The judge said Said’s actions after the release indicated “the maturity and fitness necessary for a crime-free life outside of prison.”
Adnan Seed, whose murders have attracted international attention through the “Serial” podcast, remains free despite his murder conviction being held up Thursday, as Baltimore Jennifer Schiffer is ruled.
Schiffer’s sentence enforces recent Maryland law that provides Syed’s sentence and provides a way for individuals to be released for crimes committed as minors. The decision puts Syed (now 43) on five years of supervised probation.
“After reviewing the entire record, the court concluded that the defendant is not dangerous to the public and that judicial benefits can be better handled through tax cuts,” Schiffer wrote in her decision.
Said was convicted of murdering his high school classmate and ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, 18. He has consistently maintained his innocence in 2022 through 23 years of incarceration and release from prison.
The verdict follows a hearing last week that includes testimony from both Saeed and Lee’s family. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that Said would not take any risk to public safety, but Lee’s parents urged the judge to maintain his life sentence.
Since his release from prison in 2022, Syed has worked at Georgetown University’s Prison and Justice Initiative, caring for an aging family.
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The judge said Said’s actions after the release indicated “the maturity and fitness necessary for a crime-free life outside of prison.”
Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter, said she appreciated the judge’s decision. “Given his achievements in prison and his work in the community since his release, he was a potential model for criminal cuts,” Suter said.
David Sanford, the lawyer representing Lee’s family, criticized the decision.
“We know now that there was no new information that raised questions about Adnan Said’s conviction,” he said. He said Said remains convicted of first-degree planned murder.
The case received several twists and turns, including a 2022 release from prison when Baltimore prosecutors discovered the issue of the case and moved to exempt him from his conviction. The decision was later overturned by appeal, leading to the revival of Saeed’s conviction.
Ivan Bates, the current Baltimore lawyer, says his office believes in the ju-degree verdict and has no plans to continue investigating the case. Bates retracted his predecessor’s claim to destroy the conviction, supporting tax cuts.
“We hope that the Lee family will be able to find peace and healing in the aftermath of this challenging experience,” Bates said in a statement. “My office is here to support them when they may need it.”
The judge acknowledged the lasting impact of the case against Lee’s family, following the release of “Cereal” in 2014 and subsequent television documentaries. “I hope everyone understands that Hen Lee and her family are the true victims of this case,” she said. “Their suffering cannot be exaggerated.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
