Fair was staying with his friend Leslie Potts on Oct. 31, 2008, in Valley View Apartments when he attended the party that Potts and other neighbors organized. On Oct. 30, 2010, Fair was placed in a Seattle holding cell while detectives gathered more evidence against him for the 2008 sexual assault and murder of a 24-year-old software engineer and Indian immigrant named Arpana Jinaga. This was mainly on the basis of party photographs. Guests took silly photos, downed shots and smoked pot. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. Ive never seen a worse case, Corinne Sebren, one of Fairs lawyers, who specializes in civil rights cases, told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. To contaminate evidence, Jinagas hands had been doused in blue toilet-bowl cleaner and her body covered in motor oil. Emanuel has steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout this case and he, his family, and friends are greatly relieved that justice was served by his acquittal, defense attorney Benjamin Goldsmith wrote in an email Friday. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. One juror said that when the jury began its deliberations on June 6, the 12-member panel was evenly split: Four thought Fair was not guilty, four thought he was guilty, and four were undecided. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. There was DNA from 2-3 males found at the crime scene. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. According to reports, when lead Detective Brian Coats saw photos from the party, he narrowed in on Fair, who he referred to as theonly African-American male at the party on the podcast Suspect. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. So its kind of messed up. It was just gruesome, he said. Now, more than two years later, Fair is suing King County, the city of Redmond and Redmond Police Capt. A suspect is identified, arrested, and convicted, but this morphed into a greater mystery when journalists began investigating the case years later. Prior to that, she had attended Rutgers University on the east coast, but had grown up in the Indian city of Hyderabad as the oldest of two daughters. In the investigation that followed, authorities scrambled to determine who would hurt the lovable young woman from India, a promising software programmer who volunteered at the local fire department and rode her motorcycle with friends in her free time. His DNA was on the roll of duct tape found on the couch, not the tape that covered her face and according to the podcast there's a photo of him using the duct tape to hang up decorations so yea he touched it they already know that. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with Jinaga. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. He matched the description of the man the other resident saw around 3 a.m. at the murdered womans door and had a wide window of suspicion around him, the lawsuit alleges. Her apartment was decorated as a haunted forest, one of. However, phone records show that he was making many phone calls between 2am and 5am, including to Potts. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. The party started like many others. Cameron should have been the prime suspect and the one they took to trial. The Murder of Arpana Jinaga, The Stickiest Heist In History, abnd The Crappiest Place on Earth Published December 28, 2021 at 12:01 AM EST Listen 12:50 Jinaga was sprawled on the floor in her bedroom, bloody, naked, and drenched in bleach, toilet bowl cleaner, and motor oil. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. This is a person who is living her dream. All the while, Fair, whose family was unable to foot his seven-figure bail, said he had faith he would one day walk away free from a charge alleging he murdered Arpana Jinaga, 24, in her Redmond . The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. . On the night of Oct. 31, 2008, Arpana Jinaga and her neighbors at the Valley View Apartments, in Redmond, Wash., threw a party to celebrate Halloween. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. I just want to be myself.. Atlanta Black Star is a narrative company. She and several other residents in the complex opened the doors to their apartments for what was to be a night of fun. The DNA on the motor oil and fleeing to Canada seems highly suspicious to me. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. On Thanksgiving, when he hadnt shown up to his familys dinner, Fair said an aunt called him to ask whether he was planning to come. .but he doesnt mention it? She was outgoing and friendly, joining a motorcycle club, practicing tae kwon do, and volunteering at an animal shelter and fire department, all within eight months of moving to Redmond, he said. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? After the party wound down, Jinaga was seen returning to her apartment about 3 a.m.; investigators believe she was killed at about 8 a.m. Nov. 1. Also Leslie Potts covering for Fair is alarming, was that investigated. Around 3 am, Jinaga left a gathering in a ground-floor apartment and returned to her apartment on the third floor. Theyre still crying about it 10 years later and they will be for the rest of their lives because it was such a horrible thing.. To just dismiss it as racism is ridiculous. He matched the description of the man the other resident saw around 3 a.m. at the murdered womans door and had a wide window of suspicion around him, the lawsuit alleges. The majority of criminals arent very bright. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. An online memorial for Arpana has been created, for family and friends to share pictures and memories, at crypticgirl.com. Suspect: With Matthew Shaer, Eric Benson, Matt Baglio, Ashley Fantz. