Making a Murderer: Steven Avery is denied a retrial

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, The lawyer for Steven Avery (above) argues that he has been framed in the case

A US man whose murder conviction was the focus of the popular Netflix series Making A Murderer has been denied a new trial by a Wisconsin judge.

She ruled that Steven Avery had failed "to establish any grounds that would trigger the right to a new trial".

Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey were convicted of murdering a young woman, Teresa Halbach, in 2005.

But Mr Dassey's conviction was overturned because his confession, made as a 16 year old, was coerced.

Judge Angela Sutkiewicz ruled in the case of Avery on Tuesday that "the defendant has failed to establish any grounds that would trigger the right to a new trial in the interests of justice".

"As such, no further consideration will be given to this issue," she said, pointing out that there was no "reasonable probability that a different result would be reached at a new trial".

Avery's attorney Kathleen Zellner argued that he has been framed in the case and that she will now seek to overturn the judge's order.

Avery and Mr Dassey were each sentenced to life in jail - in separate trials - for killing Ms Halbach, a freelance photographer, whose charred remains were found at Avery's car salvage yard a week after she went there to photograph a minivan for sale in 2005.

Making a Murderer investigated Ms Halbach's death - casting doubt on the legal process used in the investigation and subsequent court cases.