Adnan Syed’s Murder Conviction and Sentence Reinstated

Courtesy – The Today Show

The man at the center of one of the most popular podcasts Serial, Adnan Syed, has been resentenced for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee.

Syed, whose story became popular after the success of the 2014 podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig, was released from jail last October after serving 22 years of a life sentence. The podcast primarily explored the idea that Syed had been wrongly convicted and the true killer was still on the loose.

DNA testing in 2022 “completely exculpated Syed from the crime,” according to a state’s attorney for Baltimore, Marilyn Mosby.

Mosby decided to not refile any charges against Syed which meant he could walk free. But this decision angered a family member of Lee, who claimed there was not ample time for him to attend the hearing.

According to WBALTV, the state contacted the brother of Hae Min Lee, Young Lee, one day before the hearing was to start. This gave him no time to be able to travel from his home in California to Baltimore and was instead required to attend the hearing remotely.

On Tuesday, the Appellate Court of Maryland said the “state violated the victim’s family’s right to attend the hearing on the motion to vacate.”

The court’s statement read:

Because the circuit court violated Mr. Lee’s right to notice of, and his right to attend, the hearing on the State’s motion to vacate, in violation of CP § 8-301.1(d), this Court has the power and obligation to remedy those violations, as long we can do so without violating Mr. Syed’s right to be free from double jeopardy. We can do that, and accordingly, we vacate the circuit court’s order vacating Mr. Syed’s convictions, which results in the reinstatement of the original convictions and sentence.

Syed’s conviction will be effective for 60 days which will give both parties time to decide how to proceed further with the case.