https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...ased-rcna48313

BALTIMORE ? A judge on Monday vacated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, years after the hit podcast ?Serial? chronicled his case and cast doubt on his role in the 1999 slaying of former girlfriend Hae Min Lee.

City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn said prosecutors made a compelling argument that Syed's conviction was flawed and that he should immediately go free.

Trial prosecutors did not properly turn over evidence to defense lawyers that could have helped them show someone else killed Lee, Phinn said. And new evidence uncovered since the trial would have added ?substantial and significant probability that the result would have been different.?

Phinn vacated murder, kidnapping, robbery and false imprisonment against Syed. The judge ordered him released without bail.

Moments before the ruling, prosecutor Becky Feldman said that "justice and fairness" calls for Syed's convictions to be tossed.

?The state has lost confidence in the integrity of this convection and believe that it is in the interest of justice and fairness that his convictions be vacated," Feldman said.
?It is our promise that we will do everything we can to bring justice to the Lee family. That means continuing to utilize all available resources to bring a suspect or suspects to justice and hold them accountable."

Syed, who has a full beard, appeared in court wearing a long-sleeve white dress shirt, dark tie and traditional Muslim skull cap. And when Phinn ordered guards to ?remove his shackles,? Syed's supporters inside the courtroom burst in applause.

Judge Phinn gave the state 30 days to decide whether to seek a new trial or potentially stop the case.

Outside court, Baltimore City State?s Attorney Marilyn Mosby was hailing the judge's ruling when Syed stepped outside, greeted with cheers and then shown into an awaiting car before being driven off.