The Case Against Adnan Syed

[Anonymous]

Did anyone else watch the first episode of "The Case Against Adnan Syed" on HBO last night? I was enthralled with Serial a few years ago and I feel myself getting sucked back in.

After being overturned and it looking like he might get a new trial, Adnan's conviction was reinstated by Maryland's highest court on Friday.

I admittedly don't remember some of the details of the case as when I was fresh off listening to Serial
.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, OP here. Accidentally hit submit too soon.

When I listened to Serial, I remember being one of the few people who I talked about it with "in real life" that found Jay credible. Ultimately I believed Adnan probably did it, but not beyond a reasonable doubt. He definitely had seriously ineffective council, and I felt was deserving of a new trial (I don't know the legal complexitites that the conviction may have been reinstated on. Just saying that even though in my heart of hearts I thought he was probably guilty, that I'm not sure he was given a fair trial, and that's worrisome for anyone who finds themselves navigating the crimal justice system

[Anonymous]

It's an interesting case. I listened to serial a few summers ago (though I don't remember if I listened to it all the way to the end.) I vacillated between thinking he did it and thinking he didn't. I agree he probably didn't have great representation, but then not everybody does. Seems like a lot of the criminal justice system is luck...getting a good attorney, a sympathetic (or unsympathetic depending on which side you're on) jury, having a smart and reasonable judge vs one who's having a crappy day or just not that bright or phoning it in until retirement etc.

I haven't watched the show.

[Anonymous]

My take was that he did it, but it didn't happen the way that the government said it did at trial. There were real problems with Jay's testimony and issues in terms of the fairness of the trial, but I still think that he was probably guilty.

[Anonymous]

I still feel like they didn't investigate her boyfriend's alibi. His mom provided it, and that was it. Never took a second look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still feel like they didn't investigate her boyfriend's alibi. His mom provided it, and that was it. Never took a second look.

Yeah, that was the one thing that bothered me. They should have verified his alibi once they figured out that his mom was the manager. Otherwise, it was almost certainly Syed, because current and former romantic partners are usually the ones who did it.

[Anonymous]

I never listened to the podcast but have read up on the case and am now watching the series. It’s a compelling story but so far I haven’t seen anything to make me doubt his guilt.

[Anonymous]

The episode where they run through all the things that had to go wrong for him to have been wrongly convicted was pretty compelling. He should get a new trial and his defense atty sucked, but I think he did it.

[Anonymous]

I haven't watched the show yet (did DVR it) but like others I'm fascinated by the case. I don't understand AT ALL why the current boyfriend wasn't looked into further - my understanding is that he wasn't at work that day and his alibi was that he was working at another store where his mom was the manager?

Also, no motive. Yes they'd broken up but by all accounts were still friendly, and he wasn't a violent or aggressive guy.

[Anonymous]

I've been in the rabbit hole on this since Serial - listening to Undisclosed, reading the blogs, following the case, watching/listening to the hearings.....that said, I'm not an encyclopedia so there are details I'm not 100% firm on.

The issue with Don isn't that it was his mother - it was that his mother was in a same sex relationship, and the manager who approved his timecards was his mother's life partner. But, no one knew this at the time - they just saw he sometimes worked at his mother's store, sometimes at this other store managed by another person, and the day Hae disappeared he was at the other store, signed off by this other manager. The relationship was only discovered publicly AFTER Serial. (I've simplified it a bit, but that's the gist).

There have been other discoveries, too, and the HBO special will cover them, as well as some new things. (like the whole Debbie/Don thing - it never quite made sense in Serial - a 7 hour conversation, what? but is clearer now that he was hitting on Debbie). I think the revelations that Hae was sexually abused are also new.

I"m 90% on the side he is innocent. There are some hinky things with Adnan and his phone and loaning out his car and Jay stuff that give me slight pause. I don't think Undisclosed covered those things satisfactorily, so I'm eager to see how this less biased documentary covers Jay and Jen and all. I do think the Baltimore police are corrupt and I don't believe their take (though the detective who appeared was more believable than I expected him to be - knowing more about his background, he's part of the problem in this case but he came across as sympathetic and a good cop).

[Anonymous]

So glad that that this guy is staying in jail.

After the serial pod cast I was convinced he was guilty. I think that was mostly on how convincing I found Jay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been in the rabbit hole on this since Serial - listening to Undisclosed, reading the blogs, following the case, watching/listening to the hearings.....that said, I'm not an encyclopedia so there are details I'm not 100% firm on.

The issue with Don isn't that it was his mother - it was that his mother was in a same sex relationship, and the manager who approved his timecards was his mother's life partner. But, no one knew this at the time - they just saw he sometimes worked at his mother's store, sometimes at this other store managed by another person, and the day Hae disappeared he was at the other store, signed off by this other manager. The relationship was only discovered publicly AFTER Serial. (I've simplified it a bit, but that's the gist).

There have been other discoveries, too, and the HBO special will cover them, as well as some new things. (like the whole Debbie/Don thing - it never quite made sense in Serial - a 7 hour conversation, what? but is clearer now that he was hitting on Debbie). I think the revelations that Hae was sexually abused are also new.

I"m 90% on the side he is innocent. There are some hinky things with Adnan and his phone and loaning out his car and Jay stuff that give me slight pause. I don't think Undisclosed covered those things satisfactorily, so I'm eager to see how this less biased documentary covers Jay and Jen and all. I do think the Baltimore police are corrupt and I don't believe their take (though the detective who appeared was more believable than I expected him to be - knowing more about his background, he's part of the problem in this case but he came across as sympathetic and a good cop).

Who do you think did it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So glad that that this guy is staying in jail.

After the serial pod cast I was convinced he was guilty. I think that was mostly on how convincing I found Jay.

I disagree totally. I'm not sure (lean towards innocent) but I find Jay totally UNconvincing. He's so clearly in with the cops, who promised him a lesser sentence for dealing if he could get Adnan convicted.

[Anonymous]

Ultimately, they can point the finger at Don, the man who discovered her body or the serial killer but the fact remains...Jay knew things that only someone close with/the killer himself would know--the location of the car, timing of the burial, etc. Right there, that eliminates all other suspects besides someone who was close with the group. One thing i will say about the show over Serial, is that it really showed how involved/in love Adnan and Hae were and that doesn't look good for Adnan. In the podcast, he painted their relationship as casual and not worth making a big fuss over. The documentary showcases Hae's detailed diary and hotel receipts, showing that the two regularly spent the night together. Clearly, it wasn't a casual relationship and that doesn't look good for the jealous Adnan who got dumped for the older Don.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ultimately, they can point the finger at Don, the man who discovered her body or the serial killer but the fact remains...Jay knew things that only someone close with/the killer himself would know--the location of the car, timing of the burial, etc. Right there, that eliminates all other suspects besides someone who was close with the group. One thing i will say about the show over Serial, is that it really showed how involved/in love Adnan and Hae were and that doesn't look good for Adnan. In the podcast, he painted their relationship as casual and not worth making a big fuss over. The documentary showcases Hae's detailed diary and hotel receipts, showing that the two regularly spent the night together. Clearly, it wasn't a casual relationship and that doesn't look good for the jealous Adnan who got dumped for the older Don.

Unless the cops put that info together and fed it to Jay.