Adnan Syed, who became the subject of the hit 2014 podcast “Serial,” was set free by a Baltimore court on Monday after a judge vacated his murder sentence.
Syed was indicted in 1999 for the murder of ex-girlfriend Hee Min Lee, but a new investigation found that police withheld information from Syed’s lawyers, including the existence of two additional suspects.
As requested by prosecutors last week, Circuit Court Judge Melissa Finn ordered that Syed’s sentence be vacated. She approved his release: the now 41-year-old had been in prison for more than 20 years.
according to The Associated Press, Finn ruled that the state had breached its legal obligation to share specific evidence with Syed’s defense. He ordered his release from custody and placed him under house arrest with GPS location monitoring. According to his decision, the state has 30 days to decide whether to seek a fresh trial or dismiss the case.
Crowds outside the courtroom cheered for the formal announcement of the decision to vacate and social media cheered on Syed’s release.
Syed did not comment on reporters who asked him, “How is it feeling?” When he was escorted to his car, however, he shook hands and acknowledged the crowd gathered to celebrate his release.
His case also inspired the 2019 HBO documentary “The Case Against Adnan Syed.”