Syed was discovered responsible in 2000 at age 17 of killing his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore however has at all times maintained his innocence after many years behind bars.
Baltimore prosecutors have requested a courtroom to reject the 2000 homicide conviction of a person discovered responsible of killing his ex-girlfriend in a case that drew nationwide consideration when the podcast Serial raised doubts about his guilt.
Adnan Syed, 42, has at all times maintained his innocence within the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee, who was strangled to demise and buried in a Baltimore park.
Syed, who was 17 on the time of the homicide and has served greater than 20 years in jail, will both get a brand new trial or go free if the courtroom grants the request to vacate the conviction.
In a courtroom submitting on Wednesday, prosecutors stated proof prompt two different attainable suspects within the case might have been concerned within the girl’s demise.
“The movement filed as we speak helps a brand new trial for Syed primarily based on an almost year-long investigation that exposed undisclosed and newly developed data relating to two different suspects, in addition to unreliable cellular phone tower knowledge,” State’s Legal professional Marilyn Mosby’s workplace stated in a information launch.
Syed has maintained his innocence for many years and captured the eye of tens of millions in 2014 when the debut season of the Serial podcast targeted on the case and raised doubts about a number of the proof, together with cell phone tower knowledge.
Prosecutors stated they weren’t asserting Syed is harmless, however they lacked confidence “within the integrity of the conviction” and beneficial he be launched on his personal recognizance or bail.
“We consider that protecting Mr Syed detained as we proceed to analyze the case with every thing that we all know now, after we wouldn’t have confidence in outcomes of the primary trial, could be unjust,” Mosby added.
‘Make her disappear’
The state’s legal professional’s workplace stated if the courtroom grants its movement it might successfully put Syed in a brand new trial standing, and his convictions could be vacated, however the case would stay lively.
“Whether or not the state in the end continues with a trial on this matter or dismisses the costs will rely on the result of the continued investigation,” the legal professional’s workplace stated.
The 2 suspects could also be concerned individually or could also be concerned collectively, it added.
One of many suspects had threatened Lee, saying “he would make her disappear. He would kill her,” in accordance with the submitting.
“Given the gorgeous lack of dependable proof implicating Mr Syed, coupled with rising proof pointing to different suspects, this unjust conviction can not stand,” stated Assistant Public Defender Erica Suter, Mr Syed’s lawyer and director of the Innocence Mission Clinic.
“Mr Syed is grateful that this data has lastly seen the sunshine of day and appears ahead to his day in courtroom.”
The suspects have been recognized folks on the time of the unique investigation and weren’t correctly dominated out nor disclosed to the defence, prosecutors stated.
Prosecutors additionally stated new data revealed one of many suspects was convicted of attacking a girl in her car, and one of many suspects was convicted of partaking in serial rape and sexual assault.
The state legal professional’s workplace declined to launch details about the suspects due to the persevering with investigation.