Podcasts have become one of the most popular ways to consume media. There’s no shortage of podcast topics available at our fingertips: true crime, comedy, lifestyle and anything you can think of. One podcast in particular,

Serial

has caused endless waves in the podcast community and may now be given some credit for the release and subsequent retrial of convicted Adnan Syed.

Syed was convicted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 2000 after her body was found in a Baltimore park. The defense accused Syed of being a scorned lover, as Lee had ended their relationship for a new lover. Syed maintained his innocence throughout the trial but was convicted regardless. He was sentenced to life in prison at 18, and had spent almost 23 years incarcerated by the time the Baltimore Judge Melissa Phinn decided to vacate the conviction due to evidence that was neglected by the state that could have helped Syed’s case. Syed’s legal team had filed for a re-examination of his sentence. The case files were reviewed, and in them were found two handwritten notes that pointed to a new suspect. Adnan Syed was released to a cheering crowd on Sept. 20 to await a retrial.

Serial

got involved with Syed’s case long before the overturn of the conviction. The podcast is hosted by journalist Sarah Koenig who was contacted by a friend of Syed’s, asking her to look into the case. Koenig got addicted to the case, and created the podcast

Serial

about the case. Unlike other true crime podcasts on the airwaves, focuses exclusively on just one case: the 1999 murder of student Hae Min Lee.

Listeners go along with Koenig as she sorts through all the court documents available, interviews friends and family of both parties, hears the story from Syed himself and unravels the secrets swept beneath the rug of the investigation. Koenig had many sources and stayed connected to Syed and spoke to him whilst he was incarcerated regularly. These conversations are each recorded and played on the podcast. Koenig also gains access to police interview tapes, which she discusses and breaks down on the air.

Each episode, usually ranging from 25 to 50 minutes, focuses on a new aspect of the case: the alibi, the relationship between Syed and Lee, the crime scene and even rumors circling the case. The format of the podcast proved fruitful, as it is referred to as the most successful podcast ever,

The New York Times

calling it “The most popular podcast in the history of the form.” The podcast boasts an impressive 80 million downloads and 1.5 million listeners per episode. The show has even won multiple awards for its accomplishments, including the illusive Peabody Award. The podcast gained an unreal amount of attention, prompting a huge public discourse about the case.

The story never stops twisting. Things seem to finally make sense, and suddenly everything is turned upside down. Stories correspond, stories conflict and questions are raised. The trial is called into question again and again, but so is Syed’s innocence. It never ends, the mysteries and horrors keep unfolding. The podcast and its host never directly state that Syed is innocent, but Koenig does assert that she feels there was simply never enough evidence to fairly convict Syed of the crime. The podcast is made up 12 episodes.

On Sept. 20, 2022, the podcast released another episode, “Adnan is Out.” Adnan Syed will be retried for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, with new evidence. We can be sure that

Serial

will cover it all. You can listen to

Serial

wherever you get your podcasts.