Making a Murderer season 2 release date announced: Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey return in follow-up Netflix series

Netflix has confirmed that Making a Murderer is returning to screens in a matter of weeks.

One of the streaming service’s most discussed shows, which charted the journey of exonerated criminal turned convicted murderer Steven Avery, will launch its follow-up run of episodes on 19 October.

Filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos have been working on the new season ever since the first aired to critical acclaim in 2015. Ten new episodes will show off their exclusive access to Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey as well as the legal teams fighting for justice on their behalf.

Part two will specifically focus on the post-conviction process, delving into the emotional toll the verdicts has taken on their respective families including Brendan’s mother, Barb.

Viewers will be introduced to Kathleen Zellner, Avery’s post-conviction lawyer, who leads the fight to prove that he was wrongly convicted of the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach. Interestingly, Zellner holds the record for getting more clients off wrongful conviction cases than any other private attorney in America.

Similarly, the fight of Dassey’s post-conviction lawyers Laura Nirider and Steven Dirizin will also be shown as the duo attempts to convince the court that their client's confession was involuntary.

“Steven and Brendan, their families and their legal and investigative teams have once again graciously granted us access, giving us a window into the complex web of American criminal justice,” said Ricciardi and Demos. “Building on Part 1, which documented the experience of the accused, in Part 2, we have chronicled the experience of the convicted and imprisoned, two men each serving life sentences for crimes they maintain they did not commit. We are thrilled to be able to share this new phase of the journey with viewers.”

28-year-old Dassey, who was 16 at the time of the murder, told Manitowoc County officers that he had helped his uncle rape and murder the freelance photographer after being interrogated four times in 48 hours. He is currently serving life imprisonment for murder, sexual assault and mutilation of a corpse in connection with Halbach’s death.

Speaking about her client’s conviction, Nirider said: “Unfortunately, Brendan isn’t alone. Over the past 20 years, extensive empirical and psychological research has shown that children under 18 are between three and four times more likely to falsely confess than adults – and yet the criminal justice system fails many of them. It’s up to the courts to put an end to this.”

Making a Murderer Part 2 will be available to stream on Netflix globally on 19 October.