Jay Wilds, a classmate of both Lee and Syed, played a huge role in the case. He became a star witness for the state but his. If [Haes mother] had some unanswered questions, and she needs to know what happened here, then Id say, Ill walk [you] through all that. Thats the only person Im going through all that shit for. Speaking to The Sun last month, Clair said: "Harrison and Jude both know dad was in a programme called The Inbetweeners, they know it was rude and obviously they know the other boys from it too. What's going on with Spencer Matthews Disney+ doc? The four-part HBO documentary also features Chaudry, who has been outspoken about her disbelief in Wilds' version of things. The hugely popular 12-part podcast "Serial" investigated the 1999 murder of teenager Hae Min Lee and the murder conviction the following year of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, who is currently. The police and prosecutors then laid their investigation on Adnan solely because that was the lead they wanted to believe for the sake of closing the case. DJ Jay Reynolds working the turntable at WIFE-AM Indianapolis on August 8, 1968.All of the material contained on this channel is presented for educational an. I am trying to be strong for my children, Garcia said through tears. He is married and a father of one. ', I thought he was just blowing off steam and bullshitting, Wilds said. But that doesnt change what I saw. Hundreds of miles apart, the two men stood in courtrooms, accused of shooting at someone who had made a wrong turn. Jay Williams is married to Nikki Bonacorsi. "Jay is the center of gravity in this case. The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History 12 Mar 2019. The 37-year-old former basketball player, Jay Williams is a married man. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Youre in the documentary either way, so it just seems more respectful and fair to you to let you tell what happened, rather then having me piece it together from whatever I can glean from the record. Court Reinstates Murder Conviction of Adnan Syed of 'Serial' For Now I feel like hes 100% responsible? The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. I didnt think he was going to go kill her. Wilds, who recalled when he picked up Syed that day he told him, Oh shit, I did it. We have tried to keep the lines of communication open with him, contacting him well before the podcast began airing, during the run of the story and as recently as last week.". . The true story of Waco, Christine McGuinness feels "extremely vulnerable", Netflix's MH370 documentary raises a question. Wilds, a former classmate of Syed, has been relatively under the radar since the 2000 trial that sentenced Syed to life in prison plus 30 years on charges of . ", When asked why he had decided to speak out away from the podcast, he explained: "Im trying to clear my name. Jay declined to be interviewed by Serial host and producer, Sarah Koenig. But for Clair, she insists that sons Harrison and Jude, will not have a 'free pass' when it comes to repeating James' inappropriate quotes. Im worried for the safety of my family. That means the justice system potentially imprisoned the wrong man for the last 23 years. Theres no point in me participating in that conversation. Furthermore, he also played for the US national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. So why would he confide in Jay about killing his ex gf if they werent that close? I was downstairs and asked them if they had any business cards that said who they were. Criminals are criminals, and they do fucked up shit, but that doesnt mean they dont still have some sort of a moral compass. My girlfriends mother learned about it, and spit in my face and called me a murderer. Im not using your last name, and I wont say where you live or anything about your family. Jay was likely not given a FULL check because he promised to present facts at Adnan's trial. This character is first introduced as a wealthy businessman who recently married Gloria Ramirez, formerly Delgado, portrayed by Sofia Vergara. When DeDe dropped by for Lilys birthday, she tackled Gloria to the ground. Consider what the world of media would look like without The Intercept. No, it was her and another woman [Serial producer Julie Snyder]. Im not on anyones side. Eight years later after 'Serial' revealed major flaws in Syed's 2000 conviction, he's out of prison, but the question of who murdered Hae Min Lee remains. Something with a B [ed. Though Serial audiences found themselves enraptured with Syeds story, the podcast made the choice to focus on the investigation into Lees murder, rather than into Lee herself. As Serial documented, the states case hinged largely on the testimony of one man: Jay Wilds, a casual friend of Syeds who told police Syed had sought him out as an accomplice because of his perceived criminal status in their Baltimore area. But in real life, of course youre more than just a states witness. To: Wilds also said he has been misunderstood because of Serial. After years of disagreements, they got a divorce. This installment focuses on. I was talking to one of my friends, who had just recently gotten over a drug addiction, who she tried to talk to about this case. She added, "There was a certain amount of technology available at the time, and the fact that there were no records pulled that would corroborate Jay's statements made me uncomfortable with the investigation.". Jay Wilds and Adnan Syed were reportedly not close friends but the Woodlawn High School seniors' fates would eventually become inextricably linked through a brutal Jan. 1999 murder case, when Syed was arrested and ultimately convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. He is married to his longtime girlfriend, Nikki Bonacorsi. Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The former weed dealer explained to The Intercept when he first met Syed in 1998 at the age of 16, he didnt trust him at first and he seemed a little pompous and arrogant. Wilds, who testified that he was with Syed the day he allegedly murdered Lee and helped dig her grave, also said he was never really friends with the now convicted murderer. HBOSky. OnJune 19, 2003, he met an accident while riding his motorcycleat the intersection of Fletcher and Honore streets onChicagosNorth Side. Yes. He described the "threats" and "serious accusations", directed at him, that his wife had seen internet users post on Reddit threads. The hugely popular 12-part podcast Serial investigated the 1999 murder of teenager Hae Min Lee and the murder conviction the following year of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, who is currently serving a life sentence. By this time my wife was getting real upset. After Jay Wilds, the key witness in Adnan Syed's 2000 murder trial and This American Life spinoff Serial, confessed to police he helped Syed bury his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999, he told . "I feel like [Koenig] created an evil archetype of me and sensationalized my motives. Hae was dead before she got to my house. On paper, in the trial transcript, youre two-dimensional. They feel like Adnan Syed is an international celebrity, Kelly said. Anything that makes Adnan innocent doesnt involve me. But she said that she had talked to Adnan, and she wanted to get more information about the case. Have you read the subRedditabout this case and about me? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. You werent there to see your mom crying every night, having a heart att[a]ck when she got the new[s] that the body was found, and going to court almost everyday for a year seeing your mom weeping, crying and fainting. He added that although Koenig had reached out to the family, theyd chosen not to participate or respond. Before this podcast thing happened, no. Adnan received a call from the police regarding Hae's disappearance and got "all panicky," so Jay suggested they separate. Syed was arrested that same day, aged 17. How did you come about it? And she said she was a reporter at the time of the trial and knew about Cristina Gutierrez [Adnans lawyer who was disbarred in 2001]. I thought it would be important for you to meet me in person, so you could get a senseof who I am and what my intentions are. That is, until her death during season 10. PART 3: The collateral damage of an extremely popular podcast. Listening to Serial was a back-and-forth of evidence and interviews, and choose-your-own conclusion week to week whether he was guilty or not. It was confusing because they also pitched this story to me as a documentary, and they wanted to put me on video. I think Jay did the crime, knew they would close in on him soon, decided to make it up that he was involved with helping bury Hae (he knew he had to let them know he was involved somehow) and chose Adnan as the perfect decoy, making it seem like Adnan was the killer and he was there to help afterwards. There is a specific point where I became involved in this. As prosecutors acknowledged in their motion to vacate, a disclaimer on the records entered into evidence had specifically stated that the billing locations for incoming calls were not reliable for determining location. After scoring 671 points, he became a player who scored at least 600 points for the season along with Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy Jr. Back in the 2002 NBA draft, he signed with Chicago Bulls with the second overall pick. Sarah Koenig's Serial podcast did a deep dive into the murder of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Adnan Syed. Maybe Adnan had something to tell her, something magical that happens that changes all the facts in the case. I think he mouthed something to me. You know what Im saying? She kept saying, Its going to be in your interest to talk to me, and that just started to feel like a threat, like if I didnt talk to her it was going to be bad news for me. My wife told me to go inside because He wont fire at me, Im a woman. His wife, 25-year-old Sonia Argentina Guzman, was at the door when the shooter arrived. And based on the lack of information about Wilds' whereabouts and the fact that he told The Intercept, "I don't want to talk about this for entertainment purposes," the public may not hear from Wilds again. The thing is that the story Jay told at trial is not the same story Jay told police