As reported in Serial, Lee had last been seen by several fellow students at Woodlawn High School that afternoon, leaving school after lessons had ended for the day at 2:15 p.m. Lees body was discovered in Baltimores Leakin Park by a passerby, partially buried in a shallow grave. Jay Wilds, the key witness in the state of Marylands case against Adnan Syed, has given an exclusive interview to Natasha Vargas-Cooper of The Intercept. The most gripping TV drama of the year is happening behind closed doors. ", On the "Serial" podcast, Syed said, "No one has been able to provide any shred of evidence that I had anything but friendship towards her, like love and respect for her. "And people were starting to find out he was a loser, 'Oh, you and Hae aren't together anymore. Wilds alleged that Syed had told him he had murdered Lee. From the interview: "[I]n terms of whether Adnan should be in jail right now, the question is whether his guilt is beyond a reasonable doubt. Jay Wilds, the key witness in the murder trial featured on the podcast Serial, finally gave his first interview and now the podcasts fans are questioning his account #Serial, jasoncherkis (@jasoncherkis) December 29, 2014, @serials Jay Wilds speaks, adds more confusion. It wasnt like, Oh, were down in the park, come on down. We were friendly, we were cool. After the Intercept interview, it seemed like the most important witness in the state's case had undermined his own credibility. The Circuit Court agreed to a new post-conviction relief hearing to cover several specific areas of argument: Asias testimony, the cell tower evidence, the allegation of ineffective assistance of counsel relating to both, and the possibility of prosecutorial misconduct during the original trial. It wasn't like, 'Oh, we're going bowling, and let's call it in before we go bowling and call the rest of our friends and call Jay.' And perhaps Syed was actually in possession of his cell phone for much of the day? Fifteen years after Adnan Syed was convicted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, the case became the basis for an immensely popular podcast, the This American Life spin-off Serial. Following a rare 2014 interview with Natasha I was talking to one of my friends, who had just recently gotten over a drug addiction, who she tried to talk to about this case. He characterizes Adnan as a little pompous, a little arrogant really driven as far as academics more uptight than the other Muslim kids that I knew. He and Adnan werent close, he says, echoing Syeds own account of their relationship: There was never a real friendship. He remembers Lee, meanwhile, as independent and mature. Though Wilds tells Vargas-Cooper it isnt his job to speculate on Syeds motives, he cant help doing so a little bit anyway, positing that the man he helped convict just couldnt come to grips with being a loser and failing. Brown submitted a supplement to the motion to reopen based on new information that attorney Susan Simpson had uncovered about the reliability of cell tower evidence. It is highly unlikely that the state could have ever taken him to trial without Jay's confession, which was crucial to the prosecution's case. A Complete Timeline of The Case Against Adnan Syed, What to Know About 'The Hunger Games' Prequel. All contents They committed perjury. This was an utter failure of the criminal justice system. I don't remember ever going to any kinds of functions or endeavors together, or any concerts or clubs together, you know. Jay from Serial interview offers new timeline, other details. With its debut season, Koenig and Julie Snyder's investigative podcast, produced by This American Life, piqued the public's curiosity. His family told Syed over the phone. She then criticized Frosh and investigators for their handling of the case. Jay Wilds, the key witness in the murder trial featured on the podcast Serial, finally gave his first interview and now the podcasts fans are questioning his account of what happened the day he says Adnan Syed killed Hae Min Lee. The obstacles to getting a new trial are simply too great." Serial: Jays First Interview Causes Backlash From Fans Her body was discovered by authorities about a month later in Baltimore's Leakin Park. Syed's lawyer, C. Justin Brown, filed a motion on Aug. 24, 2015, saying that a newly recovered document showed that the cell tower evidence used by prosecutors was misleading and should not have been admitted at trial. / CBS Baltimore. Koenig approached Jay, but he never let her record him. As Adnan says: I want to shoot myself, if I hear someone else say, I dont think he did it cause youre a nice guy. "People had lives and were trying to get into college and stuff like that. "They don't like to order do-overs of trials. At the same