He was 17 when he was arrested for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. Now Adnan Syed, known from the “Serial” podcast, has been released. – Hard for me to swallow, says the victim’s brother.
Updated less than 10 minutes ago
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In 2000, Syed was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, 18-year-old Hae Min Lee. Her body was found in Leakin Park in Baltimore in 1999. Investigators determined that she died of suffocation.
He always denied having anything to do with the murder. His case got a lot of attention after truecrime’s “Serial” podcast.
A Maryland judge chose Monday to overturn Adnad Syed’s conviction, according to several American media outlets.
The decision comes after the prosecution told the court they had lost faith in Syed’s belief, and then referred to a nearly a year-long investigation that uncovered new information about the “possible involvement of two alternative suspects. “.
The judge also demanded that Syed be released from prison, as the prosecution considers whether he should go through a new round in court, he writes. The Washington Post.
Teenage boyfriends
Syed was a 17-year-old secondary school student when he was arrested in late February 1999 for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee.
Prosecutors claimed in 2020 that he strangled Lee, who was in the same classroom as Woodlawn High School, and – with the help of a friend – hid his body in Leakin Park.
He had long tried to overturn the sentence and get a retrial, but until recently he had faced opposition from the prosecution.
Young Lee, Hae Min Lee’s brother, said in a hearing Monday that the prosecutor’s motion to quash the sentence made him feel “betrayed.”
– It’s hard for me to swallow, and especially for my mom, he said according to the Washington Post.
Young Lee pointed out that “he was not against an investigation or anything like that,” but he also reportedly said:
– Knowing that there might be someone out there who is free to kill my sister, that’s tough. I pray you make the right decision.
Podcast Mystery
Syed’s case was discussed on the “Serial” podcast, which had its first season in 2014.
In the series, host Sarah Koening wonders if it really was Syed who killed Hae Min Lee, or if he was innocently convicted as he himself claims.
– Koenig is trying to unravel what really happened in the fateful 21 minutes of the freezing winter day, wrote Anders Giæver of VG in a comment when the podcast was released.
Baltimore prosecutors filed the motion last week calling for a retrial for Syed, who is serving a life sentence in connection with the killing of Hae Min Lee.
Prosecutors said Syed “deserves a retrial” because they identified two new potential suspects. None of them have been named yet.
Judge Melissa Phinn said Monday she had dropped Syed’s sentence “for the sake of justice.”
The judge’s decision was met with applause and tears in the courtroom. Syed, now 41, attended the hearing wearing a white shirt and dark tie.
After the verdict, police officers removed the handcuffs from his ankles and soon after Syed walked out of court to applause and applause from his supporters.
He didn’t stop to talk to reporters, but got into the car and was whisked away from the scene, he writes CNN.
Monday’s decision doesn’t mean Syed is innocent. Judge Melissa Phinn has ordered a retrial, she writes BBC.
The case also received attention in the HBO documentary series “The Case Against Adnan Syed”. In the 2019 series, Syed’s lawyer claimed that his client’s DNA was not found on any of the 12 samples taken from the victim’s body and car.
The judge now approves further DNA tests in the case.
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