Twenty-two years ago, Adnan Syed was convicted for the murder of his high school exgirlfriend. He has now been cleared of all charges. The podcast, which sheds light on the case, is partially responsible for this. Serial.
Hae Min Lee, 18, was murdered in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1999. He was arrested after a tip was submitted anonymously to police indicating that Syed was the culprit.
He was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery.
Syed was sentenced to 30 years in prison and life imprisonment, despite a mistrial. Syed was innocent for 22 years. He tried unsuccessfully to appeal his conviction.
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It wasn’t until 2014 that this happened. SerialSarah Koenig hosted the show. She decided to create a season that would explore the complex case of murder, trial and conviction.
Koenig presented key evidence in 12 episodes that changed how people saw Syed’s conviction.
The existence of Asia McClain, an alibi witness, was most striking. Syed did not use her because she failed to contact her lawyer.
Physical evidence from the crime scene was not DNA tested, which raised questions about the reliability and validity of evidence against Syed’s cellphone tower records.
Podcasting was a success, placing Syed’s case in the forefront and inspiring others to support a retrial.
Syed’s story inspired another podcast, “The Syed Podcast”. Undisclosed: Adnan Syed vs. the State, The Discovery special aired for one hour, followed by two books written and edited by Syed’s lawyer and alibi witness, as well as a four-part HBO series.
Syed and state faced a back-and forth appeal against the 2015 decision to retry him for negligence by his lawyer. He was ultimately denied a second trial.
However, now you can cite BradySyed’s conviction for disclosure violations has been overturned.
He was granted a new trial by the judge and his shackles were lifted. The judge ordered him to be released under home detention while the investigation continues into Lee’s murder.
As he entered the courthouse’s steps, there was a chorus of cheers. Syed smiled and made a peace sign for his supporters, but he did not comment.
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