Losing track of how many times Jay's story has changed. 2023 Cable News Network. Syed will know his fate by August. The details of his story changed on each telling. I didnt think he was going to go kill her. But their gym, lockers, parking, was down in the magnet wing. He recalls a tense meeting with Koenig, who was attempting to persuade him into participating in the podcast, and remembers Koenig telling him that there were new developments in the case. Chaudry claims Wilds' account of how Lee's body was buried directly conflicts with his earlier testimony. Adnan apparently opened the trunk of Hae's car and showed Jay her body. It went national, but it was produced in Baltimore. That's why we keep our work free. #FreeAdnan. 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. Something definite in both media arguments is Wilds's change in story. Serial, she said, might be addicting entertainment for most people, but not for her. The state lied. In another he says it was at Patapsco State Park. Adnan's phone log also documents a couple of calls to Jenn's house, at 12:07 p.m. and 12:41 p.m., which make sense if Jay had the phone and wanted to see who was home. We know: Phone records suggest it happened hours earlier.Adnan's cell phone did ping towers near Leakin Park -- but not around midnight. This page hasall the trial transcripts from both Adnans first, prematurely ended trial in 1999, or the second trial in early 2000 (this verdict was overturned in 2016). No. He feared implicating people he loved. A December 1999 trial ended in mistrial. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Im being manipulated into whats being done right now.. Consequently, Wilds is a looming figure in Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyders reporting about the trial. Then what happens, and what time is it roughly? Jarett Wieselman is a senior entertainment editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles. At times he even apologizes, as though he were trained to say something specifically and had forgotten. Wilds' testimony in the murder trial was central to the conviction of Syed due to the nature of his account of events. After that, a public defender, Charles H Dorsey III, was appointed to represent him at the sentencing hearing on 25 June 2000. Its starting to get dark, so between 3p.m. Maybe Jays a liar. Again, here's Jay: I wasnt openly willing to cooperate with the police. I asked him where were going and he says, Didnt you say everyone gets dumped in Leakin Park?. ), Defense objection to seating Juror Number 6 p2, Defense motion in limine to instruct jurors not to read any newspapers for the duration of the trial (denied) p11, Presidents Day, National Holiday. He says he was unfairly portrayed in the podcast, which revisited in-depth the investigation and trial of Syed a key part of which was centered on Wilds testimony. In Februaryof 2000, Syed was found guilty of murdering Lee. It shouldnt really count against Jay's credibility after 15 years. Almost by definition, the testimony of someone who repeatedly lies to you is not beyond a reasonable doubt; it's testimony that you would be unreasonable, The secret delegate battle that will decide the 2024 Republican nominee. And hes like, Ive gotta put her car somewhere. So I follow him around for a few minutes, and he just picks a place at random behind some row houses, leaves her car, gets into his car, takes me home. Sarah pointed to Jays inconsistencies as one of the main reasons she believed in Adnans innocence. I think there was another dude or something, or whatever. The call log, though, could maybe support part of Jay's new timeline. Almost by definition, the testimony of someone who repeatedly lies to you is not beyond a reasonable doubt; it's testimony that you would be unreasonable not to doubt. Jay Wilds says 'Serial' host Sarah Koenig lied about him How old were you when you first met Adnan Syed? When Adnan loaned you his car onJan. 13, 1999, did he tell you it was because he planned on murdering Hae? Commencement of voir dire questioning of jury pool members p64, Emmanuel Obot BPD Mobile Crime Lab tech p168 He seemed under alot of pressure to please. People had lives and were trying to get into college and stuff like that. And thats not necessarily mebut that is my family, that is my uncles and cousins. Jays wife and mother entertained the couples young children while Jay and I spoke in the family living room. Wilds then remembered driving in Adnan's car to Best Buy, where he found Adnan (who wasn't with any car). Jay all but admitted to @BobRuffTruth that he got the reward. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. I didnt resent the students, I resented the school for setting it up like that. "The embarrassment is just going to keep growing over this," Laura Harth, the campaign director at Safeguard Defenders, told Newsweek. Then there's the matter of where Wilds saw Lee's dead body for the first time. Attorney for the Defendant: Maria Cristina Gutierrez. What exactly did Jay Wilds do to help Adnan Syed? I follow him halfway back down the hill, park, smoke some cigarettes. "Anything that's going to make him innocent doesn't involve me. But there was a grand jury hearing on this case,andI have an idea who might have based on that hearing. All about the workings of this global humanitarian organization, Was Charles Stanley sick? 