Well first of all, I wasnt openly willing to cooperate with the police. 4. . And thats not necessarily mebut that is my family, that is my uncles and cousins. The hugely popular 12-part podcast "Serial" investigated the 1999 murder of teenager Hae Min Lee and the murder conviction the following year of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, who is currently. I wasnt fully cooperating, so if they said, Well, we have on phone records that you talked to Jenn. Id say, Nope, I didnt talk to Jenn. Until Jenn told me that she talked with the cops and that it was ok if I did too. Im fucking done. And Adnans like, Oh, well, youre not going to help me move her are you? And Im like No, Im not gonna help you move her. He says, Ok, well, Im gonna need you to drive back to her car., Somewhere up around a corner up a hill, parked in a strange neighborhood. ', Adnan Syed: A Complete Timeline of His Trial, Appeal and Killing of Hae Min Lee, Photo: Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, Adnan Syed's high school football photo; Photo: Courtesy of HBO, Youn Kim (r), mother of Hae Min Lee, is escorted from her daughter's Memorial Service by guidance counselor Gwen Kellam, on March 11, 1999, in Baltimore, Maryland; Photo: Elizabeth Malby/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, changed throughout his interviews and testimony, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Jay was pretty much convicted because he told the police he helped dispose of the body. Leesex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, 17, became the primary suspectin her homicide after an anonymous caller told the police to investigate him. Even though he and Syed were allegedlyjust acquaintances, Wilds police interviews and witness testimony would ultimately be key to convicting Syed despite his storys inconsistencies and contradictions. In another interview, he said the body was on Edmondson Avenue, while a detective testified in court that Wilds told him the body was on Franklintown Road. of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. Because at the time I was convinced that I would be going to jail for a long time if he turned me in for drug dealing, especially to high school kids. Im being manipulated into whats being done right now.. This is where people would have their house firebombed and still tell the police they knew nothing about it rather than to try to make some sense of whats going on. I said, Alright, cool. I dropped him off at school, went to the mall, then when I was done, I go back to my friend Jenns house, where I normally go, sit and smoke with my friend. "I don't know if she said something he couldn't handle, and he went off the edge or if he had been seriously speculating about it. When was the first time you hung out with Adnan? Jays wife and mother entertained the couples young children while Jay and I spoke in the family living room. On Monday afternoon, a Baltimore judge vacated Adnan Syed's murder conviction, freeing Syed after 23 years behind bars. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. On Monday, a Maryland judge overturned Adnan Syed 's first-degree murder conviction for the 1999 death of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. June 6, 2000: Lees mother gives an emotional testimony and Syed is given a life sentence. Syed was sentenced to life in prison. Just normal conversation like, I think shes fucking around. To better understand this, we need to look back at Feb. 12 . In Februaryof 2000, Syed was found guilty of murdering Lee. In both, Syed's guilt is questioned, as is Wilds's statements. Adnan Syed is a 36 year old who had been convicted of first degree murder at the age of 17 on February 28, 1999. But he didnt call me unless he needed something. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Lee was last seen alive on Jan. 13, 1999. Ok, so you arrive at Cathys with Adnan after he tells you he murdered Hae? We were in the car, we were riding, smoking. I think there was another dude or something, or whatever. I've known Adnan for many years, and I have. December 15, 1999: A mistrial is declared. Hae Min Lee's body was found buried in a shallow grave in Maryland in February 1999. He'd previously refused to take part in Sarah Koening's podcast, which attempted to retrace the steps taken in. Pusateris first statement to the cops said that shed gotten a call from Wilds on Syeds phone, while a later statement included information that Wilds had confessed to her that hed helped Syed bury Lee, though the police may have already been looking at him as an accomplice before theyd even spoken to Pusateri, and also bringing him him for questioning. Phinn's decision came after prosecutors told the court they lost faith in Syed's conviction in light of new evidence and violations in the governments turning over evidence. This week, in an interview with The Intercept , Jay Wilds came forward with his account of the January day in 1999 when Hae Min Lee was murdered. You cant start drawing conclusions like that. Wilds, who was an acquaintance of Syed, confessed to helping Syed bury Lee's body, though he originally denied having anything to do with the murder. Number of seasons: Three. And at a certain point I say, Well fuck, Im finished. Who would hold party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have? Hae Min Lee was last seen at about 3pm on 13 January 1999. 