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. That would free Wilds to then collect the reward moneyafter detectives officially filed Syeds indictment to CrimeStoppers on October 1stin November. Lee disappeared on January 13, 1999. July 1, 2016. I didnt know it was that close. View our online Press Pack. 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. Additionally, two other potential suspects with questionable backgrounds have surfaced. 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. Just another site. Dissatisfying is the best word I can use for that, she said in an interview with Vulture. . Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. It remains true today." This is where it was produced. This interview is the first time Jay has spoken publicly about events surrounding Lees death and the trial that ended in Syeds conviction. What we do know for sure is this: 18-year-old Lee left her Baltimore high school before 3 p.m. on January 13, 1999, to pick up a cousin. 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. I met him while I was still at Woodlawn, so around 1998. How old was Adnan when he went to prison in 1999? When I pick him up at Best Buy, hes telling me her car is somewhere there, and that he did this in the parking lot. . 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 . Koenig noted then that despite there being no physical evidence linking Syed to Haes murder, Wilds police interviews provided the groundwork for a conviction. A majority of the state's evidence against Adnan comes from Jay Wilds' testimony. At the time,this was Maryland in the 90s, the drug laws were extremely serious. The subject of the groundbreaking 2014 podcast "Serial," Syed was arrested in. 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. It wasnt just like I was selling a nickel bag here and there. Lets back up, tell me what happened when you arrived at the Best Buy to pick up Adnan. And it was really hard for him to deal with being on the losing end. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Syed has been placed under house arrest for 30 days until the prosecution decides whether to retry him or not. Thats the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Syed and Lee were seniors at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County when Lee disappeared in January 1999. I didnt know that he planned to murder her that day. A separate conviction Ritz secured the same year Adnan was convicted was overturned because of this in 2016. They were granted Syeds cell phone call records and then looked at two recipients of calls from Syeds phone: Jennifer Pusateri and Wilds. He might be needed back in court soon. 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. 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. He seemed under alot of pressure to please. 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. When 17-year-old Adnan Syed was arrested, then convicted for the 1999 murder of his high school ex-girlfriend, . 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. He just started opening up. Baltimore police were already focusing their investigation on Syed after an anonymous tip told them to look at Lees ex. 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. 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. 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. Then Jay spoke. When asked about the inconsistencies in his stories, Jay Wilds told The Intercept_ that. I guess I was being kind of a jury on whether or not people needed to be involved or whatever, but these people didnt have anything to do with it, and I knew they didnt have anything to do with it. 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. 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. Emotions have no IQ. 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. Who Was Mallory Beach in 'Murdaugh Murders'? Jay Wilds spoke to The Intercept about the case for an article published Monday. We were in the car, we were riding, smoking. Syed then picks up food on his way to meet his dad at the mosque for evening prayers, Serial reported. Photo: Natasha Vargas-Cooper for The Intercept, Natasha Vargas-Cooper[emailprotected]theintercept.org@natashavc. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. In an interview with The Intercept_, Jay Wilds alleged that. Serial Three seasons, investigation The addictive 2014 podcast that started the global mania for true crime. 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. The podcast attracted global attention, and had gained more than 100 million downloads by June 2016. And they were getting sentenced to three and five years. He claimed Syed had spoken about killing Lee a week before her actual murder and disappearance. If Wilds were meeting with the cops before this official interview, its completely possible he would have been coached, as Simpson suggests. Three days later, Baltimore Police received an anonymous tip that Syed was responsible for the murder. March 1, 1999: McClain writes Syed a letter. Matt Tinoco provided research for this interview. He left in his car and I was trying to collect myself at my [grandmothers] house. A December 1999 trial ended in mistrial. I thought at worst hed throw a rock through her window or something. She also wasnt on the magnet side of the demographic. 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. 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. Classmates last saw her leaving school around 2:15 p.m. February 9, 1999: Lee's body is found in Leakin Park. I made him smoke one time, he got a little high, got a little weird. I had a lot more on the line than just a few bags of weed. Meanwhile,Maryland's highest court denied a new trialfor Syed earlier this month, according to The Associated Press. You can't start drawing conclusions like that. 