How a 20-Year-Old Murder Finally Captured the World’s Attention

In 1999, Adnan Syed went to prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. And at the time, news of the case stayed relatively local. But then came the “Serial” podcast in 2014 and a new HBO documentary in 2019.

So now the Adnan Syed murder case is making headlines again…

The Crime

Hae Min Lee was an 18-year-old high-school senior in Baltimore County, Maryland, at the beginning of 1999. On January 13 of that year, Lee failed to pick up her cousin from day care as planned.

Less than a month later, her body turned up in a park nearby. Someone had strangled her to death.

Anonymous Tips and Accusations

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Three days after Lee’s body was discovered, Baltimore City Police received an anonymous phone call. The caller pointed them toward Adnan Syed. Lee and Syed were a couple that had broken up not long before Lee went missing.

Good Kids

Lee and Syed started dating during their junior year of high school. Both were good students, and both were active in sports. Lee played lacrosse and field hockey, while Syed was on the football team.

Secret Relationship

Lee and Syed grew up in conservative households, but their rules for dating were vastly different. While Lee could have a boyfriend, Syed’s family forbade him from spending time with girls.

So the couple’s relationship was kept secret for its entirety.