Who is Adnan Syed and what did he do?
Maryland’s highest court on Friday reinstated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, whose case gained fame after the "Serial" podcast examined his cause. Syed was convicted of killing Hae Min Lee, a former girlfriend and Woodlawn High School classmate, in 1999 and then burying her body in Leakin Park in Baltimore.
What is Serial podcast about?
Serial is a new podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial will follow one story – a true story – over the course of a whole season. Hae Min Lee, a senior at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County, Maryland – who disappeared January 13, 1999. A month later, her body turned up in a city park.
What's new in Adnan Syed's case?
(CNN) The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office and Adnan Syed, whose case became nationally known in the "Serial" podcast that ran in 2014, have agreed to request "additional forensic testing," including enhanced DNA tests, in the case, the office announced.
What did Adnan Syed's lawyer say after his conviction was reinstated?
"We are devastated by the Court of Appeals’ decision, but we will not give up," his lawyer said. Maryland’s highest court on Friday reinstated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, whose case gained fame after the "Serial" podcast examined his cause.
What is Serial podcast season 1 about?
A high-school senior named Hae Min Lee disappeared one day after school in 1999, in Baltimore County, Maryland. A month later, her body was found in a city park. She'd been strangled. Her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was arrested for the crime, and within a year, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Who is the killer in Serial podcast?
Adnan Syed, the incarcerated subject of the popular podcast "Serial," will get another shot at overturning his murder conviction and life sentence after a court granted his request to reopen his appeal.
What happened to the Serial podcast?
The "Serial" podcast popularized Syed's case in 2014, and two years later, he won a new trial in appeals. However, the state appealed that decision. In 2018, an appellate court upheld the ruling for a new trial, but a year later, Maryland's highest court sided with the state.
What evidence is used against Adnan in Episode 6?
The most incriminating piece of physical evidence against Adnan Syed was a fingerprint, or rather, a palm print. On a map. It was one of those big map books you buy at a gas station, police found it in the backseat of Hae's car. On the back cover was a partial print of Adnan's left palm.
Where is Adnan Syed today?
He stood trial twice for her murder and was convicted in 2000 and sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years. Syed is incarcerated at the state's Patuxent Institution in Jessup.
What was Jay Wilds punishment?
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. He did not go to prison, though. For his testimony, Wilds was given probation instead of a jail sentence for his said involvement in the crime.
How old is Adnan Syed?
41 years (May 21, 1981)Adnan Syed / Age
How does Adnan explain the role of religion in his relationship?
How did religion fit in with Adnan's relationship with Hae? They were both Muslim and went to youth conferences together. Adnan was semi-successful in converting Hae to his religion. They only cared about each other and ignored the religious beliefs of their parents.
What happened to Joshua from Serial?
Josh was arrested about 10 days later after he ran from police officers responding to a report of a man with a gun, records say. Josh did not have a gun on him, the records say. Josh's problems continued while he was being housed in Cuyahoga County's juvenile detention center.
What does Krista say about the night they find out about HAE?
She says that there was no phone at that Best Buy and shoplift so Adnan couldn't have called Jay to pick him up. Krista rundown of the night they found out about Hae's death. They were crying when they found out about Hae died. And adnan called the police himself to find out that if it was Hae.
What was Adnan's challenge to Sarah?
Adnan once issued a challenge to Sarah. He told her to test the state's timeline of the murder by driving from Woodlawn High School to Best Buy in 21 minutes. It can't be done, he said.
What is the most significant piece of evidence against Adnan?
The most important was testimony by a friend of Adnan's named Jay Wilds, who told the police he had helped Syed to bury Lee's body after Syed confessed to killing her, on Jan.
The Alibi
A potential alibi surfaces … and then disappears again, at the worst possible time for Adnan’s case.
The Breakup
Friends say Adnan was sad when Hae dumped him, but not crazy sad - normal sad. The prosecutors say he was rage-filled and vengeful. Which is it?
Leakin Park
Three weeks after Hae goes missing, a man discovers her body in the middle of a city forest. But his story is strange and his past is even stranger. Did he really just stumble on her by accident?
Inconsistencies
The detectives get a lead that opens the case up for them. They bring Jay in for questioning and he tells them the story of January 13th. But then, a few weeks later, his story changes.
