Filmmakers from Netflix’s "Making A Murderer" series were in the Fox Valley on Friday, interviewing Brendan Dassey's former attorney, Len Kachinsky, for part two of the series.
Kachinsky invited NBC26 and USA Today Network Newspapers inside before his interview with the film crew.
He opened up about the case, how it impacted him and the things he would change more than a decade later.
“Certainly had an effect on me when it came out on Dec. 18, 2015,” said Kachinsky.
He vividly remembers the day “Making A Murderer” was released. That's when the harassing messages on Facebook, through email and phone calls started.
“Just extremely negative and obnoxious nature of all hours of the day and night,” he said, recalling the harassing messages. “I just put it on silent mode.”
He was going through treatment for Leukemia at the time. Some people, going so far even wishing for his death.
“Most of it was out of the state of Wisconsin and not local,” he said.
Kachinsky represented Brendan Dassey in the 2005 murder case of Teresa Halbach. Dassey, a teenager at the time, was accused of murdering Halbach along with his uncle, Steven Avery.
Dassey was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. A taped confession from Dassey was a main piece of evidence during the trial, and it's that confession tape creating headlines today.
Dassey's case is now in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. Dassey’s current attorneys claim he was coerced into a confession.
“To set the record straight, especially since we've had Duffin's opinion in the meantime, basically saying an issue that I laid the issue for an appeal, the validity of Dassey's confession is probably their best issue in front of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals,” said Kachinsky.
We may not know until this summer how the judges will rule, but their outcome could turn into a new trial for Dassey or lead to his release.
Kachinsky said the Netflix series focused on the confession and believes they singled him out.
“The biggest misconception is that anything I did contributed to Dassey's guilty verdict at his trial,” he said.
And although he's never watched the documentary, he said from what he's heard, the series left out some key pieces of evidence.
“Basically the fact there was no cause and effect between anything that I did and why Brendan Dassey is in prison,” he said.
However, he explained, looking back, there were mistakes he made -- Like not being present during the interrogation; no adults were there on behalf of Dassey.
Kachinsky said he had Army Reserve Drill at the time and did not want to cancel.
“In retrospect, I should have just said we're going to wait until later next week,” he said.
Another mistake, in his eyes, using the investigator he did.
NBC26 and one newspaper reporter were invited for the interview. We wanted to talk with filmmakers, to get their take on part two of the series. However, crew members told Kachinsky they wouldn't come in until local media left. NBC26 approached them for an interview, but the crew left in their van.
So why -- after going through harassment -- would Len Kachinsky want filmmakers to interview him for part two?
“My hope is just that enhance public understand how the criminal justice system works, he said. “There's a lot of miss out there, conspiracy theories.”
In his words, a chance for him to set the record straight.
Kachinsky said the series did not have an effect on is work. He chose semi-retirement after a bone marrow transplant. He currently works as a part time judge for the Village of Fox Crossing.
According to reports, the second season of Netflix’s “Making A Murderer” will likely start before the end of this year and will likely focus on the appeals process for both Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey.
