• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • 12+ Instagram Sure Shots in Miami for the Social LGBTQ Visitor. All Mapped with More Top Spots … In Time For Your Fall Getaway Plans
  • Bella Thorne used to have threesomes with Benjamin Mascolo
  • John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

US judge tosses murder conviction of man featured on ‘Serial’ podcast

Towleroad September 20, 2022 Leave a Comment

Published by
AFP
643698 origin 1
Erica Suter, the lawyer for Adnan Syed, addresses reporters after a judge vacated his conviction for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend

Baltimore (AFP) – A US judge on Monday threw out the conviction of a man who has served more than two decades in prison for his ex-girlfriend's murder — a case that received worldwide attention thanks to the hit podcast “Serial.”

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn vacated the conviction of Adnan Syed, 42, who has been serving a life sentence since 2000 for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. 

Phinn ordered Syed released immediately on his own recognizance “in the interests of justice and fairness.”

Cheers erupted in the packed courtroom when the judge ordered officers to “remove the shackles” from Syed, who was sporting a thick beard and wearing a white shirt, dark tie and a white skullcap.

Lee's body was found buried in February 1999 in a shallow grave in the woods of Baltimore, Maryland. The 18-year-old had been strangled.

Syed has steadfastly maintained his innocence but his multiple appeals had been denied, including by the US Supreme Court which declined in 2019 to hear his case.

In a surprise move last week, the Baltimore City state's attorney, Marilyn Mosby, announced that she had asked the court to vacate Syed's conviction while a further investigation is carried out.

Assistant state's attorney Becky Feldman told the judge on Monday the decision was prompted by the discovery of new information regarding two alternative suspects and the unreliability of cell phone data used to convict Syed.

“The state has lost confidence in the integrity of his conviction,” Feldman said. “We need to make sure we hold the correct person accountable.

“We will be continuing our investigation,” she said, while promising to “do everything we can to bring justice to the Lee family.”

Syed's attorney, Erica Suter, also addressed the court, saying “my client is innocent.”

Suter was asked by reporters how Syed, who did not make any public statement, reacted to the judge's decision.

“He said he could not believe it's real,” she said. 

‘Blindsided'

  

Baltimore City prosecutors now have 30 days to either bring new charges against Syed or dismiss the case.

“We're not yet declaring Adnan Syed is innocent,” Mosby, the state's attorney, told reporters after the hearing.

She said the state was awaiting the results of new DNA tests on Lee's clothing before deciding whether to drop all charges or organize a new trial.   

Before the hearing began, Lee's brother, Young Lee, addressed the court by Zoom.

An emotional Lee said he was “kind of blindsided” by the prosecutor's decision to vacate Syed's conviction.

“Out of nowhere I hear that there's a motion to vacate judgment,” he said. “It's tough going through this again and again and again.”

Lee said he “trusts the court system” and asked the judge to “make the right decision.”

Syed's case earned worldwide attention when it was taken up in 2014 by “Serial,” a weekly podcast that saw a journalist revisit his conviction and cast doubt on his guilt.

His case has also been the subject of a four-part documentary on the HBO channel called “The Case Against Adnan Syed.”

The “Serial” podcast — a mix of investigative journalism, first-person narrative and dramatic storytelling — focused its first season on Syed's story in 12 nail-biting episodes.

Both Syed and Lee were high school honor students and children from immigrant families — he Pakistani, she South Korean — who had concealed their relationship from their conservative parents.

Prosecutors said during the trial that Syed was a scorned lover who felt humiliated after Lee broke up with him.

Topics: A News, Aaon, Law/Justice, Media More Posts About: First-person narrative, HBO, Marilyn Mosby, Murder of Hae Min Lee, The Case Against Adnan Syed

Related Posts
  • Emmy nominations: HBO’s Succession and The Last Of Us dominate as actor strike looms
  • What to stream: Max documentaries add to stories of LGBTQ+ history in America
  • Leo Woodall was shocked into ‘silence’ when he learned about his White Lotus sex scene
  • Bella Thorne used to have threesomes with Benjamin Mascolo

    Bella Thorne used to have threesomes with Benjamin Mascolo

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Bella Thorne and her ex-boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo used to have threesomes. The 25-year-old actress dated musician Benjamin, 30, from 2019 until 2022 and he has now claimed that his ex-girlfriend is …Read More »
  • John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

