Sad thing for Brendan is, he'll never get a retrial (or a fair one) because if he did and was found innocent, then Avery would also have to be considered innocent too....
As a result the detectives in this case would likely face charges themselves (and all previous cases involving them would need to be re-examined)....potential lawsuits against the state would be massive too....and the reputation of the police force & judicial system would be left in tatters....
There's a lot at stake here, sadly for Steven & Brendan, probably too much...
The actual charges didn't make any sense to me either....Avery was found guilty of Murder, but sexual assault or mutilation of the body (why not?), but Brendan was!!....