Did the ‘Serial’ finale bring us any closer to the truth?
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Version 0 of 1. The first season of the habit-forming true crime podcast “Serial” has come to an end. From the initial episode, in October, listeners have feared what they had also foreseen: that the show would have an ending, but not a resolution. As the suspect at the center of this murder case, Adnan Syed, would say, “It is what it is.” This is real life after all. Could anyone really expect a tidy NCIS-style finale? **Earlier: ‘Serial’: An investigative journalism podcast becomes a cultural obsession** The show’s creator and narrator, Sarah Koenig, revisited a lot of old evidence during this episode, which is appropriately titled “What We Know.” She also tracked down some new information. Here’s what we learned. Suffice it to say that if you haven’t yet listened to episode 12 of “Serial,” you may not want to read on. Koenig tracked down two new interviewees The first order of business in this episode was talking to two characters we hadn’t yet heard from. Koenig mentioned the first one with a sense of excitement. She was finally going to interview Don. In a case with many moving parts and a slew of characters, an understandable reaction would be, “Yes! Don! Wait. Who is he again?” But it is a big deal. Don was the victim’s boyfriend at the time of her death. He was older, and they had met at work, at Lenscrafters. They had been dating for 13 days when Hae Min Lee disappeared. Don didn’t initially want to be interviewed for “Serial,” but had a change of heart. The facts we learn from him aren’t particularly groundbreaking. He has an alibi for the day Hae went missing, although it’s his work manager who is also his mother, and he says the prosecutor bullied him when he didn’t testify that Adnan was a creepy guy. In fact, he says that Adnan seemed like a nice guy. Interestingly, like Adnan, Don also didn’t call Hae after she went missing. But the interview with Don is important for another reason. He reminisces about Hae, and reminds us listeners of what the world lost because of this very real tragedy. She was self-confident and sweet. The only way anyone could be annoyed with her, he says, is because she was so likable. Don says Hae helped him understand that he had worth. The second interview is with a co-worker of Jay, the alleged accomplice who testified against Adnan. The guy’s name is Josh, and he’s only just heard about “Serial,” which is why he’s only now coming forward. But he shares with Koenig how afraid Jay was around the time of the murder. The two worked together at an adult video store, and Josh remembers that Jay seemed paranoid. The two weren’t close, but Jay told Josh what had happened — a similar story to what Jay told police — though he never used Adnan’s name. What’s interesting is that Josh didn’t really believe Jay at the time. Both Koenig and Josh seem to agree that elements of the story don’t add up. Old evidence has new meaning Koenig has been investigating this story for about a year, and she has collected a lot of information over that time. Her producers revisited all of the facts recently, to see if anything jumped out at them, and a few things did. They came up with an explanation for the “Nisha call,” a two-minute call from Adnan’s cell phone to the girl he was seeing at the time, which was part of the state’s case. It appeared to prove that Adnan and Jay were together at that time, when Adnan claimed that Jay was alone with Adnan’s cell. So why would Jay be calling a girl he doesn’t know? Could it have been a butt-dial that just rang and rang? In fact, it could. Koenig’s producer found a 15-year-old customer agreement from a class action lawsuit which revealed that a caller who doesn’t hang up within a reasonable amount of time (30 to 60 seconds) can be charged. So, another part of the state’s case was dismantled thanks to the “Serial” team’s incredible amount of digging. But Koenig and company are still puzzled by all the discrepancies. There are so many holes, and the cell phone tower information, especially when placed side-by-side with the interviews from the case, only complicate matters. Speculation never helps Koenig and her team have turned over every scenario imaginable, she says. But she realized that if “you can’t prove it, you have to drop it.” This is a good reminder for all the couch detective positing theories online. There is “HUGE news” from the Innocence Project The group has filed a motion to test the DNA from Hae Min Lee’s body, which was never tested 15 years ago. They also have an alternative theory: A serial criminal responsible for a couple of rapes and at least one murder happened to be out of jail at the time of Hae’s murder. Koenig doesn’t seem quite as enthused about the development as Innocence Project leader Deirdre Enright. After all, that theory doesn’t explain how Jay knew where Hae’s car was. Meanwhile, Adnan’s appeal is still alive. What does Koenig think? Koenig has been open about her waffling opinions for the entirety of the podcast’s first season, which is one of the things that makes the show great. She’s open and honest about not knowing the truth. And her willingness to change her mind makes her feel like a reliable narrator. She just wants the truth, and she isn’t wedded to a certain theory or outcome. So some listeners, understandably put a lot of credence into her thoughts. And she revealed her feelings — at least what she was feeling at the moment of recording this episode. They are complicated. If she were on a jury, she’d acquit Adnan, she says. And while she can’t prove that Adnan is entirely innocent, she allows that most of the time, she believes he didn’t do it. This is the end, but it isn’t really the end Of course, this being reality-based, life will keep chugging along. The Innocence Project is still working, and Adnan could still win his appeal. For us gawkers, the conversation continues online, too. Rabia Chaudry, who first brought the story to Koenig’s attention, has her own blog where she responds to the podcast and has promised to release additional evidence. (She believes beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s innocent.) And, of course, there’s always Reddit. And those that love “Serial” can look forward to a second season, though the timing, topic and sponsorship (“Mail Kimp?”) haven’t been announced. That’s probably good. Koenig deserves a vacation. |