Today brings good news for Adnan Syed, subject of NPR's phenomenally popular podcast Serial, in the form of a promising decision from The Maryland Court Of Special Appeals: The court will remand his case to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, a decision that could open the door for new evidence.
Syed, who was convicted for murdering ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999, was granted an appeal in February on several legal grounds, one of which being that his lawyer failed to present evidence from potential alibi witness Asia McClain. Though McClain didn't testify in the original trial, she has since authored a new affidavit which accounts for Syed's whereabouts during the alleged time of Lee's murder.
Monday's decision gives the Circuit Court the opportunity to re-open Syed's post-conviction proceedings, which in turn could allow for the introduction of new evidence, like the affidavit. However, there's no guarantee the court will decide to do so.
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Ultimately, the proceedings could result in an entirely new trial for Syed.
The decision comes a week after the shocking third episode of the Undisclosed podcast, a pro-Syed spin-off, in which the creators provided evidence suggesting the main testimony against Syed was coached and possibly fabricated.
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