Supreme Court Refuses 'Making a Murderer' Case

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The Supreme Court has declined to take up the case of Brendan Dassey, who was convicted after he confessed to helping his uncle rape and murder a photographer and then attempt to cover up the crime by burning her body in a bonfire. 

Dassey's court case made national headlines after it was detailed in the Netflix documentary Making a Murderer. The show focused on the trial of Brendan and his uncle, Steven Avery, and circumstances around their conviction for the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach. Dassey was found guilty after he confessed to helping his uncle commit the crime but his lawyers argued that police took advantage of the fact that he is intellectually disabled and pressured him into a confession. In the show, Dassey was shown testifying that he lied to police and made up the story, but was convicted anyway.

His lawyers appealed but Wisconsin courts found that the confession was voluntarily made to police investigators. In the second round of appeals, a federal magistrate judge and a three-judge appeals court panel ruled that the confession was coerced by police and that Dassey should be retried or released from prison. The full appeals court overturned their decision and ruled that his confession was voluntary.

Dassey will remain in prison until at least 2048 when he becomes eligible for parole. 

To learn more about this case, check out then ten-episode podcast Rebutting a Murderer, on iHeartRadio.

Photo: Getty Images


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