The Maryland Supreme Court has ordered a lower court to hold a new hearing in the case of Adnan Syed, whose conviction for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, his high school girlfriend, captured global attention through the hit podcast “Serial.”
Syed, who spent 23 years in prison after being sentenced to life for Lee’s murder, saw his conviction overturned in 2022 when the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office sought to vacate it. However, in 2023, the Appellate Court of Maryland reinstated the conviction, ruling that the rights of Young Lee, the victim’s brother, had been violated when he was not properly notified of the hearing that led to Syed’s release.
Hae Min Lee, who was 18 years old when she was strangled, had been a student at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County, Maryland. Syed has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the years.
In a 4-3 decision issued Friday, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld the appellate court’s ruling that Young Lee’s rights as a victim’s representative were infringed upon. The court cited the prosecutor’s failure to provide sufficient notice—less than one business day—before the critical hearing and the subsequent denial of Mr. Lee’s request for a one-week postponement.
As a result, the case will return to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City for further proceedings. Despite the reinstatement of Syed’s conviction, the Supreme Court did not order any changes to his current release status, meaning he remains free while the case continues.
The Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office responded to the decision, stating, “The decision is currently under review by our office, and we have no further comment at this time.”
David Sanford, the attorney representing Hae Min Lee’s family, expressed a willingness to support vacating Syed’s conviction if compelling evidence emerges, but noted, “To date, the public has not seen evidence which would warrant overturning a murder conviction that has withstood appeals for over two decades.”
