I dont think it meant that much to her. 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. He said, Im gonna drive back down there [to the grave]. What the Undisclosed pod offers up for an explanation is that because Wilds himself came under investigation, he could not recover the money. We were in the car, we were riding, smoking. This fact seems damning to Syed, and it troubled . Cathy has people over when we get there. In 2000, Syed was found guilty of the murder and given a life sentence as a result of Wilds' witness testimony. Additionally, two other potential suspects with questionable backgrounds have surfaced. Her family reported the 18-year-old high school student missing after she failed to pick up her niece. Hae Min Lee's body was found buried in a shallow grave in Maryland in February 1999. Syed was 17 at the time that Lee was murdered in January 1999. He has only given one interview since Syed's conviction. I rode BMX freestyle. . A majority of the state's evidence against Adnan comes from Jay Wilds' testimony. In it, Koenig talks to Syed who says hes innocent. But she seemed to be more mature, like she was two, three, four years older than us. No. As for Lees family, all they knew was that she didnt show up to pick up her cousin, which is when they reported her missing. Jay's story was wildly inconsistent. It was at least a week before she died, when he found out she was either cheating on him or leaving him. Koenig noted then that despite there being no physical evidence linking Syed to Haes murder, Wilds police interviews provided the groundwork for a conviction. 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. Syed Adnan, then 17, was convicted of murdering Hae Min Lee, 18, in 1999 after a high school romance in Baltimore, MD. In July 2014, a cold case in Baltimore County was solved when new DNA evidence was tested. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! There was never a real friendship. Number of seasons: Three. Theres also the added fact that Wilds boss at the time told people Wilds had to leave work several times to talk with the police before the date of that official interview. Something definite in both media arguments is Wilds's change in story. Who would hold party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have? Im pretty sure it was my fear of going to prison for having a bunch of weed in my grandmas house. 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. I dont know what happened, what occurred between them that day. In February of 2000, 18-year-old Adnan Syed was found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, who went missing the year before. Wilds's testimony played a giant part in convicting Syed of murdering his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee in 1999. She had been strangled. August 19, 2019: The Supreme Court is asked to look at the case. For instance, during one of his police interviews highlighted in The Case Against Adnan Syed,an officer asks Wilds, Youre sure its the 13th because we told you got these calls on the 13th? Jay responds in the affirmative. Her family reported her missing after she failed to pick up her younger cousin from daycare around 3:15 p.m. Lee had attended Woodlawn High School that day and had been seen by several people leaving the campus at the end of the school day. In his first interview since the end of "Serial," Jay Wilds says he thinks he knows who . The Serial podcast threw some question marks over Wilds' version of events.. Other cited factors include the discovery of new suspects and concerns about a detective who worked on Syed's case. It wasnt until they made it clear they werent interested in my procurement of pot that I began to open up any. Jay was likely not given a FULL check because he promised to present facts at Adnan's trial. Hes 17 at the time but charged with first-degree murder as an adult. I really didnt know much about their relationship, if they hung out, where they hung out, when they hung out. 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. Syed then picks up food on his way to meet his dad at the mosque for evening prayers, Serial reported. I was also around a bunch of people earlier the day [at Cathys], and I didnt want them to get fucked up with homicide.. According to the podcast, there were discrepancies between the statements he gave to authorities and the testimony he delivered during Adnan Syed's trial. The creators of the public radio show This American Life debut the podcast series Serial, hosted by Sarah Koenig, about the Lee murder mystery. Like, hes not in a car or anything. 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. I remember the highway traffic to my right, and I remember standing there on the curb. Getting them in trouble for anything that they knew or that I had told them I couldnt have that. "The Case Against Adnan Syed" also notes that Wilds contradicted himself on the witness stand when it came to the story he told police about helping Syed dig the hole: At first, he said he met Syed at a mall parking lot and then went to Leakin Park to bury the body, but later, Wilds said Syed showed him Lees corpse in a Best Buy parking lot. Jays testimony was critical to the states case; indeed,without his testimony its virtually impossible that the state could have even brought Syed to trial. Its in the evening after school, we never hung out in the morning. 