AVERY'S NEPHEW CHARGED WITH MURDER
Friday, March 3rd, 2006 -- 8:31 AM
A strange and disturbing case got stranger and more disturbing Thursday as prosecutors charged Steven Avery?s 16-year-old nephew with helping to rape and murder Theresa Halbach.Prosecutors charged Brendan Dassey with party to the crime of first-degree intentional homicide, party to the crime of mutilation of a corpse and party to the crime of first-degree sexual assault.
Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz told reporters Dassey lived next door to his uncle. After getting off the school bus on October 31st, he picked up the mail and was on his way to deliver a letter addressed to Steven Avery.
"As he gets several hundred feet away from the trailer - a long, long way from the trailer - Brendan already starts to hear the screams," Kratz said at a Thursday press conference.
Halbach's screams for help became louder as he approached his uncle?s trailer, Kratz said.
"Brendan says he knocked at least three times and has to wait until (Steven Avery), who is full of sweat, opens the door and greets his nephew," Kratz said.
What happens next is ? in a word ? disturbing.
Avery then asked and directed the youth to rape Halbach, who was shackled to the bed. The pair then went to another room, where Avery described to his nephew his plans to kill Halbach. He retrieved a butcher knife from the kitchen and stabbed Halbach in the stomach and then directed his nephew to cut Halbach's throat, which he did, Kratz said.
Tthere?s evidence Halbach didn?t die and was tortured by the pair before they ultimately burned the body, Kratz said.
Dassey is scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday.
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