BALTIMORE (AP) 鈥� Adnan Syed, whose case amassed a worldwide following of 鈥淪erial鈥� podcast listeners, will remain free 鈥� even though his murder conviction still stands, a Baltimore judge ruled on Thursday.
Judge Jennifer Schiffer agreed to reduce Syed鈥檚 sentence to time served under a relatively new state law that provides a pathway to release for people convicted of crimes committed when they were minors. The judge ruled that he will be on supervised probation for five years.
鈥淎fter considering the entire record, the court concludes that the Defendant is not a danger to the public and that the interests of justice will be better served by a reduced sentence," Schiffer wrote in the decision.
The judge鈥檚 ruling followed a that included emotional testimony from Syed and relatives of the victim, Hae Min Lee, who was strangled and buried in a shallow grave in a Baltimore park in 1999.
Both prosecutors and defense attorneys told Schiffer that Syed, now 43, doesn鈥檛 pose a risk to public safety. Lee鈥檚 brother and mother urged the judge to uphold his life sentence.
Syed, who has maintained his innocence, was in 2022 after Baltimore prosecutors said they had uncovered problems with the case and moved to vacate his conviction, which was later . Since his release, he鈥檚 been working at Georgetown University鈥檚 Prisons and Justice Initiative and caring for aging family members.
The judge noted in her ruling that Syed's behavior after his release gave her confidence he has achieved 鈥渢he maturity and fitness required for a crime-free life outside of prison,鈥� Schiffer wrote.
Erica Suter, an attorney who represented Syed, said his legal counsel was 鈥渇ocused on the joy and relief of this decision," adding that Syed was grateful the judge reduced his sentence.
鈥淕iven his accomplishments in prison and his work in the community since release, he was a model candidate for a sentence reduction,鈥� Suter said. 鈥淎dnan is committed to continuing to be a productive member of his community and living a life centered around his family.鈥�
David Sanford, an attorney for Lee's family, said in a statement after the ruling that the state last week acknowledged it had previously presented false and misleading information during former Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's tenure to the court in support of releasing Syed.
鈥淲e now know there was never any new information that called into question Adnan Syed鈥檚 guilty verdict," Sanford said. "Absolutely nothing changes the fact that Mr. Syed remains convicted of first-degree premeditated murder due to overwhelming direct and circumstantial evidence. We hope that one day Mr. Syed can summon the courage to take responsibility for his crime and express sincere remorse.鈥�
At Syed's trial, prosecutors painted him as Lee鈥檚 jealous ex-boyfriend and built their case around a key witness whose credibility has been heavily questioned. But all these years later, arguments about whether to reduce Syed鈥檚 sentence notably sidestepped the issue of guilt or innocence.
The current Baltimore state鈥檚 attorney, Ivan Bates, who publicly raised doubts about the integrity of the conviction before becoming the city鈥檚 top prosecutor, said last week that his office believes in the jury鈥檚 verdict and has no plans to continue investigating the case.
Recent court testimony reviewed the lasting impacts of Lee鈥檚 gruesome death and Syed鈥檚 23-year incarceration.
Lee鈥檚 family and their attorney said old wounds were ripped open when Syed鈥檚 conviction was vacated. The family later succeeded in getting the conviction reinstated after challenging the ruling on procedural grounds, arguing they didn鈥檛 receive proper notice to attend the hearing that freed Syed from prison, where they participated only through a video connection.
Hours before the hearing, Bates the conviction even as he supported a reduced sentence.
On Thursday, Bates said his office鈥檚 decision to withdraw the effort to vacate the sentence and the judge鈥檚 decision marked 鈥渁 just outcome for a tragedy that took the life of a young woman whose family is forever altered.鈥�
鈥淚 hope the Lee family can find peace and healing in the aftermath of this challenging experience,鈥� Bates said in a statement. 鈥淢y office is here to support them whenever they may need it.鈥�
While the judge acknowledged Syed鈥檚 accomplishments in her remarks to the court last week, she focused on what the Lee family has endured, including witnessing Syed鈥檚 鈥渞ise to celebrity鈥� following the release of 鈥淪erial鈥� in 2014 and a television documentary about the case.
"I hope that everyone understands that Hae Min Lee and her family are the true victims in this case,鈥� she said. 鈥淭heir suffering cannot be overstated.鈥�
Lea Skene And Brian Witte, The Associated Press
