The Deal With Serials Jay? Hes Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline 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. 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.. Why wasn't it discovered?" 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. The podcast alleged that there were inconsistencies between his police statements and the testimony he gave at Syed's second trial. The arrest came after police had subpoenaed Syeds cellphone records, and questioned two people from his call log: Jay Wilds and Jennifer Pusateri. After the Intercept interview, it seemed like the most important witness in the state's case had undermined his own credibility. The Intercept has done what Sarah Koenig and Serial couldnt: get Jay Wilds to talk on the record about the murder of According to Wilds, he and Syed were not incredibly close at school. I made him smoke one time, he got a little high, got a little weird. ", March 29, 2018:According to court records, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals upheld Syed's request for a new trial. Wilds' interview with The Intercept conflicted with testimony he gave during Syed's murder trial, which was reassessed by the Serial podcast. 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. It only contributes to the fuzzy timeliness and general obscure picture of the days events that was already presented in Serial. Jay Wilds, who swore he helped Adnan bury Haes body. or, 'Is there a statute of limitation on murder?' Interviews in Serial (including ones from Adnan) do acknowledge that Jay was known as a resident bad boy at Woodlawn High School. Doja Cat Becomes an Actual Cat for Met Gala. This is the final stage in the States appeals process. It was determined Lee was strangled to death. Those tests are far more sophisticated than anything available at the time of Syed's first trial. A Complete Timeline of The Case Against Adnan Syed, What to Know About 'The Hunger Games' Prequel. While host Sarah Koenig expressed significant doubt as to whether Syed was guilty, and did state that she felt he should not have been convicted based on the evidence presented at trial, the podcast wasn't able to reach the clear conclusion that legions of obsessive listeners had hoped for. Freevees new series will determine whos the greatest reality-TV contestant across. Jay From Serial Just Gave His First Interview. Our kids were crying.. They were reportedly introduced to each other in 1998. 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. With its debut season, Koenig and Julie Snyder's investigative podcast, produced by This American Life, piqued the public's curiosity. 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. Wait, what the hell? February 12th, 1999 Anonymous call from Asian male comes in to Police, telling them to focus on ex-boyfriend. Not saying we should start prepping but we should start prepping. The police confirm to the press that they are investigating her death as a homicide. There is no forensic evidence linking him to this crime. In an email to the Sun, Brown wrote: While these DNA results do not reveal the true killer, they do go a long way in showing that the wrong person is in prison." Asia McClain testified that she talked to Syed at the library on Jan. 13, 1999, the day Lee was reported missing," court records show. "Because courts are deferential to that finding of guilt, the evidence that was used to convict the person tends to be presumed correct.". December 1999:Syed's first trial started but ended in a mistrial after three days. To be fair, the main characters life in Netflixs Emily In Paris has always been a mess, as the series two previou, The Power (And Risks) Of Therapy On Reality TV, Can Someone Please Get A Licensed Therapist On The Set Of, All The Biggest Moments From The 2023 BRIT Awards, defense attorney that prosecutor Kevin Urick, Lee's family releases a heartbreaking statement, Maryland Court of Appeals hears arguments. They imprisoned the wrong man. People Started Wondering If That Meant Syed Might Go Free, But the Legal Standard Is Different When It Comes to Overturning a Conviction Than It Is Obtaining One, There Are Lots of People in Prison Under Similar Circumstances. Finally, a Serial timeline that does not include cell-phone records or Leakin Park. He told me it was really painful for him, and he didnt want to go back and revisit this crap., You can understand why Jay didnt trust Koenig. Wilds's testimony played a giant part in convicting Syed of murdering his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee in 1999. Syed's family, that day, fired his defense attorney. As Wilds begins to retell the sequence of the events that purportedly led to Lee's killing is when his previous known narrativesas collected by Koenig and Serial through court documents, police records, and trial testimonybegins to divert. "To be honest, none of the evidence listed in the petition has ever been tested, not even the rape kit," Syed's friend and author Rabia Chaudry said. What about the content, the facts, the evidence? While many different things aided the process, one key factor was Sarah Koenig and her podcast, titled Serial, which covered the subject earlier in 2014 for its first ever season, as it garnered the attention of millions. On Twitter, reactions were split. He thought he was going to be a little blurb. Hell, he says Koenig never referred to it as Serial or even as a podcast. While Wilds pled guilty to accessory after the fact, he served no time. That is his prerogative. Privacy Policy and Youre a person who went through a traumatic thingEven just meeting you yesterday for that short time, hearing you talk so forcefully about what you saw, and about Adnans guiltfor both Julie and me, that was powerful and clarifying.. Timelines Series: The Case Against Adnan Syed Episode Two "You don't actually have to have the killer's blood or semen. He goes on: That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. All rights reserved. Things you buy through our links may earnVox Mediaa commission. But he didnt call me unless he needed something.. I think the simplest pitch I can make to you is: You have a story about what happened to you, and you should be the one to tell itYoure in the documentary either way, so it just seems more respectful and fair to you to let you tell what happened, rather than having me piece it together from whatever I can glean from the record. The Potential 2023 WGA Strike for Dummies. