'Serial' Podcast's Key Witness Breaks Silence in First Interview - TheWrap 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. There were some big forces going on that didnt have anything to do with Hae. That night they bury Lees body in Leakin Park and leave her car in a residential parking lot. February 12, 1999: Anonymous calls inform the police to look into Syed. Is 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Based on a True Story? He has a great legal team. Jay Wilds says 'Serial' host Sarah Koenig lied about him Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Jay from Serial: 'I was convinced that I would be going to jail for a Jay was pretty much convicted because he told the police he helped dispose of the body. Five Theories About Who Killed Hae Min Lee - Men's Health On January 13, 1999, Korean-American high school student Hae Min Lee, 18, was reported missing by her family after failing to come home. Jay firmly believes that he was wrongfully represented on the podcast. Lee was last seen alive on Jan. 13, 1999. The subject of the groundbreaking 2014 podcast "Serial," Syed was arrested in. 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. Then what happens, and what time is it roughly? Number of episodes: 25+ (ongoing). 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. Who Is Jay Wilds? Everything You Need To Know About The Key - Newsweek Just after his arrest, McClain writes a letter to Syed and details talking to him in the library on January 13, Serial reported. 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. 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. 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. His evidence was crucial to the state's case. Everything We Know About Jay Wilds from HBO's Serial Documentary It all revolves around Jay," lawyer and Syed family friend Rabia Chaudry says in episode two ofThe Case Against Adnan Syed." 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. Wilds was Syed's friend during the time of the murder. I saw her body later, in front ofof my grandmothers house where I was living. 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. Syeds lawyers asked the nations highest court to look into reversing the states decision. 'Case Against Adnan Syed' Finale Reveals No DNA, a Plea Deal - Vulture 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. . I dont feel comfortable drawing conclusions like that. So that would ruin her life too, Wilds told Vargas-Cooper. I was also around a bunch of people earlier the day [at Cathys], and I didnt want them to get fucked up with homicide.. We got in his car and start driving. Jay feels strongly that he was unfairly depicted by Koenig and that she painted a highly misleading portrayal of him and his role in the case. And I found that to be a bit of a slap in the face. Maybe Jays a liar. There is a separate page withdetails of Jays own court case for the murder of Hae Min Lee. This is the first part in a multipart interview. Serial's Jay Wilds isn't in the new documentary The Case Against Adnan Her family reported the 18-year-old high school student missing after she failed to pick up her niece. Jay also worked at the Drug Emporium store a short walk from his home. 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. Syed went on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. The motion to set aside Adnan's conviction stated prosecutors no longer trusted Jay Wilds's wildly inconsistent testimony. how old was jay wilds in 1999 In part 2, Wilds shares his thoughts on the actions he took following the murder, as well as his choice to remain uninvolved as This American Life producers Julie Snyder and Sarah Koenig pieced. Lee's body was discovered in Baltimore's Leakin Park by a passerby, partially buried in a shallow grave. Though Wilds testimony seemed to have been trusted implicitly by Syeds jury, the Serial podcast shining a light on the key details of Wilds claims led many listeners to believe Wilds was not exactly truthful and that even the slightest bit of questioning could have unraveled his story. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. She didnt look beat up. Syed has been placed under house arrest for 30 days until the prosecution decides whether to retry him or not. Didnt say that much. He asked me if I had shovels, so I went inside my house and got some gardening tools. A big part of the Serial podcast is to speculate on Adnans motive. of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. Then Jay spoke. I know I didnt kill her. In one police interview, Wilds said he saw the body, it was in a car in the parking lot of a Best Buy. He seemed under alot of pressure to please. Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa M. Phinn vacated Syed's conviction, effectively setting him free. You cant start drawing conclusions like that. It went national, but it was produced in Baltimore. He exited the Baltimore courthouse to deafening cheers. Posted on July 4, 2022 by . I believe I told them it was in front of Cathys [not her real name] house, but it was in front of my grandmothers house. But they were just as shocked. No. Lets back up, tell me what happened when you arrived at the Best Buy to pick up Adnan. Family friend and attorney Rabia Chaudry asks McClain to write an affidavit after Syed is convicted, Serial reported. . In that situation, he was the loser. 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. Ok, so you arrive at Cathys with Adnan after he tells you he murdered Hae? They were granted Syeds cell phone call records and then looked at two recipients of calls from Syeds phone: Jennifer Pusateri and Wilds. 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. It takes him about half an hour, 45 minutes, and he comes back with gloves on, panting, like, She was really heavy. Thats all he says. Wilds also makes clear in the interview that Baltimore isnt the place where one who ran afoul with the law wanted to get hooked by the cops or work with them both options were not good. I had cops show up and harass me before at my house. 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. Went canoeing. Im pretty sure it was my fear of going to prison for having a bunch of weed in my grandmas house. I told [Adnan] that I wouldnt touch her car, or any of her possessions, and I say, Fuck it. Jays wife and mother entertained the couples young children while Jay and I spoke in the family living room. I didnt resent the students, I resented the school for setting it up like that. I don't know what happened, what occurred between them that day," he said of Lee's death. Information on new suspect points to Jay Wilds : r/serialpodcast About a month later, police uncovered her body in a nearby park; an autopsywould later find that she was choked to death. What did you know about Adnan and his relationship with Hae Min Lee? I didnt know it was that close. Its where Im from. Where Is Jay Wilds From 'Serial' Now? He Last Spoke Out - Romper Adnan Syed is a 36 year old who had been convicted of first degree murder at the age of 17 on February 28, 1999. From conviction to freedom: A timeline of the Adnan Syed case Notably, Wilds declined to be a part of the podcast although he was offered an interview. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. How old was Adnan when he went to prison in 1999? How Did Jay Wilds Kill Hae - 982 Words | Bartleby When did he first talk to you about hurting her? 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. Though Wilds stands by his storyat least the one he told The InterceptChaudry and Undisclosed have continued to dig up evidence that wouldnt just exonerate Syed, but also Wilds himself. Consequently, Wilds is a looming figure in Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyders reporting about the trial. Ill help you dig the hole.. We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us hold the powerful to account. 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. March 25, 2000: McClain writes an affidavit. There was a reward of $3,075 from CrimeStoppers for information on the case leading to the indictment. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. Im not a lawyer and Im not a cop. 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. Judge Wanda K. Heard gives Syed a life sentence plus 30 years. According to Wilds, he and Syed were not incredibly close at school. Wilds looms large in Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyders reporting about the trial. For other inquiries, Contact Us. There was enough doubt for me to want to give this a real close look. 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. Wilds' testimony in. As the state's star witness, Jay. This interview is the first time Jay has spoken publicly about events surrounding Lees death and the trial that ended in Syeds conviction. "He might really have just been bulls******* at the time. He said, Youve gotta help me, or Im gonna tell the cops about you and the weed and all that shit. And then he popped the trunk and I saw Haes body. The Lord knows I didnt kill her, The Baltimore Sun reported. "It wasn't Adnan. It wasn't Jay. I know who killed Hae": Serial's Rabia All Rights Reserved. She was still in the trunk. 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. It wasnt like, Oh, were down in the park, come on down.We were friendly, we were cool. He might really have just been bullshitting at the time. And thats not necessarily mebut that is my family, that is my uncles and cousins. I was also running [drug] operations from my grandmothers house. It was at least a week before she died, when he found out she was either cheating on him or leaving him. But his case is now being reviewed after featuring in podcast Serial. 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. I stonewalled them that way. Something definite in both media arguments is Wilds's change in story. Yes. No. 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. Here's Why Jay Wilds' New Interview Won't Necessarily Help Adnan Syed He said that the idea of Best Buy came from the police. He ends up waiting more than two years. 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. 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. I know that he came from a very strict religious background and that he was uneasy with some of the things he was doing. In 1999 18-year-old high school student Hae Min Lee was murdered. And detective notes capped Browns interview with the word REWARD, written in all caps. Syed could be granted another trial, though, which could pull Wilds back into the spotlight. 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. 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. Syed's case has been publicized in the podcast Serial, as well as the HBO true crime documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed. 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. For his testimony, Wilds was given probation instead of a jail sentence for his said involvement in the crime. Never really a big group of friends. Where is Jay Wilds? The Adnan Syed Saga Isn't Over Yet - Elite Daily Autopsy results later show that Lee was strangled, The Baltimore Sun reports. 'Serial' Subject Takes HBO, 'Serial' Subject Adnan Syed Will Get a New Trial. Jay Wilds | The Undisclosed Wiki 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. Because I knew football had paid for all of that, but there were few football players down there. 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 . From the statements Wilds made in 2014 with The Intercept, it seems unlikely he would do so. "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. . One big theory being floated around is that Wilds was the anonymous tipster who called Detective Massey and told police to focus on the ex-boyfriend. He has only given one interview since Syed's conviction. 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. April Wolfe. Ill call you from someone elses phone when Im done.. Wilds alleged that Syed had told him he had murdered Lee. 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. Hes 17 at the time but charged with first-degree murder as an adult. Other contributing causes included the emergence of new suspects in the case. Timelines: January 13, 1999 Adnan's Call Log Adnan's Story 7:45-9:15 a.m. January 1, 1999: Lee and Don Clinedinst go on their first date. 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. Where Is 'Serial' Subject Adnan Syed Now In 2022? What To Know She never showed up to either. He just couldnt come to grips with those feelings. Wilds was Syed's classmate at Woodlawn high school, Baltimore. What happened before that, I dont know.. Wilds's testimony played a giant part in convicting Syed of murdering his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee in 1999. So where is Wilds today? When Adnan loaned you his car onJan. 13, 1999, did he tell you it was because he planned on murdering Hae? Another person who received scrutiny in the popular podcast was Syed's former classmate Jay Wilds . This fact seems damning to Syed, and it troubled . New information in The Case Against Adnan Syed that wasn't featured in In 1999, Annelise Hyang Suk Lee, a 27-year-old female of Asian descent, was found raped, beaten, and . 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, 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.