This month, Brendan Dassey made headlines once again when Steven Avery’s former lawyer requested clemency. Brendan Dassey has been found guilty for the killing of Teresa Halbach.
Brendan Dassey’s Homicide Case
Brendan Dassey has been serving and has spent more than half of his life in prison. He was convicted for the death of Teresa Halbach, a freelance photographer. Alongside him, Brendan Dassey’s uncle Steven Avery was also accused and convicted.
The year was 2005, and Brendan Dassey was 16 years old at the time of his arrest. This real-life crime has also been featured on TV screens in the Netflix series that explores the events surrounding the trial, titled Making a Murderer.
Although enthusiasts of real-life crimes have followed the series to its praise, the crime itself also received global media attention. Recently, Steven Avery’s former lawyer requested clemency for Brendan Dassey in a letter addressed to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
This comes after numerous requests, including from reality TV personality Kim Kardashian, who has urged the Wisconsin Governor to grant pardon to Brendan Dassey and has publicly voiced support for him.
Brendan Dassey – The Incarcerated Offender
Born on 19th October 1989, Brendan Ray Dassey hails from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, America. He gained notoriety when he confessed to the murder, desecration of a corpse, and second-degree sexual assault of freelance photographer, Teresa Halbach, when he was 16 years old.
The crime took place on 31st October 2005.
Brendan’s Early Years
Brendan Dassey was born to Peter Dassey and Barbara Dassey in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, where he grew up with his three brothers and one half-brother, Bryan, Bobby, Blaine, and Brad, respectively. Enrolled at Mishicot High School, Brendan Dassey was a sophomore who attended special education classes due to his borderline deficiency IQ.
Brendan was described as reserved and fond of wrestling and WWE. He also enjoyed video games and animals. He had no prior criminal record and was not associated with the criminal justice system before his conviction in 2005.
Connection to Steven Avery
Barbara Tadych or Barbara Dassey was Steven Avery’s sister, making Brendan Dassey his nephew. Steven Avery was also convicted alongside his nephew in the murder case of the freelance photographer.
It is noteworthy that Steven Avery has been labeled innocent by Brendan Dassey’s half-brother, Brad Dassey, who accuses Barbara Dassey of evidence tampering and maintains that his uncle did not commit the crime.
Brendan Dassey Now
Brendan Dassey was 16 when convicted in 2005, and he is now in his early thirties. He discontinued high school in his final year and was unable to complete his education.
In 2019, he wrote a letter to the Governor of Wisconsin expressing his desire to work in the video game industry if given the opportunity.
Despite widespread support for his release, his appeals for pardon have been consistently denied thus far.
The Killing of Freelance Photographer, Teresa Halbach
Teresa Halbach was 25 years old when she went missing and was reported as such by her parents. Born on 22nd March 1980 in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, she lived near her parents in Calumet County.
Her last known location was visiting the Avery Salvage Yard on 31st October 2005.
Her vehicle was discovered partly concealed on the Avery property. After an extensive search, the County Sheriff found Teresa Halbach’s remains, which were mutilated.
Along with her remains, other items such as her cell phone, car keys, license plates, were found, along with blood matches in Steven Avery’s car. Subsequently, Steven Avery was charged with kidnapping, desecration of a corpse, illegal possession of a firearm, and murder of Teresa Halbach.
Brendan Dassey’s Involvement
Brendan Dassey initially provided an alibi for Avery. He underwent several interrogations without legal representation or a parent present. His mother consented to these interrogations, during which false promises were made to Dassey.
Under the guise of ‘approved interrogation techniques’, Brendan confessed to the murder, rape, and mutilation of the photographer’s corpse and confessed to being a co-conspirator.
There was criticism over obtaining a confession from Brendan without supervision at his age. Although the techniques used were approved, a minor without a guardian or parent present can be coerced.
In his confession, Brendan Dassey provided detailed information about his involvement in the crime. A United States magistrate judge later termed the confession “clearly involuntary in a constitutional sense”.
This ruling was overturned by an appellate court, and the United States Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case on its own, upheld the decision of the appellate court.
The Arrest of Brendan Dassey
Brendan Dassey was charged and arrested on 1st March 2006 for being complicit in sexual assault, first-degree murder, and desecration of a corpse. The prosecution, led by Ken Kratz, held a significant press conference to announce the charges.
The case received extensive coverage in newspapers and on television nationwide.
Retraction of His Confession And Current Status
Brendan Dassey later retracted his confession when he addressed the trial judge in a letter. He claimed that he obtained ideas from a book. Additionally, he wrote letters to the Governor of Wisconsin, all of which were consistently denied.
As of today, Brendan Dassey remains incarcerated.
His legal team is supported by numerous influential individuals, including former US Solicitor General Mr. Seth Waxman and his team. A review was filed in the Supreme Court on 20th February 2018.
Inspired by the events and outcomes, Illinois passed the first law prohibiting police from deceiving minors during interrogations to elicit confessions.
