Adnan Syed’s vacated murder conviction in killing of Hae Min Lee reinstated

Aug 30, 2024

Jack Aylmer Anchor

By Jack Aylmer (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

A murder case thrust into the global spotlight by a popular podcast took another turn on Friday, Aug. 30. The Maryland Supreme Court in a 4-3 ruling upheld a lower state court’s decision to reinstate Adnan Syed’s conviction in the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee.

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A majority of the justices agreed with an appellate court that Lee’s brother didn’t receive enough notice to attend the hearing to vacate Syed’s conviction in 2022. The justices ordered the case to go back to the circuit court that freed Syed for a new hearing on his conviction.

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Syed’s case drew worldwide attention through the weekly podcast “Serial.” The show focused its first season on Syed’s story in 12 episodes, which casted doubt on his conviction in the strangulation death of Lee in 1999.

Syed was sentenced to life in prison for the murder in 2000 but was released in 2022 after a circuit judge vacated his conviction.

Prosecutors previously claimed that Syed was a “scorned lover” after Lee broke up with him. Syed and Lee were both high school honor students and the children of immigrants. They hid their relationship from their reportedly strict parents.

Syed has maintained his innocence in the murder case and prosecutors eventually asked the circuit judge to vacate his conviction, citing new discoveries involving two alternative suspects.

Tags: Crime, Immigration

[JACK AYLMER]

A MURDER CASE THRUST INTO THE GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT BY A POPULAR PODCAST– TAKES A NEW TURN.

THE MARYLAND SUPREME COURT ON FRIDAY UPHOLDING A LOWER COURT’S DECISION TO REINSTATE ADNAN SYED’S CONVICTION IN THE MURDER OF HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND HAE [HAY] MIN LEE.

THE JUSTICES AGREED WITH A LOWER COURT THAT LEE’S BROTHER DIDN’T GET ENOUGH NOTICE TO ATTEND THE HEARING TO VACATE SYED’S CONVICTION IN 2022.

THE JUSTICES ORDERED THE CASE TO GO BACK TO THE CIRCUIT COURT THAT FREED SYED FOR A NEW HEARING ON HIS CONVICTION.

SYED’S CASE DREW WORLDWIDE ATTENTION THROUGH THE WEEKLY PODCAST “SERIAL” WHICH FOCUSED IT’S FIRST SEASON ON SYED’S STORY IN 12 EPISODES– CASTING DOUBT ON HIS CONVICTION.

HE HAD BEEN SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE FOR THE 1999 MURDER OF LEE IN BALTIMORE BUT WAS RELEASED IN 2022 AFTER A CIRCUIT JUDGE VACATED HIS CONVICTION.

PROSECUTORS PREVIOUSLY CLAIMED SYED WAS A “SCORNED LOVER” AFTER LEE BROKE UP WITH HIM.

BUT SYED HAS MAINTAINED HIS INNOCENCE AND PROSECUTORS EVENTUALLY ASKED THE CIRCUIT JUDGE TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION– CITING NEW DISCOVERIES INVOLVING TWO ALTERNATIVE SUSPECTS.

WE’LL BE FOLLOWING THIS CASE CLOSELY—AND YOU CAN TOO– BY DOWNLOADING THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP– OR VISITING SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M JACK AYLMER.