Blog #11

Serial is an investigative podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig in which explores the depths of Hae Min Lee’s murder. At the time of death, Hae was an eighteen-year-old student at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore, Maryland. Throughout the series, Koenig unfolds issues within the American justice system. The suspected culprit of Hae’s murder by strangulation is Hae’s ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed. Adnan’s story highlights the unjust prosecution of one man out of 20,000 in the United States alone who are falsely convicted. On February 25th, 2000, Adnan was found guilty of first-degree murder and given a life sentence, despite his pleas for innocence. So far, I am leaning towards believing Adnan is innocent since there is a myriad of ways in which the murder is not linked with Adnan Syed. For example, In episode five, Koenig expands on the problem with the use of phone records in court. In Adnan’s trial, the state used phone records when they work in convenience with the prosecution, but the calls that do not add up, are ignored. Koenig describes how law enforcement’s use of cell records are inaccurate and how the how the prosecution did not deploy the case fairly with regards to the jury.

At the end of episode 1, Sarah Koenig reveals to the audience that the case is still in process. The fact that the murder remains unsolved, engages the listeners. She carefully presents a multitude of information in a nonlinear manner over a long period of time and still manages to capture the attention of the audience. I have found listening to the podcast in class and taking notes relaxing in comparison to other academic activities. I find Sarah Koenig’s voice to be calming and the appendment of other witnesses’ voices (whether through call or interview) intriguing.