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. You follow me some of the way, and then Ill take care of it.. Jay Wilds, the key witness in the Serial murder case, has broken his silence at last. Wilds has stayed private since the 2014 interview. Other cited factors include the discovery of new suspects and concerns about a detective who worked on Syed's case. The trial begins the second week of December and quickly ends as a mistrial, the court appeals papers say. There was a reward of $3,075 from CrimeStoppers for information on the case leading to the indictment. The case was covered in-depth in the first season of the podcast by host Sarah Koenig. Consequently, Wilds is a looming figure in Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyders reporting about the trial. Syed was arrested that same day, aged 17. 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. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. What happened before that, I dont know.. The first season of Serial examined the complex case of the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, in which there seemed to be much evidence but no conclusive proof of what happened. Im pretty sure it was my fear of going to prison for having a bunch of weed in my grandmas house. I've known Adnan for many years, and I have. 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. McClain has fought for Syed's innocence since the case had originally opened. Number of episodes: 25+ (ongoing). At times he even apologizes, as though he were trained to say something specifically and had forgotten. To better understand this, we need to look back at Feb. 12 . We met over the weekend at his two-story suburban home. It all revolves around Jay," lawyer and Syed family friend Rabia Chaudry says in episode two ofThe Case Against Adnan Syed." Wilds was Syed's friend during the time of the murder. Many questions remain about Wilds true role in the case, but theres no shortage of theories. 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. 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. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. On January 13, 1999, Korean-American high school student Hae Min Lee, 18, was reported missing by her family after failing to come home. I saw her body later, in front ofof my grandmothers house where I was living. 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. Were sitting there smoking and he receives a phone call from the police and gets all panicky. His case was chronicled in the first season of the hit podcast. He was magnet. Syed will know his fate by August. 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. All Rights Reserved. Did you go to Leakin Park immediately after agreeing to help? Syed Adnan, then 17, was convicted of murdering Hae Min Lee, 18, in 1999 after a high school romance in Baltimore, MD. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Jay is a show more content The other thing to understand is something about the culture of Baltimorethis is where the Stop Snitching video comes from. I asked him where were going and he says, Didnt you say everyone gets dumped in Leakin Park?. In Adnan's call log was Jay Wilds, who talked to detectives on February 28, 1999. 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.". Number of seasons: Three. After class, he goes to the Woodlawn Public Library to check his email and chats with friend, Asia McClain. He knows that none of us are basically giving up. 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. Is Riley Keough Singing in Daisy Jones & The Six? "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. Not just that, but prosecutors are also now saying a key witness -- Jay Wilds-- gave inconsistent accounts to cops. Football paid for everything at the school. And the other thing about it, I mean, there looked like there was real hurt and pain. I remember Adnan standing next to me. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. 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. 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. Lees mother, Youn Wha Kim, says she moved to America from Korea to give her kids a better life. In the phone conversation, he contradicted past statements by suggesting he tried to return Adnans car at school, but couldnt find him and left. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, 'Serial' Recap: Everything About Adnan Syed's Case, Who Is Adnan Syed? Jay's story was wildly inconsistent. 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.. ', 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 didnt resent the students, I resented the school for setting it up like that. I know that he came from a very strict religious background and that he was uneasy with some of the things he was doing. Adnan was convicted with evidence of his cell phone . 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. Yes we dig for about 40 minutes and we dig and dig, and hes digging less and less. Family friend and attorney Rabia Chaudry asks McClain to write an affidavit after Syed is convicted, Serial reported. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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. Never really a big group of friends. In both, Syed's guilt is questioned, as is Wilds's statements. If you're a fan of Sarah Koenig's popular podcast, Serial, then you might already know that previously convicted murderer Adnan Syed whose case was the subject of the podcast's . He said that the idea of Best Buy came from the police. 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. The five-day hearing includes witness testimonies from McClain, as well as a cell phone expert, Harpers Bazaar reported. Its not my job to figure that out. When was the first time you hung out with Adnan? Ok, so you arrive at Cathys with Adnan after he tells you he murdered Hae? I didnt think he was going to go kill her. His evidence was crucial to the state's case. and 4p.m. About a month later, police uncovered her body in a nearby park; an autopsywould later find that she was choked to death. 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." how old was jay wilds in 1999. mercer county community college basketball roster. Jay also worked at the Drug Emporium store a short walk from his home. But this account somewhat differsfrom Jays second police interview, as well as his court testimony. Autopsy results later show that Lee was strangled, The Baltimore Sun reports. It was at least a week before she died, when he found out she was either cheating on him or leaving him. 