Adnan Syed Case Study

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Adnan Syed was sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison for murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae min Lee, in 1999. Adnan has spent the last fifteen years in - and is still in- the North Branch Correctional Institution. There is just one problem; Adnan Syed is not guilty.
There’s a clear lack of incriminating evidence; no DNA or fingerprint directly linking Adnan to the murder and no video showing Adnan at the scene of the crime when it is said to have been committed. This was not because of any lack of effort on the state’s part; in building a case against Adnan, investigators compared dirt samples from where Hae’s body was found to dirt found on Adnan’s boots, checked for fingerprints both where the body was buried and in Hae’s car, and tried to match DNA and clothing fibers. But all tests came to the same conclusion; there is no hard evidence linking Adnan to the murder.
Lack of evidence, by itself, might not be enough to prove he is innocent. The prosecutors know that they do not have anything that directly links Adnan to any
The one thing the prosecutors are able to dig up is that he may have lied to his parents. Being a second generation immigrant, the prosecutors assume Adnan led this ‘double-life’ that so many other immigrants’ children seem live. Lying to his parents because not all of his activities follow their religion and lying to his friends because they may not understand every aspect of his lifestyle. But everyone lies to their parents and you don’t expect a Jewish girl to explain kosher to everyone she meets. Instead of questioning Adnan’s character it seems the prosecutors expose him as an outstanding citizen. An honor roll student, part of his school’s athletic programs, an active member in his family’s mosque, and on homecoming court; not quite the killing type. At the end of the trial Adnan’s credibility as an upstanding individual is still

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