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. It was just at the end of my junior year, so about 16. Her body was discovered in Leakin Park in Baltimore, Maryland, and a few weeks later her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed, was . The group of people I hung out with were different from the group of people I was from. For his testimony, Wilds was given probation instead of a jail sentence for his said involvement in the crime. Wilds and his family have tried to stay out of the spotlight, with Wilds citing the danger his cooperating with the police puts his family in, even though he claims he tried to stonewall the cops for as long as possible until they broke him down. I believe she had a job also. And I said, Hey, I need to run to the mall cause I need to get a gift for Stephanie., He said then, No, I gotta go do something. In the phone conversation, he contradicted past statements by suggesting he tried to return Adnans car at school, but couldnt find him and left. A second court proceedings begin, the papers say. than she was letting on. Sellers had a previous record as an alleged streaker. Timelines: January 13, 1999 Adnan's Call Log Adnan's Story 7:45-9:15 a.m. We drive over toCathys house to smoke. I went to concerts, like anything from Wu-Tang to Warped Tour. Jay obviously picks and chooses what he tells, and at this point its created such a mess, she says in the documentary. Undisclosed proffers that Wilds was going to use the reward money to purchase the motorcycle, but Brown says he sold it to someone else. You follow me some of the way, and then Ill take care of it.. So I said, Look man, Im not touching [Hae]. Jays post-Serial interviews with The Intercept: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Like she was a junior in college. 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. The popularised podcast series Serial has been central to shedding light on the Adnan Syed case. The Woodlawn man has maintained his innocence and the HBO series "The Case Against Adnan Syed" concluded. What the Undisclosed pod offers up for an explanation is that because Wilds himself came under investigation, he could not recover the money. February 9, 1999 : Lee's body is found. About a month later, police uncovered her body in a nearby park; an autopsywould later find that she was choked to death. Wilds, who gave police multipleinterviews and testified in court, was first questioned on Feb. 28, 1999, just hours before police arrested Syed on suspicion of Lees murder. Im going to be late for practice, so just drop me off. A majority of the state's evidence against Adnan comes from Jay Wilds' testimony. They also highlighted the inconsistent statements of his co-defendant, Jay Wilds, who testified against him. Adnan's friend Jay Wilds testified that he helped Adnan bury Hae Min Lee's body back in 1999, but Adnan Syed mentions he had nothing to do with Hae's death. 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. Thus, this article dives further into the details. In that situation, he was the loser. Lee's body was discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park by a passerby, partially buried in a shallow grave. He ends up waiting more than two years. But, like I said, I dont know how to come up with this story about how Adnan did it, why he did it, what he was thinking, how he was thinking, and why he was thinking that. Years later, now that Wilds testimony has come under fire, even Pusateri doubts his version of events. But Wilds testimony, even though inconsistent, was corroborated by cellphone recordsas well as his friend Jennifer Pusateris testimony (at least, at first): Pusateris initial statement to the cops said that she received a call from Wilds on Syeds cell; a later statement from her included a bit about Wilds confessing to her that he helped Syed bury Lee. I didnt know it was that close. In July 2014, a cold case in Baltimore County was solved when new DNA evidence was tested. Jay Wilds. That night they bury Lees body in Leakin Park and leave her car in a residential parking lot. McClain in 1999 at the time of the murder was Syed's classmate at Woodlawn High School. After the party, Adnan drove Jay home and then dropped Stephanie home afterwards. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. But they were just as shocked. Notably, Wilds declined to be a part of the podcast although he was offered an interview. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. He seemed under alot of pressure to please. No. Wilds has stayed private since the 2014 interview. Number of episodes: 25+ (ongoing). 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. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Syed's release on September 19, 2022, was attributed to various factors, including the prosecution losing faith in Wilds' testimony. I say, Well we need to part ways. I dont remember if he dropped me off at my house or if I got a ride from somebody else. Jay told the filmmakers that Adnan showed up at his house and thats where he saw Haes body, not Best Buy as he had previously stated. This is the same day Adnan was arrested, at the age of 17. I remember Adnan standing next to me. On January 13, 1999, Korean-American high school student Hae Min Lee, 18, was reported missing by her family after failing to come home. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. JayWilds and Adnan Syed may not have been close, butWilds' witness testimony would ultimately be key to convicting Syed of Hae Min Lee's murder. 