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. The podcast attracted global attention, and had gained more than 100 million downloads by June 2016. I firmly believe Jenn Pusateri and Jay Wilds were victims, in a sense, victims of bad police work and provided false testimony under duress and coercion from the state. But look, if we start speculating what he was thinking that far ahead I don't know. The podcast alleged that there were inconsistencies between his police statements and the testimony he gave at Syed's second trial. 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. Its in the evening after school, we never hung out in the morning. 27 February: Jennifer Pusateri tells detectives Jay Wilds has told her that Syed killed Hae. Here's what happened, and why, barring further developments, the case against Syed will likely still stand. 2023 This came after the 41-year-old served more than 23 years in prison. The new appeal was for post-conviction relief on the basis that Syed had inadequate assistance of counsel during his trial. 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. Contact Albert Samaha at albert.samaha@buzzfeed.com. I saw the ATF and DEA take down guys in my neighborhood for selling much less than I was at the time. And it's hard to imagine, right now, how anyone could be free of doubt about Jay's testimony," Vox's Ezra Klein wrote in an article headlined "Jay's Interview Shreds the Case Against Adnan Syed.". ", 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. pic.twitter.com/k1CioGE2la. His details on what they did with the body and what he and Adnan did that day were striking. Remembering one of fashions most problematic faves, Karl Lagerfeld. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. 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. This is why Wilds' Intercept interview might not matter at all in Syed's legal efforts. Its just that even if you do take his word, it doesnt jive with what we know. .css-1iyvfzb .brand{text-transform:capitalize;}We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Prosecutors would later allege that Adnan was angry after their breakup and jealous that Lee had begun dating someone else. I don't know what happened, what occurred between them that day. I'm pretty sure it was my fear of going to prison for having a bunch of weed in my grandma's house. 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? Wilds says he was ditching last period of school that day with Syed when he borrowed Syed's car and phone to buy a gift for his then-girlfriend Stephanie at the mall. 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. It also led to theorists and supporters forming a social media movement. The podcast also pinpointed the discrepancies in his initial police statement and final testimony, which was delivered during the 2000 trial. Syeds appeal was submitted by new attorneys on February 27, 2002, and was denied just over a year later. "Why did they sit on this information? He doesnt say anything dramatically, anything that cant be easily explained as a suspect discrepancy. And Wilds did not outright recant. She kept saying, Its going to be in your interest to talk to me, and that just started to feel like a threat, like if I didnt talk to her it was going to be bad news for me.. JAY Wilds was a key witness in a 2000 murder trial where Adnan Syed was charged for the murder of Hae Min Lee. 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. "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. Unfortunately for Syed, it's not that simple. 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. "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. March 19, 2003:Syed unsuccessfully appealed his conviction. They committed perjury. Syed's family, that day, fired his defense attorney. He has not been exonerated as of yet. The Intercept has done what Sarah Koenig and Serial couldnt: get Jay Wilds to talk on the record about the murder of At that time, prosecutors did not completely dismiss the case. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. Heightened emotions, the constant need to see them yet feeling your heart flutter when you do, that inability to go to sleep or eat, the hiding from your parents, the first touching of your hands, the first kiss, you get the pict It wasn't like, 'Oh, we're down in the park, come on down.' He was just laughing," said Syed's brother, Yusuf Syed. Vargas-Cooper asks, a question listeners have been pondering for 12 episodes. Somewhere up around a corner up a hill, parked in a strange neighborhood. By Ken Kurson 12/30/14 9:22pm. 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. None of the samples tested positive for either Syed or Wilds's DNA. Sept. 14, 2022: Baltimore prosecutors filed a motion to vacate Syed's murder conviction. WebJay's first story was that he was somewhere near his mother's house around 4:30 - 5:00. 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. And they were getting sentenced to three and five years. Episodes raised new questions about the murder conviction. Our kids were crying.. 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. For example, he says he lied to the cops when he said Adnan showed him Haes body outside of Best Buy; it was actually in front of his grandmothers home, but I didnt want to involve my grandmother, he says. Doja Cat Becomes an Actual Cat for Met Gala. 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. Chaudry wasnt the only one pointing out where Jays story didnt line up with his previous testimony. 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. "In part because they occur later in time than the original testimony, and because they are going up against testimony that was under oath.". 