Adnan Syed would be walking away a free man after serving 22 years in prison for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.
Prosecutors in Baltimore are dropping the charges for the alleged murder of his ex-girlfriend, after releasing him from prison last month.
Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced the previous prosecutors on the case had failed to pursue 2 other possible suspects in the case.
As a result, Adnan was set free, but Mosby made it clear he could still be retried for Lee’s murder. In fact, she appeared on “TMZ Live,” and said it was likely a new trial would be scheduled.
His lawyer, Erica Suter, said in a statement:
“Finally, Adnan Syed is able to live as a free man. Adnan is innocent and lost 23 years of his life serving time for a crime he did not commit
After the murder of his high school classmate and ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999, a jury found Syed guilty of premeditated murder, kidnapping, robbery, and false imprisonment.
Prosecutors argued he was a scorned lover who had strangled Ms. Lee and hid her body in Baltimore’s Leakin Park with the help of a friend. They relied in part on mobile phone location data that has since been proven unreliable.
Syed has maintained his innocence since his conviction and appealed the court’s decision several times, including a recent attempt in 2019.
Baltimore’s state attorney’s office has studied the case over the past year and concluded that Syed deserved a new trial.
Ms. Lee’s family has appealed Judge Phinn’s decision, but the dropping of Mr. Syed’s charges by Baltimore state’s attorney means the appeal is null.
