.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. Wilds, who was an acquaintance of Syed, confessed to helping Syed bury. 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 only smoked with him two or three times. In his first interview since the end of "Serial," Jay Wilds says he thinks he knows who . Adnan questioned in the documentary why Jay would leave. 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. He said, Im gonna drive back down there [to the grave]. 824 Words4 Pages. I was pretty distraught, fucked up, feeling guilty for not saying nothing. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. ", He also revealed why there may be inconsistencies in his story. "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. What do you think? 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. When police were investigating Lees murder, CrimeStoppers offered a $3,075 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the murderer. Jay also worked at the Drug Emporium store a short walk from his home. There are other legal options and we are exploring each and every one of them. Family friend and lawyer Chaudry added: He is hanging in there. So where is Wilds today? Syed then picks up food on his way to meet his dad at the mosque for evening prayers, Serial reported. This is a moot point now, as Syed was granted a new trial in 2018. The following has been edited and condensed for clarity. Koenig's account of the events that transpired at the time of Lee's murder, publicly rebuked Jay's version of what happened and his reasons for helping Adnan Syed and portrayed him as a petty weed dealer. Hae Min Lee was last seen at about 3pm on 13 January 1999. Syed was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years on February 25, 2000 for first degree murder,kidnapping, false imprisonment and robbery. I would like to forgive Adnan Syed, but as of now, I just don't know how I could, she says. There was never a real friendship. I've known Adnan for many years, and I have. 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. Your login session has expired. Photo: Natasha Vargas-Cooper for The Intercept, Natasha Vargas-Cooper[emailprotected]theintercept.org@natashavc. April Wolfe. Im being manipulated into whats being done right now.. He exited the Baltimore courthouse to deafening cheers. Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa M. Phinn vacated Syed's conviction, effectively setting him free. "This was true in 1999 when he was a 17-year-old child. I didnt tell the cops it was in front of my house because I didnt want to involve my grandmother. how old was jay wilds in 1999 how old was jay wilds in 1999. mercer county community college basketball roster. 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. 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. Consequently, Wilds is a looming figure in Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyders reporting about the trial. Police take evidence from the scene and interview several people in an attempt to find the killer. 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. At that age, it's intense and he never called Jay a liar, even in Serial. Meanwhile,Maryland's highest court denied a new trialfor Syed earlier this month, according to The Associated Press. In support of their request, prosecutors cited two "alternative suspects" who were known at the time of the investigation and expert. 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. March 9, 2019 7:21 PM. Many questions remain about Wilds true role in the case, but theres no shortage of theories. 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. Classmates last saw her leaving school around 2:15 p.m. February 9, 1999: Lee's body is found in Leakin Park. Other contributing causes included the emergence of new suspects in the case. Were sitting there smoking and he receives a phone call from the police and gets all panicky. And then in his Intercept interview, Wilds said the body was actually in front of his grandmas house, but he told police it was at the Best Buy, because he didnt want to involve his grandma. Hae Min Lee's body was found buried in a shallow grave in Maryland in February 1999. And soon after that, Syed was charged with her murder. Ok, so you arrive at Cathys with Adnan after he tells you he murdered Hae? The only thing that's 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. In both, Syed's guilt is questioned, as is Wilds's statements. 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. Wilds has stayed private since the 2014 interview. In it, Koenig talks to Syed who says hes innocent. Interviewed by other media, since Serial? 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.". I didnt know that he planned to murder her that day. March 9, 2019, 2:00 PM. Wherever her car was at the time I picked him up from Best Buy, it probably stayed there until he picked me up later that evening. August 19, 2019: The Supreme Court is asked to look at the case. Who would hold party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have? and 4p.m. 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. 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. maison d'amelie paris clothing. 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. CrimeStoppers rewards are apparently paid out the following month after the police report that months official indictments. Maintenance worker Alonzo Sellers, known as Mr. After class, he goes to the Woodlawn Public Library to check his email and chats with friend, Asia McClain. Then, at 4:15 they drop off Haes car at 1-70 Park and Ride; Wilds drops Syed off at track practice afterward, and then at 6:45 p.m. Syed calls Wilds on the cellphone to pick him up; at 7:15 p.m., after eating McDonalds and Syed receiving a phone call from police looking for Hae, they go to Wilds house to get a shovel and pick, return to Haes car, and then bury Haes body in Leakin Park. Jay is a show more content We get into his car, and he drives up around the corner to Haes car. Hes 17 at the time but charged with first-degree murder as an adult. Mr.. From the way he carried himself, at least, it looked like he had never lost anything before. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. He came back with no tools or anything. Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. I dont feel comfortable drawing conclusions like that. November 6, 2015: The post-conviction relief case is reopened. I played lacrosse, was a bit of a jock. 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. I saw the ATF and DEA take down guys in my neighborhood for selling much less than I was at the time. Adnan was convicted with evidence of his cell phone . We may earn a commission through links on our site. So that would ruin her life too. This is where people would have their house firebombed and still tell the police they knew nothing about it rather than to try to make some sense of whats going on. Meanwhile, Wilds version of the day changed throughout his interviews and testimony. Without Jay's testimony, it is highly unlikely that the state could have ever taken him to trial. The popularised podcast series Serial has been central to shedding light on the Adnan Syed case. But he didnt call me unless he needed something. I dont think it meant that much to her. But their gym, lockers, parking, was down in the magnet wing. 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. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. We were in the car, we were riding, smoking. He seemed a little bit more uptight than the other Muslim kids that I knew. The popular podcast detailed an investigation into the 15-year-old murder of . In the podcast Koenig pointedly challenged Jays account of events and his motivation for assisting Adnan. Is this when you first saw Haes body in the trunk of her car? Her body was discovered in Leakin Park in Baltimore, Maryland, and a few weeks later her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed, was . Photography class 9:15-10:40 a.m. English class 10:45 a.m. Adnan calls Jay and offers to lend him his car. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Youre in this on your own. Syed was 17 at the time that Lee was murdered in January 1999. Jay firmly believes that he was wrongfully represented on the podcast. 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. READ MORE ON CRIME What the Undisclosed pod offers up for an explanation is that because Wilds himself came under investigation, he could not recover the money. In that situation, he was the loser. in January 1999 . Dissatisfying is the best word I can use for that, she said in an interview with Vulture. I didnt resent the students, I resented the school for setting it up like that. 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. Lee was last seen alive on Jan. 13, 1999. He seemed under alot of pressure to please. Thats about burying her. Clearly Sarah Koenig was leaning towards Adnans innocence and she got sidetracked by Jay a little bit, too. Launch Gallery. 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. 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. And at a certain point I say, Well fuck, Im finished. Wilds was Syed's classmate at Woodlawn high school, Baltimore. 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. So I said, Look man, Im not touching [Hae]. Syed will know his fate by August. Wilds's testimony played a giant part in convicting Syed of murdering his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee in 1999. He did not go to prison, though. From the statements Wilds made in 2014 with The Intercept, it seems unlikely he would do so. We were kind of surprised because she told us that he was one of her best friends, he said. 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. When Adnan loaned you his car onJan. 13, 1999, did he tell you it was because he planned on murdering Hae? Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Syed is currently serving a life sentence. 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. I think that was his first real girlfriend, and I think thats why his reaction was so strong. At the time,this was Maryland in the 90s, the drug laws were extremely serious. Mr. Syed, 41, had been serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his high school classmate Hae Min Lee. And thats not necessarily mebut that is my family, that is my uncles and cousins. 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. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Based on Syeds indictment date, the CrimeStoppers reward should have been paid in June, but it was not paid until November. 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. 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. However, Sarah Koenig, host and producer of the widely-acclaimed podcast titled Serial, covered the case in 2014. 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. 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. The judge gave prosecutors 30 days to proceed with a new trial or drop the case. 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. "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. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. 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. But look, if we start speculating what he was thinking that far ahead I dont know. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Yes. 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 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.. 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. November 20, 2014: Syeds family gives their first interview, Syeds brother Yusef talks to CBS This Morning and admits he listens to the show. Jay Wilds is a former classmate of Adnan Syed from Baltimore, Maryland. No one is quite sure what they are, but the timing of the taps on the recording seems suspicious. He left in his car and I was trying to collect myself at my [grandmothers] house. Now I dont wanna tell the people at Cathys that this guy Im with just killed his girlfriend and the cops just called because then they would all be a part of this fucked up thing. 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. 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. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, 'Serial' Recap: Everything About Adnan Syed's Case, Who Is Adnan Syed? 