. Lee's body was discovered in Leakin park; three weeks later in a shallow grave. Is there still a case against Serial's Adnan Syed after Jay Wilds Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. When Adnan loaned you his car onJan. 13, 1999, did he tell you it was because he planned on murdering Hae? Ok, so you arrive at Cathys with Adnan after he tells you he murdered Hae? I believe she had a job also. 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. He says, OK, follow me halfway back down the hill [towards the grave site], so he doesnt have to walk all the way back up the hill to get back to me in his car. It doesnt seem like enough of a reason to not talk to the police. We met over the weekend at his two-story suburban home. Syed Adnan, then 17, was convicted of murdering Hae Min Lee, 18, in 1999 after a high school romance in Baltimore, MD. He remains calm as handcuffs are being put on him, saying, I'll be alrightI have faith in the Lord. When I die, my daughter will die with me. You can't start drawing conclusions like that. A December 1999 trial ended in mistrial. Four weeks later, her half-buried body was found at Leakin. Is this when you first saw Haes body in the trunk of her car? Jay Wilds says 'Serial' host Sarah Koenig lied about him Evidence from the Adnan Syed case | Previously undisclosed.wikispaces.com. How old were you when you first met Adnan Syed? how old was jay wilds in 1999 The star witness at Syeds trial was Jay Wilds, a former classmate who testified that he helpedSyed dispose of Lees body. Jay Wilds, Maryland's key (and only) witness at Adnan Syed's 2000 trial for murdering Hae Min Lee which was chronicled on the hotly debated Serial podcast, which launched in October 2014 and completed its 12-episode run earlier this month has consented to a single interview (with The Intercept) in an attempt to tell his side of the story. What was your life likeduring1998 and 1999? Three days later, Baltimore Police . 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. And hes like, Ive gotta put her car somewhere. So I follow him around for a few minutes, and he just picks a place at random behind some row houses, leaves her car, gets into his car, takes me home. There were several reasons given for his release on September 19, 2022, including the prosecution losing confidence in Wilds' evidence. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Syed was 17 at the time that Lee was murdered in January 1999. Wilds' testimony in. In Adnan's call log was Jay Wilds, who talked to detectives on February 28, 1999. 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. He has a great legal team. When 17-year-old Adnan Syed was arrested, then convicted for the 1999 murder of his high school ex-girlfriend, . And the other thing about it, I mean, there looked like there was real hurt and pain. Wilds then drops Syed back off at school, where he has a free period and then arrives late to his psychology class it started at 12:50 p.m., but he entered at 1:27 p.m., as his teacher notes. 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. In The Case Against Adnan Syed, the filmmakers interviewed Jay in January 2019. At that age, it's intense and he never called Jay a liar, even in Serial. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. Hae Min Lee's body was found buried in a shallow grave in Maryland in February 1999. Its in the evening after school, we never hung out in the morning. Was it in the Best Buy parking lot? I think that was his first real girlfriend, and I think thats why his reaction was so strong. "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. and 4p.m. Then he calls me and says, Come pick me up., So I go to pick him up, and when I get there he says, Oh shit, I did it. I say, Did what? He says, I killed Hae.. Mr.. 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. Adnan's friend Jay, who . The case was covered in-depth in the first season of the podcast by host Sarah Koenig. By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Please logout and login again. I stonewalled them that way. Adnan Syed, 41, was released from prison earlier this month after revelations proved that key information which could have proved his innocence was withheld from his defense counsel back then. Psychology class 1:27 p.m. 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. . Fellow Woodlawn student Jay Wilds testified that he helped Syed bury Lee. Five Theories About Who Killed Hae Min Lee - Men's Health I didnt resent the students, I resented the school for setting it up like that. 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. Just another site. When Woodlawn put in the magnet thing, they took out all the vocational classes. 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. I had cops show up and harass me before at my house. January 1, 1999: Lee and Don Clinedinst go on their first date. I dont think it meant that much to her. And I found that to be a bit of a slap in the face. Jay Wilds. Additionally, since Syed provided no real alibi, Wilds testimony was convincing enough that it allowed prosecutors to nail Syed for the murder. On Monday, a Maryland judge overturned Adnan Syed 's first-degree murder conviction for the 1999 death of his ex-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. Im also thinking, Whats making him think Im totally okay with this? Like if a car goes by, and I jump out and wave at them saying, Hey, this is a murderer right here. But I didnt. This fact seems damning to Syed, and it troubled . 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. I remember Adnan standing next to me. He left in his car and I was trying to collect myself at my [grandmothers] house. I also ran the operation out of my grandmothers house and that also put my family at risk. There were some big forces going on that didnt have anything to do with Hae. Syed's case has been publicized in the podcast Serial, as well as the HBO true crime documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed. 