Judge Vacates Murder Conviction of Adnan Syed of ‘Serial’

The New York Times, September 19, 2022: Judge Vacates Murder Conviction of Adnan Syed of ‘Serial’

“In a remarkable reversal, Adnan Syed walked out of prison on Monday for the first time since he was a teenager, having spent 23 years fighting his conviction on charges that he murdered his former high school girlfriend, a case that was chronicled in the first season of the hit podcast ‘Serial.’

“Judge Melissa M. Phinn of Baltimore City Circuit Court vacated the conviction ‘in the interests of justice and fairness,’ finding that prosecutors had failed to turn over evidence that could have helped Mr. Syed at trial and discovered new evidence that could have affected the outcome of his case.

“Prosecutors have 30 days to decide if they will proceed with a new trial or drop the charges against Mr. Syed, who was ordered to serve home detention until then. Prosecutors said that an investigation had pointed to two possible ‘alternative suspects,’ although those individuals have not been named publicly or charged.

“‘At this time, we will remove the shackles from Mr. Syed,’ Judge Phinn declared after announcing her decision. Moments later, Mr. Syed walked onto the courthouse steps, smiling as a crowd of supporters shouted and cheered. He gave a small wave and climbed into a waiting SUV, without saying anything to reporters who pressed around him.

“Mr. Syed, 41, had been serving a life sentence after he was convicted of strangling his high school classmate and onetime girlfriend Hae Min Lee, whose body was found buried in a park in Baltimore in 1999.”

Additional reading:

Variety, September 19, 2022: Adnan Syed Murder Conviction Overturned, ‘Serial’ to Release New Episode on Case

Listen to Season One of Serial

Vox, March 11, 2019: HBO’s The Case Against Adnan Syed comes armed with an agenda and little else