Crime & Safety

'Serial' Star Adnan Syed Requests Release Pending Appeal

The former Woodlawn High School student asks to be released from jail after more than 17 years.

BALTIMORE, MD — Adnan Syed, who has been in jail since 1999 in connection with the murder of his ex-girlfriend while they were both students at Woodlawn High School, has requested to be released as his case moves through the appeals process.

"Syed has now served more than 17 years in prison based on an unconstitutional conviction for a crime he did not commit," his attorneys said in court filings Monday requesting his release.

A judge vacated Syed's conviction this summer when his 2000 trial was brought into question due to unreliable cell phone data used as evidence and an alibi witness who was not called to the stand.

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"Syed, whose appeal could take years to resolve, respectfully asks that this court fashion appropriate conditions of pretrial release," his attorneys said in their request.

Read the motion for release here.

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Syed was the subject of a podcast called "Serial," which attracted millions of listeners worldwide as it cast doubt on his guilt for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.

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