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. 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 was pretty much convicted because he told the police he helped dispose of the body. The teacher, Mr. Brown, didnt know either Syed or Lee, raising eyebrows at his participation in the investigation. I didnt tell the cops it was in front of my house because I didnt want to involve my grandmother. Wilds picks him up and the two go to a friends house. Shes a high school girl, Oh, hes cute, Oh, whateverthings fizzleout. 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. Im pretty sure it was my fear of going to prison for having a bunch of weed in my grandmas house. Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa M. Phinn vacated Syed's conviction, effectively setting him free. 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. What happened on this particular day depends on who you talk to. 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. The Woodlawn man has maintained his innocence and the HBO series "The Case Against Adnan Syed" concluded. 11:15-12:50 p.m. Free period 12:50-2:15 p.m. The student told the official that he was suppose[d] to get a ride home from the victim, but he got detained at school and felt that she just got tired of waiting and left, according to the 2019 appeal. March 9, 2019, 2:00 PM. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Syed has maintained his innocence during his decades in prison, yet a 2019 attempt to hear an appeal for a new trial was turned down by the Supreme Court. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Lee disappeared on January 13, 1999. I asked him where were going and he says, Didnt you say everyone gets dumped in Leakin Park?. I might have sat next to him in a class, and joked or something. Police take evidence from the scene and interview several people in an attempt to find the killer. Jay told the filmmakers that Adnan asked him to procure 10 pounds of marijuana. Then what happens, and what time is it roughly? But that, according to what I learned later, is probably not what happened. In one police interview, Wilds said he saw the body, it was in a car in the parking lot of a Best Buy. He was prompted to speak with detectives after a friend of Adnan and Jay, Jenn, told detectives that Jay told . What did you know about Adnan and his relationship with Hae Min Lee? No. His evidence was crucial to the state's case. Exclusive: Jay, Key Witness from 'Serial' Tells His Story for First Also Jay had no motive. Syeds lawyers asked the nations highest court to look into reversing the states decision. We get into his car, and he drives up around the corner to Haes car. Cathy has people over when we get there. He just couldnt come to grips with those feelings. Im going to be late for practice, so just drop me off. After the party, Adnan drove Jay home and then dropped Stephanie home afterwards. In September, a legal team formed to represent Wilds and also quickly worked out a plea deal to testify against Syed. Everything You Need to Know About the Adnan Syed Murder Case - E! Online 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. In Serial you are depicted as a petty weed dealer. Undisclosed proffers that Wilds was going to use the reward money to purchase the motorcycle, but Brown says he sold it to someone else. 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. I thought at worst hed throw a rock through her window or something. A second court proceedings begin, the papers say. Where is Jay Wilds? The Adnan Syed Saga Isn't Over Yet - Elite Daily Number of seasons: Three. We drive over toCathys house to smoke. Syeds trial, and Jays testimony, became the focus of a This American Life spinoff series, the 12-part podcast Serial, broadcast in the fall of this year. Serial sought to dive deep into the potential failings of the criminal justice system and thoroughly re-examine Syed's case. 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. I've known Adnan for many years, and I have. The finale of Amy Berg's four-part HBO mini-series contains new revelations surrounding the prosecution's star witness, Jay Wilds, new information about Hae Min Lee's autopsy, and thin but . Wilds's testimony played a giant part in convicting Syed of murdering his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee in 1999. March 25, 2000: McClain writes an affidavit. She dated Adnan in. And it was really hard for him to deal with being on the losing end. Jay also worked at the Drug Emporium store a short walk from his home. Hae Min Lee's Family Would've OK'd Adnan's Release If Evidence Was Solid He just started opening up. And people were starting to find out he was a loser, Oh, you and Hae arent together anymore. The five-day hearing includes witness testimonies from McClain, as well as a cell phone expert, Harpers Bazaar reported. Lee was last seen alive on Jan. 13, 1999. He seemed a little bit more uptight than the other Muslim kids that I knew. Haes car could have been in the parking lot, but I didnt know what it looked like so I dont remember. On January 13th of 1999, a 17 year old Korean girl by the name of Hae Min Lee when missing after school in Baltimore, Maryland. June 6, 2000: Lees mother gives an emotional testimony and Syed is given a life sentence. . I saw the ATF and DEA take down guys in my neighborhood for selling much less than I was at the time. 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. 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. 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. McClain has fought for Syed's innocence since the case had originally opened. What else could motivate you to choke the life out of someone you cared about? in January 1999 . No. It wasnt until they made it clear they werent interested in my procurement of pot that I began to open up any. