‘Serial’ Podcast Subject Adnan Syed Granted a New Trial

BALTIMORE (AP) — After spending 16 years in prison, a man convicted of murder who was at the center of the podcast Serial has won a new trial in Baltimore.

Adnan Syed was convicted of murdering his former high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999 and burying her in a park. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Martin Welch ruled Thursday that Syed deserves another trial because his attorney failed to cross-examine a cell tower expert about the reliability of data that placed Syed’s cellphone near the burial site.

Syed’s case was widely publicized by Serial. The podcast attracted millions of listeners by showcasing little-known evidence and raising questions about Syed’s guilt.