‘Undisclosed’ Podcast — Rabia Chaudry Dissects Witness Testimony, Believes There Is Evidence To Exonerate Adnan Syed

The first episode of the Undisclosed podcast aired today, consisting largely of Rabia Chaudry and two other interested legal minds going over witness testimony from the day Adnan Syed is accused of murdering Hae Min Lee. Rabia’s comments before the show, however, are just as interesting.

If you listened to the Serial podcast, you’ll already be familiar with the witness names and testimony touched on in the first episode of Undisclosed. It addresses Jay’s, Stephanie’s, Asia’s, and Cathy’s statements, as well as the track coach’s memory, and Adnan’s own memory.

There are some interesting points throughout the Undisclosed podcast: Adnan’s track coach, who was unable, at trial, to verify whether a certain conversation with Adnan had taken place on the day of Hae’s murder, must have seen him that day, because it was the only day that fit his description (during Ramadan, warm enough to practice outside, and a day that school was in session.) That places the coach as a possible important alibi.

Undisclosed also reiterated some concerns with witness testimony that mentioned Adnan and Jay going to the adult video store on January 13th — before Jay took the job there.

Naturally, there were jabs at Jay’s testimony — which by all accounts was spotty and inconsistent and, of course, comes from a party who isn’t exactly a neutral observer.

“Jay does that a lot, by the way, that thing where he sounds like an actor who’s forgotten his next line. Luckily the detectives are always ready to help him out, give him time to think about it, give him hints, suggestions, reminders.”

Rabia clearly wasn’t kidding when she admitted at the beginning of the podcast that she’s not an objective neutral party.

Still, her point stands: there’s a lot of reason, based on what we’ve heard in Serial as well as Undisclosed, to feel that there was some coaching going on. Undisclosed suggests that Cathy’s testimony may have been coached, too.

Again, though, as interesting as the first episode of the podcast was, something Rabia posted on her blog before Undisclosed ever aired might be more so.

“Our private investigator is following a number of credible leads, one in particular that may clinch the matter entirely, not just helping Adnan in an appeal, but in fact exonerating him altogether.”

She goes on to suggest that Hae Min Lee’s brother may be coming around to the idea that Adnan Syed was not his sister’s murderer, and that she hopes the rest of Hae’s family will follow suit.

If the Undisclosed podcast really does result in getting to the bottom of a 15-year-old murder case, and freeing an innocent man, it will truly be an historical event in media.