A man convicted in 2000 in a murder case that was chronicled in the hit podcast Serial has been released from prison. At the behest of prosecutors in Baltimore, Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn ordered that Adnan Syed’s conviction for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee be vacated and she approved the release of the 41-year-old who has spent more than two decades behind bars.
Judge Phinn ruled that the state violated its legal obligation to share exculpatory evidence with Mr Syed’s defence. She ordered him released from custody and placed on home detention with an electronic tag. She also ordered the state to decide whether to seek a new trial date or dismiss the case within 30 days.
“All right Mr Syed, you’re free to join your family,” Judge Phinn said as the hearing ended. Mr Syed, who always maintained his innocence, received widespread attention in 2014 when the debut season of Serial focused on Ms Lee’s killing and raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors used, inspiring countless debates about Mr Syed’s innocence or guilt.