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. CrimeStoppers rewards are apparently paid out the following month after the police report that months official indictments. No one is quite sure what they are, but the timing of the taps on the recording seems suspicious. He did not go to prison, though. Getting them in trouble for anything that they knew or that I had told them I couldnt have that. I think and, look, its been 15 years about 6 p.m. How old was Adnan when he went to prison in 1999? The way she moved and went about her day. 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. July 1, 2016. When was the first time you hung out with Adnan? 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. So that would ruin her life too. examples of bad manners. Your login session has expired. It all revolves around Jay," lawyer and Syed family friend, 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. I would like to forgive Adnan Syed, but as of now, I just don't know how I could, she says. The short version: On January 13th, 1999, Lee was supposed to pick up her younger cousin from daycare at 3:15 p.m. She never showed, which immediately set off alarm bells among those who knew her. The story Jay told police had problems, because it kept changing from telling to telling, Koenig says in the first episode of Serial. But they were able to bolster the main plot points using cell records from Adnans phone., Others think the inconsistencies point toward something else Chaudry says in the documentary that she thinks the police were helping [Wilds] craft the story.. What do you think? Did you make the anonymous call to the police to tip them off about Adnan? Syed has been placed under house arrest for 30 days until the prosecution decides whether to retry him or not. 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. McClain in 1999 at the time of the murder was Syed's classmate at Woodlawn High School. He had a professional job in high school, he was aparamedic or something [Ed. Who is Jay Wilds? | The US Sun Much of the attention came after the case became the subject of the This American Life podcast Serial in 2014. Serial: how a podcast helped Adnan Syed become a free man 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. Without Jay's testimony, it is highly unlikely that the state could have ever taken him to trial. Jay feels strongly that he was unfairly depicted by Koenig and that she painted a highly misleading portrayal of him and his role in the case. I was also running [drug] operations from my grandmothers house. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Everything We Know About Jay Wilds from Serial, Every Song From the Daisy Jones' Soundtrack, police may have already been looking at him as an accomplice, an adult who sold marijuana to high school kids, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. He said that the idea of Best Buy came from the police. 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. He was a little pompous, a little arrogant, but he seemed really driven as far as his academics, but all those magnet students were. I got the feeling the few times of interacting with Adnan that there was this enormous pressure from somewhere trying to make him into something he didnt want to be. The case is reopened to take into account McClains new testimony, new cell phone data and allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel as well as prosecutorial misconduct, according to Harpers Bazaar. The group of people I hung out with were different from the group of people I was from. 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. Syeds first appeal is denied by the Court of Special Appeals, according to court records. 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. Judge Wanda K. Heard gives Syed a life sentence plus 30 years. If Wilds did receive the reward money for being the tipster, but that information wasnt disclosed, that would have immediately led to a new trial. 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. Where was Haes car? Were sitting there smoking and he receives a phone call from the police and gets all panicky. Take my car, take my cellphone. Syed is currently serving a life sentence. I was also around a bunch of people earlier the day [at Cathys], and I didnt want them to get fucked up with homicide. "That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. Is Riley Keough Singing in Daisy Jones & The Six? Its while hes there that Officer Scott Adcock calls Syed asking if he knew where Lee was. Emotions have no IQ. Just after his arrest, McClain writes a letter to Syed and details talking to him in the library on January 13, Serial reported. 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." Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, 'Serial' Recap: Everything About Adnan Syed's Case, Who Is Adnan Syed? Wilds has played an interesting role in this case. But she seemed to be more mature, like she was two, three, four years older than us. Jay Speaks Part 2: 'Hae was dead before she got to my house. Anything "Jay told the story that convicted Adnan.. 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. Family friend and attorney Rabia Chaudry asks McClain to write an affidavit after Syed is convicted, Serial reported. When did you two get closer to each other? After class, he goes to the Woodlawn Public Library to check his email and chats with friend, Asia McClain. This is the first part in a multipart interview. Yes. The Lord knows I didnt kill her, The Baltimore Sun reported. Posted on July 4, 2022 by . Why Did Jay Wilds' Testimony Get Adnan Syed Convicted? | True Crime Buzz 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.