NPR podcast subject Adnan Syed a step closer to a new trial

A MARYLAND appeals court delivered a significant victory May 18 to Adnan Syed, the young Indian American man convicted of murdering Hae Min Lee in 1999 and the subject of the hit NPR podcast Serial. 

Syed, the Baltimore County man convicted in 2000 of murdering Hae Min Lee, his high school girlfriend, is one step closer to a shorter sentence.

Chief Judge Peter B. Krauser of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland ruled to allow Syed’s request for post-conviction relief to be reopened in a circuit court. 

Adnan Sayed

Previously, Syed had filed a motion for post-conviction relief on the grounds that his attorney, Christina Gutierrez, had been incompetent. That motion was denied in January 2014. However, because of the questions raised by the popular podcast—which revealed, among other things, that Gutierrez had failed to contact Asia McClain, a potential alibi witness—Syed appealed the decision.

RELATED: Serial: A boy, a girl and a radio program

Asia McClain, a classmate of Lee and Sayed, was interviewed in the radio podcast. She claims to have seen Syed at the library when he allegedly committed the murder. On Monday of this week, the appeals court ruled that the case would be “remanded” to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, which would allow additional evidence to be introduced, including the testimony of McClain.

The purpose of the remand is to give the Circuit Court the chance to “re-open the previously concluded post-conviction proceeding.” The remand could “afford the parties the opportunity to supplement the record with relevant documents and even testimony pertinent to the issues.” 

Lee was born in South Korea. She played lacrosse on her school team and was well-liked at her high school. She disappeared after school on Jan, 13, 1999, and her body was found on Feb. 9 1999. She had been strangled and left in a Baltimore park. After a six-week trial in 2000, Syed was convicted of her murder.

The 12-episode Serial, produced by journalist Sara Koenig, became a national phenomenon and was the most popular podcast of NPR. It followed the story, interviewed friends and family of Sayed. Lee's family refused to participate.

If McClain is able to convince the court that her story is true, the now-34-year-old Syed may have a chance to escape his life sentence. If his conviction is eventually overturned, the question raised by the podcast becomes even more relevant: Who killed Hae?

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