Judge Overturns Murder Conviction of Adnan Syed of 'Serial'

Syed has been in prison for 23 years for the murder of high school classmate Hae Min Lee.



Adnan Syed, whose case was chronicled by the popular podcast Serial, was released from prison Monday after spending 23 years behind bars on charges that he murdered his former high school girlfriend.

Judge Melissa M. Phinn of Baltimore City Circuit Court overturned Syed's murder conviction in the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee, finding that prosecutors had failed to turn over evidence that could have helped Syed at trial and discovered new evidence that could have affected the outcome of his case.

The office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City said in a motion filed last week that there was new information about two potential alternative suspects in the homicide. While prosecutors aren't saying Syed is innocent, they are saying they lack confidence in "the integrity of the conviction."

Prosecutors have 30 days to decide if they will proceed with a new trial or drop the charges against Syed, who was ordered to serve home detention until then.

More here: Judge Vacates Murder Conviction of Adnan Syed of 'Serial'


|

Adnan Syed of 'Serial' is getting a new trial

Baltimore judge vacates 2000 conviction for the murder of Hae Min Lee.



A Baltimore judge has ordered a new trial for Adnan Syed, setting aside his conviction for the 1999 murder of his former girlfriend, in a case that was propelled to international attention by the popular podcast Serial.

Conviction vacated, new trial granted for Adnan Syed of 'Serial'

Syed, now 35, has been serving a life sentence since 2000, when he was convicted of killing ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. The wildly popular first season of Serial, downloaded millions of times, renewed public interest in the case, rousing fervent speculation about Syed's guilt and whether he had received a fair trial.

Retired Judge Martin Welch, who had denied Syed's previous request for a new trial, vacated Syed's conviction Thursday and said questions about cellphone tower evidence should have been raised by his trial team.

Syed's lawyer, C. Justin Brown, confirmed the news on Twitter on Thursday afternoon: