And the Verdict Is.....

Overview
The Hae Lee Murder trial is currently one of the most talked-about murder mysteries in Baltimore, Maryland. Many have been captivated and shocked by its twists and turns, and its various intricate details. Through the podcast, Serial, listeners have been able embark on a year-long journey with Sarah Koenig, the podcast’s narrator, and draw their conclusions on whether they think Adnan Syed, the supposed killer in the case, is in fact guilt of his ex-girlfriend’s murder.

Adnan (left) and his brother, Tanveer (right), in 1998
Photo: Jonathan Hanson, The Guardian 

The Verdict

I would argue that, based on the evidence in the first and last podcast of the series, Hae was not murdered by Adnan. I was originally struggling to weigh the evidence against Adnan with the convictions of his family and friends who said that he was innocent, but at the very end of the last podcast, it had become apparent that Ronald Lee Moore most likely killed Hae in the 21 minutes after school on January 13, 1999. In the first podcast, Sarah Koenig interviews Adnan's family friend Rabia about her view of Adnan, as she had originally brought the case to Sarah. Rabia says that Adnan was a great kid who was successful in his studies, a volunteer for EMT (though Sarah says it was a paid position) and a member of his high school football team. Sarah adds that he was involved in services at his mosque, and that he seemed to be “an incredibly likable and well-liked kid.” With the glaring exception of Jay, every person who knew Adnan said that he couldn’t be the murderer; he was just not that type of person. Further, Sarah, after meeting Adnan, mentions that he has “big eyes like a dairy cow”. She asks listeners how “could someone like that really strangle his girlfriend?” Asia McClain who claims to have seen Adnan at the library during the time of the murder, also trusts that he is innocent in the case. The way in which Rabia, Sarah, Asia and several others depict Adnan, shows that he has a good nature, and that, despite his typical teenage behaviors (drinking, smoking, etc.), he likely didn’t murder Hae. Additionally, Sarah proves in the last podcast that Ronald was a repeat offender who had spent many years in prison. His DNA evidence was linked to the scene, and his release date from jail (January 1/99) supports the theory that he killed Hae on January 13th. A brief, yet informative video of an update of the case today can be found at: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jun/30/adnan-syed-judge-grants-new-trial-serial-podcast-baltimore-murder-case

Blog Posts: Why are they effective?

This blog post is more effective in outlining my stance on the Hae Murder trial than other media texts because it allows viewers to actually read my reasoning rather than just hear, for example, it over a podcast. Often times, viewers find it easier to analyze and respond to content in writing as opposed to listening to content that lacks images or words. 

Works Cited:

Dean, Michelle. "Serial, One Year On: Web Sleuths Keep Making Discoveries in Adnan Syed's Case." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2015. Web. 07 July 2016.

Levin, Sam, and Baynard Woods. "Adnan Syed, Subject of Serial Podcast, Granted a New Trial." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2016. Web. 07 July 2016.