Adnan Syed Asks Maryland AG To Investigate Case Prosecutors: Report

BALTIMORE, MD — Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction in the 1999 slaying of Hae Min Lee remains in limbo, called on Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown to investigate possible prosecutorial misconduct in his case documented on the hit podcast "Serial," according to multiple reports.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday on the one-year anniversary of his release from prison, Syed asserted his innocence in Lee's death and made a personal appeal to Brown, the Baltimore Banner reported.

"We have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Brown. He has a long history of standing up for Maryland families,” Syed told reporters, according to the Banner. “And we’re just asking that he please stand up for our family as well."

Syed, who was found guilty of killing Hae Min Lee in 2000, spent more than 20 years in prison for her death before a Baltimore Circuit Court judge vacated his conviction in September 2022. Prosecutors dropped all charges against Syed in October.

The court reinstated Syed's conviction in March and ordered a redo of the hearing at which Syed's conviction was vacated. The panel ruled that a circuit court judge violated the rights of Hae Min Lee's brother, Young Lee, who claimed he did not receive proper notice and was denied the right to be heard at the hearing.

In May, Syed's attorneys petitioned the Maryland Supreme Court to review the lower court's ruling to reinstate his murder conviction. In the petition, his attorneys sought an evaluation of several factors in the case, including Young Lee's claims.

Shortly after, Lee's family also petitioned the court to hear an appeal of the case. In the filing, the family's lawyer asked the state's highest court to take up the appeal to ensure victims are given a "meaningful voice."

In a June decision, the state Supreme Court agreed to hear both appeals. Syed's lawyers have since asked the court to reverse the appellate court's decision to reinstate his conviction, according to reports.

Brown was quick to deny Syed's request, according to a Baltimore Sun report. In a statement to the Sun, a spokesperson for Brown said the attorney general’s office doesn’t have the authority to investigate claims of prosecutorial misconduct.

Some of the comments made by Syed on Tuesday mirrored those made earlier this year before the court reinstated his conviction, according to the Sun.

"It seems like our family, we just go unnoticed," Syed said. "Every time we go to court we go unnoticed. We definitely understand Hae's family has suffered so much, and they continue to suffer. And it's just that we suffer too. And we hope that the court today just takes notice of that."

As the case drags on, Syed will remain free while the appeal is pending. But there is a chance he could ultimately return to prison, depending on the outcome.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.