The trial, which resulted in a life sentence, has resurfaced after a judge overturned Adnan's conviction. Thats led to some wild and totally unproven ideas on reddit, notably that Adnan hired Jay as a kind of hitman. Jay obviously picks and chooses what he tells, and at this point its created such a mess, she says in the documentary. When Woodlawn put in the magnet thing, they took out all the vocational classes. Jay Wilds, a former classmate who claimed to have assisted Syed in disposing of the victim's body, was the key witness in his trial. January 1, 1999: Lee and Don Clinedinst go on their first date. Syed is currently serving a life sentence. Wilds also makes clear in the interview that Baltimore isnt the place where one who ran afoul with the law wanted to get hooked by the cops or work with them both options were not good. And thats not necessarily mebut that is my family, that is my uncles and cousins. As the state's star witness, Jay. He has a great legal team. . Following a six-week trial and two-hour jury deliberation, Syed is found guilty. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? However, Syed is not allowed out on bail while he waits for the new trial. Wilds stated that he helped the 17-year-old Syed, who was accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999, bury her body, which was later discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park. And Wilds was also a professed accomplice to Syeds crime, which further complicated his role as the prosecutions sole witness. Thus, this article dives further into the details. I dont feel comfortable drawing conclusions like that. He might really have just been bullshitting at the time. Its starting to get dark, so between 3p.m. Though Wilds testimony seemed to have been trusted implicitly by Syeds jury, the Serial podcast shining a light on the key details of Wilds claims led many listeners to believe Wilds was not exactly truthful and that even the slightest bit of questioning could have unraveled his story. It was at least a week before she died, when he found out she was either cheating on him or leaving him. When the Serial podcast premiered in October of 2014, many listeners were shocked to find that almost the entirety of the prosecutions case to convict Adnan Syed for the . He also said he helpedSyed dispose of Lees body in Leakin Park, where she was found four weeks after she was last seen alive on January 13, 1999. Though Wilds stands by his storyat least the one he told The InterceptChaudry and Undisclosed have continued to dig up evidence that wouldnt just exonerate Syed, but also Wilds himself. From your perspective, what was Adnans reputation at Woodlawn? Why has your story changed over time? 824 Words4 Pages. Jay was credible on the main facts, and also for the ones saying it some random killer or Don, they are forgetting that Jay knew where the car was. Photography class 9:15-10:40 a.m. English class 10:45 a.m. Adnan calls Jay and offers to lend him his car. It was just at the end of my junior year, so about 16. In the wee hours of the night, Lees car is found around 4:30 a.m. and around 6 a.m., Syed is arrested at his home on the 7000 block of Johnnycake Road. Prosecutors dropped all charges against Syed, eliminating the possibility of a retrial. In the phone conversation, he contradicted past statements by suggesting he tried to return Adnans car at school, but couldnt find him and left. The Woodlawn man has maintained his innocence and the HBO series "The Case Against Adnan Syed" concluded. He had a professional job in high school, he was aparamedic or something [Ed. But Wilds, who is not heard from outside of taped testimony in either Serial or the HBO documentary, stood by what he told police in a three-part interview with The Intercept in 2014 following the podcast airing. I saw the ATF and DEA take down guys in my neighborhood for selling much less than I was at the time. Syeds first appeal is denied by the Court of Special Appeals, according to court records. There was never a real friendship. Jay Wilds was the star witness in the trial of Adnan Syed - the 18-year-old who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. . S on Serial, claimed he was drinking a 22-ounce Budweiser while driving when he made a pit stop. He did not go to prison, though. Serial sought to dive deep into the potential failings of the criminal justice system and thoroughly re-examine Syed's case. The judge gave prosecutors 30 days to proceed with a new trial or drop the case. Then what happens, and what time is it roughly? One big theory being floated around is that Wilds was the anonymous tipster who called Detective Massey and told police to focus on the ex-boyfriend. She never showed up to either. I know it didnt happen anywhere other than my grandmothers house. It doesnt seem like enough of a reason to not talk to the police. Normal high school Im mad at her and Ill scratch her car sort of stuff. ", He also revealed why there may be inconsistencies in his story. I dont think it meant that much to her. We get into his car, and he drives up around the corner to Haes car. Evidence page for 2016 State Leave for Remand, 2013-15 Reopening Post Conviction (pre PCR), Evidence in 2015 Defense Motion to Reopen, which showed the conflicts betweeen just a few of Jays different versions of events, details of Jays own court case for the murder. Syed's case has been publicized in the podcast Serial, as well as the HBO true crime documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed. After hearings in the Circuit Court between November 2010 and October 2012, Syeds petition for post-conviction relief is denied, according to court papers. Then Jay spoke. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Now, the case: Undisclosed claims Wilds may have wanted the reward money to buy a motorcyle - something police may have known, too. Adnan Syed leaves the courthouse after Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, overturned his first-degree murder conviction in the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee. They had to chase me around before they could corner me to talk to me, and there came a point where I was just sick of talking to them. I might have sat next to him in a class, and joked or something. He seemed a little bit more uptight than the other Muslim kids that I knew. You Can Stream Every 'Rocky' Movie Right Now, 'WoF' Fans Say This Is the 'Biggest Choke' on Show, Daisy Jones & the Six Is a Rock Epic in 10 Parts, See Mariska Hargitays Emotional Tribute on IG. Their accounts depart when Wilds says Syed showed him the body in the trunk of the car, and then Syed enlisted Wilds to bury Lee. But their gym, lockers, parking, was down in the magnet wing. I said, Isnt he a paramedic? And she said, Nah, hes cool, plus he wants to buy., I didnt trust him at first, since he wasnt like the people I knew pot smokers you know? Jay Wilds, the key witness in the Serial murder case, has broken his silence at last. He failed; he lost the girl. Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa M. Phinn vacated Syed's conviction, effectively setting him free. Many questions remain about Wilds true role in the case, but theres no shortage of theories. In support of their request, prosecutors cited two "alternative suspects" who were known at the time of the investigation and expert. Her body was discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park on Feb. 9, 1999. The case was covered in-depth in the first season of the podcast by host Sarah Koenig. Yes. He just started opening up. of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. And then I would only give them information pertaining to my interaction with someone or where I was. February 9, 1999 : Lee's body is found. Photo credit: HBO. In part 2, Wilds shares his thoughts on the actions he took following the murder, as well as his choice to remain uninvolved as This American Life producers Julie Snyder and Sarah Koenig pieced. Anything thats going to make [Syed] innocent doesnt involve me. A star witness in the case against Syed was fellow Woodlawn High School student Jay Wilds, . Syed was arrested that same day, aged 17. The podcast attracted global attention, and had gained more than 100 million downloads by June 2016. No. He was prompted to speak with detectives after a friend of Adnan and Jay, Jenn, told detectives that Jay told . He did, after all, give multiple conflicting locations for where the murder took place and where the body was found. The only thing thats certain: The 18-year-old victim was last seen on January 13, 1999, driving her 1998 Nissan Sentra on her way to pick up her 6-year-old cousin and then head to her job at LensCrafters, The Baltimore Sun reported at the time. Wilds' shaky testimony was first highlighted in Serial, the 2014 podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig that brought Syeds case back into the public eye. In Serial you are depicted as a petty weed dealer. I had never known anybody who had killed anybody else, so theres no way I could have known. Matt Tinoco provided research for this interview. But look, if we start speculating what he was thinking that far ahead I dont know. Lee had disappeared on Jan. 13, and almost a month later, on Feb. 9, her body was found by a passerby in Baltimores Leakin Park. It began with his fear of being prosecuted for dealing pot in his high school. Adnan left and then returned to my house several hours later, closer to midnight in his own car. There is a separate page withdetails of Jays own court case for the murder of Hae Min Lee. A second court proceedings begin, the papers say. We are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court, but by no means is this the end of Adnan Syed, attorney C. Justin Brown told AP at the time. I pick him up he doesnt have any car with him. There was a reward of $3,075 from CrimeStoppers for information on the case leading to the indictment. She also wasnt on the magnet side of the demographic. Now, Wilds' story is under the microscope again with HBO's new docu-series "The Case Against Adnan Syed," which digs further into Lee's murder and Syed's supposed role in it. Where was Haes car? The popular podcast detailed an investigation into the 15-year-old murder of . Jay Wilds and Adnan Syed were reportedlynot close friends but the Woodlawn High School seniors fates would eventually become inextricably linked through a brutal Jan. 1999 murder case, when Syed was arrested and ultimately convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. At times he even apologizes, as though he were trained to say something specifically and had forgotten. Lee's body was discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park by a passerby, partially buried in a shallow grave. Her body was discovered in Leakin Park in Baltimore, Maryland, and a few weeks later her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed, was . In July 2014, a cold case in Baltimore County was solved when new DNA evidence was tested. In. According to Simpson, whenever Wilds cant recall a detail or pauses for a long period before answering a question, there can be heard a series of taps, after which Wilds always miraculously comes up with the right answer. Consequently, Wilds is a looming figure in Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyders reporting about the trial. Haes car could have been in the parking lot, but I didnt know what it looked like so I dont remember. It all revolves around Jay," lawyer and Syed family friend Rabia Chaudry says in episode two ofThe Case Against Adnan Syed." Did you go to Leakin Park immediately after agreeing to help? I dont know what happened, what occurred between them that day. Im not a lawyer and Im not a cop. Now, after years of controversy, a Baltimore court has overturned Syed's conviction after a judge ruled that the legal proceedings were violated during the initial trial. So I said, Look man, Im not touching [Hae]. We got in his car and start driving. Questions still remain about Lee's 1999 murder after her ex-boyfriend Syed was sentenced to life in jail, and the case received mass attention from the podcast 'Serial. "That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. Jay was pretty much convicted because he told the police he helped dispose of the body. It takes him about half an hour, 45 minutes, and he comes back with gloves on, panting, like, She was really heavy. Thats all he says. Didnt say that much. When police were investigating Lees murder, CrimeStoppers offered a $3,075 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the murderer. Hae Min Lee's body was found buried in a shallow grave in Maryland in February 1999. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Syed and Lee were seniors at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County when Lee disappeared in January 1999. What happened on this particular day depends on who you talk to. So that would ruin her life too, Wilds told Vargas-Cooper. Jay Wilds and Adnan Syed were reportedlynot close friends but the Woodlawn High School seniors fates would eventually become inextricably linked through a brutal Jan. 1999 murder case, when Syed was arrested and ultimately convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. McClain has fought for Syed's innocence since the case had originally opened. However, Sarah Koenig, host and producer of the widely-acclaimed podcast titled Serial, covered the case in 2014. I would like to forgive Adnan Syed, but as of now, I just don't know how I could, she says.