Syed then picks up food on his way to meet his dad at the mosque for evening prayers, Serial reported. At the time,this was Maryland in the 90s, the drug laws were extremely serious. 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. Jay Wilds, who claimed he helped . I didnt know that he planned to murder her that day. Heres everything we know about Jay Wilds before the premiere of HBOs documentary series, The Case Against Adnan Syed. 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. 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 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. Wilds was also an adult who sold marijuana to high school kids, which made him vulnerable. Its just on the street. how old was jay wilds in 1999 el camino for sale tampa how old was jay wilds in 1999 how old was jay wilds in 1999. disney land and sea packages 2022. affluent black neighborhoods in new york. December 30, 2013: Syed's petition for post-conviction relief is denied. 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. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Wilds alleged that Syed had told him he had murdered Lee. December 15, 1999: A mistrial is declared. Baltimore City police detective Darryl Massey received two anonymous phone calls telling him to look into Lees ex-boyfriend as a possible suspect, Undisclosed: The State vs. Adnan Syed reported. Syed's legal team might point out that, whether he was lying in 1999 or lying in 2014, the fact is that Wilds is a liar, and that should cast doubt on Syed's conviction. 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. She dated Adnan in. June 6, 2000: Lees mother gives an emotional testimony and Syed is given a life sentence. Timelines: January 13, 1999 Adnan's Call Log Adnan's Story 7:45-9:15 a.m. 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. I dont know what happened, what occurred between them that day. When did you two get closer to each other? Shes a high school girl, Oh, hes cute, Oh, whateverthings fizzleout. 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.. The podcast attracted global attention, and had gained more than 100 million downloads by June 2016. Thats all it takes to support the journalism you rely on. He just seemed like someone who didnt smoke weed too much. Got called an Oreo. 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. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Adnan Syed: Overturned airs on ID this Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 9 pm ET. I didnt tell the cops it was in front of my house because I didnt want to involve my grandmother. Its while hes there that Officer Scott Adcock calls Syed asking if he knew where Lee was. Just another site. And the other thing about it, I mean, there looked like there was real hurt and pain. When 17-year-old Adnan Syed was arrested, then convicted for the 1999 murder of his high school ex-girlfriend, . About a month later, police uncovered her body in a nearby park; an. Going to work on February 9, 1999, a school maintenance worker stops at Leakin Park to urinate and finds Hae's body. Getting them in trouble for anything that they knew or that I had told them I couldnt have that. According to the podcast, there were discrepancies between the statements he gave to authorities and the testimony he delivered during Adnan Syed's trial. I didnt resent the students, I resented the school for setting it up like that. 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. Syeds first appeal is denied by the Court of Special Appeals, according to court records. Wilds . March 25, 2000: McClain writes an affidavit. It wasnt just like I was selling a nickel bag here and there. 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. Syed was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years on February 25, 2000 for first degree murder,kidnapping, false imprisonment and robbery. July 1, 2016. Adnan left and then returned to my house several hours later, closer to midnight in his own car. McClain has fought for Syed's innocence since the case had originally opened. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. So that would ruin her life too, Wilds told Vargas-Cooper. After the party, Adnan drove Jay home and then dropped Stephanie home afterwards. 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.. 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. Without Jay's testimony, it is highly unlikely that the state could have ever taken him to trial. I thought at worst hed throw a rock through her window or something. But they were just as shocked. Theyre gonna pin me to the fucking wall. He seemed under alot of pressure to please. CrimeStoppers rewards are apparently paid out the following month after the police report that months official indictments. But their gym, lockers, parking, was down in the magnet wing. "Jay told the story that convicted Adnan.. Why is this story different from what you originally told the police? What happened before that, I dont know.. No. 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. And then I would only give them information pertaining to my interaction with someone or where I was. Wilds' first taped interview with police occurred on February 28, 1999. Other contributing causes included the emergence of new suspects in the case. That night they bury Lees body in Leakin Park and leave her car in a residential parking lot. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. The creators of the public radio show This American Life debut the podcast series Serial, hosted by Sarah Koenig, about the Lee murder mystery. Ill call you from someone elses phone when Im done.. She also wasnt on the magnet side of the demographic. "That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. Im not a lawyer and Im not a cop. 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. At the time of her death, she was said to be dating a guy. It began with his fear of being prosecuted for dealing pot in his high school. This is a moot point now, as Syed was granted a new trial in 2018. Lee disappeared on January 13, 1999. In July 2014, a cold case in Baltimore County was solved when new DNA evidence was tested. Her body was discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park on Feb. 9, 1999. how old was jay wilds in 1999. mercer county community college basketball roster. By the time I graduated [Woodlawn] high school in 1998, I wasnt exactly angry, but I did resent the school. 