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Everything you need to know about The Case Against Adnan Syed

Lee, a Korean-American senior high school student, went missing on her way home from Woodlawn High School on January 13, 1999 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Her body was found nearly a month later on February 9, 1999, partially buried at Leakin Park, Baltimore, with her cause of death ruled manual strangulation.

An anonymous phone call to the police department recommended looking into Lee’s ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed.

By February 28 that year, Syed was arrested for her murder, after a friend, Jay Wilds, claimed he had helped Syed bury the body, and Syed had previously spoken of his intentions to kill Lee.

Entering a not guilty plea, Syed was later convicted in 2000 of false imprisonment, robbery, and first-degree murder, and was given a life sentence plus 30 years for the crime.

Over 15 years later, the case became central to a series of podcast, Serial, hosted by investigative journalist Sarah Koenig.

Serial brought international attention to Syed’s case, as well as new evidence. In 2016, Syed’s conviction was vacated, and a new trial was ordered, sparking a new wave of judicial proceedings.

While the decision was upheld by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals in 2018, it was later overturned by the Maryland Court of Appeals in 2019.

However, Maryland Court of Appeals reversed the lower appellate court’s decision and reinstated Syed’s conviction in 2019. The panel stated Syed had “deficient” counsel in his trial, but added they did not believe prejudice was caused as a result, taking into account “the totality of the evidence” against him.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Syed's appeal for a new trial, with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh stating "the evidence linking Syed to Lee's death is 'overwhelming'" and in a statement: "We remain confident in the verdict that was delivered by the jury and are pleased that justice for Hae Min Lee has been done".

The Case Against Adnan Syed tracks the case up to 2019.

Find out more about the case that became an international phenomenon with the help of the podcast, Serial.

The Case Against Adnan Syed: Episode Breakdown

The Case Against Adnan Syed ran for four episodes, tracking the investigation into Hae Min Lee’s murder and how Syed was eventually convicted.

The series also interviews the loved ones of Hae Min Lee, and those who worked the case in the defence and prosecution of Adnan Syed.

The episodes play out as follows:

Episode One: Forbidden Love

Run Time: 70mins

Family and friends revisit the events that led up to Adnan Syed's conviction for Hae Min Lee's murder.

Episode Two: In Between The Truth

Run Time: 66mins

As investigators attempt to recreate circumstances at the crime scene, questions arise about the veracity of alleged accomplice Jay Wilds.

Episode Three: Justice Is Arbitrary

Run Time: 69mins

As Adnan Syed's 2016 appeal draws to a close, his family and attorneys brace for a ruling that could result in a new trial.

Episode Four: Time Is The Killer

Run Time: 59mins

Adnan Syed faces a major decision as his 20th year in prison approaches and a new court ruling looms.

How celebrated was The Case Against Adnan Syed?

The Case Against Adnan Syed earned critical acclaim upon its release.

In 2019, it was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for episode one, Forbidden Love, for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program.

To date, the four episodes have a 7.2/10 rating average on IMDB based on 2,800 viewer scores.

Elements of the documentary were later used in the numerous subsequent appeals to get Syed’s conviction overturned.

Will there be a second season of The Case Against Adnan Syed?

Yes. In 2021 it was confirmed that HBO had greenlit production of new episodes of The Case Against Adnan Syed.

Filmmaker Amy Berg has been filming the new episodes since the beginning of 2021 and was in the courthouse when Baltimore City Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn approved the motion to vacate Syed’s murder conviction.

It is not known when the new episodes will air.

What has happened since The Case Against Adnan Syed aired?

In documents obtained by local newspaper The Baltimore Sun in 2019, it was shown prosecutors had run DNA testing in mid-2018 on items connected to the murder, with none of Syed’s DNA being present.

On September 19, 2022, Syed’s murder conviction was vacated, with the defence saying the prosecution had committed Brady violations by failing to turn over evidence to Syed during the course of the trial, and doubts over original witness testimony.

This included suppressing evidence for two potential alternative suspects and their failure to disclose the identity of a suspect who had also previously threatened to kill Lee.

One anonymous suspect, they claimed, had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the crime. One of the two suspects had also since gone to jail for being a serial rapist.

Syed was released from prison after serving nearly 22 years.

The investigation from The Case Against Adnan Syed was cited as evidence in the hearing.

Lee’s family continue to believe he is responsible for her murder, and her brother, Young Lee, appealed the decision, noting he was not given an adequate opportunity to speak.

He said at the time: "This is not a podcast for me. This is real life - a never-ending nightmare for 20-plus years."

The conviction was later reinstated again in March 2023 by the appellate court, prompting Syed to ask the appeals court to reconsider.

Maryland Supreme Court has said the reinstatement will remain in place, pending the upcoming appeals trial which would determine if he should remain free.

Where to watch The Case Against Adnan Syed in the UK

Sky is the exclusive home of The Case Against Adnan Syed in the UK.

The first four episodes are available now.

You can watch the series on Sky Crime, on demand via SkyGo or by streaming on NOW.

The Case Against Adnan Syed is available to watch now on Sky Crime, Sky Documentaries and NOW.

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