Prosecutors dropped all charges against Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction and subsequent imprisonment were publicized by the blockbuster true-crime podcast Serial. The decision arrived October 11, nearly a month after a judge tossed out Syed’s murder conviction and released him from prison. On September 19, Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa Phinn vacated Syed’s conviction, which in 1999 had found him guilty of ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee’s murder, triggering his release after 23 years behind bars. New evidence prompted the state to conclude it no longer had “confidence in the integrity of the conviction,” giving prosecutors 30 days from that date to either go ahead with a new trial or drop the charges. Prosecutors are now investigating new suspects, multiple sources told Baltimore’s WJZ-TV, which may be determined by DNA evidence. “If that DNA comes back inconclusive, I will certify that he’s innocent,” Baltimore’s state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby told WJZ. “If it comes back to two alternative suspects, I will certify that he’s innocent. If it comes back to Adnan Syed, the state is still in a position to proceed upon the prosecution.” Lee’s family appealed the court’s decision to vacate Syed’s murder conviction late last month, asking to put the legal proceedings on hold until their appeal could be heard in the appellate court.
