On January 13, 1999, high school senior Hae Min Lee was supposed to pick up her younger cousin from school, but she never showed up. About one month later, her body was found in a shallow grave in the woods of Leakin Park. Who was the murderer, and did they have an accomplice? What were their motives? Almost six weeks after Hae goes missing, her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed is arrested and charged with first degree murder. But, did Adnan really kill Hae? Who else could have killed her? Who else would have wanted to kill her? Does Adnan have an alibi? Someone who can provide support for that alibi? And if he really did kill Hae, why?
The podcast Serial begins with a short summary of the case, provided to us by our narrator, Sarah Koenig. She paints a picture of high schooler Adnan Syed, gone for just 21 minutes after school one January afternoon, and another high schooler, Hae Min Lee, who is found dead a month later, her time of death set right in the midst of those 21 minutes. Sarah uses several excerpts from interviews she conducted of people who are in any way connected to this case, most notably Adnan Syed, the man accused and convicted of Hae Min Lee’s murder. From these interviews, Sarah hopes to piece together what really happened that day, and determine if Adnan truly did kill Hae Min Lee.
Adnan’s friends and family are adamant that he didn’t do it, that he wouldn’t do it, because he was a good boy, an innocent boy. Adnan claims that he can’t really remember that day, it was so long ago and the days are mushy, but he didn’t do it. He had no reason to kill her. We hear from Asia, an old classmate who could have provided Adnan with an alibi, but since their statements contradict one another’s, Asia’s story is legally worthless. Hae’s friends were not fans of Adnan, but they don’t provide an opinion as to whether or not he killed her. Adnan and Hae’s teachers are not convinced that he killed Hae. The detectives who investigated the case don’t even give statements, claiming that there’s no doubt he did it and, what’s the point of giving a statement now? He’s already in jail. And, we hear from Mr. S, the man who found Hae’s body in Leakin Park. Mr. S, a man who already has a record smattered with indecent exposure charges, immediately becomes a person of interest, but is later let off the hook as his story develops. His interview provided important information, such as the location of the body, and how carefully hidden and camouflaged it was. Perhaps the most important interview, however, was the interview of Adnan’s (ex)friend, Jay. Jay immediately throws Adnan under the bus, claiming that Adnan killed Hae and told him that he was going to do it. His interviews provide a timeline of the day Hae went missing and reveal key pieces of evidence the police need to arrest Adnan. The details of Jay’s story change a bit between his two police interviews, but regardless of that fact, Adnan is arrested, tried, and put in jail.
In the first three episodes, we aren’t really given any concrete answers. We know that Adnan Syed denies that he killed Hae, we know that Adnan doesn’t have a solid alibi, we know that opinions are mixed on whether or not he did it, but all that matters is that the state believes he did. We know that the state thinks he killed for revenge, that the breakup and Hae’s new boyfriend caused Adnan to become unreasonably heartbroken and jealous and vengeful and because of that, he killed her. But even with all of the evidence and interviews and investigating, there is still no definite proof that Adnan Syed killed Hae Min Lee. So what now?
This podcast is split into episodes, with a different part of the investigation for each episode. At the beginning of each episode, a brief summary of the last episode and what we know is provided. At the end of each episode, we are given an idea of what the next episode will be investigating, but just enough of an idea that we are left wanting to know exactly what happens next. Background music is used throughout. The music stops during moments where a big reveal takes place, rises or quiets during moments of suspense, and overall lends an appropriate amount of sensory stimulation to the podcast experience. The use of personal accounts from both the narrator and multiple people involved in the case further develops the podcast and makes it all the more interesting, while also providing an opportunity for the listener to form their own questions and opinions about the information provided.
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