Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"So either they had it, and they didn't hand it over to Adnan's lawyer, and that's a Brady violation deserving of a new trial, or B, they did give it to Adnan's lawyer, but she didn't read it and/or maybe ignored it, which in turn means that she did a really crappy job defending him, and her incompetence or negligence would also entitle him to a new trial due to ineffective assistance of counsel." — Ashley Flowers
"Hay had full fixed levity on the front of her body. That purplish red blue color was present on her face, her chest, her stomach, and the front of her legs. In the way her blood pulled, we know for a fact that she was laying completely flat, face down for eight to ten hours after death." — Ashley Flowers
"The state does not have facts all the state has is Jay. And I even see that come up over and over online, people keep saying, 'Well, the state's witness this and the state's witness that, that's all they have and the state's witness doesn't mean anything.'" — Ashley Flowers
This episode of Crime Junkie aims to supplement the information presented in the podcast "Serial," focusing on the Adnan Syed case. The hosts highlight that while "Serial" was an impactful narrative, it left out crucial details that could alter listener perceptions of Syed's guilt. The discussion centers on four main points: the unreliability of cell phone tower data used in the original trial, the forensic evidence of lividity that suggests a different burial timeline for the victim, inconsistencies in the discovery of the victim's car and how it was presented, and perceived biases and oversights in the police investigation, which appeared to focus predominantly on Adnan Syed without thoroughly exploring other potential suspects.
The hosts delve into the complexities of cell phone pings, particularly incoming calls, which an AT&T fax cover sheet indicated were not reliable for location tracking. They argue that this crucial information may have been withheld from the defense, constituting a Brady violation, or overlooked by the defense, leading to ineffective assistance of counsel. Furthermore, the episode examines the forensic concept of lividity, asserting that the victim's body showed signs of having been laid flat for an extended period, contradicting the timeline of her being in a car trunk and then buried within a few hours. This physical evidence, they contend, suggests she could not have been buried at the time presented by the prosecution.
Finally, the episode scrutinizes the police investigation, pointing out the unusual cleanliness of the victim's car when recovered and the seemingly fabricated alibi for Don, the victim's boyfriend. The hosts suggest that police misconduct and a rush to judgment may have led to Adnan Syed's conviction, emphasizing that other potential leads and suspects were not investigated with the same rigor. The episode encourages listeners to explore further resources like the "Undisclosed" podcast and Rabia Chaudry's book, "Adnan's Story," to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the case.