the first time.". He seems to be in love with Stephanie who had a close relationship with Adnan. "I dont hate his character, I feel sorry for Jay. American former professional basketball player. He also said he felt blindsided and betrayed by the decision to vacate Syeds conviction, and said his family had struggled with the turns the case had taken over the years. "My wife told me to go inside because 'He won't . But it was Syeds cooperation and affability as an interview subject that drew audiences in. Stephanie is the former girlfriend of key witness Jay Wilds. No. Jay Williams is not having an affair with anyone presently. On Monday, Adnan Syed walked out of prison for the first time since he was a teenager. At trial, he said Adnan killed Hae in the parking lot of Best Buy, and then he also said he helped Adnan bury her in Leakin Park. My wife knows about my involvement in this case. What I didnt know was that all this time later it would affect my family. If [Haes mother] had some unanswered questions, and she needs to know what happened here, then Id say, Ill walk [you] through all that. Thats the only person Im going through all that st for., As for why Wilds (who said he has yet to listen to Serial) decided to give an interview to The Intercept then, he explained he wants to clear his name and he fears for his family. Currently, he serves as a college basketball analyst for ESPN. She revealed during her interview with the investigators that she dated Wilds at one point in her life. But either way, the result was clear: In the national obsession over the guy who was wrongfully convicted of a murder, the murdered high school girl Hae Min Lee got lost. For his role in the crime, he was given two years probation for being anaccessory to murder after the fact. Jen says she didn't know Adnan, but then recognized him when she picked Jay up at Value City. Rabia Chaudry, an attorney and close family friend of Syed's, took to Twitter shortly after it was published to point out a number of discrepancies from his previous testimony. As Adnan's appeal process continues to bring updates, Wilds has chosen to remain silent. B.]. Do you think of testifying as brave or cowardly? Photo Illustration: Koenig: Meredith Heuer; Jay Wilds: Natasha Vargas-Cooper; Syed: Imgur, Natasha Vargas-Cooper[emailprotected]theintercept.org@natashavc. Maybe Adnan telling him to get Stephanie a birthday gift triggered one last thing in him (insane jealously perhaps) and he took it out on Adnans ex gf, Hae. I was also running [drug] operations from my grandmothers house. Im trying to clear my name. Wilds' first taped interview with police occurred on February 28, 1999. But no, no, no. If youre telling the truth, then what harm would it be to talk to Koenig? 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. I felt quite ashamed and embarrassed, Wilds said after admitting that he not only knew that Syed had murdered Lee but that he had helped dig her grave. "Because I eventually cooperated with the police and testified, I know that there are people back home who would consider me a snitch and would hurt me," he told the publication. I cant have this in the back of my mind that Im going to get a lightning bolt or something. "I hope they dont think they will get a free pass because their dad said it.". By staying focused on the mystery, listeners were rapt wondering, Did he or didnt he, but that made it easy to lose sight of the humans in the story. The two announced their . Following a rare 2014 interview with Natasha Vargas-Cooper of The Intercept, the outlet reported that Jay lived with his wife and children in a 'two-story suburban home.' He is also famous as the father of 34 children from 17 different women. Join Facebook to connect with Jay Wilds and others you may know. Do you remember that moment? This is real life a never-ending nightmare for 20-plus years. He said he believes in the justice system and that he does not oppose a new investigation if its necessary. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? Alas, it wasnt difficult at all. But the documentary will once again examine the reported inconsistencies that were in Wilds' retelling of the events related to Lee's murder when it premieres on March 10. ), Serial podcast host Sarah Koenig was denied an interview by Wilds, because, he says, it wouldve been too painful. The key witness in the case was Jay Wilds, a former classmate of Lee and Syed at Baltimores Woodlawn High School. Related Currently, he has an estimated net worth of $4 million as of 2023. Look how shes demonized me. Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account. The Baltimore City States Attorneys office said in a motion submitted last Wednesday that they could not justify keeping Syed in prison any longer because several factors of the case had given them overwhelming cause for concern: A prosecutor had found two potential suspects in case files who hadnt been properly ruled out during the investigation. As part of a statement in response to Wilds' interview, Serial's Julie Snyder said: "Our reporting is solid and we believe we accurately and fairly represented Jays statements to police and his testimony at trial.