Prosecutors drop charges against Adnan Syed, the subject of 'Serial' podcast - NPR

Adnan Syed (center), leaving tribunal connected Sept. 19. He was released aft a justice overturned his condemnation successful the 1999 execution of Hae Min Lee. Brian Witte/AP hide caption

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Brian Witte/AP

Adnan Syed (center), leaving tribunal connected Sept. 19. He was released aft a justice overturned his condemnation successful the 1999 execution of Hae Min Lee.

Brian Witte/AP

Prosecutors successful Baltimore person dropped charges against Adnan Syed, the antheral who was released from prison past period aft having served 22 years for the execution of Hae Min Lee, his erstwhile girlfriend. Lee's decease and Syed's condemnation were the taxable of the deed podcast Serial.

In a property league Tuesday afternoon, the state's lawyer for Baltimore, Marilyn Mosby, said that precocious tested DNA wholly exculpated Syed from the crime: "His DNA was excluded," Mosby said. She declined to accidental if immoderate different known suspects whitethorn beryllium implicated successful the caller DNA testing, saying that the probe is ongoing.

Mosby said that her bureau received the DNA results connected Friday, but dropped the charges against Syed Tuesday, successful hopes of contacting Lee's relatives first. She said that the prosecutors had received nary effect from the Lee family's attorney, including arsenic precocious arsenic aboriginal Tuesday afternoon.

In her remarks, Mosby noted that Lee's household has "had to relive an unimaginable nightmare implicit and implicit again. Equally heartbreaking is the symptom and sacrifice and the trauma that has been imposed not conscionable connected that family, but Adnan and his family," adding that Syed spent "23 years successful situation for a transgression arsenic a effect of a wrongful conviction."

Mosby besides pledged that her bureau volition proceed to prosecute Lee's existent murderer.

When Syed's condemnation from 2000 was overturned past month, prosecutors successful the metropolis State's Attorney's Office had 30 days to determine whether oregon not to disregard his lawsuit wholly oregon to retry him.

In a question filed past month, the bureau of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City stated that a year-long probe had revealed caller accusation astir 2 imaginable different suspects successful Lee's murder. The names of those suspects were not made nationalist successful that motion, arsenic the probe was inactive ongoing. Prosecutors noted successful past month's filing that astatine slightest 1 of those suspects was not disclosed to Syed's lawyer astatine the clip of his trial.

Last month, Lee's household had filed an entreaty against Syed's merchandise from prison, but today's determination rendered that moot. "The lawsuit is over," Mosby said.