Brendan Dassey Is Hoping For A New Trial

America was captivated by the story of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey's trials and convictions surrounding the murder of 25-year-old Teresa Halbach, thanks to Netflix's hit docuseries Making a Murderer. Many were more troubled by Dassey's conviction, especially considering he was sentenced to life in prison with a chance for early release in 2048 when he was still a teenager. Both men have been in jail for 11 years now, and updates on Brendan Dassey's situation don't show much progress, but leave room for hope that he could get out of prison or have a retrial before 2048.

The show's last episode showed Dassey at his 2010 post-conviction hearing, when he was 20 years old and only a few years into his sentence. After the Netflix release, he was transferred from the Green Bay Correctional Institution to the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin, where he had spent time immediately after his conviction. His cousin, Carla Chase, tweeted in January that the change was for his safety and that he was making friends at the new facility, though neither prison ever confirmed that the transfer was for safety reasons.

Dassey's current lawyers are still working toward an appeal. They argue that he was illegally arrested, questioned, and imprisoned, and they submitted a petition for a writ of habeas corpus that would bring Dassey back to court to question his detention. Milwaukee Magistrate Judge William E. Duffin will decide whether to reject the petition or order a new trial for Dassey.

The ruling from Judge Duffin could come any time, so Dassey is patiently awaiting the decision behind bars. Laura Nirider, Dassey's lawyer from the Bluhm Legal Clinic at the Northwestern University School of Law, told The Post-Crescent's Andy Thompson in March that Dassey is getting by: "I think he is bearing up as well as he can. He receives dozens of letters a day from those who want to support him. That means a lot."

A letter claimed to be written by Dassey was posted on Reddit and the closed Facebook group Steven Avery & Brendan Dassey Project (Official Family Discussion Page). "While I am flattered that some have been claiming to be my girlfriend, as of this writing, I in fact DO NOT have a girlfriend," the typed letter said, before stating that he was spending his time in prison fighting for his freedom. He also wished his supporters a happy Easter and gave instructions for those trying to send him letters.

No other updates on Dassey's case have popped up, but his supporters are hopeful that his appeal will be addressed soon.

Images: Netflix (1)