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. Jay shared an email from Koenig written after this encounter that certainly suggests an earnestness to give Jay the chance to tell his side of the story. The Intercept has done what Sarah Koenig and Serial couldnt: get Jay Wilds to talk on the record about the murder of Hae Min Lee, which Jay swore in court was the work of Haes ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed. Koenig approached Jay, but he never let her record him. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter, His interview raises more questions than answers for devotees of the popular podcast. He changed his timeline, and many details, and offered an explanation for his lies (his fear of implicating his grandmother and friends; his fear of getting busted for Feb. 28, 1999: Syed was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Adnan is far more likeable than Jay because we hear directly from him. Though originally scheduled to last two days, the PCR hearing was extended and ultimately went on for five. Hae's car could have been in the parking lot, but I didn't know what it looked like so I don't remember. He knew I was afraid of that. I also ran the operation out of my grandmother's house and that also put my family at risk. He left in his car and I was trying to collect myself at my [grandmother's] house. Here's Why Jay Wilds' New Interview Won't Necessarily Help And if it was a Friday, In 2003, Joel (Pedro Pascal) wakes up on his birthday like every other morning, sitting down for breakfast with his 12-year-old daughter, Sarah. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. In that situation, he was the loser," Wilds told the Intercept. "Our criminal justice system is desperately in need of reform. I saw the ATF and DEA take down guys in my neighborhood for selling much less than I was at the time. The graphic includes three of the timelines Jay described: his first taped statement to the detectives, his second taped statement to the detectives, and his testimony at the second trial. Syeds appeal was submitted by new attorneys on February 27, 2002, and was denied just over a year later. Syed was put on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Vargas-Cooper asks, a question listeners have been pondering for 12 episodes. Some of the things that Jay lied about to the cops actually make a ton of sense. He said, 'You've gotta help me, or I'm gonna tell the cops about you and the weed and all that shit.' Serial: Who killed Hae Min Lee? | Rootclaim I heard from a few people that [Koenig] was harassing people at their jobs, making countless phone calls [to people] who kept saying they did not want to speak with her. #FreeAdnan #Serial #LyingMoFo! He admitted lying to the police when he first talked to them, lying in the testimony he gave at trial, lying about what he and Syed did on the day of the murder, lying about where he first saw Lee's body, and lying about what time they went to Leakin Park to bury the body. That may be the case for Syed, and if it is, it will be an instructive case. I don't know whether he calls me when he's on his way back to my house, or if he calls me right outside the house. Dressed as Karl Lagerfelds beloved cat, Choupette. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. Jay But look, if we start speculating what he was thinking that far ahead I don't know. I thought he was just blowing off steam and bullshitting. All contents He said, 'I'm gonna drive back down there [to the grave]. Notably, Wilds declined to be a part of the podcast although he was offered an interview. Getting them in trouble for anything that they knew or that I had told themI couldn't have that." 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. 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. After jurors accidentally overheard an exchange in which the judge called Syeds attorney Cristina Gutierrez a liar," a mistrial was declared. Syed's classmate Jay Wilds, who said at trial that he helped Syed bury Lee's body, became the central figure in the national conversation over Syed's guilt. He reiterates that he agreed to help Adnan bury Haes body because he feared getting in trouble for petty drug-dealing. In The Case Against WebJanuary 12, 1999: Syed gets a new cell phone and calls a bunch of people on it, including Lee. She then criticized Frosh and investigators for their handling of the case. On paper, in the trial transcript, youre two-dimensional. Jay believes Adnan was bitterly angry at Hae. Still, since Serial grooms listeners to question and distrust every persons account, I was wary that Jay was chiming in with his two cents now that the series had closed and he knew what rumors and claims he needed to address. "Jay From 'Serial' Gave An Interview That Might Actually Help Adnan Syed," read a headline on this website. Contact Albert Samaha at albert.samaha@buzzfeed.com. I only smoked with him two or three times. But after a conviction, the burden of proof shifts to the accused. Why wasn't this disclosed? 