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Adnan Syed left the courthouse in Baltimore on Monday as a free man: now the prosecutor's office has to decide whether to start a new trial or drop the charges
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Jerry Jackson/AP
A US judge has reversed the murder conviction of a man who had been in prison for more than 20 years on charges of murdering his ex-girlfriend.
In a Baltimore court, Judge Melissa Phinn granted a motion by the prosecutor's office and overturned the sentence against 41-year-old Adnan Syed.
His case had gained worldwide notoriety through the successful podcast »Serial«.
"In the interests of justice and fairness," Judge Phinn ordered Syed's immediate release.
He was sentenced to life in prison in 2000 for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in Baltimore on the east coast of the United States.
At the time of the crime he was 17 years old.
Syed has always maintained his innocence, but numerous appeals have been rejected.
The state has "lost confidence in the accuracy of the verdict," Deputy District Attorney Becky Feldman said Monday in court.
It must be ensured "that we have held the right person accountable".
The investigation would continue.
"New information" on two other possible suspects
Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby surprisingly said last week that she had asked for the verdict to be overturned.
Mosby said Syed should be released while prosecutors consider whether to reopen the case or drop the charges against him.
Mosby said the reason for her move was "new information" about two other possible suspects and "unreliable cell phone data."
Syed deserves "a new trial where he is properly defended and the latest evidence can be presented."
With the court's decision, Syed will now be released from prison and initially placed under house arrest, US media reported.
His case became known in 2014 through the podcast "Serial", in which the case was examined and Syed's guilt was questioned.
A documentary series entitled »The Case Against Adnan Syed« also ran on the US broadcaster HBO.
In the murder trial, the prosecution had portrayed Syed as a "spurned lover" who killed his ex-girlfriend after she broke up with him.
According to prosecutor Mosby, however, new investigations have led to two other possible suspects.
In addition, there are doubts about the accuracy of radio cell queries, which were intended to prove Syed's whereabouts on the day of the murder.
aar/AFP