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. Adnan says, Just help me dig the hole. And Im still thinking, Inner-city black guy, selling pot to high school kids. The cops are going to fry me. I don't know what happened, what occurred between them that day," he said of Lee's death. Three days later, Baltimore Police . Serial produced a time line which showed the conflicts betweeen just a few of Jays different versions of eventsfor January 13, 1999. And they wouldnt stop interviewing me or questioning me. . It went national, but it was produced in Baltimore. But this account somewhat differsfrom Jays second police interview, as well as his court testimony. It wasnt like, Oh, were going bowling, and lets call it in before we go bowling and call the rest of our friends and call Jay. I dont remember ever going to any kinds of functions or endeavors together, or any concerts or clubs together, you know. Matt Tinoco provided research for this interview. He has a great legal team. March 9, 2019 7:21 PM. Maintenance worker Alonzo Sellers, known as Mr. What happened on this particular day depends on who you talk to. Jay was pretty much convicted because he told the police he helped dispose of the body. Syed has been placed under house arrest for 30 days until the prosecution decides whether to retry him or not. A second court proceedings begin, the papers say. 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. According to Susan Simpson, another lawyer working on the Undisclosed podcast, the official recorded interviews between Wilds and the police reveal some strange auditory clues to why the police would lie about the date they began questioning Wilds. December 15, 1999: A mistrial is declared. Jay Wilds was a crucial player in Adnan's conviction - he testified that Adnan confessed to him about killing Lee, saw Lee's body in the trunk of her car, and helped bury her body in Leakin Park. That afternoon, he says that Syed asked him to pick him up at Best Buy, where Syed shows him Lees body in the trunk of her car. The Lord knows I didnt kill her, The Baltimore Sun reported. According to Wilds, he and Syed were not incredibly close at school. 'Serial' Subject Takes HBO, 'Serial' Subject Adnan Syed Will Get a New Trial. "That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. 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 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. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. JAY Wilds was the key witness in a murder trial in 2000, which saw Adnan Syed charged for the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. I had to go to the bathroom so I pulled over and I went further in the woods so no one could see me, he said on The Case Against Adnan Syed. No until they told me they werent trying to prosecute me for selling weed, or trying to get any of my friends in trouble. examples of bad manners. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. 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. When did he first talk to you about hurting her? This is the first part in a multipart interview. February 12, 1999: Anonymous calls inform the police to look into Syed. . Where was Haes car? 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. than she was letting on. 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? It wasnt like, Oh, were down in the park, come on down.We were friendly, we were cool. A star witness in the case against Syed was fellow Woodlawn High School student Jay Wilds, . Justice Martin Welch vacates the original conviction, saying there should be a new trial. Years later, now that Wilds testimony has come under fire, even Pusateri doubts his version of events. 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. Her body was discovered in Leakin Park in Baltimore, Maryland, and a few weeks later her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed, was . 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. Anything thats going to make [Syed] innocent doesnt involve me. Youre in this on your own. However, Syed is not allowed out on bail while he waits for the new trial. Well first of all, I wasnt openly willing to cooperate with the police. Many questions remain about Wilds true role in the case, but theres no shortage of theories. I dont know whether he calls me when hes on his way back to my house, or if he calls me right outside the house. In September, a legal team formed to represent Wilds and also quickly worked out a plea deal to testify against Syed. He also claimedthat he felt like Koenig, whose account challenges his, tried to pressure him into giving an interview and created an evil archetype of him. Because Pusateris testimony corroborated Wilds (and also changed over time), many listeners came to believe that Pusateri also knew more (or less?) Lunch period 11:15-11:30 a.m. Jay drops Adnan back off at school. At that age, it's intense and he never called Jay a liar, even in Serial. They didnt have to go by us, except to come to lunch, and that was it. What we do know about Wilds and Syed, which Syeds testimony confirms, is that Wilds and Syed were together on the day of Lees murder, and Jay had Syeds phone and car for an unspecified period of time. When the Serial podcast premiered in October of 2014, many listeners were shocked to find that almost the entirety of the . Wilds' first taped interview with police occurred on February 28, 1999. To which, Wilds responded, [T]his guy drove up in front of my grandmothers house, popped the trunk, and had his dead girlfriend in the trunk. Jay Wilds. 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.". Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. It was Jay's testimony that helped to put Adnan in prison with a life sentence for the February 1999 murder of his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. 