On February 9, 1999, the body of an 18-year-old high school student, named Hae Min Lee, was discovered in Leakin Park in Baltimore, Maryland. The last time Lee was seen alive was on January 13, 1999. The victim was of Korean-American origin.
According to Biography, on February 28, 1999, officials arrested Hae Min Lee’s ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed from his home. At the time of his arrest, he was 17 years old. Furthermore, on February 25, 2000, the court found the accused guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and robbery. On June 6, 2000, he received a sentence of life in prison plus 30 years.
At the time of his conviction, Adnan was only 18 years old. During Adnan’s sentencing, Hae Min Lee’s mother, Youn Wha Kim, gave an emotional testimony about the murder of her daughter. She said, “I would like to forgive Adnan Syed, but as of now, I just don’t know how I could. When I die, my daughter will die with me. As long as I live, my daughter is buried in my heart.”
Is there a documentary about the Adnan Syed case?
In 2019, HBO released a true-crime docuseries titled, The Case Against Adnan Syed. This four-part series shed light on this infamous case. Furthermore, it was directed by American filmmaker, Amy J. Berg.
According to HBO, the official synopsis of The Case Against Adnan Syed reads, “This four-part documentary series from Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg explores the 1999 murder of 18-year-old Hae Min Lee and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed — a case brought to global attention by the hugely popular “Serial” podcast.”
It further reads, “On September 19, 2022, Syed’s murder conviction was vacated and he was released from prison after having served 20 years.”