Baltimore prosecutors drop charges against Adnan Syed - Baltimore Sun

Baltimore prosecutors connected Tuesday dropped the charges against Adnan Syed, the antheral whose ineligible saga roseate to planetary renown due to the fact that of the hit podcast “Serial.”

The abrupt determination from the metropolis State’s Attorney’s Office comes aft Syed’s execution condemnation was overturned past month.

During a yearlong probe conducted alongside Syed’s attorney, prosecutors said they discovered two alternate suspects successful the 1999 sidesplitting of Hae Min Lee, astatine slightest 1 of whom, they said, was not disclosed to Syed’s defense. Because of those revelations, prosecutors said they mislaid religion successful his blameworthy verdict.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn gave prosecutors 30 days from the day Syed’s convictions were vacated connected Sept. 19 to determine whether they’d driblet his charges oregon retry him successful his Woodlawn High School sweetheart’s death.

[ Adnan Syed walks retired of Baltimore courthouse aft justice overturns his 2000 execution conviction ]

State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said past period that her determination connected Syed’s lawsuit hinged connected pending DNA investigating being conducted connected grounds of Lee’s killing. The investigation to day has yielded useless results, but it’s unclear if Mosby’s bureau has received much caller feedback from the forensics laboratory successful California doing the tests.

Mosby has said she would beryllium prepared to certify Syed’s innocence, making him eligible to use for wrongful condemnation compensation from the state, if the DNA investigating came backmost inconclusive oregon pointed to different suspect. She maintained that her bureau would retry Syed if DNA implicated him successful the killing.

A tribunal day had been acceptable for Oct. 19, a period aft Phinn tossed Syed’s blameworthy finding. The proceeding successful reception tribunal Tuesday greeting was not docketed successful online tribunal records.

Mosby’s bureau did not respond to a petition for remark connected Tuesday.

Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter, who was successful tribunal Tuesday, confirmed prosecutors dropped her client’s charges but declined to remark further.

After Syed’s condemnation was overturned, Lee’s household appealed, arguing Mosby’s bureau neglected to supply them capable announcement to be the hearing. The household asked the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to intermission the proceedings successful Circuit Court portion the tribunal considered their appeal.

Just past week, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh joined Lee’s family successful asking the state’s intermediate appellate tribunal to enactment a clasp connected Syed’s lawsuit successful the proceedings court.

After his bureau represented the authorities for Syed’s repeated appeals, Frosh has been captious of Mosby’s caller handling of the case. Frosh has formed uncertainty connected the ground metropolis prosecutors presented successful enactment of overturning Syed’s conviction.

It’s unclear what Tuesday’s improvement means for the family’s appeal.

Lee’s family’s lawyer did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. Frosh’s bureau did not instantly remark Tuesday morning.

Lee, 18, was strangled to decease and buried successful a clandestine sedate successful Leakin Park. A antheral discovered her assemblage astir 3 weeks aft she was past seen astatine the precocious school. At the time, constabulary and prosecutors suspected Syed killed Lee due to the fact that helium was distraught implicit their breakup.

Syed stood proceedings successful 1999 and 2000. The state’s lawsuit relied connected witnesser testimony, cellphone telephone records and Syed’s ain statements; little, if any, carnal grounds connected him to the killing. A assemblage recovered him blameworthy of murder, kidnapping, robbery and mendacious imprisonment aft the 2nd trial. The justice sentenced him to beingness positive 30 years successful prison.

Arrested astatine 17, Syed had been down bars for 23 years earlier being unshackled and walking retired of the Elijah E. Cummings Courthouse past month. He was placed connected GPS monitoring pending prosecutors’ determination connected however to proceed with his case.

This nonfiction volition beryllium updated.