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. The trial begins the second week of December and quickly ends as a mistrial, the court appeals papers say. They leave the car at a park-and-ride lot. Years later, now that Wilds testimony has come under fire, even Pusateri doubts his version of events. 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, Adnan Syed's former classmate who was called as a star witness in the latter's murder trial, reportedly testified that he helped his friend hide the victim's body. 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. 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. He was having a hard enough time with that itself. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. We were in the car together during last periodhe was ditching the last period. Thats all it takes to support the journalism you rely on. The group of people I hung out with were different from the group of people I was from. That night they bury Lees body in Leakin Park and leave her car in a residential parking lot. Now, the case: Undisclosed claims Wilds may have wanted the reward money to buy a motorcyle - something police may have known, too. This fact seems damning to Syed, and it troubled . There was a reward of $3,075 from CrimeStoppers for information on the case leading to the indictment. Never really a big group of friends. Dissatisfying is the best word I can use for that, she said in an interview with, 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, It helped fan the flames of this story that people had already moved on from, Wilds told, Meanwhile,Maryland's highest court denied a new trialfor Syed earlier this month, according to. No. I was also around a bunch of people earlier the day [at Cathys], and I didnt want them to get fucked up with homicide.. Three days later, Baltimore Police received an anonymous tip that Syed was responsible for the murder. Football paid for everything at the school. Yes. The one interview Wilds gave was to The Intercept in 2014. 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 . Wilds . (Wilds would later lead the police to Lees car, parked on a residential street.) 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. What happened before that, I dont know.. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. I had cops show up and harass me before at my house. And it was really hard for him to deal with being on the losing end. Syed and Wilds were regularly with one another. 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. . After hearings in the Circuit Court between November 2010 and October 2012, Syeds petition for post-conviction relief is denied, according to court papers. He'd previously refused to take part in Sarah Koening's podcast, which attempted to retrace the steps taken in. Jay also worked at the Drug Emporium store a short walk from his home. I walked around through the bushes and everything and I got back that way and I was getting ready to urinate when I looked down I seen something that looked like hair, something was covered by the dirt. She was still in the trunk. 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. I pick him up he doesnt have any car with him. Did you make the anonymous call to the police to tip them off about Adnan? 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. Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that Adnan Syed went to trial in December 2000. Pusateris first statement to the cops said that shed gotten a call from Wilds on Syeds phone, while a later statement included information that Wilds had confessed to her that hed helped Syed bury Lee, though the police may have already been looking at him as an accomplice before theyd even spoken to Pusateri, and also bringing him him for questioning. He has a great legal team. The ins and outs of the timeline have been scrutinized and studied endlessly by professionals and amateurs alike. In The Case Against Adnan Syed, the filmmakers interviewed Jay in January 2019. 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. Like she was a junior in college. "That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. The Serial podcast threw some question marks over Wilds' version of events.. Wilds looms large in Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyders reporting about the trial. From your perspective, what was Adnans reputation at Woodlawn? But there was a grand jury hearing on this case,andI have an idea who might have based on that hearing. Prosecutors dropped all charges against Syed, eliminating the possibility of a retrial. After the party, Adnan drove Jay home and then dropped Stephanie home afterwards. That would free Wilds to then collect the reward moneyafter detectives officially filed Syeds indictment to CrimeStoppers on October 1stin November. Syed was actually convicted in February 2000. Wilds was also an adult who sold marijuana to high school kids, which made him vulnerable. I worked a lot. I dont know. It wasnt like, Oh, were down in the park, come on down.We were friendly, we were cool. Im pretty sure it was my fear of going to prison for having a bunch of weed in my grandmas house. Shes a high school girl, Oh, hes cute, Oh, whateverthings fizzleout. Sellers had a previous record as an alleged streaker. 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. 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. Syeds first appeal is denied by the Court of Special Appeals, according to court records. 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. His case was chronicled in the first season of the hit podcast. And then I would only give them information pertaining to my interaction with someone or where I was. He claimed Syed had spoken about killing Lee a week before her actual murder and disappearance. Following a six-week trial and two-hour jury deliberation, Syed is found guilty. The trial, which resulted in a life sentence, has resurfaced after a judge overturned Adnan's conviction. And the other thing about it, I mean, there looked like there was real hurt and pain. examples of bad manners. 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 . 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.