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. Before you would just go down there for drafting, shop, and everyone would co-mingle, and all the students interacted. Jenn's evidence is only relaying what she claims Jay told her. Just a giant farce that would be comical if not for the devastating consequences. Jay says: He went to the mall alone. I didnt know it was that close. We've finally heard from Jay Wilds, the key witness in the murder of Hae Min Lee. Jay says: It wasnt just like I was selling a nickel bag here and there. Jay From "Serial" Gave An Interview That Might Actually Help Adnan Syed It was midnight. Wilds also shares a follow-up email. (See page 18-20 of Jan 24 transcript. Hae was dead before she got to my house. 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.". So that would ruin her life too. The way Wilds tells it, Syed pressured him to help dispose of Lee's body. 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. The following has been edited and condensed for clarity. Each week, we explore unique solutions to some of the world's biggest problems. A detective testifies Jay told him he first saw Hae's body on Franklintown Road. He claimed Syed had spoken about killing Lee a week before her actual murder and disappearance. Jay was undoubtedly prepped before the interview. There was only Jay's testimony which seemed, at least in the prosecution's telling, to be backed up by cell phone records. Ooh look, the second car disappeared! than she was letting on. What happened next? Jay Wilds, the key witness in the 2000 Adnan Syed trial, revealed in part two of his interview with The Intercept that he contemplated suicide after telling police he helped bury Hae Min Lee in 1999 -- read his quotes here It began with his fear of being prosecuted for dealing pot in his high school. I worked a lot. In the podcast Koenig pointedly challenged Jays account of events and his motivation for assisting Adnan. The problem is they completely undermine the state's case against Adnan. Of course, Chaudry isn't a disinterested observer a fact she freely admits. They didnt have to go by us, except to come to lunch, and that was it. 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. 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. Why I believe Jay Wilds : r/serialpodcast - Reddit Though Wilds didnt participate in Serial, he did conduct a .css-16acfp5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#d2232e;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-16acfp5:hover{color:#000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:yellow;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}three-part interview with The Intercepts Natasha Vargas-Cooper, and attorney Rabia Chaudry (also Syeds childhood friend) launched the Undisclosed podcast, both of which add layers to the mystery enshrouding Wilds testimony. But when they put the magnet wing in, it was kinda like these people were different from us. And they didnt have to interact with us anymore. 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. ago It's possible but I think Jenn's 'evidence' is a little suspect too. #TheJayInterview #ThankYouIntercept #FreeAdnan #PerjuryFTW, So yeah, i'm not sleeping tonight. 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. Adnan then threatened to expose Jay's drug dealing operation if he didn't help bury Hae. Reporter Sarah Koenig pointed to several inconsistencies in Jay Wilds' statements to police. She's a high school girl,' Oh, Jay Wilds's cute, Oh, whatever' -- things fizzle out. No until they told me they werent trying to prosecute me for selling weed, or trying to get any of my friends in trouble. 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. He feared hurting his grandmother. Discovery Company. He tells the jury he lied to the police. Here's that new story compared to the facts we know. Lee and Syed were seniors at Woodlawn in Baltimore County, Maryland, in January 1999, when she disappeared. He also stated that Adnan drove Hae's car from the I-70 Park and Ride to a nearby McDonald's, where Jay was waiting in Adnan's car. 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. Then there is of the glaring lie that the state's witness Jay told the police everything they needed to know the 1st time they met. The police came to Jay; he didnt go looking for them. In one police interview, Wilds said he saw the body, it was in a car in the parking lot of a Best Buy. Motion denied p6 Oops. I think that was Jay Wilds first real girlfriend, and I think that's why Jay Wilds reaction was so strong. Adnan has a petition into Maryland's Court of Special Appeals. Jay Wilds Some think Wilds could have killed Lee himself. I remember the highway traffic to my right, and I remember standing there on the curb. I dont know what happened, what occurred between them that day. They were granted Syeds cell phone call records and then looked at two recipients of calls from Syeds phone: Jennifer Pusateri and Wilds. Photo: Natasha Vargas-Cooper for The Intercept, Natasha Vargas-Cooper[emailprotected]theintercept.org@natashavc. Losing track of how many times Jay's story has changed. I said, Isnt he a paramedic? And she said, Nah, hes cool, plus he wants to buy., I didnt trust him at first, since he wasnt like the people I knew pot smokers you know? About a month later, police uncovered her body in a nearby park; an autopsywould later find that she was choked to death. Now he's given us a whole new timeline of the supposed events of that day. He declined to be formally interviewed for her broadcast., which is a spinoff of the radio program This American Life.. Will we start over? Part three is scheduled to be published on Wednesday. 