Open Letter to Governor Evers: A Call to Action
Governor Tony Evers
Office of the Governor
115 East Capitol
Madison, WI 53702
Dear Governor Evers,
We are writing to you today with a profound sense of urgency and hope. As citizens deeply committed to justice and the ethical principles that support the legal system, we, along with thousands of others, have been moved and mobilised by the egregious case of Brendan Dassey: a young Wisconsin man whose conviction raises serious concerns about the integrity of the Wisconsin judicial process.
Brendan’s injustice has rightly captured the attention and empathy of millions around the globe. His story, fraught with coercion and injustice, presents a compelling case for clemency.
Brendan Dassey was only sixteen years old when convicted for his alleged involvement in the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach. The details surrounding his confession have been widely scrutinised, with state, national, and international legal experts and advocates arguing that his statements were coerced, unreliable and involuntary. The interrogations, conducted without the presence of a parent or legal counsel, resulted in a confession that “many” believe was extracted through manipulative and psychologically coercive tactics—the many represented and documented in Dassey’s 2018 SCOTUS amicus briefs, 2019 Clemency petition, and as the undersigned.
In 2016, federal magistrate judge William E. Duffin ruled that Dassey’s confession was indeed involuntary, calling the techniques used by investigators "constitutionally impermissible." This ruling was initially upheld by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, only to be overturned later by a full en banc panel. Despite this setback, the substantial doubts surrounding the fairness of his trial and the methods used to obtain his confession remain unresolved, and Brendan remains wrongfully convicted.
Governor Evers, your commitment to justice and fairness is well recognized. However, your willingness to embrace mercy, to use clemency to address unjust prosecution and outdated laws, remains sadly untested for five years. The power of clemency is a profound tool at your disposal, capable of correcting miscarriages of justice where the legal system has failed. Granting clemency to Brendan Dassey would not only rectify a grave injustice but also send a powerful message about the values of compassion and fairness that your administration strives to uphold in Wisconsin.
Brendan Dassey has already served nearly two decades behind bars for a crime we, the undersigned, believe he did not commit. His youth and vulnerability at the time of his confession, combined with the questionable methods employed to secure it, and zero forensic evidence linking Brendan to the crime, make his case an urgent and compelling candidate for clemency — and your attention.
We urge you to consider the overwhelming evidence that Brendan Dassey’s conviction was a tragic error. Granting him clemency would restore faith in Wisconsin’s justice system and affirm our collective commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us from coercive, outdated and unjust practices.
Granting clemency to Brendan Dassey is not just a legal imperative but a moral one. Governor, you are singularly empowered to right a grievous wrong and reaffirm Wisconsin's commitment to justice and human dignity. Brendan's case exemplifies the failures of the criminal justice system and underscores the need for compassionate and corrective action. His continued incarceration is a profound human rights issue, and we ask you to seize this moment to correct a historic injustice and restore faith in the power of clemency to heal and redress.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this critical matter. We hope you will act to right this wrong and allow Brendan Dassey a first chance at life outside the confines of a prison cell.
Yours sincerely,
Tracy Keogh, Melbourne, Australia
Christy Alberts, Wisconsin
George Altes, Virginia, United States
Diana Alves, Coimbra, Portugal
Rebecca Ambriz, El Paso, Texas
Toma Anda, Romania
Patricia Arnold, Missouri, United States
Janice Austin, Vermont, United States
Jen AV-Stemmer, New England, United States
Luis Ayuso Domenech, Madrid, Spain
Angela Babcockk, New Brunswick, Canada
Jacque Baily, Illinois, United States
Leanne Best, South Australia
Lee Billington, Auckland, New Zealand
Kristyna Boukari, Michigan, United States
Viv Bowers, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Elaine Brazier, Suffolk, United Kingdom
Henrietta Brearley, Indiana, United States
Christine Burgess, Canberra, Australia
Christine Buxton, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Dani C, Oklahoma, United States
Dale Carter, Illinois, United States
Christine Cavanagh, Victoria, Australia
Marie Christian, Sweden
Nicholas Cocozzelli, New York, United States
Tammy Collins, Canton, Ohio
L Cooper, West Tennessee, United States
Amber Cornet, Vermont, United States
Suzy Cue, Vancouver, B.C.
