Adnan Syed was "elated" after prosecutors dropped charges against him for a homicide that he's long maintained he did not commit, his defense attorney said during a press conference Tuesday.
Syed, the subject of the hit podcast Serial, was convicted for the 1999 death of his former girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. He served 23 years of a life sentence before his release last month.
On Tuesday, news broke that prosecutors have dropped charges against the 41-year-old after DNA testing effectively cleared him.
Syed's defense attorney Erica Suter told Newsweek that her client is experiencing a range of emotions.
"He is elated. He is joyful. He is still processing this," Suter said. "There have been so many ups and downs over the past 23 years, so he is really just taking it all in. But he's incredibly grateful for all of the people who have supported him and believed in him over the years."
When asked whether the attention Serial brought to the case helped lead to Syed's freedom, Suter agreed that it served to "educate the public." The podcast's host, Sarah Koenig, was also present at the virtual presser.
"It has shined a light on a wrongdoing that happened to Adnan, but happens to criminal defendants all over the country, and it's something that we in the Innocence Project and the Office of the Public Defender are very familiar with," Suter told Newsweek. "This kind of violation is not unusual, and being able to have the public see that is something that I think is valuable for Adnan, for other similarly situated defendants and for the public to know in general."
Syed, who was 17 when he was incarcerated, is looking forward to spending time with his loved ones, Suter said during the news conference. He also hopes to continue learning in higher ed.
The Serial subject started his education at Georgetown University while still behind bars. He'll seek his bachelor's degree first but has dreams of someday going to law school, Suter said.
Meanwhile, the victim's family was reportedly blindsided by Tuesday's news.
The attorney for the Lees said they learned about the dismissal of Syed's charges through the media.
"All this family ever wanted was answers and a voice. Today's actions robbed them of both," their attorney wrote in a statement.
Suter said her team didn't have a role in how the Lees were informed of the dismissed charges. She hopes that a new investigation will help to offer them closure, and she also extended her sympathies to Lee's loved ones.
"Their entire world has been upended, and that is unfortunately very common when you're dealing with wrongful convictions," Suter said. "They've had a belief about who was responsible for this crime for all these years."
Suter emphasized that her client hopes a future investigation will solve Lee's murder.
"Because Adnan is innocent and didn't have any role in this," she said, "I think he wants to know like the rest of us what really happened."
Updated 10/11/2022, 3:45 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with more information.
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