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. Following a six-week trial and two-hour jury deliberation, Syed is found guilty. I don't feel comfortable drawing conclusions like that. I stonewalled them that way. Syed could be granted another trial, though, which could pull Wilds back into the spotlight. By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Im being manipulated into whats being done right now.. He calls me and says Im outside, so I come outside to talk to himand followed him to a different car, not his. Then what happens, and what time is it roughly? Emotions have no IQ. November 25, 2019: The Supreme Court rejects bid for a new trial, Without comment, the Supreme Court decided not to open a new trial. and 4p.m. The police arrested and charged Lee's ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed with the murder six weeks later. He just couldnt come to grips with those feelings. 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. Yes. 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. In his first interview since the end of "Serial," Jay Wilds says he thinks he knows who . In that situation, he was the loser. From Men's Health. We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us hold the powerful to account. 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. Baltimore police were already focusing their investigation on Syed after an anonymous tip told them to look at Lees ex. Jay was likely not given a FULL check because he promised to present facts at Adnan's trial. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. It was at least a week before she died, when he found out she was either cheating on him or leaving him. 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. I would like to forgive Adnan Syed, but as of now, I just don't know how I could, she says. I think there was another dude or something, or whatever. Autopsy results later show that Lee was strangled, The Baltimore Sun reports. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? Wilds was Syed's classmate at Woodlawn high school, Baltimore. The thing is that the story Jay told at trial is not the same story Jay told police the first time.". Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa M. Phinn vacated Syed's conviction, effectively setting him free. 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 . The Serial podcast threw some question marks over Wilds' version of events.. Like she was a junior in college. Number of seasons: Three. Wilds picks him up and the two go to a friends house. At that age, it's intense and he never called Jay a liar, even in Serial. Launch Gallery. We were in the car, we were riding, smoking. This is where it was produced. February 12, 1999: Anonymous calls inform the police to look into Syed. February 9, 1999 : Lee's body is found. The other thing to understand is something about the culture of Baltimorethis is where the Stop Snitching video comes from. He was sentenced to life in prison for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. And thats not necessarily mebut that is my family, that is my uncles and cousins. 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. Is this when you first saw Haes body in the trunk of her car? In the podcast Koenig pointedly challenged Jays account of events and his motivation for assisting Adnan. They were introduced to each other in 1998. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Be the first one to comment on this story. When we were digging the hole, its not like Haes body was just lying next to us. 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. Jay was pretty much convicted because he told the police he helped dispose of the body. 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. In 1999, Annelise Hyang Suk Lee, a 27-year-old female of Asian descent, was found raped, beaten, and . I saw the ATF and DEA take down guys in my neighborhood for selling much less than I was at the time. 4. . Much of the attention came after the case became the subject of the This American Life podcast Serial in 2014. We met over the weekend at his two-story suburban home. The case was covered in-depth in the first season of the podcast by host Sarah Koenig. Syed was actually convicted in February 2000. I remember Adnan standing next to 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. He claimed Syed had spoken about killing Lee a week before her actual murder and disappearance. 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. And at a certain point I say, Well fuck, Im finished. Im gonna kill that bitch, man. Nothing real pointed or anything, not like, I know his name, or I caught her. But I just thought he was just shooting off like everyone else shoots off when theyre mad at their girlfriend. I had a lot more on the line than just a few bags of weed. 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. than she was letting on. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. UFC's Raul Rosas Jr. 18-Year-Old Fighter . Something definite in both media arguments is Wilds's change in story. Its not my job to figure that out. If Wilds were meeting with the cops before this official interview, its completely possible he would have been coached, as Simpson suggests. 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. How old were you when you first met Adnan Syed? Adnan was convicted after Jay Wilds, a friend of Adnan's, said in court that he helped Adnan bury Hae Min Lee's body, . 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. Investigators at the time determined that she died by . A star witness in the case against Syed was fellow Woodlawn High School student Jay Wilds, . Just after his arrest, McClain writes a letter to Syed and details talking to him in the library on January 13, Serial reported. And they wouldnt stop interviewing me or questioning me. The motion to set aside Adnan's conviction stated prosecutors no longer trusted Jay Wilds's wildly inconsistent testimony. But this account somewhat differsfrom Jays second police interview, as well as his court testimony. We may earn a commission through links on our site. It wasnt until they made it clear they werent interested in my procurement of pot that I began to open up any. 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. There was never a real friendship. 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. But he didnt call me unless he needed something. Jay Wilds, the key witness in the Serial murder case, has broken his silence at last. Syed has been placed under house arrest for 30 days until the prosecution decides whether to retry him or not. There were some big forces going on that didnt have anything to do with Hae. I was pretty distraught, fucked up, feeling guilty for not saying nothing. I was a bit of an outdoorsman, adventure seeker, fishing, camping, learned to ride a motorcycle. 