10:45-11:15 a.m. Syeds first appeal is denied by the Court of Special Appeals, according to court records. What was your life likeduring1998 and 1999? I dont know what happened, what occurred between them that day. CrimeStoppers rewards are apparently paid out the following month after the police report that months official indictments. Justice Martin Welch vacates the original conviction, saying there should be a new trial. This is a moot point now, as Syed was granted a new trial in 2018. The Serial podcast about the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee has been heard and debated by millions, yet there are still untold stories and perspectives from Woodlawn High School teachers who taught. He has a great legal team. The following two series stepped away from the whodunnit intensity of the first, and went on to examine an American army deserter and the court system in Ohio. note: Adnan worked as an emergency medical technician, not a paramedic.]. When Woodlawn put in the magnet thing, they took out all the vocational classes. 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. Though Wilds' testimony seemed to have been trusted implicitly by Syed's jury, the Serial podcast shining a light on the key details of Wilds' claims led many listeners to believe Wilds was. I believe I told them it was in front of Cathys [not her real name] house, but it was in front of my grandmothers house. The 18-year-old high school senior played varsity field hockey and lacrosse and managed the boys' wrestling team, and was due to graduate with honors with the class of 1999. Prosecutors dropped all charges against Syed, eliminating the possibility of a retrial. Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. Police take evidence from the scene and interview several people in an attempt to find the killer. Wilds was Syed's friend during the time of the murder. .css-13y9o4w{display:block;font-family:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-13y9o4w:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.05rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.3;}}Every Song From the Daisy Jones' Soundtrack, 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Makes Some Major Changes, 'Sex/Life' Season 2 Features Even More Male Nudity, Hugh Jackman Could Play Multiple Wolverines, 'Ant-Man' Writer Responds to 'Quantumania' Theory. However, Syed is not allowed out on bail while he waits for the new trial. Other contributing causes included the emergence of new suspects in the case. March 1, 1999: McClain writes Syed a letter. Then Jay spoke. I didnt resent the students, I resented the school for setting it up like that. The judge gave prosecutors 30 days to proceed with a new trial or drop the case. He knows that none of us are basically giving up. Heres abasic timeline of the eventsof Jan. 13,according to Wilds first sit-down with police on Feb. 28, 1999: He gets a call from Syed around 10:45 a.m. on Jan. 13; an hour later, Syed arrives at Wilds house in his car and they both go to Baltimores Westview Mall, where Syed tells Wilds hes going to kill Hae because hes angry about their breakup; at 12:30 p.m., Wilds drops off Syed at school and keeps his car; at 3:40 p.m., Syed tells Wilds to meet him at a strip off Edmonton Ave., and 20 minutes later Syed shows Wilds Haes dead body in the trunk of her own car. "This was true in 1999 when he was a 17-year-old child. Why did you agree to help Adnan bury Hae? 824 Words4 Pages. Please logout and login again. Wilds picks him up and the two go to a friends house. 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? In. Many questions remain about Wilds true role in the case, but theres no shortage of theories. Then he goes to track practice. Jay said that he and Adnan left Haes car in a grassy lot on January 13th, where it remained until Jay took the police there on February 28th. From the mall where he met Syed to the time, and even which friend's homes he visited the day of Lee's murder, there are questionable aspects of his testimony. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, 'Serial' Recap: Everything About Adnan Syed's Case, Who Is Adnan Syed? Syed was actually convicted in February 2000. Once the police made it clear that my drug dealing wasnt gonna affect the outcome of what was going on, I became a little bit more transparent. "I guess I was being kind of a jury on whether or not people needed to be involved or whatever, but these people didn't have anything to do with it, and I knew they didn't have anything to do with it," he said. 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. Apparently, Wilds had been inquiring about the sale price of a teachers motorcycle, which Kelly Blue Book puts at $3,000. I was pretty distraught, fucked up, feeling guilty for not saying nothing. He might really have just been bullshitting at the time. He said, Im gonna drive back down there [to the grave]. Some days Ill be like, This is a really great episode, and some days Ill feel down and depressed., February 6, 2015: Syed can appeal the post-conviction relief denial. Even to Serial, the podcast that detailed nearly every part of Syed's case, Wild remained off the record to provide background information, according to Rolling Stone. 