Adnan Syed, subject of 'Serial' podcast, is released after his conviction is vacated

Updated September 19, 2022 at 4:45 PM ET

A Baltimore judge vacated the conviction of Adnan Syed, who at 18 years old was sentenced to life in prison in 2000 for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee.

Lee was found strangled to death in Baltimore's Leakin Park in 1999.

Judge Melissa Phinn says Syed will be released under home detention.

The office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City said in a motion filed last week that there was new information about two potential alternative suspects. This detail makes a new trial necessary, prosecutors said.

Though prosecutors asked the judge to vacate the conviction in their recent motion, they are not saying Syed is innocent of the crime. They are saying they lack confidence in "the integrity of the conviction."

Syed's case received nationwide attention in 2014 with the release of the podcast Serial, which has been downloaded millions of times. HBO later released its own documentary, The Case Against Adnan Syed.

Thousands have closely monitored this case after becoming engrossed by the details of the case, with many believing that Syed is innocent.

This is a breaking story and will be updated. [Copyright 2022 NPR]