time, its still hard not to wonder why someone would choose an acquaintance who owes him no real allegiance to be the accessory and confidante to a murder? On Twitter, reactions were split. Oct. 3 to Dec. 18, 2014:Syed's case, and the murder of Lee, prompted thefirst season of the popular "Serial" podcast. WebA larger role in events by Jay Wilds than he has yet acknowledged is consistent with the reasonable, cautious approach to the facts that I am trying to take. But the fact that Wilds' story shifted so much has many "Serial" fans saying he wasn't ever a credible witness. Now he's given us a whole new timeline of the supposed events of that day. Here's that new story compared to the facts we know. Jay says: He went to the mall alone. Feb. 28, 1999: Syed was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. March 10, 2019:HBO premiered a mini-documentary series"The Case Against Adnan Syed.". At his second trial, Syed, then 19, was convicted of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. He is based in New York. The first section of his multi-part interview appeared on The Intercept today. So, as I'm riding with him to the park and it starts raining and I'm thinking to myself as he pulls overand I'm thinking this is the spot he's chosen. While the court agreed Syed's legal counsel was deficient, they found it was not enough to have swayed the jury to change their decision because the evidence against him was so strong. After learning the jury had overheard this discussion, the judge granted Gutierrez's motion for a mistrial. As with everything related to Serial and the murder of Hae, the emotional motives arent quite clear. In 2014, Sarah Koenig's podcast, titled Serial, dropped its first season covering Adnan Syed's case and re-examining every detail. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Feb. 1999:Police built a case against Syed, largely on the testimony of a man named Jay Wilds, who at the time had more than 20 run-ins with police -- including aggravated assault against a former girlfriend. The determination of how much new evidence is enough to merit a new trial falls under the full discretion of the judge, which doesn't usually bode well for the appellant. He reiterates that he agreed to help Adnan bury Haes body because he feared getting in trouble for petty drug-dealing. He was accused of choking Lee to death and then burying her remains in Baltimore's Leakin Park with the assistance of a friend. Feb. 9, 1999:Lee's partially buried body was located by someone in Leakin Park in Baltimore. According to reports, Gutierrez interpreted a statement by the judge as tantamount to accusing her of lying. No. The Baltimore City Police received an anonymous phone call advising them to investigate Lees ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, for the murder. JAY Wilds was a key witness in a 2000 murder trial where Adnan Syed was charged for the murder of Hae Min Lee. WJZ compiled a timeline of events from the 1999 death of Lee to when Syed's charges were dropped. Chaudry wasnt the only one pointing out where Jays story didnt line up with his previous testimony. Wilds told Vargas-Cooper he felt unfairly depicted by Koenig, and that he wants to correct the record. After a few side trips, they allegedly buried Haes body less than six hours later, around 7:00 PM. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The judge said the letters McClain sent Syed in jail were weak and possibly damaging evidence for the defense, since they did not state the time she saw him at the library and contradicted Syed's own account from that day.". Jay Wilds On December 23, he posted on his Facebook profile that he was ready to be interviewed to answer the question of the people who I hope are concerned with the death of Hae Min Lee (the person whos paid the ultimate price for Entertainment) and to out this so called reporter for who she truly is.. The tenth episode of Serial goes into detail about both of Syeds original trials, the first of which lasted just three days in December of 1999. It was Season 1 of Netflixs Bling Empire, a reality show that Li st, By this point, were well-acquainted with the controversial hypothesis of Love is Blind: is it possible to fall deeply in love with a total stranger and, Spoilers ahead for episodes 1-5. Unfortunately for Syed, it's not that simple. Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said Wednesday her office is seeking a new trial after a nearly-year long investigation revealed two new possible suspects. After multiple appeals from the State to overturn Judge Welchs 2016 decision, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals upheld the decision to grant Syed a new trial. January 2000:Syed's second trial started and continued for six weeks. There was never a real friendship. He sees Haes body poking through the dirt behind a large log. I think Jay is close to whoever did it.. Heres a link to the full text. