American sentenced to life imprisonment, known for podcast series, released

A US judge released 41-year-old Adnan Syed on Monday. That writes the New York Times. Syed spent more than 20 years in prison after being sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. The case gained worldwide fame through the crime podcast serial.

Syed was sentenced to life in prison in 2000. The Baltimore judge overturned that verdict because, she said, prosecutors did not conduct enough investigations into two other suspects. The prosecutors have 30 days to start a new trial, after which the charges against Syed, who is under house arrest until then, are dropped.

In 1999, Syed’s then 18-year-old ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, was found in a Baltimore park. She had been strangled and buried. Syed, who was 17 when he was convicted in 2000, has always maintained his innocence.

Syed’s lawyer said he was stunned that he could suddenly walk out of prison after spending more than half of his life behind bars. “He said he can’t believe it’s real. Today is both joyful and incredibly overwhelming.”

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Adnan Syed’s case gained worldwide fame when journalist Sarah Koenig made a podcast about the case in 2014, in which she extensively questions the evidence used. Koenig was approached by an acquaintance of Syed, who asked her to dive into the case. The more she delved, the more strange details emerged. Sarah Koenig came up with the idea of ​​a documentary series about the case after a year of research.

Also read: Everyone is looking for Hae’s killer now

She made a series of twelve episodes in which she takes the listener step by step through her research. Syed also received a new trial in 2016 as a result of the podcast, but this did not lead to release.

After the judge’s ruling, Hae Min Lee’s brother spoke out. “This is not a podcast for me. This is real life. A never-ending nightmare for over twenty years.” He said he felt betrayed by the ruling and frustrated by the many twists and turns in the case over the past two decades. “Every time I think it’s over, it comes back.”

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