Adnan Syed’s lone alibi witness has finally been given a chance to testify, and now she’s given her first interview about the experience. At a hearing last week to determine whether Syed should get a new trial, Asia McClain took the stand to reassert her claim that she was with Syed at the time the state claimed he murdered his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. Serial devotees will remember that McClain tried to come forward after Syed was arrested, but his original attorney, the late Christina Gutierrez, never followed up.
After taking the stand, McClain spoke to ABC News about why she testified. “I was compelled by my children,†she explained. “Keeping that legacy, integrity, and stepping up to tell the truth was very important to me.†McClain says she was “nervous†and “a little fearful†about what the prosecutor’s attitude might be, and made a point of not looking at Syed while she spoke. Her goal, she says, was simply to pass along pertinent information, not advocate for or against Syed. “I hope that enough information was presented to the judge for him to be able to make a rational decision … whatever that might be, is in his hands.â€