court to keep an inmate featured in the Netflix series “Making a Murderer” behind bars pending an appeal of a ruling overturning his conviction.

Brendan Dassey was sentenced to life in 2007 in connection with Teresa Halbach’s death. Dassey told detectives he helped his uncle, Steven Avery, rape and kill her.

A federal judge overturned his conviction last year, ruling investigators coerced Dassey into confessing. A three-judge panel from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling last week, prompting Dassey’s attorneys to seek his immediate release.

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

DOJ attorneys argued in a filing Monday that Dassey should remain in prison because they plan to appeal to the full 7th Circuit, and a jury found Dassey committed heinous crimes.

Support your connection to lifelong learning! Give now.