Steven Avery transferred to medium-security prison in Dodge Co.

June 23, 2022 3:42 PM

Jaymes Langrehr,

Posted: June 23, 2022 3:42 PM

Updated: June 23, 2022 10:45 PM

by Jaymes Langrehr

FOX LAKE, Wis. — Steven Avery, the man serving a life sentence after being convicted of killing a woman in Manitowoc County in 2005 and profiled in the Netflix series “Making a Murderer,” was transferred to a prison in Dodge County this week, according to state records.

Avery, who had been serving his life sentence at the maximum-security Waupun Correctional Institution, was transferred to the medium-security Fox Lake Correctional Institution on Tuesday. A new mugshot for Avery was also taken on that date.

Fox Lake Correctional is located nine miles west of the City of Waupun.

Avery has been in prison since being convicted for the murder of Teresa Halbach, who went missing after a photo shoot at Avery’s salvage yard.

In April, attorney Kathleen Zellner tweeted that she would be filing a new petition in the ongoing effort to free Avery from prison, but as of Thursday, no petition had been filed.

Planning to file the new Steven Avery petition very soon plus the Shadwick King retrial is right around the corner with all of its fascinating forensic & medical issues & 10 new experts. #TruthWins @MakingAMurderer

— Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) April 9, 2022

Zellner filed a motion last year accusing Bobby Dassey, Avery’s nephew, of planting Halbach’s RAV4 at Avery’s salvage yard. Bobby Dassey was one of the prosecution’s primary witnesses against Avery during his murder trial. Zellner has levied multiple accusations against Bobby Dassey over the years, dating back to a series of now-deleted tweets in 2018, but he has never been charged with a crime.

Bobby Dassey is the brother of Brendan Dassey, who is also serving a life sentence after being convicted of helping Avery following a controversial video confession and trial.

Earlier this year, Avery’s former attorneys asked Gov. Tony Evers to commute Dassey’s sentence. Evers previously denied Dassey’s request for a pardon in 2019, citing a requirement stating a person needs to complete their sentence in order to be considered for a pardon, and noting Dassey is also ineligible for a pardon because he had to register as a sex offender.

In 2016, Dassey was nearly released from his own life sentence when a federal judge based in Milwaukee found “significant doubts” in Dassey’s taped confession, which his supporters have argued was coerced by authorities. However, the decision was later overturned by an appeals court, and Dassey remains in prison at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution. He is not eligible for parole until 2048, when he will be 59 years old.

Avery is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole.