Brendan Dassey (Photo: Wisconsin DOC)
Just a day before the deadline set by a federal judge for his release, an appeals court has ruled Brendan Dassey must remain in prison.
Dassey and his uncle Steven Avery were convicted for the 2005 murder of photographer Teresa Halbach in Manitowoc County. A U.S. magistrate overturned Dassey’s conviction this summer after ruling his confession was coerced. The state has appealed that decision, but the judge this week ordered Dassey’s release from prison by 8 p.m. on Friday.
The state asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for an emergency order to keep him behind bars. A panel of federal judges on Thursday granted that request, staying the decision to release Dassey from prison.
The Halbach murder has been the focus of renewed attention for the past year, following the release of the Netflix series “Making a Murderer.” The series has raised questions about the investigation into Halbach’s murder, and the trial that led to Avery and Dassey’s convictions.