Adnan Syed, the subject of the highly downloaded Serial podcast, could have his murder conviction reinstated after the brother of Hae Min Lee asked a Maryland court to reverse the ruling.
Steven Kelly, attorney for Young Lee, on Wednesday signaled he would appeal a judge's decision last week to vacate Syed's murder conviction after serving 23 years in prison. Syed was sentenced to life in prison in 2000 for the murder of Lee, his high school classmate and ex-girlfriend in the Baltimore area. While Syed's release was hailed by his supporters, Lee's family has complained about the proceedings.
Kelly filed the notice of appeal with the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. The one-paragraph document offers little about what arguments Kelly will make to reverse Syed's release. But in a statement provided to Newsweek by email, he said the appeal is based on possible violations of the Lee family's rights as crime victims.
"Young Lee filed the attached notice of appeal based on violations of his family's right to meaningfully participate in the September 19, 2022, hearing on the motion to vacate Adnan Syed's conviction," Kelly said in the statement. "The notice of appeal is the first step in seeking the Maryland Court of Special Appeals' review of the potential violations of Maryland's victim's rights statutes in connection with the hearing."
Syed, now 41, rose to prominence as his conviction and questions surrounding it was documented in the first season of the podcast Serial. The podcast raised doubts about the evidence used to convict Syed, who has maintained his innocence. HBO also further covered the case in the 2019 docuseries The Case Against Adnan Syed.
Maryland Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn on September 19 ordered that Syed's conviction be vacated. Prosecutors earlier cited a lack of "integrity" of the conviction, but were still given 30 days to seek a new trial against Syed or drop the charges.
After the court ruling, Sarah Koenig, host of Serial, released a new episode of the podcast, saying the case against Syed "is a mess," and calling the chances of him being tried again "remote at best."
Maryland State Attorney for the City of Baltimore Marilyn J. Mosby in her motion to vacate Syed's conviction mentioned two other possible suspects in Lee's death.
Kelly previously told WBAL-TV that he and the Lee family were caught off guard by the motion to vacate Syed's conviction and weren't given enough time to respond.
"The most egregious thing here is I was not allowed to address the court on behalf of my client, and would not even allow me the opportunity to advise my client on his own statement to the court," Kelly told the station.
Newsweek has reached out to Erica Suter, attorney for Syed.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jake Thomas is a Newsweek night reporter based in Portland, Oregon. His focus is U.S. national politics, crime and public ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
