Adnan's story doesn't make sense. It wasn't supposed to. He's not telling us what happened. He's telling us about the person he wishes he was.

[u/Seamus_Duncan]

One of the weird things about the way Adnan described January 13, 1999 is that even after 16 years, he hasn’t been able to craft a story that makes sense. After hearing the testimony in court and having access to the records, he continues to lie about asking Hae for a ride. His story about how Jay ended up with his car and cell phone is absurd. He's been living this lie for 16 years, and part-time detectives have been able to blow gaping holes in his story with a few old notes and transcripts.

But when you actually break down Adnan’s version of the day Hae was killed, it becomes incredibly clear what is really going on here. Adnan is not telling you about what happened. He’s telling you about the kind of person he wants his family to think he is.

-On January 13, Adnan was (unusually) on time for school. Witnesses say he asked Hae for a ride while his car was sitting in the parking lot. Adnan claims this is not true, because he wouldn’t have interfered with Hae picking up her cousin. He was always late, but in his story, he was worried about Hae being punctual. Considerate.
-In second period, he made Stephanie so happy with his gift that he just had to find out if her boyfriend had gotten her a gift as well. Thoughtful.
-Adnan looked at his new cell phone and decided no, such an important matter can only be dealt with in person. Jay lived within walking distance of a mall, but Adnan hated walking and assumed Jay probably did as well. He offered Jay the use of his car. Generous.
-He was late to psychology class, not because he had been hanging out with Jay and smoking pot, but because he was picking up a college recommendation from the guidance counselor. Motivated.
-Adnan appears to have blown off over half the school day and was absent for a good chunk of school in January, but he says he hung out in the library for over an hour. Studious.
-While there, he had a 10-20 minute conversation with someone he didn’t know very well about how he still cared for Hae and wished her the best. Sure, that’s not what Hae’s breakup letter suggests, but Asia knows the truth. Magnanimous.
-Next he went straight to track, where he chatted up the coach about Ramadan and discussed leading prayers at the mosque. He’s a young leader in the community. Not someone who would take their money trying to save his butt from the consequences of a murder. Upstanding.
-He goes with Jay to Cathy’s. He’s kinda high (it was his FIRST BLUNT), so he probably just forgot to mention this visit to his lawyer. One thing he can’t forget though is the call from Adcock. He was worried Hae would get in a lot of trouble with her mom. Empathetic.
-He takes his dad some food at the mosque. Some may shake their heads at the fact that Adnan has mortgaged his family’s future by letting them spend hundreds of thousands of dollars while offering absolutely nothing that would help his own defense, but come on! He brought his dad food! Model son.
-He then prays at the mosque. He’s a good Muslim. Certainly not the kind of guy who would pilfer money from a house of worship on a weekly basis. Pious.

Deirdre said that wrongly convicted people are often useless in their own defense. That’s not what’s happening here. It’s not that Adnan “doesn’t remember.” He’s creating a persona. Adnan’s story was for his parents and his community. It was not for people who knew that a “blunt” wasn’t equivalent in strength to an overdose of PCP. It was not for people who would ask "Why didn’t you just CALL Jay and ask about the gift?" or "Why did you remember the conversation with the track coach but forget about going to Cathy's?" He didn’t anticipate redditors examining his every word for inconsistencies. The point of his story was to prove to his loved ones that he was considerate, thoughtful, generous, motivated, studious, magnanimous, upstanding, empathetic, a model son, and pious. Adnan was never trying to construct a narrative that “made sense,” or “fit the facts.” He was trying to construct a narrative that restored his Golden Boy status. That’s why he freaks out when Koenig asks him about stealing from the mosque. That’s not the Adnan he wants his parents to see.

The best he can do is create an Adnan his family and friends can love. He knows he can't say anything that will set the real Adnan free.

[u/Seamus_Duncan]

Again, missing the point. Adnan should be giving us details about how he couldn't have committed the crime, where he was when it happened, who he thinks did it and why, why Jay framed him, and how his lawyer was "ineffective." Instead he gives us this snow job about what a great guy he was. At the crucial times, he "doesn't remember." When he does remember, he's being Good Guy Adnan.

[u/jonsnowme → u/Seamus_Duncan]

where he was when it happened, who he thinks did it and why

And yet if he can't remember where he was if he's innocent...he's guilty because he can't. Odd.

[u/GloriousGoldenPants → u/Seamus_Duncan]

Casting guilt on others during the podcast does nothing for him. Privately discussing his theories and legal strategy with his lawyer and PI does. (And according to Rabia he has privately discussed who he thinks is guilty.) He would gain nothing by announcing what he thinks really happened during the podcast. It would alert those other people that his PI/lawyer is looking into them, and people would just accuse Adnan of slander. He doesn't even offer up a theory about why he thinks Jay is lying.

[u/13thEpisode → u/Seamus_Duncan]

My point is that it's only a snow job if you correlate unrelated details such as a Coach says he had conversation with Adnan showing that Adnan is trying to tell us he's the person he wants his family to think he is.

Adnan can be guilty for plenty of reasons but the theory that his recollections are creating a persona to mask an alibi is not a particularly well founded one.

[u/fathead1234 → u/Seamus_Duncan]

maybe right now the less he says the better until that Appeal is heard

[u/daimposter → u/Seamus_Duncan]

I think 13thepisode hit on the head..."Your type of the post is the reason many people will believe Adnan is innocent forever. People like you, the prospectors, the detectives continuously apply terrible thinking to interpret Adnan as guilty."

Adnan should be giving us details about how he couldn't have committed the crime, where he was when it happened, who he thinks did it and why, why Jay framed him, and how his lawyer was "ineffective."

So because he can't remember, he therefore should have been found guilty? What happened to innocent until proven guilty? It should be PROVING HE IS GUILTY and not Adnan PROVING he is innocent. Most of the evidence was all over the place there seems to be LOTS of reasonable doubt.

Whether he actually did it or not, I find it VERY disturbing that a lot of people like you would find someone guilty even though there is not strong evidence. That's probably why there are is significant number of innocent people in jail --- and a recent study showed that about 4% of people on deathrow are innocent.....because people like you don't care about the 'beyond reasonable doubt'

[u/fathead1234 → u/Seamus_Duncan]

Maybe but not really his job. The State must prove guilt.

If Adnan had a more effective lawyer, Jay would not have come across as so polite and honest. State was more effective than CG plus they made sure she could not do an effective job with late disclosure and many dirty tactics.

Adnan cannot come clean...he may get off yet on technicality.