Adnan Syed: Murder for Love or an Illegally Accused

NPR's Serial Podcasts have become a cultural phenomenon. Since their release, podcast popularity has risen, and the case explored in the podcasts has been thrust back into the spotlight. The story told over 12 episodes details the accusation and conviction of Adnan Syed for the murder of Hae Min Lee. Adnan Syed is a Pakistani American, and he is sentenced to jail. Hae Min Lee is a victim that was murdered on January 13th, 1998. People felt that his trial was controversial. Serial Podcasts Season 1  by Sarah Koenig explores the idea that Adnan Syed is guilty, through Motivation for committing the crime, credible witnesses, and physical evidence.

Criminal motive is one of the main factors proving his crime. In this case, the motive of the crime seems to be due to emotional factors. Emotional disputes are the most common disputes among human beings. Especially the disputes between the boy and girl relationships. In Serial Podcast Episode 02, the state says 'After Hae broke up with Adnan, he couldn't accept it. He was so wounded by her, and so furious, that he decided to kill her'. As a young teenage boy, it is probably his first time experiencing a break-up,  Adnan seems to really care about his relationship with Hae Min Lee. In this relationship, he invested a lot and sacrificed a lot, he has to against his religion and family. As a result, when he break-up, the amount of effort and energy he puts into this relationship will turn into hatred, which becomes the reason that commits the crime. Also in the same episode, Sarah says, 'On New Year's Day, Hae has her first official date with Don and they start going out'. According to Podcast, from the break-up to Hae Min Lee dating with Don, it is under only one mouth, at this short period of time, it is hard for Adnan to forget Hae Min Lee and move on. When he knows his ex-girlfriend has a new relationship right after the break-up, he will feel like she does not be serious about their relationship. He feels he is played and betrayed by Hae Min Lee. Those bad opinions will run over their good memories pretty quickly, it makes them full of hate for Hae Min Lee. And also from hate to murder. According to Michelle Givertz and Scott Safford, they say ‘insecure attachment and symptoms of depression, along with negative perceptions of relationship quality, differentiated those individuals whose relationships terminated over the course of the study from those whose did not’ ('Longitudinal impact of communication patterns on romantic attachment and symptoms of depression.'). It seems that Adnan could face symptoms of depression due to a break-up. When people are down, they will inevitably do something extraordinary. During this period, Adnan does not seem to be so surprised that he does the murder. Emotional crime is an ordinary crime motive. This is a reason for Adnan to commit an emotional crime.

Witnesses are one of the main and strong evidence to confirm a person's guilt. In Adnan's case, Jay is one of the most important witnesses in Hae's case. He is one of few people that sees Adnan with Hae's body. and his statement is believable. In Serial Podcast Episode 05, Jay says, ‘ I’m the criminal element of Woodlawn'. Adnan is 17 years old sound man, he is not stupid. If anyone kills Hae, he would be the biggest suspect because they just break up, so under these circumstances, finding a scapegoat that totally makes sense for Adnan. It just so happens that he is a good choice because just like what Jay says his image is not very positive in Woodlawn, which is means other people could also think that he has the possibility to commit the crime. Jay's statement has a reason and result, and the logic is very clear and believable. In Serial Podcast Episode 06, Sarah also mentions another witness, she says, ‘That there was another witness, besides Jay, who saw Hae’s body, who saw Adnan with Hae's body'. The other witness that Sarah mentions is the Neighbor Boy, Children's thoughts are pure, they can only tell what they see, and they do not know how to lie, because lying is not human nature, so the boy's remarks are very trustworthy. Elizabeth A. Mulkey says ‘When children do participate in their cases, they have a more favorable attitude towards the process’ ('Confronting legal and technological incongruity: remote testimony for child witnesses.') It seems like people are also more believe in children. They can speak out without reservation. Two witnesses who see Adnan with Hae are all believable. If a case has two witnesses that do not even meet each other before, and they see the same things, it could be significant evidence to prove Adnan is guilty.

The evidence collection of the items and information related to the case is very important. In Serial Episode 06, Sarah says ‘The most incriminating piece of physical evidence against Adnan Syed was a fingerprint, or rather, a palm print. On a map’. This map includes Leakin Park. Fingerprints are one of the strongest pieces of evidence. The fingerprints he left on the map seem to indicate that he has checked the map to plan the murder and bury the body before the crime, which increased his suspicion. In the same episode, Sarah says ‘they had written notes to each other on the back. Aisha in pencil, Adnan in pen... at the top of the page it says, ’I'm going to kill. In pen'. As Adnan writes a note in pen, it seems like he writes it. No matter when and under what circumstances he writes it, this passage is full of blood and violence, it definitely has the meaning of intimidation. It is not a normal sentence for couples or friends, This sounds more like what a suspect said to the victims. It clearly increases his suspicion. ‘Physical evidence has the potential to play a critical role in the overall investigation and resolution of a suspected criminal act’. These substances are the most powerful evidence that they committed crimes. Because they are traces left by criminal suspects and they can only be traces of individual characteristics like fingerprints and handwriting. In the face of this undeniable evidence, it is clear that Adnan Syed does kill Hae Min Lee.

Through Adnan is committing crimes for love, Jay and the Neighbour Boy's testimony and trustworthy physical evidence. Sarah Koenig's Serial Podcast explores the idea that Adnan Syed has committed the crime has a significant influence on people when facing things, think rationally and find reasonable answers, by the points out the difficulty of Adnan Syed facing break-up, finding and whether or not believe in witnesses, and seeking the importance of the physical evidence. Tells us that when judging things, Do not talk brainlessly about whether things are good or bad, but start from their essence to find the cause and result. In society, there are too many people who blindly follow others' opinions, they do not look for evidence or cause, but they just believe what they believe, and lose the ability to think logically. However, when they judge whether things are good or bad by thinking, there is will no unsolvable case. Human beings are meant to be thinking, when everyone is thinking, the world will become better. Human civilization will develop better and stronger.