MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — A Waushara County judge told the Governor’s Commutation Advisory Board that a commutation for Steven Avery's sentence would be "entirely inappropriate," according to court records.
Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey both submitted applications for commutation earlier this month. The board was reinstated earlier this year after being inactive for 25 years, following executive orders signed by Gov. Tony Evers in April.
In a notice filed Monday, Judge Guy Dutcher opposed Avery's arguments for commutation, telling the board that commuting the sentence would be inappropriate. The application was sent to the governor's office for further review.
Dassey's application was also mailed to the state Sept. 2, with a judge providing no opinion on it, court records show.
Avery is serving a life sentence without parole for the 2005 killing of 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach. The case gained international attention through the Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer.”
Dassey, Avery’s nephew, was convicted as a co-defendant in the case and has spent about half his life in prison.
Avery is not eligible for parole. Dassey’s earliest parole eligibility date is 2048.