11:15-12:50 p.m. Free period 12:50-2:15 p.m. Three days later, Baltimore Police received an anonymous tip that Syed was responsible for the murder. Well, according to Chaudra, Wilds attorney told her that the prosecutors threatened him by promising to prosecute him in a predominantly white county, and Wilds, who is black, was frightened enough to do what he was told. A December 1999 trial ended in mistrial. I might have sat next to him in a class, and joked or something. He left in his car and I was trying to collect myself at my [grandmothers] house. He was sentenced to life in prison for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Investigators at the time determined that she died by . I think and, look, its been 15 years about 6 p.m. Anything thats going to make [Syed] innocent doesnt involve me. Is that why you didntinitiallycooperate with the police? So that would ruin her life too, Wilds told Vargas-Cooper. And I looked real good again, and thats when I seen what looked like a foot. He later becomes a suspect because he walked 127 feet to find a place to use the restroom. Its just on the street. Youre in this on your own. 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. There was never a real friendship. Because I knew football had paid for all of that, but there were few football players down there. Serial produced a time line which showed the conflicts betweeen just a few of Jay's different versions of events for January 13, 1999 There is a separate page with details of Jay's own court case for the murder of Hae Min Lee. When Adnan loaned you his car onJan. 13, 1999, did he tell you it was because he planned on murdering Hae? Without Jay's testimony, it is highly unlikely that the state could have ever taken him to trial. Shes a high school girl, Oh, hes cute, Oh, whateverthings fizzleout. I had a lot more on the line than just a few bags of weed. I didnt think he was going to go kill her. Syed will know his fate by August. Instead, his words were shown on a screencap: Jay maintained to the filmmakers that on the day of the murder, he borrowed Adnans car to buy his girlfriend a birthday present. When 17-year-old Adnan Syed was arrested, then convicted for the 1999 murder of his high school ex-girlfriend, . Three days later, Baltimore Police, For instance, during one of his police interviews highlighted in The Case Against Adnan Syed,an officer asks Wilds, Youre sure its the 13, The whole Jay storywas so confusing. A star witness in the case against Syed was fellow Woodlawn High School student Jay Wilds, . Even though he and Syed were allegedlyjust acquaintances, Wilds police interviews and witness testimony would ultimately be key to convicting Syed despite his storys inconsistencies and contradictions. What do you think? Just another site. Mr.. ", He also revealed why there may be inconsistencies in his story. The motion to set aside Adnan's conviction stated prosecutors no longer trusted Jay Wilds's wildly inconsistent testimony. Yes we dig for about 40 minutes and we dig and dig, and hes digging less and less. And they were getting sentenced to three and five years. . So that would ruin her life too. Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? Jay Wilds spoke to The Intercept about the case for an article published Monday. He failed; he lost the girl. We were in the car together during last periodhe was ditching the last period. I know it didnt happen anywhere other than my grandmothers house. But when they put the magnet wing in, it was kinda like these people were different from us. And they didnt have to interact with us anymore. Koenig's account of the events that transpired at the time of Lee's murder, publicly rebuked Jay's version of what happened and his reasons for helping Adnan Syed and portrayed him as a petty weed dealer. 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. Normal high school Im mad at her and Ill scratch her car sort of stuff. Is this when you first saw Haes body in the trunk of her car? He never said anything like, Hey, what gauge gun should I use? or How many minutes am I supposed to hold somebody under the water for? or, Is there a statute of limitation on murder? I thought he was just blowing off steam and bullshitting. We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us hold the powerful to account. What happened on this particular day depends on who you talk to. There was a reward of $3,075 from CrimeStoppers for information on the case leading to the indictment. Hes gone with Haes car. 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 . The five-day hearing includes witness testimonies from McClain, as well as a cell phone expert, Harpers Bazaar reported. Mr. Syed, 41, had been serving a life sentence after he was convicted in the 1999 murder of his high school classmate Hae Min Lee. She looked kinda purple, blue, her legs were tucked behind her, she had stockings on, none of her clothes were removed, nothing like that. Psychology class 1:27 p.m. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Something definite in both media arguments is Wilds's change in story. And it was really hard for him to deal with being on the losing end. Last seen driving away from the high school in her gray Nissan on January 13, 1999, the 18-year-old Lee was found dead in Baltimore's Leakin Park about a month later. Thats led to some wild and totally unproven ideas on reddit, notably that Adnan hired Jay as a kind of hitman. Yes. There are other legal options and we are exploring each and every one of them. Family friend and lawyer Chaudry added: He is hanging in there. No. How old was Adnan when he went to prison in 1999? He has come to prominence in recent months. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events.