How would you Feel/React in Jay's Position?

I'd like to think I would do the right thing, but to be honest, I think my reaction would depend a lot on my my relationship to the murderer and to the victim, and even the scenario behind the murder would have some kind of influence.

If I disliked the murderer in the way Jay's comments on Adnan appear to be (claimed he was snobby, in the Intercept interview), I think I would more than likely turn them in to the authorities. Now Jay's reaction is obviously colored by being a young black male, so snitching and the police are a worse evil than anything else--so his reaction isn't as questionable. But if I disliked the murderer, I certainly wouldn't help him with anything related to it, more the opposite--get the hell away from me you MOFO. This is one of the core reasons why his story is so unbelievable.

If I liked or respected the victim, I would also more than likely do the right thing, and turn them in to the authorities. In this case, Jay also said how he thought of Hae, as being more mature than the others--so he seems to hold her in high regard. Again being a young, black male changes that expectation, but still it should make him even more not want to help/be associated with the murderer--so his story of the trunk pop becomes even more far fetched. He could've easily just walked away. Selling weed? That is way small time, compared to offing someone, see?

If I liked or respected the victim I might have some feeling towards wanting to give a proper burial just as a human thing, so this might have some sway. So okay, Jay does this, he claims. But is there any kind of respect towards the deceased as he's doing this? No, his effort is always downplayed as being less than Adnan's, and with time, his recollection of offering help in this becomes less and less to the point where in the Intercept interview, he's not doing anything at all, practically.

Regarding his attitude towards the victim, his reaction is also rather cold/heartless. It goes like this:

Detective And the conversation was what? Jay That bitch is dead. Come and get me. I'm at Best Buy.

Its a little thing, but it doesn't generate any sympathy for Jay in the retelling--mostly because he's saying it in the first person. There's no "Adnan said,..." If it were Stephanie, or Jenn that had been killed, would he say it in that way? He'd probably be more distraught, but there's none of that in the recording. The tone in his voice sounds more like she deserved it.

The scenario behind the murder would also have some influence. Jay claims he did it because, "She broke my heart". Now, this would automatically generate some further conversation if I were in his shoes, because it sounds so generic. Lacking in depth, or detail, I would be a little incredulous in fact. Is that it? She broke your heart? Its a little too basic. Just as a human with some curiosity about fatal romance, I need more.

Lastly, if I were in Jay's position and someone showed me a dead body in a trunk. There wouldn't be 4 or 5 totally different versions of it. There would just be one, and it would be pretty much burned in my brain.

/r/serialpodcast Thread