Serial podcast case: US prosecutors drop charges against Adnan Syed
US prosecutors have dropped their case against Adnan Syed, 42 – the man who spent more than 20 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.
Syed had been found guilty of the 1999 killing of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. But a podcast called Serial brought the case to national attention and raised serious doubts over his guilt.
After more than 20 years in prison for the murder, a circuit judge vacated the murder conviction last month and released him after an investigation identified problems with the case, leaving prosecutors to decide whether to retry him.
The State’s Attorney for Baltimore City Marilyn Mosby said in a news conference that she has ordered prosecutors to drop the criminal case after the DNA test results cast doubt on his guilt.
“The criminal justice system should be based on fair and just prosecution and crux of the matter is that we are standing here today because that wasn’t done 23 years ago,” she said, apologising to the Lee and Syed families.
“Today, justice is done.”
Mosby said the DNA found on Lee’s shoes did not match Syed.
The investigation into who killed Lee remains open.