A man whose homicide conviction was overturned in a case profiled in the Netflix series "Making a Murderer," was ordered released Monday from federal prison while prosecutors appeal.
U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffin ordered Brendan Dassey's release contingent upon him meeting multiple conditions.
The judge ruled in August that investigators tricked Dassey into confessing he helped his uncle, Steven Avery, rape, kill and mutilate photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005. The state has appealed that ruling.
Halbach was killed on Halloween 2005, after she visited the Avery family's salvage yard in Manitowoc County.
Investigators allege Avery lured her there by asking her to take photos of a minivan. Dassey was sentenced to life in prison in 2007. Avery was convicted in a separate trial and was also sentenced to life in prison. He's pursuing his own appeal.
Their cases gained national attention after Netflix aired "Making a Murderer" last year.
The series spawned widespread conjecture about the pair's innocence. Authorities who worked on the cases said the series was biased, but it generated calls from the public to free both men.
Dassey's attorney, Steve Drizin, said he had not spoken yet with Dassey, but he hoped to have him out of prison in time to spend Thanksgiving with his family.
"That's what I'm focused on right now, getting him home, getting him with his family and then helping him to re-integrate back into society while his appeal plays out," Drizin said.
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel issued a statement saying he would file an emergency motion in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to put the release order on hold.
Dassey's supervised release was not immediate. He had until noon Tuesday to provide the federal probation and parole office with the address of where he planned to live.
Drizin would not say where Dassey plans to live.
Mike Halbach, Teresa's brother, and Barb Janda, Dassey's mother, did not return calls for comment.
Dassey was 16 when Halbach died. He's now 27.
Scott Bauer, The Associated Press