Adnan Syed Case: Murder Conviction Upheld By Appeals Court

BALTIMORE, MD — The Baltimore County man whose murder case was the focus of the "Serial' podcast and an upcoming HBO series lost his appeal March 8. Adnan Syed was a Woodlawn High School student who was sentenced to life in prison for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Syed was featured on the popular podcast "Serial" in 2014. Hosted by former Baltimore Sun reporter Sarah Koenig, the series brought to light unreliable cellphone data and an alibi witness never called to the stand.

When Syed filed for his case to be reviewed, a judge vacated the murder conviction in 2016. The Maryland Court of Appeals voted 4-3 that although Syed’s original attorney was “deficient” at trial, it was not enough to overturn his conviction. The decision was released March 8; read the full court opinion at the bottom of this story.

His attorney, Justin Brown, said in a statement, that the obstacles for a new trial are too great to overcome in a criminal justice system that needs reform.

"We are devastated by the Court of Appeals’ decision but we will not give up on Adnan Syed," Brown wrote. ..."There was a credible alibi witness who was with Adnan at the precise time of the murder and now the Court of Appeals has said that witness would not have affected the outcome of the proceeding. We think just the opposite is true."

Syed's trial was among the first in which cell phone records were used to geo-locate someone in connection with a crime, according to The Guardian, and the technology was far from perfect.
The jury at Syed's 2000 trial was told by a prosecution expert that cell phone records placed Syed at the time and place of the murder, in Baltimore's Leakin Park. The expert based his findings on information from AT&T, which had included a disclaimer that the location could not be considered reliable. Neither the expert witness nor the defense attorney mentioned the disclaimer at trial.

In addition, a former classmate of Syed and Lee at Woodlawn High School — Asia McClain — testified in 2016 that she had chatted with Syed at the time of the murder in the school's library, and despite writing a letter to his attorney with that information, she said she never heard back, The Baltimore Sun reported. It was not until "Serial" aired and captured the curiosity of thousands of listeners that McClain said she realized "maybe it is important."

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals issued an opinion on March 29, 2018, stating that Syed should be granted a new trial based on the violation of his Sixth Amendment right, specifically the part guaranteeing "the assistance of counsel" for his defense.

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled that Syed's attorney did not do an adequate job in representing him by failing to contact the potential witness whose testimony would have called into question the state's case and resulted in a different outcome by creating reasonable doubt.

HBO released the trailer for its new documentary series, "The Case Against Adnan Syed" last month. It will retrace the events since his conviction, and is scheduled to start airing March 10 at 9 p.m.

The network describes the four-part series as a re-examination of "the events leading up to Hae Min Lee’s disappearance, from high school romance, forbidden love and cultural conflict, to the aftermath of her disappearance, the original police investigation and the present day, when Syed awaits a new trial. Presenting new discoveries as well as groundbreaking revelations that challenge the state’s case, and featuring exclusive access to Syed, the defense team, the Syed family, friends and teachers of both students, and members of City of Baltimore law enforcement, the series traces how the rush to justice and Syed’s conviction in 2000 raised more questions than answers about what happened to Hae Min Lee, underscoring the instability of memory and conflicting eyewitnesses."

The trailer features Syed's friend Rabia Chaudry, who brought his case to the host of Serial, in addition to others, such as a woman who said she may have been the last one to see him and a "piece of evidence that nobody realized existed for all these years."

"The Case Against Adnan Syed" is directed by Amy Berg, whose work on "Deliver Us From Evil" resulted in an Oscar nomination.

See more on Adnan Syed on Patch:

• Adnan Syed Case To Go To Maryland Court Of Appeals
• Adnan Syed Case Update: New Trial Ordered
• Appeal Of Adnan Syed Returns To Court
• Bail Denied to 'Serial' Star Adnan Syed
• 'Serial' Star Adnan Syed Requests Release Pending Appeal
• Judge Sets Aside Conviction Of Adnan Syed, Subject Of 'Serial' Podcast
• Witness Takes Stand in 'Serial' Murder Case
• Serial's Adnan Syed Wins Appeal

Watch the trailer:

Adnan Syed Appeal by Deb Eatock Belt on Scribd