
Prosecutors in Baltimore are asking a judge to vacate Adnan Syed’s conviction for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, a case that riveted America when it was turned into the hit first season of the podcast “Serial.”
The state’s attorney for Baltimore City said in a motion filed Wednesday in circuit court that a nearly yearlong investigation, conducted with the defense, found new evidence, including information concerning the possible involvement of two alternative suspects.
Prosecutors are requesting Mr. Syed be given a new trial. They said they weren’t asserting that Mr. Syed is innocent. “However, for all the reasons set forth below, the State no longer has confidence in the integrity of the conviction,” said the office of Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, which is overseeing the investigation.
The office is recommending Mr. Syed be released on his own recognizance pending the continuing investigation.
Mr. Syed, a Baltimore native, has been serving a life sentence after he was convicted in 2000 of strangling Ms. Lee, his ex-girlfriend. He was 17 years old at the time of the crime, and was charged as an adult.
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