Adnan Syed is released!

[Squisita]

Adnan Syed was yesterday released from jail, after a judge ruled that the state violated its obligation to share evidence with the defence that would have helped his case.

Having listened to the Serial podcast about the case, I think this was the right decision and it's come 22 years too late. Based on the evidence, Adnan should have been acquitted.

I hope this now opens the path to finding Hae Min Lee's real killer.

Yes, it has a close family friend and advocate of Adnan, Rabia Chaudry, but also features Susan Simpson and Colin Miller and is generally a more comprehensive look at the ‘evidence’ used to convict Adnan. Well worth listening to!

I listened to pay off the serial podcast years ago, but the bit I do remember was the fact that she said Adnan she believed he was innocent and how he was disappointed it was for the 'nice guy' reason. He had hoped she had found evidence.

No, that’s why I’m not happy about it either way.

I remember being spellbound by Serial - very innovative at the time. And that Hae Min's family declined to take part.

Am I right in thinking that his mobile phone which placed him in certain places appeared to indicate guilt, but then this has since been provied to be incorrect and that the technology at the time was inexact?

I believed he was innocent. Definitely think Jay was more involved and cannot believe he wasn’t prosecuted at the time. Will be very interesting to see where it goes.

I do feel for the Lee family. How awful
to think this was all past but never really being able to move on.

Yeah I think they were guilty too as with Steve Avery, guilty as sin

The West Memphis Three* story was awful though, those poor little boys :(

I don't feel happy about this news.

I really think Adnan killed her.

I understand the whole court case was a bit of a shit show and can understand the calls for a (second/third?) retrial as new evidence comes out, but I believe he should still be in prison while this happens.

I also think people should do more research on Rabia Chaudry before promoting her incredibly biased podcast and non-reporting of any damning evidence or expert advice. Reddit has a very good chat going about Rabia (as well as the case as a whole).

I just can't see why Jay would have been involved on his own, he had no motive and why implicate himself in a murder at all if he wasn't telling the truth about Adnan

**little hazy on the details now, it's been a while since I listened to the podcast/watched the show but I remember thinking that it made no sense for jay to be involved in this if Adnan wasn't

Listening to the podcast, I was certain that even if he did do it, there was not sufficient evidence to to prove it (beyond all reasonable doubt).

Regardless of that, he clearly wasn't tried properly and as such, this is the right decision.

Why should a person be continually imprisoned just because they are investigating other suspects?

If they found evidence proving otherwise, he would be re-tried just like anybody else… you need hard evidence of guilt to keep somebody in prison!

It would be good if the people who think he was guilty could give their reasons why? I've grappled with the case and ultimately couldn't make my mind up about his guilt, but I did feel there was no real evidence to convict him.

However, with these new revelations, I think the judge/state attorney knows things that haven't been closed yet, which makes me think Adnan will not be retried for Hae's murder.

Really interesting statement by the State Attorney for Baltimore, Marilyn Mosby.

It does seem like the previous prosecutor, Thiru Vignarajah had a vendetta against Adnan Syed.

Not an overwhelming guilty and it was a little while ago so forgive my hazy memories! I thought the texting abruptly stopping, not having a decent alibi and was he the last person to see her? all went against him. The pay phone, cell phone towers and lack of DNA weren’t properly addressed iirc though so on balance I would not have given a guilty verdict at trial. I don’t think a convincing motive for the crime was ever presented either.

I tend to agree with this. I'm glad he was released.

I agree with those who say that it’s right that he should be released, but I’d very much not be happy if he turned up as a boyfriend of my daughter (if I had one…)

"Absolute fact" someone didn't do something is not the legal standard. The standard is reasonable doubt, which there was in this case. He shouldn't have been convicted.

Serial was quite biased in his favour. I've looked into it a lot and I think he's probably guilty but that's just an opinion and it certainly hasn't been proved beyond reasonable doubt. So I'd have to vote aquit.

Ok, so I haven’t been as close to this as some of you.

But I’m currently watching the HBO documentary on this and I’m not really convinced he did it at the moment.

Jay seems dodgy as fuck. And at the moment it’s feeling very much like Jay only tried to cover his own arse. Maybe thinking if he got there first and told his story to implicate Adnan, any evidence found implicating him could be explained away.

That’s where my brain is at anyway. I’m just not 100% convinced he’s guilty at the moment. There’s too many inconsistencies. I mean the police didn’t even check her car for DNA/fibres etc to confirm she’d been in the boot as Jay claimed? Wtf?? This is basic detective work! Seems a bit half a job by the police and they’ve solely relied on this Jay as their star witness. But his story has changed several times.

Either way, I don’t see it as a bad thing that the case is being looked at and evidence re-examined to make sure they have the right man. If they do, great. But if the DNA etc says otherwise, the real guilty party could be punished. If it means the right person is put behind bars and this poor girls family can finally get closure, that’s a good thing right?

@browneyes77 Jay was definitely a bit dodgy but I just can't see any motive at all as to why he would kill Hae or say Adnan did and implicate himself if there wasn't some truth to that. Why would he be in Haes company and want to kill her, I don't think they even knew each other well

I know who Adnan and Steven are, who is Brendan?
Was that the Avery nephew?

So what happens now?
Does Adnan go through a retrial?
Do they reopen the case?

I’ve just read that Hae Min Lee’s family fully believe he did it, and are upset at his release.

I hope that they get justice one way or the other, at that Hae Min isn’t forgotten in all this

Apparently they now have 2 other suspects, the case is still open, I doubt they will re try Adnan unless they got new evidence

I think he did it. I feel for the victim's family.