UNDATED (Wisconsin Radio Network) – A ruling that could have freed Brendan Dassey from prison in Wisconsin has been overturned.
Friday’s 4-3 ruling by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, that investigators properly obtained Dassey’s confession, means Dassey will stay in prison. He could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dassey was sentenced to life in prison in 2007. He told detectives that he helped his uncle, Steven Avery, in the rape and murder of photographer Teresa Halbach.
A federal judge overturned Dassey’s conviction in 2016, ruling that investigators with the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department coerced the teenager’s confession. A three-judge panel from the 7th Circuit agreed, but the Wisconsin Department of Justice requested a review by the full court, resulting in Friday’s decision.
In a statement, Attorney General Brad Schimel said he was “gratified” by the decision. “Today’s decision is a testament to the talent of the attorneys at the Wisconsin Department of Justice who have worked tirelessly to deliver justice for the family and friends of Teresa Halbach over the last decade,” he said.