In a decision that pretty much came out of nowhere for Making a Murderer followers, on Aug. 12 Judge William Duffin overturned Brendan Dassey’s conviction for his alleged part in the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach.
Dassey supporters were shocked and elated about last week’s news and many feel justice will be served once Dassey is a free man once again, but it turns out that nobody was more blown away by the judge’s opinion than the Dassey family themselves.
“I was 15 to 20 minutes away from the prison when I found out, and I was pretty much in shock,” Dassey’s cousin, Carla Chase, told People magazine, adding that she was actually on her way to visit her uncle, Steven Avery, when she heard the news. “I thought, ‘Nah… this can’t be.’ But I went online and double checked and it was everywhere. It was a rush and a shock, all at the time same.”
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The decision was made because of what Duffin says was gross misconduct on the part of Dassey’s original attorney, Len Kachinsky, and Dassey’s coerced confession that the whole world got to watch last winter on the Netflix documentary.
Dassey’s big break is huge, but that doesn’t mean he is out of the woods quite yet. The Wisconsin attorney general has 90 days to file an appeal, so Dassey could still remain behind bars for at least that long.
“Now, we’re just playing the waiting game and hoping no one files an appeal,” Chase said, also revealing that all other members of the Dassey family are refusing media interview requests at this time. “I know his mother has talked with Brendan on the phone, but he hasn’t called any of the other family. He’s overjoyed.”
Chase also says that her family still has so much hope for Dassey, but at the same time is trying to stay realistic.
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“The family is very hopeful he’ll be released. But like I said, he could get out in two weeks or it could be 90 days. The prosecution needs to have actual evidence to move forward with his re-trial, but they don’t have any new evidence.”
Were you shocked to learn that Dassey’s conviction was overturned?
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