Adnan Syed's alibi witness Asia McClain Chapman backs probe into prosecutor misconduct
BALTIMORE -- In an exclusive interview, Asia McClain Chapman, the alibi witness for Adnan Syed, told WJZ she agrees with Adnan Syed's allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.
"I completely stand with Adnan's reasoning, and I think his accusations are valid, and I think that they do warrant an investigation," Chapman said.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Syed laid out the problems with his case.
Chapman was watching.
"The fact that he has the character and the integrity to not lose sight of the importance of addressing that misconduct is amazing to me," she said.
Chapman claimed former prosecutor Kevin Urick falsely testified under oath that Syed's family pressured Chapman to say she was with him in the Woodlawn Library when their classmate Hae Min Lee was murdered several miles away in Leakin Park in 1999.
"What Kevin Urick testified to in regards to my conversation with him was untruthful," she said. "I know 100 percent that he manipulated me as someone who is unfamiliar with the legal system, and he 100 percent abused my trust in him."
She also told WJZ's Mike Hellgren that she was upset by the actions of prosecutors.
"If I seem upset right now, it's because I am. As a woman, there have been many instances in my life where I have been left to feel unbelieved and unprotected, and when I think about what Urick has been able to get away with concerning myself, it infuriates me, and that is 100% why I wanted to come forward and speak with you today. It is unbelievable that a seasoned prosecutor can go unchallenged."
Urick said in a statement that "Mr. Syed's desperation appears to grow with each passing day. He has demonized and vilified every witness, investigator and prosecutor involved in this case. These latest developments follow the pattern he has established as he makes baseless claims."
Syed also claimed former prosecutor Kathleen Murphy, now a Baltimore County judge, overreached and helped secure a lawyer for the Lee family last year.
Murphy declined to comment through the court system.
"Judges cannot comment on pending or impending cases," court spokesperson Terri Charles said.
"Every action that they have taken thus far shows nothing but a willingness to bury Adnan and bury the truth about what really happened to Hae," Chapman said.
Chapman's alibi became a pivotal part of Syed's appeals and gained national attention through the Serial podcast.
She said she hopes Maryland's Supreme Court throws out Syed's murder conviction, which was reinstated earlier this year on the grounds the victim's family was not given proper notice before his release one year ago.
"My only hope for him is that he gets to maintain his freedom and he is able to go on and live a normal life. I would be over the moon to see him married with children," Chapman said of her hope for Syed's future.
Lawyers for the Lee family declined to comment for this story.
The state's high court will hear arguments on October 5 in the case,
"Regardless of what people feel about Adnan, he has served his time. It is time to allow all parties involved in this situation to move forward," Chapman said.
Chapman has gone on to found Ahead of Beauty, a nonprofit charity that supports cancer and alopecia patients. She also wrote a book about the Syed case, "Confessions of a Serial Alibi."
