The Biggest Takeaways From The Case Against Adnan Syed Episode 5

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A new episode is coming six years after HBO’s documentary, *The Case Against Adnan Syed*. The story originally gained national attention in 2014 with the *Serial* podcast, which investigated the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed. The podcast became incredibly popular and raised questions about Syed’s guilt, marking one of the first times true-crime media significantly impacted a real-life case.

As a critic, I have to say the latest installment of *The Case Against Adnan Syed* is a gripping watch. While the first four episodes revisited Adnan Syed’s fight to overturn his conviction – and finally gave Hae Min Lee’s story the depth it deserved – this new episode, “Part Five: The Tree Grew,” details the incredibly complex journey that ultimately led to his release. It’s fascinating to see how Syed’s case became entangled with the national conversation around racial justice in 2020. A new district attorney in Baltimore, focused on correcting wrongful convictions, took a fresh look at the evidence. Though her time in office was brief, her team uncovered previously unexamined DNA and identified two new people who could have been involved in Hae Min Lee’s murder. It’s a compelling look at a case that continues to evolve.

Here are all the new developments revealed in the final episode of The Case Against Adnan Syed.

Marilyn Mosby’s office reinvestigated the original trial

In the fifth episode of *The Case Against Adnan Syed*, we meet Marilyn Mosby, who was Baltimore’s top prosecutor from 2015 to 2022. Mosby campaigned on a promise to hold police accountable and correct wrongful convictions. This approach drew criticism from Donald Trump, who publicly denounced her for pursuing charges against officers involved in Freddie Gray’s death. Mosby’s office thoroughly reviewed Adnan Syed’s case and discovered several issues, including DNA evidence from a liquor bottle found near the victim that was never tested. The investigation also revealed two other people who could have been involved. As advocate Susan Simpson states in the documentary, the case was fundamentally flawed and Adnan’s conviction should be overturned.

Mosby feels she was run out of office

In 2022, while running for reelection, Mosby was accused of lying under oath by federal prosecutors. The charges included falsely claiming financial difficulties during the pandemic and making a false statement on a loan application. Mosby maintained her innocence, stating she would vigorously fight to clear her name. The documentary suggests this legal trouble for Mosby is connected to the same forces that kept Adnan Syed imprisoned. Instead of acknowledging any mistakes, officials within the Maryland government closed ranks to protect themselves.

Even though she was nearing the end of her term, Mosby continued to work on getting Syed’s convictions overturned. She told documentary filmmaker Amy Berg, “We can’t keep him in prison any longer.” When Berg asked why the state was fighting the case so strongly, Mosby admitted she didn’t know. “I can’t figure it out,” she said. “I think there’s more to this than meets the eye.”

There are now two other suspects

The prosecutor’s office revealed that investigators looked at two other potential suspects in the murder of Hae Min Lee. One of them reportedly threatened to kill her. Although their names weren’t shared in court, Sarah Simpson identified Alonzo Sellers as another suspect – the man who claimed to have discovered Lee’s body in Leakin Park while relieving himself. This information was withheld from the defense team, a legal error known as a Brady violation.

Alonzo Sellers had other convictions

The evidence against Alonzo Sellers, though largely indirect like the case against Syed, was actually quite compelling. Investigators discovered Lee’s car near the home of a relative of Sellers. Furthermore, Sellers had a history of public disturbances, including a bizarre incident in 2020 where he approached a postal worker naked while wearing a ski mask in Baltimore. Prosecutors even used his previous testimony from the Syed trial against him when he was on trial for indecent exposure.

The state played ping-pong with Syed’s conviction

In 2022, prosecutors began efforts to overturn Adnan Syed’s conviction, leading to his release while a new trial was considered. However, a year later, a Maryland court reversed this decision, stating that the victim’s brother hadn’t been properly informed about the initial hearing. It appeared Syed would be sent back to prison, but in 2025, he was given a new sentence under a law designed for juvenile offenders, effectively releasing him because the time he’d already served was considered sufficient.

Adnan Syed had an emotional reunion with his family

In 2022, filmmaker Berg filmed Adnan Syed’s return to his childhood home. The footage shows a reunion with his parents, who are now undergoing treatment for leukemia. The documentary captures everyday moments, like Syed eating leftover dumplings and revisiting his old bedroom – the same room where he was arrested in 1999. A poignant moment shows Syed touching a tree he hadn’t seen in over two decades, noting how it has grown from a small sapling to a large tree during his time in prison.

What is Adnan Syed doing now?

I was so thrilled to hear that Syed is now working at Georgetown University’s Prison and Justice Initiative! From what I’ve read, he’s helping them with their amazing work – providing education and job training to people who are currently or were formerly incarcerated, and fighting for those who were wrongly convicted. It’s really inspiring to see him dedicating his time to such an important cause.

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2025-09-18 18:55