Serial: The Podcast That Freed Adnan Syed After 23 Years

How Sarah Koenig's investigation became a weapon for justice

Sarah Koenig's podcast Serial reached 5 million downloads faster than any podcast ever. But the impressive number was surpassed by something far more important: In 2022, Adnan Syed was released after 23 years behind bars, directly as a result of the public attention Serial created.