Juvenile Justice Case Summary

On January 13, 1999, tragedy struck when Hae Min Lee went missing after what seemed to be a normal day at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore, Maryland. Then on February 9, 1999, Lee’s body was found buried in Leakin Park, just a seven minute drive from the high school. Lee’s former boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was seventeen at the time of the murder and attended the same school as Lee. They had an on-and-off relationship that officially ended in December of their senior year, just one month before her disappearance. Syed remained the prime suspect in the case and was arrested on February 28, 1999 and charged with first-degree murder. Throughout the trial, the prosecution claimed that Syed was so broken after the break-up, that he murdered Lee out of rage. Lee’s diary was brought in as evidence as she wrote about Syed’s behavior after the break up and details of their relationship. The prosecution also summoned a witness that spoke of Syed’s suspicious behavior, leading up to and after the murder. There were several pieces of key evidence and convincing claims presented in the 1999-2000 trial. The prosecution’s work convinced the jury to produce Syed’s guilty verdict, sentencing him to life in prison. Syed’s friend, Jay Wilds, was the a crucial witness in the
Prosecutors Kevin Urick with thirteen years on the job, showed their experience from past cases. The entire team was skilled in the courtroom and presented their case in a way that shut down the defense. They were able to connect all the pieces of evidence to complete the story of Hae Min Lee’s death, convincing the jury of Syed’s guilt. The fact that Syed did not want to testify in court, only pushed the jury closer to conviction. This and Jay’s witness account helped the jury to arrive at the guilty verdict. All evidence presented pointed in Adnan Syed’s direction, leaving no doubt that he was guilty of strangling Hae Min Lee to death in