Maryland's appeals court reinstated the murder conviction against Adnan Syed on Tuesday, roughly six months after Baltimore prosecutors provided new evidence in the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee.
Syed, whose conviction was made famous by the podcast "Serial," was released from prison in October after Baltimore City State Attorney Marilyn Mosby said DNA evidence supported Syed's innocence.
Lee's family had filed an appeal, arguing that they were not properly notified of the efforts to release Syed last year.
The Maryland appeals court ruled in their favor, stating that officials failed to provide sufficient notice for Lee's family to attend the hearing.
A new hearing will be held regarding the evidence to vacate Syed's conviction, but the previous murder charges have been reinstated in the interim.
Tuesday's decision and the new hearing are seen as a procedural issue, and there is no reason to believe Syed will be sent back to prison. The prosecutor has indicated that there is evidence pointing to other suspects and that the investigation is ongoing.
Lee's family said they were delighted with the court's decision.
“We are equally pleased that the Appellate Court is directing the lower court to conduct a transparent hearing where the evidence will be presented in open court and the court’s decision will be based on evidence for the world to see," the family said in a statement.
Erica Suter, an attorney for Syed, said in a written statement Tuesday that the appeal was "not about Adnan’s innocence but about notice and mootness."
"There is no basis for re-traumatizing Adnan by returning him to the status of a convicted felon," Suter said, adding that they intend to seek review in the Supreme Court of Maryland. "Ensuring justice for Hae Min Lee does not require injustice for Adnan."
Rabia Chaudry, Syed's family friend and an attorney who brought his case to "Serial" producer Sarah Koenig, tweeted that she'd host an Instagram Live on Wednesday to discuss the development.
But in the interim, Rabia said that she stands by "the integrity of the evidence that exonerated Adnan and urge the Baltimore Police and States Attorney’s office to find the source of the DNA on the victims shoes and find Hae Min Lee’s actual killer."