Why Is Adnan Syed Innocent

Imagine yourself at 18 years old. It’s your senior year of high school, the peak of your youth, and you are ready to graduate in just a few more months. Now reimagine yourself in a stone-cold courtroom, standing before a jury and a judge, being convicted for a crime you did not commit. No one believes that you are innocent, your closest friends unsure as to why or how you did it. This was the harsh reality of Adnan Syed, who was only 18 years old when he was charged guilty with first degree murder for the death of Hae Min Lee that occurred January 13th, 1999. Syed was an honorable and kind boy that was convicted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae, within a botched case that lacked physical evidence and was based on one individual’s

Of these accounts, almost all people recognize Adnan as a genuine and kind person. For someone so kind, seeing Adnan as a murderer is appalling. From this, the next reason why Adnan Syed is innocent is because his very character could never suggest that Adnan is capable of killing Hae Min Lee. During his relationship with Hae, Adnan truly loved and respected her, and those feelings continued even after their unfortunate breakup. Post-breakup, Adnan and Hae were on good terms, staying good friends despite their past relationship. Adnan wouldn’t hurt someone he loved, especially Hae. He is an innocent man. Furthermore, his devastation and worry he felt upon Hae’s death also enlightens listeners on how he felt about Hae. When Adnan hears that the body in Leakin Park is Hae’s, he is in complete denial and frustration, in which he calls Detective O’Shea to further investigate whether the body they had found was truly Hae’s (Ep. 9, 16:00). Not only that, but Adnan helps organize memorial events within Woodlawn High to commemorate Hae, actions that someone who truly loved her would do (Ep. 9, 18:00). In his suffering and efforts to commemorate her, listeners can see how Adnan truly appreciated Hae. With these actions alone, it seems incredibly unlikely that Adnan could have had the heart to strangle Hae. In addition to the many things he did for Hae, Adnan was also an extremely kind person that often looked out for others. Within “Serial”, many students at Woodlawn described Adnan as supportive, kind, and genuine. According to Peter Billingsly, Adnan was simply “a good friend”. Within his Muslim community, Adnan also had many who saw him as just as kind. Ali, a boy a boy from Adnan’s Mosque, saw Adnan as someone who was extremely kind and supportive, and someone who looked after him (Ep. 11). Even those who looked down upon Adnan, such as one older man from the Mosque that caught