He was cleared after DNA results cleared Syed. Sept. 14, 2022: Baltimore prosecutors filed a motion to vacate Syed's murder conviction. 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. Jay is hard to empathize with and his silence suggests that, yeah, something is up. He knew I was afraid of that. 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. 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. Photo: Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/TNS/Getty Images. "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. What about the content, the facts, the evidence? Wilds is a free man who now lives in California. 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. "Our criminal justice system is desperately in need of reform. At that time, he was immediately released and placed on home detention. Nov. 6, 2015:A Baltimore City judge ordered that Syed's post-conviction relief proceedings, to determine his eligibility for a new trial, would be re-opened, according to court records. 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. The prosecution appealed to the Maryland Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state. For every proven wrongful conviction, there are hundreds more where the truth is not so clear and the burden is of proof is too high. It's been a long road from conviction to freedom for Syed. Given that the supernatural series became the streamers second most, Emily Coopers life is a mess. Jay Wilds And then he popped the trunk and I saw Hae's body. 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. This is why Wilds' Intercept interview might not matter at all in Syed's legal efforts. 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. Adnan Syed, center, sits in front of Hae Min Lee during their high school days. Jay Wilds 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. Koenig is not sure what to believe. The judges full written decision is available to read online in two parts. Jay Wilds assumed a private life after playing a pivotal role in the prosecutions case against Adnan Syed. JAY Wilds was a key witness in a 2000 murder trial where Adnan Syed was charged for the murder of Hae Min Lee. #FreeAdnan #Serial #LyingMoFo! ), Jay also tells the Intercept that he was apart from Adnan for more of the day of the murder than he originally claimed, and that the two of them didnt go to Leakin Park to bury Hae until closer to midnight. Who Is Jay Wilds? Everything You Need To Know About The Key http://t.co/EOJCykQfxG pic.twitter.com/riOdWechHF, Brett LoGiurato (@BrettLoGiurato) December 29, 2014, Why does Jay keep changing his story? The Baltimore City Police received an anonymous phone call advising them to investigate Lees ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, for the murder. The thing is, it is well documented that Koenig wanted to have Jays voice. He came back with no tools or anything. I was pretty distraught, fucked up, feeling guilty for not saying nothing. 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. Some people expressed their confusion at the inconsistencies, while others believed Jays explanation about why his story keeps changing. Everything Thats Happened Around Adnan Syeds Case Since 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. We are frustrated that this process has dragged on so long, Brown wrote in an online update. Confronting Satan in a Dark Spanish Castle. After the Intercept interview, it seemed like the most important witness in the state's case had undermined his own credibility. 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. "Why is this story different from what you originally told the police?" I had no reason to kill her.". All contents Mosby said to Hellgren. The Intercept has done what Sarah Koenig and Serial couldnt: get Jay Wilds to talk on the record about the murder of Marrying the Ghost of Karl Lagerfeld at the 2023 Met Gala. Sept. 19, 2022:Syed wasreleased from prison after his murderconviction was vacated by a judge. "But with his interview yesterday, Wilds broke that spine, and possibly the state's case with it.". As with everything related to Serial and the murder of Hae, the emotional motives arent quite clear. All Rights Reserved. It only contributes to the fuzzy timeliness and general obscure picture of the days events that was already presented in Serial. May 28, 2010:Syed made an appeal for post-conviction relief in 2010 based on ineffective assistance of counsel based on his defense attorney Cristina Gutierrez's failure to investigate an alibi witness, Asia McClain, who maintained she was talking with Syed in the library at the exact time that prosecutors said Syed attacked Lee in a Best Buy parking lot several miles away. Unfortunately for Syed, it's not that simple. 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. So I said, 'Look man, I'm not touching [Hae]. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. Lee had Jurors on the case overheard a sidebar between Syed's defense attorney - Cristina Gutierrez - and the judge. 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. In his written decision, Judge Welch noted that reopening the post-conviction proceedings would be in the interest of justice for all parties.". I said, 'Drug dealers, people who get killed by drug dealers,' and I'm thinking to myself, 'When did I ever say that?' 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. 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. After the guilty verdict, the burden of proof flips to the accused. The Baltimore Sun released documents relating to DNA testing that was carried out in the fall of 2018. 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. 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. Wilds declined Koenigs requests to speak on the podcast, though the two did talk and she reported on that conversation. Im gonna kill that bitch, man. That really doesnt match up to what the other three have said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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 goes on: That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. Feb. 28, 1999:Syed was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. 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. He just started opening up. I might have sat next to him in a class, and joked or something. 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. Syed's family, that day, fired his defense attorney. Wait, what the hell? Mentally, its hard to compare Jays account of events after weve gained a certain picture that has been corroborated by multiple sources. And they were getting sentenced to three and five years. 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. In the interview, Wilds told a story that differed from the one he told police and jurors, and for a while, it seemed that the story of Serial which ended with Koenig admitting that she wasn't convinced of Syed's guilt or innocence could end with Syed going free after all. According to reports, Gutierrez interpreted a statement by the judge as tantamount to accusing her of lying. Getting them in trouble for anything that they knew or that I had told themI couldn't have that." But does this 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. He failed; he lost the girl.. "You don't actually have to have the killer's blood or semen. The judgment was delivered after years of wait and thorough examination of the case and evidence presented during his initial trial in 2000. Simpson discovered an instruction sheet from AT&Tnot used at the original trialwhich stated that incoming calls cannot be reliably used to determine location. Dressed as Karl Lagerfelds beloved cat, Choupette. "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. 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. "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. Notably, Wilds declined to be a part of the podcast although he was offered an interview. I follow him halfway back down the hill, park, smoke some cigarettes. The evidence included a GPS location and witness testimony from Jay Wilds. (And to followers of the podcast, Wilds' version would also appear to place Adnan in possession of the phone during the ballyhooed Nisha call. Wilds alleged that Syed had told him he had murdered Lee. Although the charges have been vacated for now, Adnan remains under house arrest for the next 30 days while the prosecution decides whether to retry him or drop all charges against him. 2023 Met Gala Carpet Is Approved by Your Dentist. Reddit users, including psychpathic_rhino and A_mellifera, chatted about the various details in his interview. Privacy Policy and She then criticized Frosh and investigators for their handling of the case. It was determined Lee was strangled to death. I saw the ATF and DEA take down guys in my neighborhood for selling much less than I was at the time. First published on October 11, 2022 / 1:11 PM. Serial devotees rushed to point out the major inconsistencies between the account Jay gives in 2014 and the testimony he provided in 1999. In 2014, Sarah Koenig's podcast, titled Serial, dropped its first season covering Adnan Syed's case and re-examining every detail. Jays post-Serial interviews with The Intercept: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. The cell phone records show he was in the area. After a few side trips, they allegedly buried Haes body less than six hours later, around 7:00 PM. Like if a car goes by, and I jump out and wave at them saying, 'Hey, this is a murderer right here.' He just seemed like someone who didn't smoke weed too much," Wilds tells the Intercept. That is especially the case when a witness changes his story years later. Jays voice doesnt shed light on the murder; it just adds to the accepted confusion. Jay From Serial Just Gave His First Interview. Theres a particular moment in Love Is Blind season 4 that indicates that things might be different this time around tha, This story contains spoilers for Prime Videos Swarm. Following a rare 2014 interview with Natasha "Why did they sit on this information? 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. The Intercept has done what Sarah Koenig and Serial couldnt, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. You cant start drawing conclusions like that.. WebThe prosecutions main evidence against Adnan was the testimony of Jay Wilds.