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. Wilds is a free man who now lives in California. It was at least a week before she died, when he found out she was either cheating on him or leaving him. Greg Warren dared to go where no comedian has gone before. His family told Syed over the phone. WebOn January 13th, 1999, a seventeen year old student in Baltimore, Hae, disappears after school one afternoon. He also provides a narrative of January 13, 1999 whose details do not match the various timelines he provided to police and in his testimony in the trial that eventually put Syed in prison for life. Once the police made it clear that my drug dealing wasn't gonna affect the outcome of what was going on, I became a little bit more transparent. "People had lives and were trying to get into college and stuff like that. I pick him up he doesn't have any car with him. The prosecution appealed to the Maryland Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state. Syed's release on September 19, 2022, was attributed to various factors, including the prosecution losing faith in Wilds' testimony. We were left to chew this all over. 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But that does not mean there is enough doubt to overturn a conviction. Wilds interview with The Intercept provided yet another timeline and version of events from Jay, whose inconsistencies from his first few retellings were a focus of host Sarah Koenigs investigation. Syed was granted a new trial more than two years ago, yet he remains in jail. Did you go to Leakin Park immediately after agreeing to help? Thats more than understandable. Serial: Jays First Interview Causes Backlash From Fans He has not been exonerated as of yet. Tho part about wanting to protect grandma rings true https://t.co/NTNeVnbqqS, Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) December 30, 2014, This sounds totally plausible; I believe Jay. They believed the records showed Jay was in the area near NHRNCathy's apartment. Oct. 3 to Dec. 18, 2014:Syed's case, and the murder of Lee, prompted thefirst season of the popular "Serial" podcast. "Nearly 15 years ago, the prosecution argued to the jury that it should ignore the 'inconsistencies' in Wilds' statements that the 'spine' of his story remained the same," Rabia Chaudry, Syed's main advocate, wrote in The Guardian. Following a rare 2014 interview with Natasha Now that the case has resurfaced, after progressing on the sidelines for over two decades, let's explore the timeline of events and key details surrounding the case that led to the overturning of Adnan Syed's life sentence. Reddit users, including psychpathic_rhino and A_mellifera, chatted about the various details in his interview. Wilds never spoke on tape with Serial's host, Sarah Koenig, but after the podcast's final episode, he granted an interview to The Intercept, published in three parts last week. This is not a work of fiction, reads an eerie message at the beginning of every episode of ne, While Married At First Sight is a social experiment that challenges contestants to form a strong romantic relationship with another stranger, it also tests, In the Bridgerton Cinematic Universe the BCU, if you will its expected that glamorous balls, fancy gowns, and romantic longing will reign over a, Memeable red carpet serves, big budget performances, and memorable speeches with the obligatory smattering of awkwardness and technical difficulties ye, Spoilers ahead. March 8, 2019:In a split 43 ruling, the Court of Appeals reversed the findings of the lower courts, denying Syed's request for a new trial, court records show. On March 28, 2023, Syed's original conviction was reinstated on claims that Hae Min Lee's family was not given sufficient notice of the hearing, which barred them from attending the hearing in person. 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. In the original trial, the State leaned heavily on Syeds cellphone recordsand specifically his incoming call logto determine his location on the day of Lees disappearance. The obstacles to getting a new trial are simply too great." More importantly, was he going to add to our understanding of Haes murder? I don't feel comfortable drawing conclusions like that. Wilds, who was an acquaintance of Syed, On February 28, 1999, Wilds' initial police interrogation was captured on camera and, on the same day, Syed was arrested. On Tuesday, September 27, ID is scheduled to re-air an updated version of its special, titled Adnan Syed: Overturned, following Syed's release from prison after nearly 23 years. But does this change the way we think about him, the enigma who at best gave inconsistent testimony and at worst helped put an innocent teen behind bars? Last month, Syed's murder conviction was vacated, and he was set free. Jay Wilds assumed a private life after playing a pivotal role in the prosecutions case against Adnan Syed. This password will be used to sign into all, a Vulture senior writer covering movies and pop culture, Jay From Serial Just Gave His First Interview, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Arrive at the Met Gala Fashionably Late, AI Singers Are Unnervingly Good and Already Ubiquitous, Melanie Lynskey, Seth Meyers, and More Support WGA Amid Negotiations. Many of these are excusable. Prosecutors previously said that two other suspects arose in the case, though their names have not been released. He just seemed like someone who didn't smoke weed too much," Wilds tells the Intercept. "I