Baltimore Judge Orders New DNA Testing in Adnan Syed Case

Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction was profiled in the popular true crime podcast “Serial,” has maintained his innocence since 1999. Now, new DNA testing may be able to prove it.

Syed’s ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, was found strangled to death in 1999. Syed stood trial twice for her murder and was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years.

After years of filing motions to appeal his conviction, Syed and his lawyers have gained traction in proving his innocence. According to The Baltimore Sun, “clothing, shoes, and other pieces of evidence” collected at the crime scene will undergo post-conviction DNA testing. Last week, Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn said that evidence that was not previously tested should be sent to a California crime lab within the next 15 days.  

The results of the new DNA testing will be sent to the prosecution, the defense, and the FBI’s DNA databases.