‘Making a Murderer’ Case Possibly Headed to Supreme Court

The case that riveted Netflix audiences watching Making a Murderer may be headed to the Supreme Court.

Brendan Dassey, the Wisconsin man who was convicted of the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach, a freelance photographer, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to toss out his 2005 confession that his attorneys claim was coerced, The Washington Post reports.

“Put simply, the interrogators took advantage of Dassey’s youth and mental limitations to convince him they were on his side, ignored his manifest inability to correctly answer many of their questions about the crimes, fed him facts so he could say what they wanted to hear, and promised that he would be set free if he did so,” said longtime Supreme Court practitioner Seth Waxman. “The resulting confession was more theirs than his.”

Dassey was sentenced to life in prison in 2007 for his role in the murder of Halbach, whose charred remains were discovered on his uncle, Steven Avery’s, property. He was convicted of being party to first-degree murder, mutilation of a corpse and second-degree sexual assault. He was 16 years old at the time. He’s not eligible for parole until Nov. 1, 2048.

Dassey and his uncle were the subject of Making a Murderer, Netflix’s acclaimed 2015 10-part documentary series. The film, written and directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, questioned the legal process that lead to their convictions for Halbach’s murder, including questioning the handling of the investigation and the motives of Manitowoc County law enforcement officials.

In December, judges voted to uphold Dassey’s conviction after a federal judge in 2016 overturned his conviction for his role in the murder of Halbach, ruling that his confession was coerced by police. A three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit upheld the magistrate’s ruling, and Wisconsin prosecutors asked for the review by the full circuit. A Wisconsin judge denied a new trial in October.