didn't trust him at first, since he wasn't like the people I knew pot smokers you know? Mosby said to Hellgren. It's been a long road from conviction to freedom for Syed. In Jays new telling, he did pick Adnan up from the Best Buy parking lot, but didnt see Haes body until later, in front of his grandmothers house. Adnan Syed Trials, Convictions, and Appeals Timeline - Hae Min The podcast also pinpointed the discrepancies in his initial police statement and final testimony, which was delivered during the 2000 trial. Jay From Serial Speaks, Gives New Timeline of Hae Min Lee's jay rather than after school like the states timeline says. Some people expressed their confusion at the inconsistencies, while others believed Jays explanation about why his story keeps changing. But it seems that no one else is liking the minty-fresh look. said Drizin. In 2000, a jury determined that Adnan Syed was responsible for the murder, kidnapping, robbery, and false imprisonment of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee's murder. And it was really hard for him to deal with being on the losing end. Plus, his known drug dealings certainly made him vulnerable to blackmail. Its unsurprising that Jay, as he reveals in part 1 of the interview, is pissed at the way he came across in Serial. He is based in New York. When Adnan Syed was detained for murdering Hae Min Lee, he was only 17 years old and was convicted at the age of 18. 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. Wilds says his portrayal in Serial as a "petty weed dealer" was inaccurate and that the stakes for him were larger than the podcast reported: It wasn't just like I was selling a nickel bag here and there. He describes asking her for a business card, a pretty basic form of professional identification, and her failure to produce an accurate one. Journalist Natasha Vargas-Cooper tells the story of her four hours with Jay Wilds, the linchpin from the best podcast ever. The major plot details of his story, however, do appear to line up: That Syed called Wilds to pick him up from Best Buy, where he tells him he killed Lee; that Syed later showed him Lee's dead body in the trunk of her car; that they went to Leakin Park to bury her. 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. I watched the hits: Hannah Montana, The Cheetah Girls, Wizards of Waverly Place. You cant start drawing conclusions like that.. Jays voice doesnt shed light on the murder; it just adds to the accepted confusion. What happened to track practice? EGAD he cannot keep his lies STRAIGHT #FreeAdnan #ThanksJay! It is the kind that is fairly standard for any good journalist attempting to be objective, but it does clearly convey that she is trying to give each source a fair shake. 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. Her body was discovered by authorities about a month later in Baltimore's Leakin Park. Her lips were quivering, and I just felt like she was lyingIt was confusing because they also pitched this story to me as a documentary, and they wanted to put me on video. As previously promised, Baltimore County's key witness in their case that led to the conviction of Adnan Syed for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee finally spoke to the media on-record about his role in the day Lee was killed in 1999just not with Serial, the podcast that documented his elusiveness and problematic account of the day. He stresses over and over again during the interview that he was convinced the cops would nail him for drugs eventually and that Adnan held Jays pot dealings over him to force him into being an accessory to Haes murder. Marrying the Ghost of Karl Lagerfeld at the 2023 Met Gala. Feb. 28, 1999:Syed was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Jan. 13, 1999:Hae Min Lee was reported missing when she didn't pick up her younger cousin from daycare. In his written decision, Judge Welch noted that reopening the post-conviction proceedings would be in the interest of justice for all parties.". Nov. 25, 2019:TheU.S. Supreme Court rejectedSyed's appeal for a new trial. 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. http://t.co/EOJCykQfxG pic.twitter.com/riOdWechHF, Brett LoGiurato (@BrettLoGiurato) December 29, 2014, Why does Jay keep changing his story? 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. Oct. 11, 2022:Prosecutors dropped the charges of Adnan Syed. First published on October 11, 2022 / 1:11 PM. Episodes raised new questions about the murder conviction. Im gonna kill that bitch, man. That really doesnt match up to what the other three have said. I dont know what occurred between [Hae and Adnan] that day, he says. 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. From the perspective of the defendant, there is no stronger evidence than an alibi witness.". For the most skeptical and cynical Serial fans, Jays voice wont sway us one way or the other on Adnans guilt. Sept. 14, 2022: Baltimore prosecutors filed a motion to vacate Syed's murder conviction. I asked him where we're going and he says, 'Didn't you say everyone gets dumped in Leakin Park?'. Adnan left and then returned to my house several hours later, closer to midnight in his own car. Aside from the arguably significant timeline discrepancies put forth by Jay, his perception of Adnan and Haes relationship is dramatically different from the way it was described by Hae in her diary, as well as Adnan and Don, Haes boyfriend at the time. WebAdnan was convicted because of one sole witness, Jay Wilds. Its in the evening after school, we never hung out in the morning. "From the way he carried himself, at least, it looked like he had never lost anything before.