I dont necessarily know if he meant to kill Hae before he did it or if it was a sudden moment thing, but looking at his life, from what I saw, he seemed to be far out of his realm when it came to Hae leaving him. Serial produced a time line which showed the conflicts betweeen just a few of Jays different versions of eventsfor January 13, 1999. Adnan left and then returned to my house several hours later, closer to midnight in his own car. 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. Why did you agree to help Adnan bury Hae? UFC's Raul Rosas Jr. 18-Year-Old Fighter . In an interview with The Intercept_, Jay Wilds alleged that. 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. 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. Consider what the world of media would look like without The Intercept. Why is this story different from what you originally told the police? He knew I was afraid of that. 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. Her body was discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park on Feb. 9, 1999. They also highlighted the inconsistent statements of his co-defendant, Jay Wilds, who testified against him. 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. Wilds was Syed's classmate at Woodlawn high school, Baltimore. February 12, 1999: Anonymous calls inform the police to look into Syed. Hoo-boy, and then theres the motorcycle story that Undisclosed says confirms Wilds was the tipster. Did you make the anonymous call to the police to tip them off about Adnan? I remember the highway traffic to my right, and I remember standing there on the curb. I really didnt know much about their relationship, if they hung out, where they hung out, when they hung out. 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. Many questions remain about Wilds true role in the case, but theres no shortage of theories. 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. 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. 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 looms large in Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyders reporting about the trial. Jay obviously picks and chooses what he tells, and at this point its created such a mess, she says in the documentary. There were some big forces going on that didnt have anything to do with Hae. Posted on July 4, 2022 by . And the other thing about it, I mean, there looked like there was real hurt and pain. We are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court, but by no means is this the end of Adnan Syed, attorney C. Justin Brown told AP at the time. Normal high school Im mad at her and Ill scratch her car sort of stuff. 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. of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. 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. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. In Februaryof 2000, Syed was found guilty of murdering Lee. What happened before that, I dont know.. In the phone conversation, he contradicted past statements by suggesting he tried to return Adnans car at school, but couldnt find him and left. Wilds, who was an acquaintance of Syed, confessed to helping Syed bury. He seemed under alot of pressure to please. I was also running [drug] operations from my grandmothers house. Now, after years of controversy, a Baltimore court has overturned Syed's conviction after a judge ruled that the legal proceedings were violated during the initial trial. . Wilds . This is the same day Adnan was arrested, at the age of 17. When Woodlawn put in the magnet thing, they took out all the vocational classes. In one police interview, Wilds said he saw the body, it was in a car in the parking lot of a Best Buy. I made him smoke one time, he got a little high, got a little weird. Jays wife and mother entertained the couples young children while Jay and I spoke in the family living room. 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 . who has spent the past 15 years in jail for the murder of 17-year-old Hae Min Lee, . Her remains were discovered buried in a park a month later. She dated Adnan in. "That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. From the statements Wilds made in 2014 with The Intercept, it seems unlikely he would do so. Wilds' shaky testimony was first highlighted in Serial, the 2014 podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig that brought Syeds case back into the public eye. He might be needed back in court soon. A big part of the Serial podcast is to speculate on Adnans motive. Is that why you didntinitiallycooperate with the police? When police were investigating Lees murder, CrimeStoppers offered a $3,075 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the murderer. The Woodlawn man has maintained his innocence and the HBO series "The Case Against Adnan Syed" concluded. 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 . 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. It began with his fear of being prosecuted for dealing pot in his high school. 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. S on Serial, claimed he was drinking a 22-ounce Budweiser while driving when he made a pit stop. This is the first part in a multipart interview. She was still in the trunk. I think that was his first real girlfriend, and I think thats why his reaction was so strong. He just started opening up. 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. Haes car could have been in the parking lot, but I didnt know what it looked like so I dont remember. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. "He might really have just been bulls******* at the time. I stonewalled them that way. "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. "Jay told the story that convicted Adnan.. Jay firmly believes that he was wrongfully represented on the podcast. A majority of the state's evidence against Adnan comes from Jay Wilds' testimony. The other thing to understand is something about the culture of Baltimorethis is where the Stop Snitching video comes from. The one interview Wilds gave was to The Intercept in 2014. At that age, it's intense and he never called Jay a liar, even in Serial. And they wouldnt stop interviewing me or questioning me. 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. Lee had disappeared on Jan. 13, and almost a month later, on Feb. 9, her body was found by a passerby in Baltimore's Leakin Park. Maintenance worker Alonzo Sellers, known as Mr. What do you think? Syed was sentenced to life in prison. Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. Anything thats going to make [Syed] innocent doesnt involve me. 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 podcast attracted global attention, and had gained more than 100 million downloads by June 2016. I also ran the operation out of my grandmothers house and that also put my family at risk. What the Undisclosed pod offers up for an explanation is that because Wilds himself came under investigation, he could not recover the money. Ok, so you arrive at Cathys with Adnan after he tells you he murdered Hae? J ay Wilds was the key eyewitness in the murder case against Adnan Syed, which Sarah Koenig explored in the course of her podcast-gone-viral Serial. The way Wilds tells it, Syed pressured him to help dispose of Lees body. He remains calm as handcuffs are being put on him, saying, I'll be alrightI have faith in the Lord. Lee was last seen alive on Jan. 13, 1999. I dont know what happened, what occurred between them that day. Three days later, Baltimore Police . Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. I know I didnt kill her. After class, he goes to the Woodlawn Public Library to check his email and chats with friend, Asia McClain. Take my car, take my cellphone. I didnt think he was going to go kill her. 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. What did you know about Adnan and his relationship with Hae Min Lee? They didnt have to go by us, except to come to lunch, and that was it. From your perspective, what was Adnans reputation at Woodlawn? Syed's case has been publicized in the podcast Serial, as well as the HBO true crime documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed. Joining is simple and doesnt need to cost a lot: You can become a sustaining member for as little as $3 or $5 a month. I was not sure. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, 'Serial' Recap: Everything About Adnan Syed's Case, Who Is Adnan Syed? 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. Their accounts depart when Wilds says Syed showed him the body in the trunk of the car, and then Syed enlisted Wilds to bury Lee. 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. Photo: Natasha Vargas-Cooper for The Intercept, Natasha Vargas-Cooper[emailprotected]theintercept.org@natashavc.