Without the Serial podcast, Adnan Syed would likely have remained in prison for the rest of his life sentence. Sarah Koenig’s revelation of the irregularities in Syed’s conviction affirmed Syed’s assertion that he was innocent and exposed damning prosecutorial misconduct. In mid-September 2022, a Baltimore court released Adnan, 23 years after his error-ridden trial.
Since 2014, Adnan has rarely left news headlines as media houses documented his failing appeals. Syed also became a sensation on Reddit, where netizens scrutinized his trial, innocence, and life in prison.
Through Reddit, the world learned that Syed found love behind bars.
Syed married a woman named Kendra in 2008 and divorced her two years later
For a long time, the rumor about Syed getting married was just that: a rumor. Sarah Koenig didn’t mention marriage in Serial, so many people refused to believe Syed got married.
However, in 2015, Rabia Chaudry, Syed’s friend and host of the Undisclosed podcast, confirmed Syed wed in prison. “Yes, it’s true, married but divorced later,” the podcast tweeted. “Still friends today.”
The podcast stated that Syed’s ex-wife had no connection to the case. It added that Koenig refused to include the marriage in her podcast to keep people’s focus on Adnan’s case.
Adnan and Kendra met at Jessup Correctional Institution as she visited another inmate. Kendra was reportedly a daughter to one of the inmates.
As reported by LAD Bible, Chaudry wrote a book claiming Syed presented a $10,000 dowry from the money he’d saved working behind bars. In 2008, Adnan and Syed married in an Islamic ceremony.
The couple divorced two years later: Adnan’s relocation to a supermax prison disrupted his communication with Kendra.
According to Rabia, Syed and Kendra remained friends. They have an opportunity to rekindle their romance following Adnan’s recent release from prison.