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. However he ended up doing itwhether it was premeditated, an involuntary reaction at that point in timehe just couldnt come to grips with being a loser and failing. They also highlighted the inconsistent statements of his co-defendant, Jay Wilds, who testified against him. All Rights Reserved. Notably, Wilds declined to be a part of the podcast although he was offered an interview. 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. 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. We got in his car and start driving. Jay Wilds spoke to The Intercept about the case for an article published Monday. Meanwhile,Maryland's highest court denied a new trialfor Syed earlier this month, according to The Associated Press. 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. on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadnt done it? 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. 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. When asked about the inconsistencies in his stories, Jay Wilds told The Intercept_ that. Leesex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, 17, became the primary suspectin her homicide after an anonymous caller told the police to investigate him. Prosecutors dropped all charges against Syed, eliminating the possibility of a retrial. In one police interview, Wilds said he saw the body, it was in a car in the parking lot of a Best Buy. Syed has maintained his innocence since he was arrested for Lee's murder in February 1999, when he was a 17-year-old in high school. In Adnan's call log was Jay Wilds, who talked to detectives on February 28, 1999. Didnt say that much. But there was a grand jury hearing on this case,andI have an idea who might have based on that hearing. 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. His evidence was crucial to the state's case. Four weeks later, her half-buried body was found at Leakin. 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. Syed was arrested that same day, aged 17. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Jay claims that once he acquired the marijuana, Adnan threatened to turn him in if he didnt help bury Haes body. Is 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Based on a True Story? November 20, 2014: Syeds family gives their first interview, Syeds brother Yusef talks to CBS This Morning and admits he listens to the show. 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. He failed; he lost the girl. I worked a lot. And it was really hard for him to deal with being on the losing end. 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 played lacrosse, was a bit of a jock. Never really a big group of friends. 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 ends up waiting more than two years. I made him smoke one time, he got a little high, got a little weird. Hoo-boy, and then theres the motorcycle story that Undisclosed says confirms Wilds was the tipster. I know that he came from a very strict religious background and that he was uneasy with some of the things he was doing. 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 was Syed's friend during the time of the murder. They had to chase me around before they could corner me to talk to me, and there came a point where I was just sick of talking to them. Cathy has people over when we get there. There is a specific point where I became involved in this. . I dont know. 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 . I was also around a bunch of people earlier the day [at Cathys], and I didnt want them to get fucked up with homicide. November 6, 2015: The post-conviction relief case is reopened. Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. Adnan was convicted with evidence of his cell phone . Her family reported the 18-year-old high school student missing after she failed to pick up her niece. 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. 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. Wilds's testimony played a giant part in convicting Syed of murdering his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee in 1999. Thus, this article dives further into the details. The police and prosecutors then laid their investigation on Adnan solely because that was the lead they wanted to believe for the sake of closing the case. Meanwhile, Wilds version of the day changed throughout his interviews and testimony. Im going to be late for practice, so just drop me off. 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. In Serial you are depicted as a petty weed dealer. Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. 10:45-11:15 a.m. So that would ruin her life too. Because I knew football had paid for all of that, but there were few football players down there. However, Syed is not allowed out on bail while he waits for the new trial. Adnan Syed is currently serving life in prison, plus 30 years, for a murder he claims he didn't commit, and he may not have ended up there if it weren't for his former classmate, Jay Wilds. In support of their request, prosecutors cited two "alternative suspects" who were known at the time of the investigation and expert. Wilds, a former classmate of Syed, has been relatively under the radar since the 2000 trial that sentenced Syed to life in prison plus 30 years on charges of . Hes 17 at the time but charged with first-degree murder as an adult. Mr. Syed, 41, had been serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his high school classmate Hae Min Lee. I know I didnt kill her. Mr.. I went to concerts, like anything from Wu-Tang to Warped Tour. Adnan did not know that Jay had spoken to the police. After class, he goes to the Woodlawn Public Library to check his email and chats with friend, Asia McClain. 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. He did not go to prison, though. He seemed a little bit more uptight than the other Muslim kids that I knew. 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. On Monday, a Maryland judge overturned Adnan Syed 's first-degree murder conviction for the 1999 death of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. Thats the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. When police were investigating Lees murder, CrimeStoppers offered a $3,075 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the murderer.