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? WebOn January 13th, 1999, a seventeen year old student in Baltimore, Hae, disappears after school one afternoon. All rights reserved. Oct. 3 to Dec. 18, 2014:Syed's case, and the murder of Lee, prompted thefirst season of the popular "Serial" podcast. I'm also thinking, 'What's making him think I'm totally okay with this?' I dont know if she said something he couldnt handle, and he went off the edge or if he had been seriously speculating about [murder]. Slate is published by The Slate 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. In 2014, Sarah Koenig's podcast, titled Serial, dropped its first season covering Adnan Syed's case and re-examining every detail. Thats the truth. Only a small percentage of us will know the t, I grew up in the golden age of the Disney Channel. Syed was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years on February 25, 2000, for first-degree murder,kidnapping, false imprisonment and robbery. And he didn't know how to deal with that. 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. The petition argued that McClains testimony would have directly challenged the States theory of the case, and potentially changed the outcome of the trial. This is the same day Adnan was arrested - at the age of 17. Her body was discovered by authorities about a month later in Baltimore's Leakin Park. He said, 'I'm gonna drive back down there [to the grave]. I think Jay knows who did it, she said. He calls me and says 'I'm outside,' so I come outside to talk to him and followed him to a different car, not his. In fact, my "gut" suggests this is the case, but that and $20 will get you a 10 ounce beer at Wrigley Field. I don't believe either killed Hae or were involved in her death. But it seems that no one else is liking the minty-fresh look. That may be the case for Syed, and if it is, it will be an instructive case. What If a Whole Stand-up Special Were About Peanut Butter? 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. Like if a car goes by, and I jump out and wave at them saying, 'Hey, this is a murderer right here.' 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. Simpson discovered an instruction sheet from AT&Tnot used at the original trialwhich stated that incoming calls cannot be reliably used to determine location. Things you buy through our links may earnVox Mediaa commission. Please logout and login again. According to Wilds, he and Syed were not incredibly close at school. The popularised podcast series Serial has been central to shedding light on the Adnan Syed case. Just normal conversation like, I think shes fucking around. To be clear, theres nothing realistic or relatable about having a net worth of $2 billion. Last month, Syed's murder conviction was vacated, and he was set free. On paper, in the trial transcript, youre two-dimensional. Tune in to Adnan Syed: Overturned on ID this Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 9 pm ET, to learn more about the on-going case. 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. Wilds was Syed's classmate at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore. They were reportedly introduced to each other in 1998. According to Wilds, he and Syed were not incredibly close at school. What role did Jay Wilds play in Hae Min Lee's death? Wilds alleged that Syed had told him he had murdered Lee. The prosecution appealed to the Maryland Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state. And then he popped the trunk and I saw Hae's body. But this latest version of events is confusing rather than clarifying, another who-the-heck-knows account superimposed over recalcitrant cell phone records and diverging testimonies. Prosecutors admit cell phone evidence was unreliable and some witnesses testimony was not credibleincluding that of Jay Wilds who said Syed confessed to the murder and he helped bury Lee. I was pretty distraught, fucked up, feeling guilty for not saying nothing. Dressed as Karl Lagerfelds beloved cat, Choupette. Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. Rounding up our favorite funny videos of the month. A Complete Timeline of The Case Against Adnan Syed, What to Know About 'The Hunger Games' Prequel. 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. Memories fade, motives change. That's about burying her. According to reports, Gutierrez interpreted a statement by the judge as tantamount to accusing her of lying. It was at least a week before she died, when he found out she was either cheating on him or leaving him, Jay says in the interview. 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. (Click here for part one and here for part two.). December 1999: Syed's first trial started A Baltimore Circuit Judge recently vacated his conviction after evidence of a wrongful conviction surfaced. February 10th, 1999 Haes body found by Alonzo Sellars as he pulls over on the side of the road and goes into the woods to urinate. Group, a Graham Holdings Company. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything. He never said anything like, 'Hey, what gauge gun should I use?' 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 views recantation evidence with great suspicion," said Steve Drizin, a law professor at Northwestern University and an attorney at the Center for Wrongful Convictions, who considers the court's view on this flawed. Arguments in the post-conviction relief case were heard in October of 2012, and two months later, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City denied Syeds petition for relief. March 10, 2022: Baltimore City prosecutors agreed to new DNA testing that Syed's lawyers believed could clear his name. These books give us a record of our times via the moments best comic minds. Avid armchair detectives will no doubt be poring particularly over the bottom half of the interview, in which Wilds maps out yet another timeline for the events of Jan. 13, 1999, the day Hae Min Lee disappeared. June 30, 2016:According to court records, Syed's request for a new trial was granted and his conviction was vacated, ruling that his initial defense attorney, Cristina Gutierrez, "rendered ineffective assistance when she failed to cross-examine the state's expert regarding the reliability of cell tower location evidence. 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. 