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. Though Syed said Wilds wasn't with him and had his cell phone at 3:30, his phone called a girl named Nisha, whom only Syed, and not Wilds, knew. There were several reasons given for his release on September 19, 2022, including the prosecution losing confidence in Wilds' evidence. She didnt look beat up. Photo: Natasha Vargas-Cooper for The Intercept, Natasha Vargas-Cooper[emailprotected]theintercept.org@natashavc. 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. Syeds lawyers asked the nations highest court to look into reversing the states decision. He had a professional job in high school, he was aparamedic or something [Ed. . S on Serial, claimed he was drinking a 22-ounce Budweiser while driving when he made a pit stop. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Hae Min Lee was last seen at about 3pm on 13 January 1999. He said, Youve gotta help me, or Im gonna tell the cops about you and the weed and all that shit. And then he popped the trunk and I saw Haes body. As long as I live, my daughter is buried in my heart. The paper says she almost collapsed as she stepped off the witness stand and that her sobs from outside the courtroom could still be heard inside. The subject of the groundbreaking 2014 podcast "Serial," Syed was arrested in. Its not my job to figure that out. The case was covered in-depth in the first season of the podcast by host Sarah Koenig. That would free Wilds to then collect the reward moneyafter detectives officially filed Syeds indictment to CrimeStoppers on October 1stin November. In an interview with The Intercept_, Jay Wilds alleged that. It doesnt seem like enough of a reason to not talk to the police. Take my car, take my cellphone. And it was really hard for him to deal with being on the losing end. Its just on the street. They did not have his permission to record, so we do not hear his voice. I knew him because I knew Muslims in the community from playing basketball at the mosque. On Jan. 13, 1999, Hae Min Lee, an 18-year-old highschool student from Baltimore, went missing. I think there was another dude or something, or whatever. Jay chose not to be formally interviewed by either This American Life or by Serial host and producer, Sarah Koenig. ', 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. I dont know if she said something he couldnt handle, and he went off the edge or if he had been seriously speculating about it. Jay Wilds, the only witness in the 1999 Maryland murder case that convicted Adnan Syed for the murder of 17-year-old Hae Min Lee, spoke with The Intercept, explaining his role in allegedly helping . How old was Adnan when he went to prison in 1999? 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. This interview is the first time Jay has spoken publicly about events surrounding Lees death and the trial that ended in Syeds conviction. 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. But that, according to what I learned later, is probably not what happened. With the case back in the headlines and ID's special, Adnan Syed: Overturned, scheduled to air this Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 9 pm ET, questions are being raised about Jay Wilds' connection to the murder and his witness testimony that may have led to Syed's wrongful conviction. But because of the specifics Wilds included in his testimony the Best Buy location that supposedly matches with call logs, strangling, the whereabouts of Lees car there wasnt much doubt Wilds was somehow involved, even if just peripherally. But their gym, lockers, parking, was down in the magnet wing. Syed could be granted another trial, though, which could pull Wilds back into the spotlight. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. 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. It also made household names out of its central characters, teenagers in Baltimore when the murder took place in 1999: Adnan Syed, the alleged killer; Hae Min Lee, the 18-year-old victim; and. The Woodlawn man has maintained his innocence and the HBO series "The Case Against Adnan Syed" concluded. Wilds picks him up and the two go to a friends house. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger. I worked a lot. Did you go to Leakin Park immediately after agreeing to help? Baltimore police were already focusing their investigation on Syed after an anonymous tip told them to look at Lees ex. 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. Lee disappeared on January 13, 1999. Psychology class 1:27 p.m. Mr.. According to the Undisclosed podcast, Lee goes on her first date with her LensCrafter co-worker Don Clinedinst, who happens to be the son of the store manager. 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. Moreover, a detective named Bill Ritz who repeatedly interviewed Jay Wilds was later accused in a separate case of manipulating and fabricating evidence and not disclosing exculpatory evidence. At trial, he said Adnan killed Hae in the parking lot of Best Buy, and then he also said he helped Adnan bury her in Leakin Park, Chaudry notes during the episode. Lees 16-year-old brother, Young Lee, speaking for his grandparents and mom, tells The Baltimore Sun that the news provided some closure and some peace." I had a lot more on the line than just a few bags of weed. Thats about burying her. Did you make the anonymous call to the police to tip them off about Adnan? Here, we piece together the accounts as they reportedly happened in the 1999 teen murder case: While their relationship was kept a secret because of both religious and cultural differences, classmates Syed and Lee dated in 1998, and broke up in December of that year, according to court records. CrimeStoppers rewards are apparently paid out the following month after the police report that months official indictments. What did you know about Adnan and his relationship with Hae Min Lee? 