Route Talk
Adnan once issued a challenge to Sarah: Recreate the state’s timeline of the murder by driving from Woodlawn High School to Best Buy in 21 minutes. It can’t be done, he said. So, we tried.
The Case Against Adnan Syed
Sarah weighs all the other circumstantial evidence prosecutors had against Adnan, including curious behavior, a dramatic note, and an unexplained mid-afternoon phone call.
The Opposite of the Prosecution
Sarah learned about another case with striking similarities to Adnan’s: a key witness, cell records, young people, drugs. So she called up the defense attorney on that case looking for insight, and got much more than she bargained for.
What is serial podcast?
Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life.
Who is Adnan's friend?
Detectives’ notes from an interview with Adnan’s friend Ja’uan Gordon.
What is Asia's second letter to Adnan?
Asia's second letter to Adnan. In this one, she gives him a sense of the mood inside Woodlawn High School and the reaction to his arrest. Asia's Affidavit, March 25, 2000. Asia wrote this affidavit soon after Adnan was convicted, at the request of Rabia Chaudry, a friend of Adnan's family.
When was the call log from Adnan's cell phone?
This is the call log from Adnan's cell phone for January 12 and January 13, 1999. Cell Tower Map. This is a map of the key locations in the story and the cell towers that were triggered by Adnan's cell phone on January 13, 1999. Ja’uan Gordon Interview, April 9, 1999.
Who testified at Adnan's trial?
And it comes from, of all people, the cell phone expert who testified at Adnan’s trial. Abraham Waranowitz.
Who hosts this American life?
A podcast from the creators of This American Life. One story. Told week by week. Hosted by Sarah Koenig.
Did Asia McClain testify at Adnan's hearing?
Asia's Notes From a Call With the Prosecutor, 2010. Asia McClain didn’t testify about her alibi affidavit in Adnan’s first post-conviction hearing in 2010.
Who hosts serial podcast?
Serial is a new podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig.… Read More
What did Hae and Adnan write to Adnan?
After Hae and Adnan broke up, in early November, Hae had written Adnan a frustrated letter…. “I’m really getting annoyed that this situation is going the way it is” she wrote, “you know, people break up all the time. Your life is not going to end. You’ll move on and I’ll move on.
What was the most incriminating piece of evidence against Adnan Syed?
The most incriminating piece of physical evidence against Adnan Syed was a fingerprint, or rather, a palm print. On a map. It was one of those big map books you buy at a gas station, police found it in the backseat of Hae’s car. On the back cover was a partial print of Adnan’s left palm.
What is Adnan's biggest fear?
Adnan says his biggest fear is not being believed. When he’s sure about something, he has a tendency to over explain, to inundate you with facts and information, and then corroboration for the facts and information. He doesn’t like this tendency in himself, but he says he can’t help it. Adnan Syed.
What did the friend say to the man who popped the trunk?
He was, he was, with a friend and the friend said something like, ‘look what I have’ and he popped the trunk and that’s what he saw.
Who read the note at trial?
Aisha Pittman read this note at trial, Hae was her best friend. Adnan had shown Aisha the letter, apparently in health class. And they had written notes to each other on the back. Aisha in pencil, Adnan in pen.
Who found the note in Adnan's house?
Police had found the note when they searched Adnan’s house. But, who knows about that one, right? Seems like a detail you’d find in a cheesey detective novel.
What was Syed's post-conviction case?
Syed's post-conviction case centered on Gutierrez's failure to call a potential alibi witness and to challenge cellphone tower records that showed him in the area where Lee's body was found. Both issues were examined by the podcast.
Who was Syed's lawyer?
The Maryland Court of Appeals found that Syed received a “deficient performance” from his defense lawyer, the late Cristina Gutierrez, but the weight of the evidence still pointed toward guilt.
Is the case against Adnan Syed on HBO?
An HBO docuseries, "The Case Against Adnan Syed" debuts on Sunday. Hae Min Lee and Adnan Syed at Junior Prom. HBO. Prosecutors asked for the conviction of Syed, now 38, to be reinstated, and Maryland’s high court found in favor of the state.
Was there an alibi witness in the Adnan case?
"There was a credible alibi witness who was with Adnan at the precise time of the murder and now the Court of Appeals has said that witness would not have affected the outcome of the proceeding," according to Brown's statement. "We think just the opposite is true. From the perspective of the defendant, there is no stronger evidence than an alibi witness."