    John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

    Published by BANG Showbiz English John Waters thinks mainstream Hollywood films are just as shocking as his gross-out cult classics. The groundbreaking 77-year-old director made his name with the 1972 black comedy ‘Pink Flamingos’ that famously …Read More »
  • Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

    Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John is “back home and in good health” after being rushed to hospital. The 76-year-old pop icon suffered a fall at his French villa on Sunday (27.08.23) evening and …Read More »
  • Robin Roberts Wedding—All the ‘I Do’ Details: The Dress, the Guest List, the Snubs and More Revealed

    Robin Roberts Wedding—All the ‘I Do’ Details: The Dress, the Guest List, the Snubs and More Revealed

    Published by OK Magazine Here's to the newlyweds! On Friday, September 8, Good Morning America star Robin Roberts tied the knot with her girlfriend of 18 years, Amber Laign. The reporter broke the news on her …Read More »
Previous Post: « ‘Ditch The Book!’ Prince Harry Warned There Will Be ‘No Trust’ With Royal Family Unless He Scraps His $20 Million Tell-All
Next Post: Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock Calls Pete Buttigieg A ‘Weak Little Girl’ »

Primary Sidebar

Most Recent

  • 12+ Instagram Sure Shots in Miami for the Social LGBTQ Visitor. All Mapped with More Top Spots … In Time For Your Fall Getaway Plans

    12+ Instagram Sure Shots in Miami for the Social LGBTQ Visitor. All Mapped with More Top Spots … In Time For Your Fall Getaway Plans

  • Bella Thorne used to have threesomes with Benjamin Mascolo

    Bella Thorne used to have threesomes with Benjamin Mascolo

  • John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

    John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

  • Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

    Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

  • Robin Roberts Wedding—All the ‘I Do’ Details: The Dress, the Guest List, the Snubs and More Revealed

    Robin Roberts Wedding—All the ‘I Do’ Details: The Dress, the Guest List, the Snubs and More Revealed

  • Ellen DeGeneres announces TV return after 16-month absence

    Ellen DeGeneres announces TV return after 16-month absence

  • Madonna ‘Would Love’ for Britney Spears to Come on Tour With Her After Recent Split From Sam Asghari

    Madonna ‘Would Love’ for Britney Spears to Come on Tour With Her After Recent Split From Sam Asghari

  • Lourdes Leon, Daughter Of Madonna, Shocks With See-Through String Dress At Victoria’s Secret Show

    Lourdes Leon, Daughter Of Madonna, Shocks With See-Through String Dress At Victoria’s Secret Show

Adjacent News

  • Did the UAE ban the Barbie movie? What about Saudi Arabia?

    Did the UAE ban the Barbie movie? What about Saudi Arabia?

  • From penal camp, dissident Navalny calls on Russians to resist Putin

    From penal camp, dissident Navalny calls on Russians to resist Putin

  • As contentious judicial ‘reform’ becomes law in Israel, Netanyahu cements his political legacy

    As contentious judicial ‘reform’ becomes law in Israel, Netanyahu cements his political legacy

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Beyonce pays tribute to stabbed fan

    Beyonce pays tribute to stabbed fan

  • Dwight Howard’s Assault Accuser Submits Uber Receipt as Evidence in Court Battle With Ex-Lakers Star

    Dwight Howard’s Assault Accuser Submits Uber Receipt as Evidence in Court Battle With Ex-Lakers Star

  • After Bud Light, Ukraine ‘Scandals,’ Garth Brooks Surprises Again

    After Bud Light, Ukraine ‘Scandals,’ Garth Brooks Surprises Again

Partner Links

  • Pence Endorses Union Busting As Solution To Income Disparity
    Real man of the people, that Pence. He showed where his […]
  • “Jason Sudeikis will pay Olivia Wilde $27K a month in child support” links
    Jason Sudeikis will pay Olivia Wilde $27K a month in child […]
  • GOP House Budget Proposal: 'Let's Hurt Low-Income Kids'
    Democratic lawmakers and policy analysts are expressing growing alarm over the […]
  • Who is Diver on 'The Masked Singer' Season 10? Clues, Guesses, & Spoilers Revealed!
    The Masked Singer is back for season 10! A new episode […]
  • Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner Billy Porter – a vision in purple – crosses iconic Abbey Road
    View this post on Instagram A post shared by Billy Porter […]

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

About

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy
[towleroadmr] [towleroadtn]

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×
×