Adnan Syed, who was convicted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee in 1999, was released on Monday. His conviction was vacated by Baltimore’s Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn.
Syed’s case was chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial.” It came up in 2014 when the debut season of the podcast focused on Lee’s killing. It raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors had used.
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Adnan Syed, now 41, has always maintained innocence. He was serving a life sentence.
Phinn ruled that the state violated its legal obligation to share evidence that could have bolstered Syed’s defense. She ordered Syed to be placed on home detention with GPS location monitoring. The judge also said the state must decide whether to seek a new trial date or dismiss the case within 30 days.
“All right Mr. Syed, you’re free to join your family,” Phinn said as the hearing ended.
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Who is Adnan Syed?
Adnan Syed was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1981. He is 41 years old and of Pakistani descent.
Syed made headlines for the murder of his former girlfried Hae Min Lee. She was found dead in a shallow grave in a Baltimore park at the age of 18 in 1999.
Adnan Syed was 18 years old then. The prosecution said that he strangled Lee in rage. He, however, denied all allegations. In February 2000, Syed was convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Last week, prosecutors filed a motion saying that a lengthy investigation conducted with the defense had uncovered new evidence that could undermine the 2000 conviction of Syed, Lee’s ex-boyfriend.
“I understand how difficult this is, but we need to make sure we hold the correct person accountable,” assistant state’s attorney Becky Feldman told the judge as she described various details from the case that undermine the decades-old conviction, including flawed cellphone data, unreliable witness testimony and and a potentially biased detective.