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. If you're a fan of Sarah Koenig's popular podcast, Serial, then you might already know that previously convicted murderer Adnan Syed whose case was He failed; he lost the girl.. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Thats the truth. Reddit users, including psychpathic_rhino and A_mellifera, chatted about the various details in his interview. The case was covered in-depth in the first season of the podcast by host Sarah Koenig. Interviews in Serial (including ones from Adnan) do acknowledge that Jay was known as a resident bad boy at Woodlawn High School. Serial closed its 12-episode season with Sarah Koenig telling us Adnan Syed shouldnt have been convicted, though she didnt say he was innocent. Jurors on the case overheard a sidebar between Syed's defense attorney - Cristina Gutierrez - and the judge. When Everything Changed: Early 1999 January 13, 1999: Stephanie's birthday, He just started opening up. Jay doesnt give any proof that Koenig was lying, and she herself describes their encounter very apologetically and with respect for his desire not to be recorded. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. For instance, he tells the Intercept that Syed intimated to him that he wanted kill Lee a week before her murder: When did he first talk to you about hurting her? I didn't know it was that close. That is his prerogative. Be the first one to comment on this story. The popularised podcast series Serial has been central to shedding light on the Adnan Syed case. The podcast planted doubts in the minds of millions surrounding Syed's years-old conviction while also raising questions around Jay's witness testimony and portraying him as a weed dealer. He never said anything like, 'Hey, what gauge gun should I use?' He was sentenced to life in prison with an additional 30 years. Simpson discovered an instruction sheet from AT&Tnot used at the original trialwhich stated that incoming calls cannot be reliably used to determine location. And they were getting sentenced to three and five years. ), Wilds tells Vargas-Cooper that he first met Syed through his then-girlfriend Stephanie, who told him that "Adnan was pretty cool" and wanted to buy weed from him. Adnan also never describes himself as especially close with Jay, which begs the question: Why would Adnan choose Jay of all people to help him out with a murder? Industry professionals are tweeting their support of guild members. Vargas-Cooper asks. But hearing from him now is a sharp reminder that while we may all like to play armchair detective when it comes to Serial, there are real lives at stakesand one that was lost. I might have sat next to him in a class, and joked or something. Maryland Attorney Generals Office spokeswoman Raquel Coombs said in a statement that these results "in no way exonerate" Syed. The case continued to drag on into the summer of 2018, as Marylands Court of Appeals responded to the States appeal by agreeing to review the decision made in March by the Court of Special Appeals. At that time, prosecutors did not completely dismiss the case. That explanation is believablebut increasingly less so when you hear Jay talk about the nature of his relationship with Adnan. Syed's legal team might point out that, whether he was lying in 1999 or lying in 2014, the fact is that Wilds is a liar, and that should cast doubt on Syed's conviction. Per the documents, prosecutors tested twelve items found at the scene in Leakin Park, including Lee's necklace, clothing, and fingernail clippings. But I just thought he was just shooting off like everyone else shoots off when they're mad at their girlfriend. Somewhere up around a corner up a hill, parked in a strange neighborhood. As detailed in Serial, Wilds told police that he had helped Syed bury Lees body and hide her car, while Pusateri said that Wilds had also confessed this to her. Addressing the Asia McClain complaint specifically, the written decision read as follows: It appears that trial counsel was made aware of Ms. McClain and made a strategic decision not to pursue her for the purpose of an alibi. In other words, the court ruled that not calling or investigating McClain was a strategic move on Gutierrezs part, and not evidence of inadequate assistance of counsel. It was supposed to be a mental lull for Serial devotees and conspiracy theorists, before the gap between podcast fandom and real life court system machinations collided. HBO's four-part documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed, which began filming in 2015 and wrapped last