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The lawyer for the convicted killer, who is the subject of the record-breaking "Serial" podcast, now argues the evidence that landed his client behind bars was inaccurate - and prosecutors were warned not to use it.
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The lawyer for the convicted killer who is the subject of the record-breaking "Serial" podcast now argues the evidence that landed his client behind bars was inaccurate - and prosecutors were warned not to use it, according to reports.
Adnan Syed, now 35, was convicted in 2000 of the murder of Hae Min Lee, his ex-girlfriend, and is currently serving a life sentence in a Maryland prison.
However, his case took on a new life when it was profiled in "Serial," a 12-part podcast broadcast last year - and which quickly became the most-downloaded show of its kind.
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The latest argument by Syed's attorney came in a court motion filed Monday contesting the validity of cell-phone tracking of the suspect's incoming calls, according to The Baltimore Sun.
The contested evidence - also scrutinized by the reporter in "Serial" - were cell-phone records used to prove that Syed was in a Baltimore park the night that authorities believe Lee was buried in a shallow grave there.
That evidence had corroborated the story of the state's main witness in the case, who testified that he had helped bury Lee's body the night of Jan. 13, 1999.
However, the latest court motion by attorney C. Justin Brown contends that AT & T warned prosecutors that cell phone tower data for incoming calls were not reliable for determining location, according to the report. When the phone company initially sent the records to the authorities, a fax cover sheet had allegedly warned them that incoming calls would not accurately determine the location of the phone receiving them.
Syed was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, without physical evidence tying him to the killing. The "Serial" writers questioned several aspects of the case and claimed to have brought forward witnesses who could corroborate Syed's claims that he did not kill his ex-girlfriend.
The Maryland attorney general's office has reportedly declined comment on the new proceedings.
Getting geographic locations from cell phones currently requires warrants or permission from the service carrier, according to authorities. However, those geographic locations are currently considered forensically valid evidence, if the data is proven to be consistent and reproducible.
Credit: Seth Augenstein, Digital Reporter
Copyright Advantage Business Media Aug 25, 2015