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. Jay is a show more content By the time I graduated [Woodlawn] high school in 1998, I wasnt exactly angry, but I did resent the school. He just started opening up. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. I had never known anybody who had killed anybody else, so theres no way I could have known. By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. I dont think thats wrong, its high school, you know. She got a new boyfriend? And he didnt know how to deal with that. Theyre gonna pin me to the fucking wall. Hes gone with Haes car. 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. So that would ruin her life too, Wilds told Vargas-Cooper. In both, Syed's guilt is questioned, as is Wilds's statements. Police take evidence from the scene and interview several people in an attempt to find the killer. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He claimed Syed had spoken about killing Lee a week before her actual murder and disappearance. From the way he carried himself, at least, it looked like he had never lost anything before. But he didnt call me unless he needed something. He just seemed like someone who didnt smoke weed too much. Four weeks later, her half-buried body was found at Leakin. The judge gave prosecutors 30 days to proceed with a new trial or drop the case. 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. He seemed under alot of pressure to please. Jays post-Serial interviews with The Intercept: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. As described by Syed to Serial, he goes to his photography and English classes and then calls his friend Jay Wilds, offering to lend him his car during his lunch period. I've posted 25 entries Sarah Koenig's Serial Podcast, which deals with the 1999 prosecution of 17 year-old Adnan Syed for murdering his ex-girlfriend, 18 year-old Hae Min Lee, on January 13, 1999 . The following has been edited and condensed for clarity. I dont know. How old were you when you first met Adnan Syed? Hae was dead before she got to my house. This is where it was produced. Love Island's Olivia Hawkins breaks silence as she returns to the UK, Loose Women star lined up to be Strictly's first contestant in wheelchair, GMB's Kate Garraway reveals crippling cost of caring for her husband Derek, Stephen Bear 'broke behind bars' as his company is shut down before he's jailed, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Stephanie [Jays girlfriend] came to me and said Adnan is pretty cool, plus he wanted to buy some weed. Im being manipulated into whats being done right now.. And at a certain point I say, Well fuck, Im finished. Then Jay spoke. Undisclosed proffers that Wilds was going to use the reward money to purchase the motorcycle, but Brown says he sold it to someone else. (Wilds would later lead the police to Lees car, parked on a residential street.) Three days later, Baltimore Police received an anonymous tip that Syed was responsible for the murder. Although her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed was sentenced to life plus 30 years in prision in 2000 (Syed's conviction was vacated in September 2022), there may be just as many questions surrounding the case now as there were then. Clearly Sarah Koenig was leaning towards Adnans innocence and she got sidetracked by Jay a little bit, too. Lee's body was discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park by a passerby, partially buried in a shallow grave. When I die, my daughter will die with me. 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. Wilds, who gave police multiple interviews and testified in court, was first questioned on Feb. 28, 1999, just hours before police arrested Syed on suspicion of Lee's murder. JAY WILDS. And I found that to be a bit of a slap in the face. 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 exited the Baltimore courthouse to deafening cheers. In that situation, he was the loser. November 6, 2015: The post-conviction relief case is reopened. Based on Syeds indictment date, the CrimeStoppers reward should have been paid in June, but it was not paid until November. Yes. Jay Wilds, who claimed he helped . Interviewed by other media, since Serial? 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. . Im going to be late for practice, so just drop me off. The police arrested and charged Lee's ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed with the murder six weeks later. "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. She never showed up to either. Additionally, since Syed provided no real alibi, Wilds testimony was convincing enough that it allowed prosecutors to nail Syed for the murder. He was prompted to speak with detectives after a friend of Adnan and Jay, Jenn, told detectives that Jay told . READ MORE ON CRIME On January 13, 1999, Korean-American high school student Hae Min Lee, 18, was reported missing by her family after failing to come home. Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa M. Phinn vacated Syed's conviction, effectively setting him free. And detective notes capped Browns interview with the word REWARD, written in all caps. .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. From your perspective, what was Adnans reputation at Woodlawn? In the podcast Koenig pointedly challenged Jays account of events and his motivation for assisting Adnan. I don't feel comfortable drawing conclusions like that.