‘Serial’ case: US judge tosses murder conviction of man featured on hit podcast
- Adnan Syed spent over 20 years in jail for the killing of ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee; his case got worldwide attention after the podcast cast doubt on his guilt
- Authorities are conducting a further investigation after discovery of new information on two other suspects and issues with the evidence used to convict Syed
A US judge on Monday threw out the conviction of a man who has served over 20 years in prison for his ex-girlfriend’s murder – a case that received worldwide attention thanks to the hit podcast Serial.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn vacated the conviction of Adnan Syed, 42, who has been serving a life sentence since 2000 for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee.
Phinn ordered Syed, who appeared in court wearing a white shirt and a white skullcap, immediately released on his own recognisance “in the interests of justice and fairness”.
Lee’s body was found buried in February 1999 in a shallow grave in the woods of Baltimore, Maryland. The 18-year-old had been strangled.
Syed has steadfastly maintained his innocence but his multiple appeals had been denied, including by the US Supreme Court, which declined in 2019 to hear his case.
In a surprise move last week, the Baltimore City state’s attorney, Marilyn Mosby, announced that she had asked a judge to vacate Syed’s conviction while a further investigation is carried out.