Jo Dowell, Biggleswade, United Kingdom
Kelly Droster, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Melissa Dufoe, Ontario, Canada
Kristine Eastman-Eggerton, Wisconsin, United States
April Erion, Ohio, United States
Dawn Essen, Minneapolis, United States
Maureen Fantastia, Plympton, Massachusetts
Jennifer Folger, Savannah, Georgia
Delphine Garcia, South France
Patricia Gerbert, Michigan, United States
Paula Grabow, Chicago, United States
Cheryl Greig, Queensland, Australia
Denise Gribble, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Jill Harney, Kansas, United States
Ria Hendricks, Borne, The Netherlands
Rebekah Hensley, Oregon, United States
Nicola Holden, Brisbane, Australia
Brian Hopson, Teesside, United Kingdom
Nicole Hörmann, Kirchheim, Germany
Kristina Hudson, Solon Springs, Wisconsin
Mellany Huelgas, United Kingdom
Margaret Jeffrey, Carryduff, Northern Ireland
Deanna Jesse, B.C., Canada
Toni Johnston, Stevenage, United Kingdom
Kristy Jones
Megan Jones, San Diego, United States
Monique Jordaan, Johannesburg, South Africa
Kathleen Jordan, New York, United States
Sarah Juza, New Hampshire, United States
Emma Kazemi, Iran
Max Keogh, Victoria, Australia
Tom Keogh, Victoria, Australia
Rhiannon Keogh, Dublin, Ireland
Elisabeth Kettler, Bristol, Wisconsin
Wolf Kettler, Bristol, Wisconsin
Paula Knudson, New Jersey, United States
Einna Knutsen, Chillan, Chile
Kristina Kvisth, Vaggeryd, Sweden
Kelli Lee LaBelle, Florida, United States
Mary Ladd, Kansas, United States
Erin Lamas, Nebraska, United States
Jennifer Fen Lanham, Ohio, United States
Nisha Layton, Dudley, United Kingdom
Shayne Layton, Dudley, United Kingdom
Wendy Leach, Manitoba, Canada
Theytaz Leslie, Geneva, Switzerland
Eric Lewis, West Virginia, United States
Dawn Libin, Enfield, United States
Thallita Lima, Brasil
Roxana Lopez, California, United States
Amanda Lynch Higgott, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Yvette MacKenzie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Cate Mahoney, Queensland, Australia
Romilda Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil
Wiki Mathew, New Zealand
Emily McCarthy, North Carolina, United States
Oscar McHattan, Sydney, Australia
Melanie McKay, Northampton, United Kingdom
Jennifer McKenna, Exmoor, United Kingdom
Angie McNair, Kentucky, United States
Ana Paula Mendonca, Barreiros, Brasil
Javier Mercado, Puerto Rico
Jaqueline Mertens, Germany
Nathasha Miller, Tennessee, United States
Carol Mixon, Texas, United Kingdom
Michael Molly, Easton, Pa, United States
Krista Morns, Niagara Falls, United States
Tori Mowle, Harwick, United Kingdom
Antonella Muscat, London, United Kingdom
Molly Myers, Easton, Pa, United States
Orfhlaith Ni Choirbin, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Cindy-Anne Nicholsen, South Jersey, United States
Cathleen Noren, Skillingaryd, Sweden
Carolyn O'Brien, Los Angeles, United States
Chelsea O'Connor, Ontario, Canada
Karen O'Donnell Tennebaum, Manchester Twp, New Jersey, United States
Mark Pacella, New York, United States
Mark Pacella, New York, United States
Michelle Pacella, New York, United States
Renee Pacella, New York, United States
Victor Padilla, Texas, United States
Kristina Palayeva, Ontario, Canada
Lorraine Paquette Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Jennifer Paradise, Auburn, United States
Tanja Partzsch, Altendorf, Germany
Maureen Pearsall, Ontario, Canada
Pilar Perez-Cebrian, Ontario, Canada
Janine Petschelt, Berline, Germany
Cathy Anne Phalen, New York, United States
Ayisha Phillips, Manchester, United Kingdom
Kiana Phoenix, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Victoria Piefley, South Carolina, United States
Wendy Polhill, Ontario, Canada
Marilene Poli, Sao Paulo, Brasil
Karen Ratkoric, Ontario, Canada
Lesley Read, United Kingdom
Donna Reid, Victoria, Australia
Edward Reynolds, Sweden and United Kingdom
Martina Reynolds, Sweden
Rebecca Reynolds, Sweden
Susanne Reynolds, Sweden
Yadira Ric, Covina, United States
Ben Robinson, Glasgow, Scotland
Ger Jerry Romero, Guanajuato, México
Margaret Rouncefield, Kent, United Kingdom
Cheryl Russo, Massachusettes, United States
Monica Santos, Brasil
Amy Schafer, Michigan, United States
Tina Schebler, Indiana, United States
Mike Schrepple, Arizona, United States
Shanelle Schrepple, Arizona, United States
Sarah Shaw, United Kingdom
Tammy-Lee Short, Queensland, Australia
Tina Showalter, Lake County, United States
Evangelia Sigala, Patras, Greece
Kees Simon, Heemstede, The Netherlands
Annabel Singh, Co. Roscommon, Ireland
Alex Smith, PHX, Arizona
Marion Smith, Illinois, United States
Tracy Smith, California, United States
Vicky Smith, North Carolina, United States
Rebecca Snodgrass, Boscobel, Wisconsin
Ingrid Somers, Brisbane, Australia
Jennie Stevens, Los Angeles, United States
Allison Swift, Georgia, United States
Barbara Tadych, Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Scott Tadych, Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Verna Talbot, New Brunswick, Canada
Susie Teofilo, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Lisa Thompson, Victoria, Australia
Elizabeth Thuer, Arizona, United States
Deborah Tohill, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Joan Treppa, Minneapolis, United States
Lee-Ann Tustin, Shirleysburg, United States
Priscila Valente P.Costa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rebecca Vargas, Texas, United States
Nicky Vasilevskiy, Moscow, Russia
Lucy Velez, Florida, United States
Josie Venner, London, United Kingdom
Michelle Vernon, Melbourne, Australia
Kristina Violaris, Brisbane, Australia
Coco Walden, Florida, United States
Ordalie V Wartenberg, Munich, Germany
Sarah Watter, Chicago, United States
Neal Worthington, Llandysul, Wales
The Yates Family, North Carolina, United States
Katja Zimmerman, Bad Schandau, Germany
Brendon Dassey and Steven Avery should be freed immediately. They are INNOCENTS. They have suffered far too long.
The more we suffer in this lifetime the greater reward we receive in our eternity. Avery and Dassey have the highest spot in Heaven for when their time comes. God is good and I believe this. There is a total of 3 victims in this case. People let them down but God will not.
Everyone that caused harm in this situation will have to answer to God when the time comes. Evil people that can harm innocent people have no place in peace, with God.
Think about that.
Nina Zakas- Charleston, West Virginia.
I am still outraged by this coerced confession. He was a CHILD! Why was he even questioned without a parent!!!? Free him NOW!!!!
Please release him! 🙏
So many years has passed.
Jennifer Friedrich, The Netherlands
Nic Evans, Brisbane, Australia
Truly sickening and heartbreaking!
Please release Brendan! 🙏