Brendan Dassey To Be Released Pending Appeal Of 'Making A Murderer' Case
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A federal judge in Wisconsin has ordered a man featured on the Netflix series "Making A Murderer" be released from prison, while prosecutors appeal a ruling overturning his murder conviction, but Brendan Dassey has a deadline to meet before he's set free.
Dassey has until noon Tuesday to tell a judge where he plans to live while awaiting his appeal before he can leave prison, so probation officers can inspect his new home.
The 27-year-old spent more than a decade behind bars after he was convicted of raping, killing, and mutilating freelance photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005.
Dassey's uncle, Steven Avery, was tried separately of killing Halbach after she went to the Avery family salvage yard to photograph some vehicles. Dassey, then 16, admitted to helping Avery rape and kill Halbach, but in August, a federal judge overturned his conviction, ruling his confession was coerced and investigators violated his constitutional rights.
"You had a young man who believed that the only way he was going to get out of that room was to tell these police officers what they wanted to hear," defense attorney Steven Drizin said.
Drizin said he believes Dassey will be home before Thanksgiving.
The state has appealed the ruling overturning Dassey's conviction, and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schmiel has said he plans to file an emergency motion to keep Dassey behind bars.
