Judge orders publication of 'Serial' podcast topic Adnan Syed
A Baltimore judge has overturned Adnan Syed's conviction, reports Associated Press. The 41-year-old was serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his former girlfriend Hae Min Lee. In 2014, her case sparked international interest after it was chronicled by former Baltimore Sun reporter Sarah Koenig on the first season of the hit Serial podcast. p>
Koenig has spent more than a year investigating the details of the Syed case, focusing in particular on the conduct of his lawyer, Cristina Gutierrez. In 2019, Maryland's highest court found that Gutierrez failed to properly investigate an alibi witness, but voted against granting Syed's request for a new trial. However, prosecutors recently recommended that a judge grant him a new trial, noting that the state had lost "confidence in the integrity of the conviction." With Monday's ruling, the state has 30 days to decide whether to start a new trial or drop the case altogether.
"It's not a podcast for me," Young Lee, Hae Min Lee's brother, said during Monday's hearing. He said his family felt "betrayed" and "blindsided" by the state's motion to overturn Syed's conviction. "Every time I think it's over, and it's over, it always comes back," he added.
Following the decision, Serial announced that it would air a new episode on Tuesday morning. In the years following its largely successful first season, Serial produced a string of spin-offs, including S-Town and The Trojan Horse Affair . More broadly, it's safe to say that the true crime genre and podcasting more generally have never been more popular - even if the show has never quite been able to replicate the success of its first season.
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A Baltimore judge has overturned Adnan Syed's conviction, reports Associated Press. The 41-year-old was serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his former girlfriend Hae Min Lee. In 2014, her case sparked international interest after it was chronicled by former Baltimore Sun reporter Sarah Koenig on the first season of the hit Serial podcast. p>
Koenig has spent more than a year investigating the details of the Syed case, focusing in particular on the conduct of his lawyer, Cristina Gutierrez. In 2019, Maryland's highest court found that Gutierrez failed to properly investigate an alibi witness, but voted against granting Syed's request for a new trial. However, prosecutors recently recommended that a judge grant him a new trial, noting that the state had lost "confidence in the integrity of the conviction." With Monday's ruling, the state has 30 days to decide whether to start a new trial or drop the case altogether.
"It's not a podcast for me," Young Lee, Hae Min Lee's brother, said during Monday's hearing. He said his family felt "betrayed" and "blindsided" by the state's motion to overturn Syed's conviction. "Every time I think it's over, and it's over, it always comes back," he added.
Following the decision, Serial announced that it would air a new episode on Tuesday morning. In the years following its largely successful first season, Serial produced a string of spin-offs, including S-Town and The Trojan Horse Affair . More broadly, it's safe to say that the true crime genre and podcasting more generally have never been more popular - even if the show has never quite been able to replicate the success of its first season.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices correct at time of publication.
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