Asia Chapman, an alibi witness who could be key to Adnan Syed’s defense, broke down on the witness stand Thursday under tough cross-examination from Deputy Attorney General Thiru Vignarajah.
Vignarajah repeatedly asked her about the timing of a letter she wrote offering to testify on behalf of Syed, who was charged with strangling his former girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, to death and dumping her body in Leakin Park in January 1999.
How did she learn certain facts in the case? Who told her how Lee’s body was found? How did she learn of Syed’s arrest?
Each time, she responded that she couldn’t remember and at one point broke down.
Later, Justin Brown, Syed’s lawyer, showed her Baltimore Sun articles about the discovery of Lee’s body and Syed’s arrest. She said someone at school may have read the articles and talked about them.
It was Chapman’s second day of testimony in a hearing to determine whether Syed, whose case was the subject of the popular podcast “Serial,” should get a new trial.
Syed was convicted of the murder in February 2000 and sentenced to life plus 30 years. The podcast, broadcast last year, raised questions about whether he received a fair trial. In May the Court of Special Appeals kicked the case back to Baltimore Circuit Court for a post-conviction hearing.
Syed’s appeal lawyer, Justin Brown, has argued that the original defense team failed when it ignored Chapman’s offer.
Chapman, who didn’t seem as nervous as she had on Wednesday, recounted a 34-minute telephone conversation with Kevin Urick, who prosecuted the case. Referring to notes, she said Urick called Brown’s argument that Syed’s trial lawyer, Cristina Gutierrez, was incompetent because of health issues “BS.”
Chapman’s name does not appear on Gutierrez’ witness list from the trial.
Gutierrez was disbarred in 2001 and died of a heart attack in 2004.
As she testified, Chapman complained of being cold and asked if the courtroom temperature could be adjusted. Retired Circuit Judge Martin Welch arranged for one of the clerks to let her use his blazer.
Vignarajah asked her if she understood how someone could interpret her offer to help Syed recall “unaccountable lost time.”
Chapman said she is not responsible for how people interpret what she wrote. And besides, she was only 17 when she wrote the letter.