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. Eighteen-year-old Hae Min Lee was reported missing by her family after she failed to pick up her younger cousin from elementary school on the afternoon of January 13. Heres What Will Happen to Your Fave TV Show If Theres a Writers Strike. Feb. 25, 2000:The jury found Syed guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment and robbery. It wasnt like, Oh, were down in the park, come on down. We were friendly, we were cool. He asked me if I had shovels, so I went inside my house and got some gardening tools. That is his prerogative. The standard of proof a person must meet to get a conviction overturned is higher than the standard he must meet to get an acquittal. That explanation is believablebut increasingly less so when you hear Jay talk about the nature of his relationship with Adnan. After a person is convicted, guilt beyond reasonable doubt is out the window. "They don't like to order do-overs of trials. Koenig is not sure what to believe. Judge Welch vacated Syeds original conviction and ordered a new trial on the basis of the evidence given in the February 2016 hearing. Syed was found guilty on February 25, 2000. I would love someone to hear, I would to hear love someone to say, I dont think that you did it because I looked at the case and it looks kind of flimsy. Does Jay quell any of our suspicions or change our opinion of Haes murder trial or Adnans conviction? As described on the Serial podcast, Lee and Syed dated for much of 1998, and had broken up towards the end of the year. I didn't know it was that close. From the perspective of the defendant, there is no stronger evidence than an alibi witness.". Im gonna kill that bitch, man. That really doesnt match up to what the other three have said. Given that the supernatural series became the streamers second most, Emily Coopers life is a mess. Jay, on the other hand, had to recount the events of that day numerous times for the police and prosecutors. Adnan Syed's prolonged legal battle has become the subject of many documentaries and shows over the years. His family told Syed over the phone. 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. He quickly became the centerpiece of their case, despite changing his testimony multiple times. On Tuesday, prosecutors dropped all charges after DNA test results came back that excluded Syed. Didn't say that much. 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. Wilds struck a deal and claimed that Syed asked him to help bury Hae Min's body. As fans of Serial might expect, Jay reiterates the same basic story he told at trial Adnan killed Hae alone, then Jay helped him bury her body with a few changes to the timeline that could either mean everything, or nothing. or 'How many minutes am I supposed to hold somebody under the water for?' By this time my wife was getting real upset. On February 28, 1999, Wilds' initial police interrogation was captured on camera and, on the same day, Syed was arrested. Wilds says he was ditching last period of school that day with Syed when he borrowed Syed's car and phone to buy a gift for his then-girlfriend Stephanie at the mall. I thought he was just blowing off steam and bullshitting. Serial closed its 12-episode season with Sarah Koenig telling us Adnan Syed shouldnt have been convicted, though she didnt say he was innocent. 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. WebThere is a separate page with details of Jays own court case for the murder of Hae Min Lee. Those are questions you should be asking the attorney general.". First published on October 11, 2022 / 1:11 PM. Finally, a Serial timeline that does not include cell-phone records or Leakin Park. 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.". Jan. 13, 1999:Hae Min Lee was reported missing when she didn't pick up her younger cousin from daycare. 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. 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. Reddit users, including psychpathic_rhino and A_mellifera, chatted about the various details in his interview. But there is nothing we can do about this; it is the system we live in.. 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. The police confirm to the press that they are investigating her death as a homicide. Adnan Syed, center, sits in front of Hae Min Lee during their high school days. 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. But his version of the day of the murder, January 13, 1999, contains key, recurring plot points in many versions of the story. Jay Wilds and Adnan Syed may not have been close, but Wilds' witness testimony would ultimately be key to convicting Syed of Hae Min Lee's murder. Jay Wilds, who swore he helped Adnan bury Haes body. And perhaps Syed was actually in possession of his cell phone for much of the day? 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. L.A. He says, 'OK, follow me halfway back down the hill [towards the grave site]," so he doesn't have to walk all the way back up the hill to get back to me in his car. However, an appeals panel of seven judges ruled on March 9 (on a 4-3 vote) that Syed will not receive a new trial. He testified that Adnan killed Hae and forced him to help bury her body. In The Case Against Feb. 9, 1999:Lee's partially buried body was located by someone in Leakin Park in Baltimore. I only smoked with him two or three times. In Wilds' newest version of events, Adnan was in his car with Jay instead of being at his last period of school. Jays testimonies have many inconsistencies that discredit his reliability on who killed Hae and what actually happened that day. Jay chose not to talk. Journalist Natasha Vargas-Cooper tells the story of her four hours with Jay Wilds, the linchpin from the best podcast ever. Frosh disputed that and issued a statement critical of Mosby's claims and saying there were "serious problems" with the motion to vacate Syed's conviction. The Baltimore Sun released documents relating to DNA testing that was carried out in the fall of 2018. ". Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wilds is a free man who now lives in California. Syeds conviction for the murder of Hae Min Lee was the subject of the This American Life spinoff podcast Serial, hosted by Sarah Koenig, which aired this fall. He was cleared after DNA results cleared Syed. Where was Hae's car? 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. Syed was put on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend A man purporting to be JayBaltimore County's star witness in their case against Adnan Syed.
jay wilds timeline