Adnan Syed is a Muslim-American who was convicted of murdering his high school classmate and ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, in 2000 in Maryland when he was 17 years old. He had been serving a life sentence in prison since his conviction. Hae Min Lee was a Korean-American high school student who was last seen alive on January 13, 1999, in Baltimore County, Maryland.
The case gained widespread attention after it was featured in the hit podcast serial in 2014. The podcast raised questions about Syed’s guilt and the fairness of his trial leading to renewed interest in the case. In 2019, an HBO documentary series called “The Case Against Adnan Syed” further explored the case and presented new evidence that could potentially exonerate Syed.
In September 2022, a judge in Maryland granted Syed a new trial, essentially freeing him from prison. The judge ruled that Syed’s defense team had provided new evidence that could have changed the outcome of the trial including testimony from an alibi witness and cellphone tower data that was used to convict him. The judge gave prosecutors 30 days to decide whether to proceed with a new trial or drop the case altogether. Syed’s legal team has expressed hope that the case will be dropped and that he will finally be fully exonerated after more than two decades of imprisonment.
Who Killed Hae Min Lee?
On January 13, 1999, Lee disappeared family reported her missing after she failed to pick up her younger cousin from daycare around 3:15 p.m. police immediately began investigating her disappearance.
Officers called various friends of Lee to try to find her, on that day. They reached Adnan Syed who was a former boyfriend, early around 6:30 p.m. that evening; he said the last time he saw her was around the time classes ended at school. The officers were trying to find out if anyone had seen Lee after she left school; Adnan confirmed that he had last seen her around the time classes ended and offered no further information about her whereabouts.
At 1:30 a.m., they reached her boyfriend, who said he had not seen her that day. On February 6, a dog-led search was conducted around Woodlawn High School.
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Adnan Syed Trial
Adnan Syed was granted a new trial based, in 2015. Judge denied his request for bail. His legal team argued for a new trial for him and sought to appeal his conviction all the way up to the Supreme Court for years as he remained in prison for years. It was in 2019 that HBO premiered a four-part documentary series. The series argued that Syed, who is Muslim, was convicted, in part, because of racial bias.
According to the investigation, forensic tests revealed that his DNA had not been found on Lee’s body at the time of the murder as a result of forensic analysis.
Adnan Syed Charges
Adnan Syed charges have been dropped, as of now. As of 2023, he has been cleared of murder questions still remain around who killed the Hae Min Lee.
Hae Min Lee Family
- The Lee family refused to participate in Serial and felt that the show would sensationalize their daughter’s case and they wanted to keep her memory alive in a respectful manner.
- They believe Syed was rightfully convicted and justice was served during the original trial.
- In 2016, the family expressed that the podcast had “reopened wounds few can imagine” and regretted that “so few [were] willing to speak up for Hae”.
- Young Lee, the victim’s brother, made an emotional plea before the court on behalf of the family, stating that this is not a podcast but a real-life never-ending nightmare for them.
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