BALTIMORE — In the hours after Baltimore prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against Adnan Syed and exonerated him after 23 years behind bars, his family members found themselves overwhelmed with happiness after decades of prayer and tireless advocacy.
News of the dismissal ended their marathon quest for justice that sometimes seemed futile, even as Syed garnered massive support after the hit “Serial” podcast launched his case to international renown.
“Even though we always believed Adnan was innocent, there were so many ups and downs that we had to accept that maybe he would never come out of prison,” his younger brother, Yusuf Syed, told The Baltimore Sun during an interview outside the family home Tuesday afternoon.
Yusuf Syed said the family still was somewhat shocked about the news, which came unexpectedly soon. He said they had no idea until earlier that morning.
Adnan Syed, 41, was released from prison last month after prosecutors filed a motion to overturn his conviction in the 1999 killing of his high school ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. But he remained charged with murder pending further DNA testing. He also was placed on house arrest and issued an ankle monitor upon release.
Then on Tuesday morning, officials announced that last-ditch DNA results excluded Adnan Syed as a suspect.
“We are in shock, so happy and excited that this nightmare is over,” his brother said. “We can finally move on and have our lives back.”
He said the exoneration was especially meaningful for their mother, Shamim Syed, because “all these years, people have been saying her son’s a killer.”
“Now, Adnan gets back all the respect he lost,” said his brother, describing a victory that’s both symbolic and practical.
After the court hearing Tuesday morning where the charges officially were dismissed, Adnan Syed went to get his ankle monitor removed. As for future plans, he wants to finish earning his college degree and potentially enroll in law school — “to help people in his situation,” his brother said.
Yusuf Syed said his brother was always a good student and avid learner. He recalled one of his saddest memories from the immediate aftermath of the arrest: watching his mother receive college acceptance letters and scholarship offers addressed to Adnan Syed, offering opportunities he couldn’t accept.
Once he completes the process of having his innocence officially certified, Adnan Syed will become eligible to apply for wrongful conviction compensation from the state. In addition to financial compensation, he would be entitled to five years of health care, housing and free tuition, according to Maryland law.
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby apologized to the Syed family, saying she understood they suffered alongside Adnan Syed during his imprisonment.
After watching the press conference on his laptop, Yusuf Syed said he appreciated those remarks. He also expressed sympathy for the victim’s family and thanked the many supporters, attorneys and journalists who helped shine a light on the case, including Rabia Chaudry, a longtime advocate for Adnan Syed who produced the “Undisclosed” podcast after Serial garnered a massive audience.
Chaudry, who also spent time Tuesday at the Syed family home, said it was hard to believe the case dragged on for decades, only to be resolved in a matter of months.
“I feel validated, relieved, thankful and a little bit in shock,” she said.
She left her visit with the Syeds holding a toy lightsaber that Yusuf Syed had gotten for her son.
Chaudry, an attorney, activist and author who has advocated strongly for Syed, said life goes on after this huge accomplishment. That includes spending time with her family and returning to the long list of other innocence cases sitting on her desk.
Chaudry also said the recent DNA revelations made her “more hopeful than ever that Hae Min Lee will get justice.”
Mosby said the recent tests had excluded Adnan Syed as a suspect but her office declined comment when asked if the sample tested had been compared to other known offenders in law enforcement databases.
When prosecutors moved to vacate the conviction last month, they cited two alternative suspects in the case, as well as disclosure issues and evidence now deemed unreliable. Officials have declined to identify the alternative suspects publicly, though much is known about them.
Prosecutors had said they would wait for the DNA results before deciding whether to retry Adnan Syed or drop his charges.
The fact that those results came back last week — amid an ongoing appeal on behalf of the Lee family — was “divine intervention of the greatest order,” Chaudry said.
Lee’s family filed their appeal after the conviction was vacated, arguing Mosby neglected to provide them adequate notice to attend the hearing. The family asked the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to pause the proceedings in Baltimore Circuit Court while the court considered their appeal. And just last week, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, whose office represented the state during Adnan Syed’s repeated appeals, joined the family in requesting a hold on the case.
On Tuesday, an attorney representing the Lee family accused the state’s attorney’s office of rushing to drop the criminal charges and of seeking to “silence Hae Min Lee’s family and to prevent the family and the public from understanding why the state so abruptly changed its position of more than 20 years.”
“All this family ever wanted was answers and a voice,” said the attorney, Steve Kelly. “Today’s actions robbed them of both.”
Mosby said Tuesday that the Lee family’s request for a hold on Syed’s case is now moot because the underlying case has been dismissed.
“He’s a free man. It’s all over,” Chaudry said. “The state is done with Adnan Syed.”
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