Naman Shrestha
HBO’s ‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’ is a true crime documentary series that chronicles the horrific murder of 18-year-old Hae Min Lee and the complicated investigation that ensued. After her remains were discovered, the police focused on her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed. However, the series suggests that investigators did not look deeply into the alibi and life of her then-boyfriend, Don Clinedinst, at the time. Several years after Adnan’s conviction, his alibi has remained a point of contention among many, a point he acknowledges.
Don Clinedinst Was Dating His Coworker Hae Min Lee When She Was Killed
Donald “Don” Clinedinst was employed at LensCrafters, where his mother was the store manager, alongside high school senior Hae Min Lee. As the two got to know each other, they formed a romantic connection and began dating. On the evening of January 12, 1999, the 22-year-old man allegedly spent some time with Hae and made plans to meet her the next evening as well. However, she went missing the following day, and her remains were found buried in Leakin Park in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Although Don was the one dating her at the time, the police focused on her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, and suspected him of being involved in her abduction and killing. According to the show, the authorities didn’t collect his fingerprints, hair samples, or DNA. After eliminating him as a suspect, the detectives zeroed in on Adnan.
Don Clinedinst’s Alibi Was Corroborated by His Mother
It has been stated on the show that some of Don’s behavior around Hae Min Lee’s disappearance and murder was reportedly described as suspicious. Reports indicate that Don’s whereabouts on the fateful night of January 13 were not fully documented until about 1:30 am. In his interview, he told the authorities that he had returned home around 7 pm that evening after finishing his shift at the Hunt Valley branch of LensCrafters. The store manager, who was his mother, corroborated that Don had been at work and didn’t have any direct contact with Hae on that day. The detectives reportedly didn’t conduct follow-up interviews with other store employees to confirm Don’s alibi, per the show.
It was only later that a LensCrafters lab manager named Thomas Precht told the private investigators that he thought it was unusual for Don to be working at the Hunt Valley location, as the usual lab manager was not sick or absent. Thomas also suggested that the time cards, in theory, could be fabricated without leaving behind any evidence. When the detectives talked to another LensCrafters employee via telephone, he claimed that he used to work with Don at the Hunt Valley location. As per him, following Hae Min Lee’s disappearance, he had noticed “scratch marks and bandages going around up towards his wrists, and the scratches were down towards his knuckles.” Upon confronting Don about the injuries, he asserted he got them while he was working on his car. Eventually, Adnan Syed was held accountable for Hae Min Lee’s murder.
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Don Clinedinst Has Relocated to North Carolina With His Family
By 2017, Donald “Don” Clinedinst had moved to a new house in the town of Clayton, a few miles away from Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife and kids. He claimed that he had been disabled and attending physical therapy sessions since he was 23 years old, that is, about a year after Hae Min Lee’s tragic death. He said, “There’s not a day go by that I do not think about her and what happened. I was very much in love with her. But to be honest with you, I’ve got a lot of other things on my mind.” Believing that he only had a few years left to live, he added, “My next 12 years is basically making sure that my wife and kids are taken care of. Not worrying about whether anybody believes my alibi.”
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