Alyssa Bloechl

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

MANITOWOC - Nearly 50 people attended a rally Saturday outside Manitowoc County Courthouse in support of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey.

The rally ended around 2:15 p.m., 45 minutes earlier than planned.

Manitowoc Police Capt. Larry Zimney said the department initially staffed four officers and three chaplains for the rally, but ended up sending some home early.

"It was peaceful and respectful, and our police presence was unnecessary, so we backed off," Zimney said. "We did have officers on patrol keeping an eye on things."

As demonstrated by those in attendance at the rally, support for Avery and his nephew Dassey has roots in family.

"I don't know how people can sleep at night for doing this to my son," said Dassey's mother, Barb Tadych.

Tadych and Dassey's stepfather, Scott, along with Avery's mother, attended the rally.

Avery and Dassey were convicted in 2007 of killing freelance photographer Teresa Halbach. The pair gained supporters worldwide after the Dec. 18, 2015, release of "Making a Murderer," a 10-episode Netflix docu-series that questions tactics used by the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department and raises concerns about the validity of the convictions.

Carrying signs and chanting "Free the innocent, jail the guilty," rally participants, including many Avery and Dassey family members, showed their support for the two being released from prison.

As cars pulled up to the stop lights on the corner of Washington Street and South Eighth Street, rally participants chanted "honk for justice." Some honked, some rolled up their windows. Early in the day, one man yelled from his pickup that Steven Avery is a murderer.

Carla Chase, Avery's niece and Dassey's cousin, and Kim Ducat, Avery's cousin, were also in attendance. Ducat said she thought the show of support from visitors was awesome.

"To see the overall support, the better it is for anyone who is in prison that shouldn't be," Ducat said. "Steven has been in prison for 30 years for crimes he didn't commit. He's a gentle soul."

Chase, who works social media groups on behalf of the family, said it is great to see so many individuals see what they believe is injustice.

“It’s like an extended family on Facebook,” Chase said.

She explained that when doing business in the public, they don’t talk about the case with people.

“We hear the whispers, but we just move on,” Chase said.

This is the second rally in support of the convicted murderers this year. The first rally, held Jan. 29, drew about 60 protesters.

People not affiliated with the family, but who believe Avery and Dassey were wrongfully imprisoned, said supporters throughout the world are like a family.

Amy McGlinchey of Traverse City, Michigan, drove to Manitowoc to participate in the rally with her daughter and husband.

"I have a 15-year-old son with a low IQ, who is a gentle giant and unsocial," McGlinchey said. "While I was watching, I kept thinking, 'What if that was my kid?'"

She said she hopes politicians wake up and fix this, as she believes Dassey lost his whole life because of this.

Lisa Szatkowski, of Waupaca, was at the rally because she also believes the two convicted murderers should be set free. She may not be family, but she interacted with the people at the rally as if they were.

Szatkowski said she dug into the new evidence that keeps coming forward, and she works to spread awareness about evidence being tainted, a number of potential suspects who were not treated as such and the procedures of the police.

“Now, I’m waiting for (Kathleen) Zellner (Avery’s attorney) to find evidence that he is innocent. I totally believe in her,” Szatkowski said. “I’m praying the truth will be revealed in a way that there is no doubt they are innocent. A real killer is out there.”

Rally participants primarily stood on the north side of the courthouse, which was closed, holding signs reading, "Set Them Free," and "Justice for Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey."

The Avery-Dassey saga has seemed to ebb from the initial hype after the series was published on Netflix.

One of the rally organizers, Megan Prather, of DeKalb, Illinois, said the whole idea of hosting this rally, along with six others across the United States and Great Britain, is to let people know Avery and Dassey have not been forgotten now that the popular Netflix series, "Making a Murderer," has run its course.

“It makes perfect sense that people are moving on,” Prather said. “That’s why we’re here so they are not forgotten. We are going to keep on until they are freed and given a second chance they need.”

Prather emphasized the rally participants had no issues with Manitowoc and its residents.

“We are encouraging participants to shop, eat and stay at local businesses,” Prather said. “It’s a beautiful city, and we have no problems with the people in the city at all. Our main objective is not to bring ill will to the people of Manitowoc itself.”

John M. Jagemann, owner of the Courthouse Pub across the street from the Manitowoc County Courthouse, said on Friday that only some people who visit the restaurant were aware the rally was happening.

He said this weekend had a lot of events going on, and from a business perspective, the different events — including the rally — would show good downtown activity.

“I think a lot of people are wondering why now and why do it at all?” Jagemann said Friday. “For most people, it is a done event. People are done watching. It’s not a big topic of discussion anymore.”

He predicted people would just wonder what was going on when they drove by the courthouse Saturday.

Saturday's rally coincided with rallies in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Sacramento, California; Louisville, Kentucky; Asheville, North Carolina; and Manchester, England.

Alyssa Bloechl: 920-686-2152 or abloechl@htrnews.com; on Twitter @alyssabloechl