Hae Min Lee Research Paper

Imagine stealing something from the store with a friend, but even though you didn’t steal anything, your friend blames you completely after being caught. Both are in the wrong, but only one gets the blame. On January 13, 1999, a high school girl, Hae Min Lee, was murdered. Strangled in her car and buried in a shallow grave in Leakin Park in Baltimore, Hae’s murder remains a mystery. The main suspect, her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed, has been the subject of controversy surrounding his conviction. Adnan, along with Jay Wildes, were proven to be involved in the murder, but no hard evidence concludes who strangled her. Many clues found in this case suggest that Adnan did not strangle Hae himself, but the evidence proves that he was otherwise involved in the planning and execution of this

The day before Hae’s disappearance, Adnan bought a new phone and gave it to Jay the day she disappeared. Then for the entire time she was missing, he never attempted to contact her. This suggests that he knew she was already dead. While some might dismiss this as a simple coincidence, or that Adnan and Hae were no longer together and he wouldn’t try to contact her, it seems odd that he would not try, especially considering that they were still talking to each other and remained friends after the breakup. Adnan’s case has been gaining media popularity over the years as people try to solve the case on their own. In September 2022, the prosecution no longer felt their evidence strong enough to keep Adnan in prison, and the investigation has since reopened. Adnan Syed was still charged with the murder of Hae but was allowed to be on house arrest. Jay got no jail time because of his dealings with the investigators. The evidence implies that Adnan must have been involved in Hae Min Lee’s murder, even if he did not strangle her. To truly solve this case, more DNA testing should be done, and Jay should be questioned