Serial podcast: is there a new episode after Adnan Syed’s murder conviction was overturned - how to listen

The hit podcast Serial will return to familiar territory with a new episode after Adnan Syed’s conviction was overturned.

Syed was the subject of the wildly popular true crime podcast Serial when it was first launched in 2014. The first series of the podcast focused on the murder of Hae Min Lee in 1999 and raised questions about some of the evidence used to convict Syed.

But why has Adnan Syed’s conviction been overturned and what can we expect from the latest episode of Serial?

What is Serial?

Serial is an investigative journalism podcast which is hosted by American journalist and radio personality Sarah Koenig. The series was co-created by Koenig and Julie Snyder.

There are currently three series of Serial and episodes of season 1 and 2 have been downloaded over 340 million times - establishing an ongoing podcast world record.

Series 1, which focused on the Adnan Syed case, reached number one on iTunes before it debuted. It also broke records by becoming the fastest podcast to reach 5 million downloads.

What was Adnan Syed accused of?

Adnan Syed was sentenced to life in prison for the death of his ex-girlfriend and classmate Hae Min Lee, whose body was found buried in the woods in 1999.

A jury found Syed guilty in 2000 of premeditated murder, kidnapping, robbery and false imprisonment. As a result Syed was given a life sentence at the age of 19.

Syed has always maintained his innocence and when his case was first examined on the podcast serial, many questioned whether Syed had received a fair trial.

Why has Syed’s conviction been overturned?

Prosecutors have recommended that Syed’s conviction should be vacated and that he should receive a new trial after a year-long case review had turned up two alternative suspects.

Syed, now aged 41, has been released into home detention after nearly 23 years behind bars. Baltimore judge Melissa Phinn said: “At this time, we will remove the shackles from Mr Syed in the interests of fairness and justice.”

Prosecutors did not claim that Syed was innocent but insisted that he has the right to a new trial where he is adequately represented and the latest evidence can be presented.

Maryland State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said: “We believe that keeping Mr.Syed detained as we continue to investigate the case with everything that we know now, when we do not have confidence in results of the first trial, would be unjust.”

What to expect from the new episode of Serial?

The latest episode of Serial focuses on the courtroom hearing of Syed and the reaction to a potential new investigation.

During the episode it becomes apparent that there are various details from the case in 1999 that undermine the conviction, including flawed mobile phone data, unreliable witness testimony and a potentially biased detective.

There is also further information that has come to light regarding two potential subjects who were not properly ruled out or disclosed to the defence at the time of the trial.

How to listen to the latest episode of Serial?

The latest episode of Serial was released on Tuesday 20 September.

Series 1 Episode 13 will be available to stream via Spotify and iTunes.