Who is Adnan Syed? Subject of podcast Serial whose murder conviction was reinstated by Maryland appeals court
Adnan Syed Case
A Maryland appeals court reinstated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed on Tuesday. He was the subject of the podcast Serial. A court in Baltimore vacated his conviction in September 2022 after he spent 22 years in prison.
Adnan Syed, 41, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in February 2000 for murdering his high school girlfriend.
However, the new court decision does not mean Syed has to return to jail immediately, as the judge has issued a 60-day stay of its ruling to give both sides times to consider the next steps.
Here's everything you need to know about the Adnan Syed case.
What did Adnan Syed do?
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In 1999, Adnan Syed was a 17-year-old high school senior in Baltimore. Hae Min Lee, his ex-girlfriend, was found dead in Leakin Park four weeks after she went missing. Later, Adnan was charged with first-degree murder and sent to jail for 30 years.
The cops found Lee's body on February 6 and suspected Adnan for the murder. Later, one of his friends confessed to helping him bury Lee's body. The police arrested Adnan Syed for the murder of Hae Min Lee on February 28.
The court approved a new trial for Adnan based on a shred of new evidence presented in Sarah Koenig's podcast 'Serial.' Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Martin Welch removed Adnan's conviction in 2016. However, the bench denied his request for bail. Later, the Maryland Court of Appeals flipped the decision and maintained Adnan's conviction.
In September 2022, Adnan Syed walked out after spending 22 years in prison. The Baltimore City Circuit Court, headed by Judge Melissa M. Phinn, granted Adnan Syed's release. However, the condition remained that he must be on GPS monitoring. The bench also gave the state prosecutors a 30-day window to file a petition to try him again.
About 'Serial'
A local Baltimore lawyer and Syed's family friend, Rabia Chaudry, contacted veteran journalist Sarah Koenig, known for her radio show 'This American Life.' They requested an independent investigation of Hae Min Lee's murder. Sarah agreed and started to work on Serial in 2013.
They released the first season between October 3 and December 18, 2014. The show impacted Adnan Syed's case and gave him a new trial in 2015.