Adnan Syed will remain free from jail despite his conviction for the 1999 killing of his high school ex-girlfriend in a case that captured the world when it was re-examined on the ‘Serial’ podcast more than a decade ago.
Syed, now 43, had been sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 30 years when he was just 17 years old in 2000 and was convicted of strangling Hae Min Lee, 18, and burying her body in a shallow grave in Baltimore’s Leakin Park.
But after spending more than 20 years behind bars, Syed was released in 2022 when the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office claimed it found flaws in the evidence prosecutors produced at his trial and a Maryland judge overturned his conviction.
Syed has has remained out of prison ever since.
His case, though, took a turn after one of Lee’s family members said he was not given enough notice to attend Syed’s hearing in person, and the Maryland Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision to reinstate his conviction.
Amid the back-and-forth, Syed’s attorneys petitioned the court for a sentence reduction under Maryland’s Juvenile Restoration Act, a 2021 state law allowing individuals who were minors at the time of their crime and who have served at least 20 years behind bars to seek a reduced sentence.
Finally on Thursday, Judge Jennifer Schiffer granted the request and reduced his sentence to time served.
She noted, however, that if the decision only considered the seriousness of the crime and an appropriate punishment, she would have denied the motion.
Adnan Syed (pictured with his mother in 2023) will remain free from jail, a Maryland judge ruled on Thursday
He had been convicted in 2000 of strangling his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee and burying her body in a shallow grave in Baltimore’s Leakin Park
‘Although the Defendant acknowledges the impact of his actions and the legal drama that followed on the Lee family, the defendant stands convicted of the premeditated, brutal and deliberate slaying of Hae Min Lee, his high school ex-girlfriend,’ Schiffer wrote in a court order obtained by CNN.
‘The heinous nature of the offense weighs against granting the defendant relief under the JRA.’
What ultimately led her to rule in favor of a sentence reduction was Syed’s track record since he was released nearly three years ago.
‘The court is confident that the defendant is no longer a danger to public safety,’ Schiffer ruled.
‘Finally, while rehabilitation, discussed supra, is complicated in this case, the court believes that the defendant has proven, through his institutional history and since his release, that he is fit to live in society.
‘The court finds that the defendant’s return to prison would be unproductive and unfair,’ she concluded.
Schiffer’s ruling came less than a full week after Syed’s attorneys argued in court that he is not a danger to the public, he is low-risk for recidivism and he has strong ties to his family, friends and his full-time job at Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, according to WBAL.
They also noted at the February 26 hearing that Syed took advantage of education programs in prison, has been married for five years and even earned a promotion at his job, the New York Times reports.
Syed was convicted of Lee’s murder at the age of 17 and was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years
He was released in 2022 after the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office claimed it found flaws in the evidence prosecutors produced at his trial and has remained free ever since
Syed, himself, even testified at the hearing last week.
‘I humbly request to remain free so I can continue to contribute to society and build a meaningful life outside of incarceration,’ he pleaded with the judge.
‘I’m just going to keep my head down and focus on the things that are important: family and a job,’ he vowed, noting that he never gave interviews or went on social media because he does not want to cause Lee’s family ‘any more pain.
‘I don’t want them to see me and to be upset and to make them upset,’ he said. ‘So I just keep my head down and I try to do the best I can, that’s what I’ve always tried to do, your honor.’
Schiffer then heard from six character witnesses who described Syed as having an even temper, strong communication skills, loving relationships and an impressive ability to remain hopeful during his 23 years behind bars.
‘In a place that is referred to as the belly of the beast, Syed showed people, including myself, that you don’t have to act like an animal even though you’re incarcerated,’ said Eric Simmons, an exoneree who served time with Syed for many years.
But the judge also heard from Lee’s mother, who gave a videotaped statement in Korean in which she questioned the integrity of the American justice system that she believed had solved her daughter’s murder 25 years ago.
She said she took comfort in Syed’s conviction even as she struggled to maintain her will to live.
‘Those who commit a crime should pay the price,’ the mother argued.
An attorney representing the family also cited seven different reasons t send Syed back to prison, including what he said was overwhelming trial evidence, ‘cultural hysteria,’ fame-seeking behavior and the fact that Syed has always maintained his innocence – which the lawyer said shows he failed to accept responsibility for his actions.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced last week he was withdrawing his office’s motion to vacate Syed’s murder conviction
Just moments after that hearing ended last week, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said he was withdrawing his office’s motion to vacate Syed’s conviction because he found his predecessor’s investigation was flawed.
He said the motion, filed by former prosecutor Marilyn Mosby, contained ‘false and misleading statements.’
The prosecutor explained that handwritten notes Mosby said indicated there were two other suspects who could have killed Lee do not actually point to any other suspects.
Instead, he said one of the notes actually implicates Syed, while the other contains information that Bates said was ‘known to the state and the defense well before the time of the original trial.’
Syed’s attorneys now say they will continue to fight to prove his innocence, but were focused on celebrating his freedom on Thursday.
‘Today we are focused on the joy and relief of this decision,’ attorney Erica Suter said in a statement.
‘Adnan is grateful that the judge agreed with his motion to reduce his sentence under the Juvenile Restoration Act,’ she continued, noting he is ‘committed to continuing to be a productive member of his community and living a life centered around his family.’
David Sanford, a lawyer representing Lee’s family, though, said: ‘Absolutely nothing changes the fact that Mr. Syed remains convicted of first-degree premeditated murder due to overwhelming direct and circumstantial evidence.
‘We hope that one day, Mr. Syed can summon the courage to take responsibility for his crime and express sincere remorse.’