Free Confessions of a Serial Alibi by Asia McClain Chapman

went on. Adnan was arrested on the last day of February in 1999. In the months that followed my classmates and I became obsessed with fun senior traditions, prom, graduation and getting settled into college life. We all cared for Hae and wondered about Adnan from time to time, but it was a sore subject that we all tended to steer clear of discussing. In all honesty, it often still feels like the elephant in the room whenever the case is in the news again (all these years later). I do remember feeling a little insulted that Adnan never wrote me back from jail because I had heard rumors that other people had received letters. Eventually I just told myself, “So what? It’s not like we were really friends anyway.”
    As more time went on I assured myself that he was probably focused on more important people and things. I also figured there must have been a reason for the lack of contact. I began to assume that perhaps my time with him on January 13th was not important. It’s even possible that I assumed that perhaps I had mailed the letters to the wrong address. Then I began to assume that Adnan was Hae’s killer and that perhaps the murder took place later on January 13th or a different day all together. Considering that I didn’t follow the case and it wasn’t something that my friends and I discussed, my assumptions became my truth.
    Ever since my letters and affidavits have been made available on the Internet, many people have had their own speculations and questions about my wording choices. My 2000 handwritten affidavit is no exception. Why is the handwriting so different? Why was one document handwritten, while another was typed and so on? All I can say is that they are what they are. I will attempt to explain as best as I can but ultimately it’s all just a fascinating coincidence. As with many people my handwriting changes depending on my writing circumstances. What I’m writing, where I’m writing and with what sort of writing instrument I am using plays a major part in how my handwriting looks. I myself have four different signatures that I use depending on the magnitude of my laziness in any particular moment. As many moms can relate, you put me in a retail store with my two toddlers and you’re lucky if you can get my initials legibly.
    In terms of my original affidavit the majority of the negative speculation surrounds the sentence “We [Adnan and I] talked about his girlfriend [Hae] and he seemed very calm and caring.” To many folks it seems rather suspicious that I would include such a sentimental description of my conversation with Adnan. To many it may seems like this wording may have been orchestrated (by Rabia) to make Adnan sound more docile or innocent. To some degree I would have to agree with you; however, Rabia had nothing to do with it. When I wrote that description, I intended to describe Adnan as simply what I did, calm and caring. Its original intention was to convey a greater sense of acceptance of Adnan’s demeanor in reference to the breakup. It also happens to be true that, to me, Adnan seemed very unfazed and compassionate about Hae’s love life choices. Rabia didn’t need to coach that sentiment out of me. It was already a sentiment that I had taken from my actual conversation with Adnan on January 13th.
    During the post-conviction hearing in 2016, prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah stated that Rabia testified that she called me after Syed’s conviction in early 2000. He also claimed that the purpose of her call was to schedule a time to ask me questions about January 13th, 1999. As I sat in court that day in 2016, I could not remember that phone conversation ever taking place. I did testify to the feeling of surprise when Rabia arrived at my door. I don’t know if perhaps there was another reason for remembering a sense of surprise by her visit. Who knows, this was me in the midst of testifying, attempting to recall a memory from seventeen years prior. Perhaps she was different than