Recently, listeners of the acclaimed podcast Serial saw an outcome that was not guaranteed when series subject Adnan Syed was released from prison and prosecutors vacated his conviction for the murder of former girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999.
The update comes from Baltimore media after a new round of DNA testing excluded Syed from Min Lee’s murder. While Lee’s family is not appealing the decision, they have asked for a hearing on the case they can attend in person.
The change comes after unreliable cellular data evidence at Syed’s initial trial before the 2014 podcast and new DNA tests that point to two different men who authorities were aware of at the time of Syed’s arrest, but failed to properly investigate.
“Prosecutors have previously said that a reinvestigation of the case revealed evidence regarding the possible involvement of two alternate suspects. The two suspects may have been involved individually or together. One of the suspects had threatened Lee. The suspects were known persons at the time of the original investigation and were not properly rules out nor disclosed to the defense. Prosecutors also noted unreliable cellphone data used during Syed’s court case to corroborate his whereabouts on the day of the crime. The notice on the records advised billing locations for incoming calls ‘would not be considered reliable.'”
Syed, now 41, was released under home monitoring but does not appear to have commented on the news as of this story’s filing. The state of Maryland still has 30 days to decide whether to refile charges and has a number of legal maneuvers they can also try, but that is unlikely as the investigation turns to the other suspects.
Syed’s attorney Erica Suter says in a statement it is finally at the point where Syed can live as a free man and the DNA testing does confirm he lost decades of his life serving time for a crime he was ultimately found not guilty of.