year, chronicles the many developments in Syed's case since Serial and presents new evidence and new interviews with key figures. To speculate as to why he thought Syed killed Lee, he said he believed it was because Syed couldn't handle the sting of rejection from his breakup with Lee. Wherever her car was at the time I picked him up from Best Buy, it probably stayed there until he picked me up later that evening. He asked me if I had shovels, so I went inside my house and got some gardening tools. Her body was found in Leakin Park on February 9th, 1999, and was manually strangled. Redditors have already pounced on seeming inconsistencies and highlighted new twists; for instance, Wilds now says he first saw Lees body not in front of Best Buy, but outside of his grandmothers house. You follow me some of the way, and then I'll take care of it.'. 2023 Wilds' credibility was already in question at trial. Here, we lay out the essential facts. But he didn't call me unless he needed something. WebAt trial, the prosecution claimed that Adnan killed Hae and then called Jay for help only twenty minutes after school ended, at 2:36 PM. Plus, his known drug dealings certainly made him vulnerable to blackmail. As detailed in Serial, Wilds told police that he had helped Syed bury Lees body and hide her car, while Pusateri said that Wilds had also confessed this to her. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything. "Because courts are deferential to that finding of guilt, the evidence that was used to convict the person tends to be presumed correct.". It takes him about half an hour, 45 minutes, and he comes back with gloves on, panting, like, 'She was really heavy.' To be clear, theres nothing realistic or relatable about having a net worth of $2 billion. It enables individuals who have served at least 20 years in jail for a crime they committed as minors to request a sentence reduction in court. Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn overturned Syed's conviction after nearly 23 years, passing the judgment that he was wrongly convicted. I was also around a bunch of people earlier the day [at Cathy's], and I didn't want them to get fucked up with homicide. Syed's former girlfriend and classmate, Hae Min Lee, an 18-year-old Woodlawn High School student from Baltimore, was last seen alive on January 13, 1999, after which she mysteriously disappeared. Wilds also admitted to lying about other details. It was determined Lee was strangled to death. The prosecution appealed to the Maryland Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state. Syeds appeal was submitted by new attorneys on February 27, 2002, and was denied just over a year later. Rabia Chaudry, the woman who first brought Syeds story to Koenig, spoke out on Twitter to say this newest story could actually help Syeds case. Wilds' first taped interview with police occurred on February 28, 1999. Thats more than understandable. Phinn explained that the legal proceedings of the trial were violated back then, given that the prosecution withheld essential information from the defense which could have helped in proving the accused's innocence. The judges full written decision is available to read online in two parts. To persuade a judge to grant a new trial, an appellant must show that there is a "reasonable probability" the exact language varies by state and on the specific legal maneuver that the outcome would have been different if the new evidence had been included in the original trial. Jay From Serial Just Gave His First Interview - Vulture The two then spend about 40 minutes digging a grave, but Wilds' refuses to touch Lee's body; Wilds claims Syed buried Lee by himself. The court heard testimony from a number of key witnesses including Asia McClain and Gerald R. Grant, an expert witness on cell phone technology. While Wilds pled guilty to accessory after the fact, he served no time. If you were going to commit a crime, he would potentially be more knowledgeable than the restor at least a high school kid might think that. Mosby said to Hellgren. But the most important points remained (what the prosecution called the "spine" of the case against Syed): Syed called Wilds that afternoon, Wilds saw the body in the trunk, and Wilds helped bury the body in the park. Feb. 6, 2015:The Maryland Court of Special Appeals approved Syed's application for permission to appeal for a potential hearing on the admissibility of the alibi testimony of Asia McClain. Later that month, Syed was arrested, largely because an acquaintance, Jay Wilds, told police he had helped Syed bury the body. Syed has consistently maintained his innocence. And when his new trial rolls around, a former classmate will testify that she was with him at the library when the murder happened.