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Obama Administration Denies Pardon for Making a Murderer's Subjects

Read why

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Malcolm Venable

The White House responded Thursday to the petition to pardon Making a Murderer subject Steven Avery -- who many believe was framed for the murder of Teresa Halbach in 2005. Although a petition got well over the 100,000 signatures required to get a response, the response isn't what they hoped.

Making a Murderer: did other members of the Avery family kill Teresa Halbach?

The Obama administration declined to intervene in the case, saying in a statement, "Since Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey are both state prisoners, the President cannot pardon them. A pardon in this case would need to be issued at the state level by the appropriate authorities."

That would be Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has dismissed the idea of a pardon in the past. No word on what legal action may be next for Avery and Dassey, but the Investigation Discovery network announced Thursday that it will air a new special about the case, titled Front Page: The Steven Avery Story, later this month.

Read the White House's full statement here.