The Innocent Convict Podcast Case Study

It was an uneventful day for everyone besides a Woodlawn high school, Lee Min Hea who reportedly disappeared and later found dead. Lee was laid to rest three weeks later in a Leakin state park in Baltimore County Maryland. Her longtime boyfriend who happens to be her classmate Adnan was arrested, charged and prosecuted for her murder. Now, 18 years later we analyze the case through online articles, forums, and “Serial” a 12-part podcast by Sarah Panther is our co-hosts, covering the in-depth of the situation. I will question and explore if Adnan was wrongfully prosecuted, who was involved and what this case indeed teaches us about the criminal justice system here in the United States. This was the motive the prosecutors used for conviction.

Otherwise, the case was like a Shakespearean work where teenagers from various worlds love each other frustrating their families, secret meetings, suspicion, jealousy, and ruined. Finally murdering each other as revenge, Sarah Panther exclaims in her Podcast. There were a lot of people involved in the case, from an alibi witness that was never questioned, family and friends from every corner and even teachers who gave testimony. The only “solid” evidence the prosecution had was Jay and his story of what happened. " • Jay decides to assist him to bury Hae’s body since he feared being locked in jail for trading weed business which he stored at the house of his grandma. • Adnan and Jay dig Hae’s grave at Leakin Park.

• Jay drove Adnan back to Adna’s car, Adnan picks up his car and drives to Hae’s car, which had the body. • Adnan drops the Hea's body into the grave, buries her, and drove off using Hea's car which he left behind some row buildings • When he was interrogated, Jay tried to evade answering the cop’s questions directly until he was assured that he would not be accused of selling weed or implicating his friend. Now, that we understand bits and pieces of what is going on let's reflect on Adnan and what is going on with him throughout all of this. The biggest mind bashing evidence that gets me is the Asia interaction in the library, why didn’t anyone question her? Why didn’t she give a testimony, and what in the world was up with her revoking the affidavit? Alibi information regarding Asia never corroborates with a letter inserted in the file of a defense lawyer.

In the very letter, Asia stated that she thought there are library surveillance cameras likely to ascertain Adnan is not guilty yet Adnan's defense neither requested for the library footage nor cross-examined Asia testimonials. Sarah Panthers analyses the case 17 years later when the footage does not exist or can even be retrieved. I have confidence that Adnan’s case was at trajectory repetition, as usual, on the real day of Hae's loss blows a lapse in Jay's testimonials, AGAIN. Jay's timeline is constantly the biggest gap in this entire case. So, Nisha is a young girl who doesn't go to school with them or lives nearby. She is a fling, or rebound, for Adnan. There is a phone call to her that screws up the whole roadmap to Adnan's innocence.

Two-Minute phone calls made by Adan to Nisha show the disparity in the case. Jay stated that on January 13 at 3:32 PM Adnan made a phone call to Nisha and put them on the Jay on to talk to Nisha doesn’t seem convincing enough because here a boy who had just killed his girlfriend. If Adnan were utterly innocent with nothing to hide, he would have been on the front-lines defending himself and finding people to vouch for his story. I know for a fact that if I had a life sentence on the line, I would be calling everyone in my school, driving to people's houses, and going crazy trying to defend myself. I have not seen this in Adnan, in fact, he seems to be reasonably passive about what happened, forcing us to rely on the little information he has supplied.

Also, they never bring up a toxicology report from Jay or Adnan what if they were on cocaine or doing any other mind-altering drug other than smoking marijuana. Based on NCADD report, drug abuse and addiction could result in aggressive behavior or criminal. It is an extended theory of I can't remember. Late into Serial, we received a better picture of the lack of stability in Jay's home life. Neither of his grandparents or any family showed up at trial with him shows a lot. Stephanie was it. His girlfriend was all that he had. I think he is feeling relief and disbelief that he has dodged the bullet, and fear that the truth will be discovered. You can't undo what he did.

I don't think he is a "bad person," but it sounds like he had been branded the weirdo, loser, outcast, unloved person his whole young life. Psychologically shows growing up like this does something to a person. I believe when Sarah showed up to his door, he looked exhausted because of work, yes but I also think it's from 15 years of running from the truth of what happened. I would imagine that she probably still lives with the aftereffects of this. Imagine if her boyfriend killed her best friend because he was cheating on her and her friend found out. She's the motive for why her friend was murdered. And if they can prove that this is what happened, it is going to probably have a significant impact on this young woman more than even Adnan.