After many ups and downs, a judge has decided that Adnan Syed will not return to prison. This ruling came on March 6, after years of his murder conviction being both reinstated and overturned. Documents from the court revealed this news.
Syed became well-known when his case was featured in the popular podcast Serial in 2014. He was first found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, in 1999 when he was just 17 years old.
Following his latest conviction being upheld by the Maryland Supreme Court in 2024, Syed’s lawyers requested a lighter sentence. He has been out of prison since 2022, when his original conviction was overturned. Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer of the Baltimore City Circuit Court approved this request on Thursday.
In her ruling, Judge Schiffer stated that Syed could receive relief under the Juvenile Restoration Act (JRA). This law applies to those who were minors when they committed their crimes and were sentenced as adults, given their sentences were made before October 1, 2021.
Judge Schiffer emphasized that Syed was only 17 when Lee was killed, noting his lack of prior criminal history and good behavior during his 23 years in prison. Although she considered a statement from Lee’s family, which expressed concerns about Syed’s claim of innocence and lack of remorse, she concluded that Syed "is not a danger to the public." She believed that a reduced sentence would serve justice better.
Consequently, Syed was sentenced to time served and placed on five years of probation.
The Lee family shared their thoughts on the decision, stating that the state had previously acknowledged presenting "false and misleading" information in support of Syed’s release over two years ago. They asserted that no new information has emerged to question his guilty verdict.
Recently, Baltimore prosecutors withdrew a motion to vacate Syed’s conviction, admitting it included misleading statements. They maintained that he remains convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, urging that he should take responsibility for his actions.
Syed and Lee were high school students in Baltimore. Their relationship was kept private due to cultural differences. Lee vanished in 1999, and her body was discovered weeks later. Syed has consistently claimed his innocence in this case.
