Koenig discusses the state’s theory about Lee’s murder and the narrow-mindedness police had toward Syed. “Serial’s” 12 episodes focus on Lee’s 17-year-old boyfriend and accused killer Adnan Syed and the evidence against him that deals with police negligence, racial bias and errors made by Syed’s attorney. The murder of Hae Min Lee covered in the podcast “Serial”, hosted by journalist Sarah Koenig, was the first investigation that left me astonished because of its outcome. It angers me to know how the justice system could be so wrong. It piques my interest when the odds are stacked against the accused killer because of their race, religion or gender.Īccording to the Innocence Project, since 1973, 53% of death penalty exonerees are Black. It weighs on my mind hearing a family interviewed about not knowing who their loved one’s murderer is. Prior to listening to these podcasts, I had the idea that the justice system was advanced enough to recognize the racism and bigotry within its system. It’s only when a case remains unsolved or when an accused murderer has circumstantial evidence against them, yet the justice system still finds them guilty that cases tend to stick with me. To some extent, I admit, I’ve become so used to hearing gruesome deaths that it hardly bothers me anymore. The serious issues at play in these cases humanizes the people in the story and I no longer think of the case as a means of entertainment but now I see it as a fountain of news that heightens my awareness to the unfairness of the judicial system where it is all too easy for an innocent person to be sentenced in a court with little to no solid evidence. Isn’t it exploiting a person’s murder? Justin Oo | The Poly Post Whenever I share that my pastime involves listening to murder investigations, most people don’t understand it. The thousands of true crime podcasts found on audio streaming services make it hard not to fall into a rabbit hole of a true crime obsession. I fasten my seat belt and set off to the freeway as I mouth out the words to the intro, “Hi crime junkies, I’m your host Ashley Flowers…and I’m Brit,” and then I’m instantly overcome with a rush of excitement as I hear what this week’s story brings. I can see the notification saying a new episode from my favorite true crime podcast is available. Each Tuesday as soon as I get into my hot car, I open the Spotify app as it instantly connects to my car’s Bluetooth. It’s only on Tuesdays that I don’t listen to music as I drive back to my house from campus.