Adnan Syed of NPR's ‘Serial’ has original murder conviction overturned

Adnan Syed was granted release from prison pending a new trial after being found guilty for the murder of a high school friend.

The internet's obsession with the case resulted in a Baltimore, Maryland, judge vacating multiple convictions against Syed. The judge ordered that he be released immediately from custody without bail and held at home while waiting for prosecutors to make a decision on whether or not to drop the charges. Concerns about the original trial process were cited by the decision.

Tweet may have been deleted

(opens in a new tab)

Syed has maintained his innocence in the murder of Lee, whom he had previously dated. Syed was 17 years old when he was arrested. His family and friends had been trying to prove that Syed's conviction was a mistake, and that's why he was the subject of the now-award winning crime show. The show was downloaded 40 million times by the end of the year.

After the show's release, Syed's case continued as an internet conversation starter for millions of listens and intrigued bystanders around the world, most of whom took it on as a symbol of an unjust and broken legal system. The focus of the case should have been on the victim Lee, according to others.

The Maryland Court of Appeals overturned a ruling that Syed's right to "effective assistance of counsel" had been violated in his original trial. Syed was in prison for a long time. After Maryland passed the juvenile restoration act, his case was brought to the state's attorney for Baltimore City.

The decision was made in the interest of justice and fairness after a bad trial. We will do everything in our power to get justice for the Lee family. The chief of the State's Attorney's Office's sentencing review unit said that it means continuing to use all available resources to bring a suspect to justice.

Lee's family spoke in court on Monday about how the case is treated by the media and the cycle of new trials. The show has already announced it's producing a follow-up episode to discuss the new ruling, as host and the on-the-ground reporter of Serial, Sarah, was also there in Baltimore as Monday's verdict came in.

Tweet may have been deleted

(opens in a new tab)

Even though the genre violates the privacy and ethical boundaries of victims and their families, it has risen in interest in recent years. Syed's story was an earlier form of internet obsession with violent crime against women, but the compelling story also brought to light a national discussion about the treatment of people of color in the justice system.

It leaves a question of where Lee's life and death fit into the digital conversation as true crime consumers continue to follow Syed's trial and rightfully criticize the country's unjust incarceration of many.