At the behest of prosecutors, Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn has ordered that Adnan Syed’s murder conviction be vacated and she approved the release of the now-41-year-old who has spent more than two decades behind bars.⁠ ⁠ Syed, who has always maintained his innocence, received widespread attention in 2014 when the debut season of the “Serial” podcast focused on Hae Min Lee’s killing and raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors had used, inspiring countless dinner table debates about Syed’s innocence or guilt.⁠ ⁠ Phinn ruled that the state violated its legal obligation to share exculpatory evidence with Syed’s defense. She ordered him released from custody and placed on home detention with GPS location monitoring. She also ordered the state to decide whether to seek a new trial date or dismiss the case within 30 days.⁠ ⁠ This is a developing story. Tap the link in bio for the latest.