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. COMING NEXT: PART 2, Jays theory on the anonymous caller, why he agreed to testify in the states case against Adnan, and how Serial showed up at his front door. In a sudden twist, the Maryland Court of Appeals votes 4 to 3 to reverse the decision, denying a new trial saying, There is not a significant or substantial possibility that the verdict would have been different, the Associated Press reported. Yes. By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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. The Woodlawn man has maintained his innocence and the HBO series "The Case Against Adnan Syed" concluded. Jay is the center of gravity in this case. He was sentenced to life in prison for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Hae was dead before she got to my house. In September, a legal team formed to represent Wilds and also quickly worked out a plea deal to testify against Syed. That night they bury Lees body in Leakin Park and leave her car in a residential parking lot. She dated Adnan in. in January 1999 . Wilds, who was an acquaintance of Syed, confessed to helping Syed bury. 824 Words4 Pages. Hes gone with Haes car. 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 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee hinged on the testimony of one witnessJay Wilds. Also Jay had no motive. Investigators at the time determined that she died by . Adnan left and then returned to my house several hours later, closer to midnight in his own car. READ MORE ON CRIME Adnan's friend Jay, who . "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. Psychology class 1:27 p.m. The podcast alleged that there were inconsistencies between his police statements and the testimony he gave at Syed's second trial. Supposed evidence of this relates to how the reward money was paid out. In 1999, Annelise Hyang Suk Lee, a 27-year-old female of Asian descent, was found raped, beaten, and . Its just on the street. I know I didnt kill her. Jay told the filmmakers that Adnan asked him to procure 10 pounds of marijuana. 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. I was also around a bunch of people earlier the day [at Cathys], and I didnt want them to get fucked up with homicide. There was never a real friendship. I only smoked with him two or three times. The ins and outs of the timeline have been scrutinized and studied endlessly by professionals and amateurs alike. Syed was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years on February 25, 2000 for first degree murder,kidnapping, false imprisonment and robbery. Didnt say that much. "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. He came back with no tools or anything. I had never known anybody who had killed anybody else, so theres no way I could have known. November 6, 2015: The post-conviction relief case is reopened. It went national, but it was produced in Baltimore. In one police interview, Wilds said he saw the body, it was in a car in the parking lot of a Best Buy. Why did you agree to help Adnan bury Hae? . Getting them in trouble for anything that they knew or that I had told them I couldnt have that. Just normal conversation like, I think shes fucking around. After the party, Adnan drove Jay home and then dropped Stephanie home afterwards. From your perspective, what was Adnans reputation at Woodlawn? March 9, 2019, 2:00 PM. How old were you when you first met Adnan Syed? Wilds' testimony in. She was still in the trunk. Wilds . So where is Wilds today? Her body was discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park on Feb. 9, 1999. When we were digging the hole, its not like Haes body was just lying next to us. Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. 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 was Syed's classmate at Woodlawn high school, Baltimore. Wilds' shaky testimony was first highlighted in Serial, the 2014 podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig that brought Syeds case back into the public eye. 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. 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. I dont think it meant that much to her. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. Jays post-Serial interviews with The Intercept: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. 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. Her body was found in a forest three weeks later. What was your life likeduring1998 and 1999? About a month later, police uncovered her body in a nearby park; an. Im not a lawyer and Im not a cop. 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. Syed is given the chance to overturn the Baltimore City Circuit Court ruling that denied him post-conviction relief, thanks to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, Vulture reported. I think that was his first real girlfriend, and I think thats why his reaction was so strong. who has spent the past 15 years in jail for the murder of 17-year-old Hae Min Lee, . 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 . To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 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. The popularised podcast series Serial has been central to shedding light on the Adnan Syed case. For our age group, she was really independent. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Much of the attention came after the case became the subject of the This American Life podcast Serial in 2014. Like she was a junior in college. The way Wilds tells it, Syed pressured him to help dispose of Lees body. You cant start drawing conclusions like that. 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. 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. I would like to forgive Adnan Syed, but as of now, I just don't know how I could, she says. Jay obviously picks and chooses what he tells, and at this point its created such a mess, she says in the documentary. Years later, now that Wilds testimony has come under fire, even Pusateri doubts his version of events. 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. I worked a lot. When did you two get closer to each other? 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.
Worst Hurricane To Hit Destin Fl,
Criminal Minds Relationships,
Monterey Peninsula Country Club Beach House Wedding,
Articles H