Page 27 - bon-dia-aruba-20221012

A27
u.s. news Diaranson 12 october 2022

Prosecutors drop charges against Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) overturned Syed's murder Tuesday. Last week, state At-
— Prosecutors dropped conviction and ordered him torney General Brian Frosh's
charges against Adnan released from prison, where office filed court papers sup-
Syed on Tuesday in the the 41-year-old had spent porting the appeal by Lee's
1999 killing of Hae Min more than two decades. Cir- family.
Lee, a case that was chron- cuit Judge Melissa Phinn also
icled in the first season of gave prosecutors 30 days in Syed has maintained his in-
the hit podcast "Serial." which to decide whether to nocence for decades and cap-
retry Syed or drop the charg- tured the attention of mil-
Emily Witty, a spokeswoman es. lions in 2014 when the debut
for the city of Baltimore's Phinn ruled that the state season of "Serial" focused on
state's attorney's office, said had violated its legal obliga- the case and raised doubts
in an email that her office had tion to share evidence that about some of the evidence,
dropped its case against Syed could have bolstered Syed's including cellphone tower
and would release further de- defense. After his release, data.
tails about its decision later Syed was placed on home Prosecutors have previously nor disclosed to the defense, locations for incoming calls
Tuesday. detention with GPS location said that a reinvestigation of prosecutors said. "would not be considered
monitoring. the case revealed evidence re- Prosecutors also said new in- reliable information for loca-
Laura Nirider, a co-director Lee's family had asked Mary- garding the possible involve- formation revealed that one tion."
of the Center on Wrong- land's intermediate appel- ment of two alternate sus- of the suspects was convicted Syed served more than 20
ful Convictions at North- late court to halt the case. pects. The two suspects may of attacking a woman in her years in prison for the stran-
western Pritzker School of Attorney Steve Kelly said have been involved individu- vehicle, and that one of the gling of Lee, who was 18
Law who accompanied Syed Lee's family is not challeng- ally or together, the state's at- suspects was convicted of at the time. Her body was
when he walked out of prison ing Syed's release, but instead torney's office said. engaging in serial rape and found weeks later buried in a
last month, earlier tweeted: wanted the judge to hold an- One of the suspects had sexual assault. Baltimore park.
"Breaking news: After the other hearing that the fam- threatened Lee, saying "he
latest round of DNA testing ily can attend in-person and would make her (Ms. Lee) Prosecutors also noted un- More than a decade later, the
generated results that, like address the court — Lee's disappear. He would kill her," reliable cellphone data used popular "Serial" podcast re-
previous rounds of testing, brother Young Lee appeared according to a court filing. during Syed's court case to vealed little-known evidence
excluded Adnan Syed, he has via videoconference on short The suspects were known corroborate his whereabouts and attracted millions of lis-
now been formally exoner- notice during the previous persons at the time of the on the day of the crime. The teners, shattering podcast-
ated!" hearing. The attorney did not original investigation and notice on the records specifi- streaming and downloading
A Baltimore judge last month have an immediate comment were not properly ruled out cally advised that the billing records.

Smashing success: Carbon monoxide leak at day care center
NASA asteroid strike results in injures kids, staff

big nudge ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP)

CAPE CANAVERAL, — A carbon monoxide
Fla. (AP) — A spacecraft leak at a Pennsylvania day
that plowed into a small, care center sent nearly 30
harmless asteroid millions children and four adults
of miles away succeeded to the hospital early Tues-
in shifting its orbit, NASA day, but none of the inju-
said Tuesday in announc- ries were considered seri-
ing the results of its save- ous, authorities said.
the-world test.
Emergency responders went
The space agency attempted to the Happy Smiles Learn-
the first test of its kind two orbit by about 32 minutes. ing Center in Allentown,
weeks ago to see if in the "This mission shows that Pennsylvania, on reports of
future a killer rock could be NASA is trying to be ready an unconscious child. The
nudged out of Earth's way. for whatever the universe building was evacuated after
The Dart spacecraft carved throws at us," Nelson said air quality detectors worn by
a crater into the asteroid Di- during a briefing at NASA firefighters were triggered.
morphos on Sept. 26, hurling headquarters in Washington. A staffer called Gautreaux ties said. Eight staffers were
debris out into space and cre- Neither asteroid posed a The leak was caused by a at home to tell her a child in the building when the leak
ating a cometlike trail of dust threat to Earth — and still malfunctioning heating unit had collapsed, she told The occurred, but it wasn't im-
and rubble stretching several don't as they continue their and a blocked venting sys- Morning Call newspaper of mediately clear how many
thousand miles (kilometers). journey around the sun. tem, investigators said. They Allentown. She arrived at the children there.
It took days of telescope ob- That's why scientists picked noted the building did not center within minutes and
servations to determine how the pair for the world's first have carbon monoxide detec- saw the boy in an ambulance, The center, which usually
much the impact altered attempt to alter the position tors, which will be required she said. He looked ill, she cares for about 40 kids each
the path of the 525-foot of a celestial body. for child care facilities under said, but gave her a thumbs- day, will be closed while re-
(160-meter) asteroid around Launched last year, the a new state law that has not up. pairs are made, Gautreaux
its companion, a much big- vending machine-size Dart fully taken effect yet. said. She hopes to reopen
ger space rock. — short for Double Aster- "He was a little dizzy and out soon.
Before the impact, the oid Redirection Test — was The sites are in the midst of it," she told the newspaper,
moonlet took 11 hours and destroyed when it slammed of a 30-day compliance pe- adding that other children The center's last state inspec-
55 minutes to circle its par- into the asteroid 7 million riod to have the detectors cried as they evacuated. "I tion was conducted late last
ent asteroid. Scientists had miles (11 million kilometers) installed, and Happy Smiles believe they were scared and year, and state records show
hoped to shave off 10 min- away at 14,000 mph (22,500 owner Jesenia Gautreaux said worried about their friends." the only problem found was
utes but NASA Adminis- kph). the work will be done at her a door that remained locked
trator Bill Nelson said the business. The children and adults were when the fire alarm sounded.
impact altered the asteroid's The test cost $325 million. evaluated at hospitals, and all That was soon repaired, and
were listed as stable, authori- no sanctions were issued.