Evidence Against Syed Crumbles Under Pressure

Unjust Seventeen years ago, high schooler Hae Min Lee was murdered and buried in a shallow grave. After a controversial investigation and trial, her ex boyfriend Adnan Syed was sentenced to life in prison. He was nineteen years old. But Adnan Syed did not kill Hae Lee; not only is there evidence to support his innocence, the evidence against Syed crumbles under pressure and the sole reason he was convicted is because the justice system failed him. To begin, Adnan Syed simply did not murder his friend Hae Lee. According to the state’s timeline, at 2:36 pm on Wednesday, January 13, Syed had already strangled Lee in a Best Buy parking lot. However, both Syed and Lee had alibis. In fact, it’s impossible for either of them to have been there.

Therefore, it’s perfectly logical that Adnan can’t remember much about that day, even weeks later. Most importantly, both teens had alibis for January 13th at 2:36pm. Clearly, Adnan couldn’t have killed Hae that day. Next, while the jury does eventually rule in favor of the prosecution, when the state’s evidence is brought to light, it crumbles under the pressure. Out of all of the witnesses and all of the facts, the only hard evidence the prosecution had was Jay Wilds’ testimony and Adnan’s own cell phone records. Without the records, the jury must simply decide who is more credible- Jay or Asia. In fact, in a 2015 interview with The Intercept, prosecutor Kevin Urick admits that either Jay’s testimony or the cell phone evidence by itself would not be enough to prove Adnan’s guilt. Therefore, the state needs both of them to put Adnan away. But honestly, the state has neither comfortably. Jay’s story shifts from statement to statement, and from trial to trial. It’s not the calm recollection of an involved party, but the remorseless web of lies from a guilty man. For example, at first Jay says he didn’t help Adnan bury Hae, then he says that he did. In his first statement Jay tells police that Adnan only

Unless Jay had consciously connected the two previously. Speaking of death, Jay isn’t someone who is unaccustomed to random violence. One time, he tried to stab his friend simply because the friend “hadn’t been stabbed before”. Jay felt it was in his hands to make that right, just like he felt it was in his hands to correct the situation with Adnan and Stephanie. Not to mention, Jay is able to lead the cops straight to Hae’s car. Admittedly, it follows with his story that he would know where it is, but in the end, all it truly proves is that Jay was involved- it doesn’t actually implicate Adnan in any way. As a drug dealer, Jay must be used to living by his own morals. But Adnan was the opposite- he was always at the mosque, praying and trying to stay true to his religion. Considering this, how would Adnan have even known about Leakin Park, the place Hae was buried? It’s a shady park with a bad reputation, known specifically for dead bodies. What kind of person would know about a place like that? Maybe a drug dealer? But the state is relying on this drug dealer, they need Jay’s testimony, because the cell tower records alone aren’t enough. And prosecution claims the testimony and the records “corroborate” each other. But for six whole hours,