Sarah Koenig

Really?

A bunch of people I talked to told me they feel guilty towards Adnan, that they let him down, because they let him astray, or didn't protect him, or didn't mentor him, or didn't show up enough at trial, or didn't visit him in jail.

Even ones who were on the fence about his innocence said, please tell Adnan I love him, or please tell him I'm sorry.

And I often say back, you should tell him yourself, you can write to him, you know.

And then sometimes comes a pause.

The reason Ali agreed to go on tape was that he wanted me to know this about Adnan.

Anand was the kind of kid who'd stand up when your parents came into the room, Ali said.

At parties or events, he'd be the first one to ask, how can I help you, auntie?

Do you need help setting up those tables, uncle?

This was what Ali, disguised and anonymous, had to say.

Normally, I probably wouldn't pursue rumors that on their face aren't connected to the crime at hand.

But in this case, I decided it was worthwhile because of where these rumors come from.

I think these rumors are coming from a feeling that a handful of people have, I've heard this from about four people, people who knew Adnan growing up, that Adnan was capable of committing this crime.

I think they believe they saw things in his personality that they think I am not seeing, namely that he's duplicitous.

The term psychopath gets thrown in sometimes.

People told me he used his charm and his smarts to deflect suspicion or weasel out of things when he got caught, pretty much what the judge said to him at his sentencing.

Which brings me to the only rumor I heard that at least partly checked out.

It was this.

Adnan stole money from the mosque.

Donation money.