Teresa Halbach homicide: Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Steven Avery, Brendan Dassey dismissed

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY -- A judge in Sheboygan County has dismissed a wrong death lawsuit involving one of Wisconsin's most notorious homicides nine years after it was filed.

The civil lawsuit brought by the family of Teresa Halbach was filed against Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey in 2006, seeking unspecified monetary damages. The two were convicted of killing the 25-year-old photographer near Mishicot in 2005.

Halbach's family agreed to put the lawsuit on hold while Avery continued to appeal his conviction. WLUK-TV (http://bit.ly/1R4xbdr ) reports the family's attorney, Patrick Coffey, asked the judge earlier this month to dismiss the lawsuit regardless of Avery's appeal status in the criminal case. The judge agreed to do so.

Avery is serving life in prison with no chance of parole. Dassey will have his first chance for release in 2048.