Adnan Syed, the accused murderer who became the subject of the widely popular podcast “Serial,” has had his sentence for the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee reduced to time served.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Schiffer said Thursday that Syed, 43, was no longer a danger to society and that the “interests of justice will be better served by a reduced sentence.”
Syed had been facing the risk of returning to prison, but will be allowed to remain free, as he has been since 2022.
Syed was 17 years old at the time of Lee’s death, who was found strangled to death in a makeshift grave at Leakin Park several weeks after going missing. The two had previously dated and were classmates at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore.
Syed was convicted of murder, kidnapping and false imprisonment in 2000 and was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years.
The conviction was overturned in 2022 after years of legal battles following the release of “Serial,” largely based on alternate suspects, unreliable evidence presented at trial and Syed’s original defense attorney. The conviction was reinstated last year following appeals, but Syed was allowed to remain free.
The decision to reduce the sentence to time served, plus five years probation, was made under Maryland’s Juvenile Restoration Act, a law that allows people who have been in prison for at least 20 years for crimes committed as minors to seek a modified sentence.
Under Thursday’s ruling, Syed’s conviction will remain in place.
“Today, we are focused on the joy and relief of this decision. Adnan is grateful that the judge agreed with his motion to reduce his sentence under the Juvenile Restoration Act,” Syed’s attorney Erica Suter said in a statement. “Adnan is committed to continuing to be a productive member of his community and living a life centered around his family.”
“Serial,” which premiered in 2014 to immediate acclaim, won multiple broadcasting awards, including the first-ever Peabody for a podcast.
