In 2006, Brendan Dassey rose to notoriety as an intellectually-challenged teenager who, along with his uncle Steven Avery, was charged for the murder of local photographer Teresa Holbarch.
At the time of his life sentencing Brendan was a shy, bespectacled adolescent who often struggled to find the right words to explain himself.
The widely popular Netflix series focuses on Brendan and Steven’s respective trials as well as the fevered interrogation the 17-year-old received from the police, which led to his eventual confession.
Despite retracting his spoon-fed statements from the authorities and later claiming innocence, Brendan was still found guilty of first-degree murder by the jury.
Fast forward to 2016 and Brendan is a shell of his former self – the years of prison evident in his stressed and weathered appearance.
Brendan’s cousin Carla Chase recently uploaded a photo of the Manitowoc county resident with his mother and the image has since gone viral.
“Here is a recent pic of Barbara & Brendan..,” she captioned the shot of Brendan with his mother standing alongside a Christmas tree in the jail where he is held.
In the image Brendan looks decades older than 25 years of age. He sports a shaven head, stubble and a timid smile.
Brendan pictured in 2006 during his interrogation.
Carla, who is Steven’s niece and Brendan’s cousin, also published a recent photo of Steven, 53, from January 9.
Dassey’s team continue to tirelessly campaign for a re-trial. “We’re asking that Brendan be released or – at a minimum – get a new trial,” lawyer Laura Nirider said last year.
Steven Avery pictured in January 2016 during a family visit in jail.
