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Both Sides Rest In ‘Serial’ Proceedings

P. Kenneth Burns
/
WYPR

Lawyers for both sides rested their cases Monday in post-conviction proceedings to determine whether Adnan Syed should get a new trial; but not before some punchy and combative testimony from expert witnesses.

FBI Special Agent Chad Fitzgerald, the state’s expert on cell phone towers, accused Syed’s lawyer, Justin Brown, of manipulating phone records used in the original trial.  Fitzgerald said the records he was shown by Brown were incomplete because dates and times for calls were cut off.

He called it "offensive" that he was handed "manipulated evidence."

Towson-based attorney David Irwin, a defense expert on criminal defense practices, grew frustrated as Deputy Attorney General Thiru Vignarajah asked repeatedle about when, or when not, to seek a potential alibi witness and repeatedly interrupted.

Irwin shot back at one point; "I’ll put my words in my own mouth."

He also said a defense attorney must investigate all potential alibi witnesses.

The final witness to take the stand was a security officer who told prosecutors that there were no cameras in the library where Asia Chapman, formerly McClain, said she saw Syed at the same time Lee was killed. He also said he didn't remember seeing Syed there that day.

But during cross-examination, the officer admitted that he "can't remember clearly" who he saw, and that there could have been security cameras that he didn't know about.

Syed was convicted in 2000 of the murder of his former girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, while they were students at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County.  Lee’s body was found in the wooded area of a Baltimore City park.

His lawyers are arguing Syed should get a new trial because his defense at the time failed to pursue evidence that could have helped him.

Retired Circuit Court Judge Martin Welch left open the possibility of rebuttal witnesses when court reconvenes.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.