Adnan Syed - a name familiar to anyone who has listened to the Serial podcast - is a free man tonight.
Syed had been convicted for the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee in January 1999 and sentenced to life in prison.
Syed has spent the last 23 years in prison, only to be freed today after as the State Attorney for Baltimore County says it no longer has faith in the evidence that was used to convict him.
There were emotional scenes on the steps of a Baltimore court house as Syed walked into the afternoon air.
Adnan Syed walks out of the courthouse a free man after 23 years in prison. Lots of cheers. @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/OClfWIUGhe
— Katie Barlow (@katieleebarlow) September 19, 2022
Syed's conviction was the subject of the acclaimed podcast series Serial in 2014. The podcast raised major questions about the evidence behind his conviction, and became an international sensation. HBO have also released a documentary about his trial in 2019.
"Our prosecutors have been sworn to not only aggressively advocate on behalf of victims of crime but when the evidence exists to exonerate those that have been falsely accused and convicted," said prosecutor Marilyn Mosby.
It was revealed in court today that new evidence has emerged about two other unnamed suspects.
Hae Min Lee's brother Young Lee addressed the court as well, via zoom link
"My heart is kind of pounding right now... I personally wanted to be there in person. I've been living with this for like 20 plus years. Everyday when I think it's over... or it's ended, it always comes back. It's killing me. It's really tough," he said.
Prosecutor Becky Feldman said:
“It is our promise that we will do everything we can to bring justice to the Lee family. That means continuing to utilize all available resources to bring a suspect or suspects to justice and hold them accountable."
As the Serial website says, Syed claimed his innocence "though he can't exactly remember what he was doing on that January afternoon".
After vacating the sentence, judge Melissa Phinn gave the prosecutors 30 days to begin a retrial or end the case.