How old was Adnan when he was arrested?
A reminder: Adnan was 17 years old when he was arrested for this crime. If we’re going to lock up a teenager for the rest of his life based on a seriously flawed case, then the least we can do is allow him another crack at the courtroom after not one, but two Maryland courts have declared that his conviction should be vacated. This isn’t how I want my criminal justice system to function. (For more on that, see Serial Season Three .)
Was the Alibi witness heard at Adnan's trial?
A major alibi witness (Asia) was never heard from at Adnan’s trial. Another important witness (from AT&T) now says he can’t stand by his testimony. Almost all the judges who’ve looked at this case agree that Adnan’s trial attorney (Cristina) was deficient.
Did Cristina Gutierrez screw up Adnan?
That judge found that Adnan’s attorney, Cristina Gutierrez, had screwed up — objectively screwed up — in two ways. One error was her failure to contact Asia McClain, a potential alibi witness. But, the judge said, that error didn’t prejudice Adnan’s case (in other words, the lawyer’s mistake wouldn’t necessarily have changed the guilty verdict). Instead, the error the circuit judge was concerned with, was Gutierrez’s failure to properly cross-examine a cell-tower expert from AT&T. He said that mistake might well have affected the outcome of Adnan’s case. So based on that deficiency, the judge granted Adnan a new trial.
Is Adnan Syed getting a new trial?
Adnan Syed’s Conviction Reinstated. Maryland’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, has denied a new trial for Adnan Syed. The decision was close (4-3); it’s momentous, and possibly, final. To Adnan and his legal team, it came as a terrible shock. But Adnan’s attorney, Justin Brown, says they’re not giving up.
What is serial podcast?
Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life.
Who wrote the affidavit of Adnan?
Asia wrote this affidavit soon after Adnan was convicted, at the request of Rabia Chaudry, a friend of Adnan's family.
What year did Jay and Adnan have different memories?
Obviously Adnan and Jay have different memories of Jan. 13, 1999. This graphic lays out the details of those differences. ... Read More
When did Asia send its first letter to Adnan?
Asia's first letter to Adnan, March 1, 1999
Who hosts serial podcast?
Serial is a new podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial will follow one story – a true story – over the course of a whole… Read More
Who wrote the note to Adnan?
Then there's another note, dated July 13. It's more than four months after Adnan's arrest. This is written by one of Gutierrez's law clerks, who visited Adnan in jail. Quote, "Asia McClain saw him in the library at 3:00. Asia boyfriend saw him too. Library may have cameras."
Why did Christina Gutierrez not use Asia McClain as an alibi witness?
The judge wrote in his opinion that Christina Gutierrez's decision not to use Asia McClain as an alibi witness was strategic. After all, Asia's original letters didn't specify an exact time. And Gutierrez could've reasonably concluded that Asia was offering to lie in order to help Adnan.
How long did Asia talk to Adnan?
Asia wrote out an affidavit on the spot. In it, she says she and Adnan spoke for about 15 to 20 minutes while she was waiting for her boyfriend to give her a ride. Quote, "We left around 2:40," unquote. Remember, Hae is supposed to be dead by 2:36. And then, the kicker-- "No attorney has ever contacted me about January 13, 1999 and the above information."
Was Asia bullied into writing that statement?
Here's Rabia again. She says it's not true that Asia was bullied into writing that statement 15 years ago. And she can't fathom why Asia would discredit her own statement like that.
Who is Jay in the story of Adnan?
He's the third person you need to remember in this crime story besides Hae and Adnan. Jay was a friend of Adnan's. They'd been in school together since middle school.
Who produced serial?
Serial is produced by Julie Snyder, Dana Chivvis and me. Emily Condon is our production and operations manager. Ira Glass is our editorial advisor. Editing help from Nancy Updike. Fact checking by Karen Fragala-Smith. Special thanks to Lou Teddy, Jane Marie, Seth Lind, Alyse Bergerson and the entire staff of This American Life, and to my in laws Ethan Shire and Janet Leveen for putting me up in Baltimore so many times in the past year. Support for Serial comes from MailChimp, celebrating creativity, chaos, and teamwork since 2001. MailChimp. Send better email. Serial is a production of This American Life and WBEZ Chicago.
