Hae Min Lee's Family Releases Statement After Adnan Syed's Murder Conviction Is Vacated

Hae Min Lee was 18 years old when she was murdered in 1999. For more than two decades, Lee's family has believed that her killer was behind bars after then-17-year-old Adnan Syed was arrested and found guilty of murdering her in a 2000 trial. Now, the courts are saying the conviction was a mistake.

Yesterday, September 19, Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn vacated Syed's first-degree murder conviction, saying prosecutors failed to turn over evidence to his lawyers that could have helped prove his innocence, according to an order obtained by PEOPLE.

Syed's murder case gained nationwide attention after being featured on the popular true-crime podcast "Serial" in 2014.

Shortly after yesterday's hearing, Syed, now 41, walked out of the courtroom a free man.

The attorney for the Lee family requested that Syed's hearing be postponed until the family could participate, but the judge ruled against that motion.

However, according to WBAL-TV, Lee's brother, Young Lee, made a statement to the court via Zoom, asking the judge to postpone the hearing.

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"This is not a podcast for me. It's real life that will never end — it's been 20-plus years. It's a nightmare … This is killing us," he said.

Steve Kelly, a lawyer for the Lee family, spoke outside of the courthouse, saying that he and the Lee family are "disappointed" that the hearing happened so quickly with no notice to the family, the outlet reports.

Kelly told PEOPLE he's not sure if there will be justice for Lee moving forward.

"I can tell you that what was said publicly yesterday by the state's attorney, both in argument and by the state's attorney herself outside the courtroom is going to make it virtually impossible to retry Adnan Syed to the extent that he's the guy who committed this crime," Kelly said. "And in addition to that, I think it's going to make it virtually impossible for anybody to ever really be brought to justice. So quite frankly, [Lee's family] is very hopeless about any justice for Hae and that's where they are right now. They're despairing. They feel like Adnan Syed is an international celebrity. The story is about him. He's been made to be a hero in the media. And Hae Min Lee is not part of that narrative."

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Kelly also released a statement from the family:

"For more than 20 years, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office has told the family of Hae Min Lee that their beloved daughter and sister was murdered by Adnan Syed. One week ago, for the first time, the family was informed that, through a year-long investigation that is apparently still ongoing, the state had uncovered new facts and would be filing a motion to vacate Mr. Syed's conviction.

"For more than 20 years, no one has wanted to know the truth about who killed Hae Min Lee more than her family.

"The Lee family is deeply disappointed that today's hearing happened so quickly and that they were denied the reasonable notice that would have permitted them to have a meaningful voice in the proceedings."

On Wednesday, Baltimore prosecutors filed a motion to vacate the murder conviction of Syed, saying new information was discovered and citing "the possible involvement of alternative suspects," according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

Prosecutors said they will continue their investigation and "bring a suspect or suspects to justice." Prosecutors did not definitively say they believe Syed is innocent.

Prosecutors now have 30 days to decide whether or not they will pursue a new trial for Syed.

--With additional reporting from Elaine Aradillas.