Who is Adnan Syed and is he still in prison?

 

Adnan Syed was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hye Min Lee in 1999.

Syed has maintained his innocence since his conviction, and more than two decades later, a Maryland judge overturned his sentence on September 19, 2022.

Who is Adnan Syed?

Born May 21, 1981, Adnan Syed made headlines as the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hye Min Lee.

In 1999, Lee was found dead in a shallow grave in a Baltimore park at the age of 17.

At the time, the prosecution argued that Syed, a talented and popular student, was 18 years old at the time,

Lee choked in a fit of rage because he was upset that she had given up on him.

Although the allegations were denied in February 2000, Syed - a Muslim of Pakistani origin - was convicted of first-degree murder.

Is he still in prison?

Syed was eventually sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years for the murder of Lee.

since his conviction,

He tried to overturn his conviction with no luck.

In 2018, an appeals court overturned his conviction saying he had received ineffective counsel, but the decision was later overturned in 2019 by Maryland's highest court, which also dismissed a new trial.

In the same year, his story was told on the ground-

The crime podcast series that drew national attention after highlighting loopholes in the murder investigation.

While all hope was lost for Syed and his legal team, in March 2022, they filed an application requesting a new DNA test for Lee's clothing, shoes and rape kit, which was subsequently granted.

According to an undisputed motion obtained by PEOPLE,

These items have never been tested for DNA, which means the new technology could prove Sid's innocence.

Defense attorney Erica J.

"the master.

Syed waited more than two decades for a chance to clear himself, not only in the court of public opinion, but in the court of law.

"We applaud the state attorney for recognizing the serious concerns in his case, after several months of deliberation and review, and agreement that DNA testing is necessary."

Since then, the decision has gone viral and attracted the attention of a number of celebrities including Kim Kardashian, who passed the "Baby Bar" exam in August 2021.

She posted a screenshot of PEOPLE writing a story on Instagram, "I can't believe DNA hasn't been tested!!!! This is a victory for Adnan Syed!"

at this time,

It remains unclear when the DNA test will be performed.

Is Adnan Sayed released?

A judge overturned Syd's murder conviction on September 19, 2022, after prosecutors in Baltimore, Maryland, asked judges to overturn Syed's conviction and demanded that he be given a new trial.

Syed will now be released from prison and placed in home confinement.

The request came after new evidence emerged in a nearly year-long investigation that included the possible presence of two new suspects and although the prosecution did not claim Syed was innocent, the office of Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby told the Wall Street Journal: "...for all of the reasons described below. ,

The state no longer trusts the impartiality of the conviction.”

Prosecutors say the two potential suspects were identified at the time of the initial investigation in 1999 but were not properly ruled out.

While investigating the case, prosecutors found a document from the court showing an interview with one of the suspects.

The court file said the suspect told investigators, "He would make her [Mrs. Lee] disappear. He was going to kill her," but the confession was never made to the defense.

It was also noted that the defense did not get the information that Lee's car was found in a grassy area behind the suspect's house.

"This information was not available to the defendant at his trial in 2000, and the state believes that it would have provided compelling support establishing the defense that someone else was responsible for the death of the victim," prosecutors said in the court memo.

It is unclear whether Syed will remain in custody even after a possible retrial

But Mosby said, "...after reviewing new evidence and information about alternative suspects, it is our duty to ensure that justice is served."

And she continued, "We believe that keeping him in custody is because we continue to investigate the case with everything we know now, and when we do not trust the results of the first trial,

It would be unfair."

Does Adnan Shahid have an excuse?

Over the years, Syed's new legal team filed a number of petitions and raised multiple issues throughout the original trial and investigation, including the fact that the alibi witness was not required to testify in court.

during the trial,

One of his friends said he heard him confess to the murder, and went with him to the park to bury his ex-girlfriend's body, however, this information contradicts what was revealed by another student, Asia McClain, who claimed she saw Syed in the library in Woodland, Maryland, on the afternoon of Lee's disappearance,

According to the BBC.

Despite this information, she was not called to the platform.

Noting this omission, Court of Appeals Judge Clayton Green concluded: "There is no substantial or substantial possibility that the verdict would be different," if Syed's attorney had provided an alibi witness, Asia MacLean,

who said she saw Syed at the time the state alleges Syed killed Lee on January 13, 1999.

The court wrote: "Ms. MacLean could have been an excusable witness to conflict with the defendant's statement, which itself was already inconsistent; and therefore Mrs. McClean's testimony could have further undermined Mr. McClain.

Master's credibility.

The appeals court found that MacLean's account focused on a "narrow afternoon window" of the day Lee disappeared.