9:41 PM EST, Tue December 30, 2014. He had this very detailed story of pulling into Best Buy; Adnan is wearing these red gloves. Why did he lie? When she mentioned it to Wilds, "he quickly brushed it off: No ' [I was an] an accessory,' 'no, I did this, nothing," Horton says. Adnan apparently told Jay he killed Hae in her car, which was somewhere around, but Jay was doubtful -- he thought the car was somewhere else. I wasnt fully cooperating, so if they said, Well, we have on phone records that you talked to Jenn. Id say, Nope, I didnt talk to Jenn. Until Jenn told me that she talked with the cops and that it was ok if I did too. Jay's actions here may not be right. With this interview, Jay has now burned the corpse.". From the way he carried himself, at least, it looked like he had never lost anything before. 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. One person who missed college because of Jay was Adnan Syed. He had chosen a jury trial. In keeping with the Serial model, The Intercept says this was part one in a series of interviews with Wilds, so keep an eye on Chaudry's Twitter for further reactions. 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. But Jay admits he's a liar. In that situation, he was the loser. And then I would only give them information pertaining to my interaction with someone or where I was. Now [Jay] is saying it wasnt 7pm. She got a new boyfriend? And he didnt know how to deal with that. Apparently, Wilds had been inquiring about the sale price of a teachers motorcycle, which Kelly Blue Book puts at $3,000. From your perspective, what was Adnans reputation at Woodlawn? A big part of the Serial podcast is to speculate on Adnans motive. "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. He told the police enough to get them off his back, but he withheld anything he thought might widen their investigation to his friends and his family. #FreeAdnan pic.twitter.com/6u3wT4H14R. You can't start drawing conclusions like that. And it was really hard for him to deal with being on the losing end. 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. This fact eliminates all random killer (s) (Roy Davis or Mr. S or Space Aliens). We get into his car, and he drives up around the corner to Haes car. It's guilt that has to be proven. Jay Wilds leaves the courtroom p86 We were in the car together during last periodhe was ditching the last period. 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. Losing track of how many times Jay's story has changed. You cant start drawing conclusions like that. Inside Sheins controversial culture, Does Noom really work? Jay Wilds, Serial Podcast Witness, Breaks His Silence: Graphic Details When reached by BuzzFeed News, a representative of Serial had no comment in response to Wilds interview, in light of the fact that the full transcript has not yet been released. There is a specific point where I became involved in this. Ill call you from someone elses phone when Im done.. Dorseys sentencing argument (Adnans new lawyer) p13 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. I was also around a bunch of people earlier that day [at Cathy's], and I didn't want them to get fucked up with homicide." Jay painted his lying as an act of altruism. But the fact that Wilds' story shifted so much has many "Serial" fans saying he wasn't ever a credible witness. Your motion for mistrial is granted Judge Quarles, Judge:Wanda Heard, Associate Judge for Baltimore City Circuit Court. "That's the best way I can account for the inconsistencies. #FreeAdnan #PerjuryFTW, An infographic is in order to keep track of Jay's lies. Hae was dead before she got to my house. They often smoked weed together and quite a lot on the day Hae went missing. Koenig tried to interview Jay. When I pick him up at Best Buy, hes telling me her car is somewhere there, and that he did this in the parking lot. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. Wilds also said he has been misunderstood because of Serial. Support our mission and help keep Vox free for all by making a financial contribution to Vox today. The thing is that the story Jay told at trial is not the same story Jay told police the first time.. Jay Wilds, the key witness in Adnan Syed's trial, gave his first interview in years, and now Rabia Chaudry, the woman who introduced Sarah Koenig to Syed, claims it proves Wilds has been lying the whole time. There wasn't any physical evidence linking Adnan to the crime. He just started opening up. I dont know whether he calls me when hes on his way back to my house, or if he calls me right outside the house. The retailers demise explained, Is UNICEF a good charity? Sergeant Kevin Forrester BPD homicide sergeant p195, Jay Wilds testimony begins p12 "He might really have just been bulls******* at the time. Her body was discovered in a city forest three weeks later. There is no call to Jay on Adnan's phone log in the evening. Didnt say that much. All Rights Reserved. Ultimately, Wilds said he didn't feel he had anything to add to Koenig's investigation into Adnan Syed 's guilt or innocence. I dont know. I dont think thats wrong, its high school, you know. Never really a big group of friends. By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Jay said: I was also running [drug] operations from my grandmothers house. Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that Adnan Syed went to trial in December 2000. Thats about burying her. Because I knew football had paid for all of that, but there were few football players down there. Romano Thomas BPD Mobile Crime Lab tech p103, Motion for mistrial granted p 255 At this point, Jay apparently drove himself and Adnan over to Cathy's to smoke. And as Koenig puts it, "the spine" of Jay's story has never really changed. She looked kinda purple, blue, her legs were tucked behind her, she had stockings on, none of her clothes were removed, nothing like that. #FreeAdnan #Serial #LyingMoFo! 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. Been saying some special Islamo-prayers for Jay to open his mouth & exonerate Adnan. Based on Syeds indictment date, the CrimeStoppers reward should have been paid in June, but it was not paid until November. There are also a few incoming calls at this point, but unfortunately, the records don't show us who they came from. 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. He wouldve gone to jail for murder!". This carefully planned out timeline with all the phone records is wrecked.". There were some big forces going on that didnt have anything to do with Hae. What was your life likeduring1998 and 1999? Hae. Normal high school Im mad at her and Ill scratch her car sort of stuff. He came back with no tools or anything. Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., there are outgoing calls made to Jay's friend Jenn, Adnan's friend Nisha, and two other friends (Phil and Patrick). I saw the ATF and DEA take down guys in my neighborhood for selling much less than I was at the time. Its in the evening after school, we never hung out in the morning. I was also around a bunch of people earlier the day [at Cathys], and I didnt want them to get fucked up with homicide. What else could motivate you to choke the life out of someone you cared about? A Warner Bros. I rode BMX freestyle. He knew I was afraid of that. as much as $250,000 to cover the cost of a possible appeal. We have done best to reduce the size for you, but there are limits because the original quality was fairly poor. Jay sounds like he's in some middle school play where everyone is horrible at acting and just robotically mouthing the words they're supposed to say. It went national, but it was produced in Baltimore. Is this when you first saw Haes body in the trunk of her car? Some of what Wilds claims in the new interview also contradicts what he told police a point he addressed. Jay says: The "trunk pop" happened outside his grandmother's house.Back at his grandmother's house trying to collect himself, Jay told The Intercept he received a call from Adnan, who was either outside right then or on his way over. This is where it was produced. He was then asked to wait while Adnan drove Hae's car, which was parked in a nearby neighborhood, to the burial site. He was a little pompous, a little arrogant, but he seemed really driven as far as his academics, but all those magnet students were. Jay helped dig the hole for about 40 minutes, he told Vargas-Cooper, but refused to actually move the body. Jay Wilds was a crucial player in Adnans conviction he testified that Adnan confessed to him about killing Lee, saw Lees body in the trunk of her car, and helped bury her body in Leakin Park. Jay is either the killer or knows the killer. Urick did not let him walk into that interview blind. The surprising truth, Broker: the baby box drama movies ending, explained, Colleen Hoovers It Starts with Us: the sequels ending, explained, Why is SHEIN so cheap? What Is Jay Wilds Doing In 2019? 'The Case Against Adnan Syed - Bustle But she's also a family friend of the Syeds, and she brought the case to Koenig's attention. Syed was put on trial in February 2000 and was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. After the earlier mistrial, Judge Quarles recused himself from sitting for the next trial, and so the case was held before a new judge (Heard) and of course a new jury. And they wouldnt stop interviewing me or questioning me. Or. But nor was there good reason to disbelieve Jay. It wasnt until they made it clear they werent interested in my procurement of pot that I began to open up any. Its not my job to figure that out. But they don't need to. We know: At trial, the "trunk pop" moment allegedly happened at Best Buy. All the trial transcripts in one place-Adnan Syed's first and second Adnan received a call from the police regarding Hae's disappearance and got "all panicky," so Jay suggested they separate. Adnan took his own car, and Jay got home another way. But I thank #Jay deeply for proving how deep the bullshit is. Two incoming calls (we can't be sure who they were from) originated from the park at 7:09 p.m. and 7:16 p.m., suggesting whoever had Adnan's cell phone was, in fact, there around that time. The other thing to understand is something about the culture of Baltimorethis is where the Stop Snitching video comes from.