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. In it, Ehlert stood firmly by the prosecuting teams decisions. I fear and I worry that someone else may become a victim at some point in time, Ehlert said of Fairs acquittal during the 2020 interview. She had it all going on, Coats said. His DNA was also found, he was sexually interested in her, called her around 3am and said oh crap when caught in the lie, also matched the description of the guy seen at her door at 3am. Copyright 2023, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy, Police arrest man suspected of robbing downtown, South Hill banks, 82-year-old Mead man dies from injuries sustained in December crash near Whitworth , Family settles with Spokane County for $7.5 million in 2019 murder-suicide , Authorities in Oregon investigating incident that sent man with explosive device to Sacred Heart , Kohberger housed in small jail with mix of alleged criminals , Kohberger housed in small jail with mix of alleged criminals, Former Gonzaga guard Kyle Bankhead crafts game plan against alma mater, Family settles with Spokane County for $7.5 million in 2019 murder-suicide, McCarthy wins speakership on 15th vote after concessions to hard right. According to residents of the apartment, Johnson appeared interested in Jinaga. Emanuel Fair was arrested in 2010. Then, due to inexcusable delays in Fairs trial and prolonged pretrial detention, he spent more than nine years in the King County Correctional Facility as an innocent man, in conditions of inhumane confinement that are well known to have a detrimental effect on mental health, the suit contends. Fairs 23-page complaint, filed last month by his attorney, Ryan Dreveskracht, contends police and prosecutors botched the probe and wrongly targeted him because he was a Black man with a criminal record, despite evidence implicating Jinagas then-neighbor, who is white. I felt like I was kidnapped, Fair said in last months interview, when explaining his decision to pursue his claims of negligence, civil rights violations and malicious prosecution. Police went to Jinaga's apartment after they were contacted by her friend, Redmond police spokesman Jim Bove said, adding police are investigating the death as a homicide. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. Coats ran a background check on the Fair and found the rape charge. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. But it seems Jinaga would quickly move on and return to enjoying the party. He slept with Potts in her bed and woke up the next morning before 10 a.m., after which he helped her and other neighbors clean up the complex, according to the complaint. Its just another day. Fairs lawsuit cites a comment Coats made during his interview for the Suspect podcast that Fair was the only African American at the party in the photos. Burn marks on her body and apartment suggest somebody tried to burn her. Do we know from the OP that it would have been obvious? Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. Cameron Johnson, who has never been charged, invoked his 5th Amendment right, and therefore only faced limited scope questioning during Fair's trial. She practiced martial arts and participated in a motorcycle club. He heard "a horrible growling" for about twenty seconds until he heard a thud. Arpana dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. 14 years ago. After a background check revealed Fairs criminal record, including a third-degree child rape conviction, Fair quickly became the new prime suspect despite leads about the neighbor and other viable suspects, the suit states. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. According to court records and Chief Criminal Deputy Mark Larson, prosecutors were barred from arguing that Fair and the neighbor were both involved in Jinagas killing because there wasnt evidence to support the states theory the men acted as accomplices. Most people left Jinaga's apartment after 9pm to move to another apartment. Fair was later seen leaving the apartment that night. His legal team expanded the lawsuit in late March, adding ten more pages of allegations and the prosecutor on the case and other detectives that handled the case to the list of defendants. The Wondery true-crime podcast Suspect centers on the murder of Arpana Jinaga as well as the trials of the wrongly imprisoned Emanuel Fair, who spent years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. He went on afterwards, he got his degree, hes never had a crime., Fair, who had only met the neighbor at the party that night, said prosecutors immunity deal was just another biased action taken to strengthen the case against him that backfired, because the neighbor didnt even implicate me, he implicated himself.. Jinaga's killer had clearly gone to great lengths to destroy any biological traces linking him to the crime scene. In Suspect, journalists Matthew Shaer and Eric Benson (Over My Dead Body) return to the Valley View Apartments and interview party guests and authorities about the horrific series of events stemming from Halloween 2008. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. or felt they were? I dont think he killed Arpana. They found her nude body on her bedroom floor, face-down on the carpet and partially covered with cloth. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. Jinaga lived alone in an apartment at the Valley View Apartments. Legal Expert Weighs In, Idaho Murder Victims' Families React to Suspect's Arrest: 'Such a Blessing and Relief', 'She Had No Idea': Sister of Idaho Victim Reacts to Claim that Suspect's Phone Pinged Near House 12 Times, Parents Charged with Murder After 4-Year-Old Son Dies from Alleged 'Exorcisms', Idaho Killings: Surviving Roommate Saw Alleged Killer Wearing Black Clothes and a Mask, Affidavit Says. But of course, I imagine it must have been loud disturbance to kick in a door, which was apparently never reported. Since his release two-and-a-half years ago, Fair said hes struggled to adjust to life outside of jail or find steady work. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. And thats hard.. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. They act on impulse, not ration. Fair was tried for Jinagas sexual assault twice and was acquitted after his second trial in June 2019. On Thanksgiving, when he hadnt shown up to his familys dinner, Fair said an aunt called him to ask whether he was planning to come. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. There are multiple apartments with parties and these two go to a car to listen to music?! After-the-fact contentions about inadmissible evidence are a little disingenuous, said Dreveskracht, Fairs attorney, who noted police at one point consulted with a psychic medium who attempted to contact Jinaga beyond the grave. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/after-nearly-11-years-and-two-trials-killing-of-redmond-woman-remains-unsolved/, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/woman-found-dead-in-redmond-was-slain-police-say/, https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/petitions/96468-8%20Petition%20for%20Review.pdf, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/emanuel-fair-trial-lawsuit-dna-murder-charge-1330251/, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59393415bebafb202cc26aba/t/5f0237f32005f03d23c6d73a/1593980918922/Defense-Motion-to-Compel-Source-Code.pdf. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. According to the complaint, Johnsons fingerprints were found inside a window in Jinagas apartment, and his DNA was found on the motor oil bottle and a portion of wet carpet at the crime scene. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. An exclusive trailer for Suspect is below. It contends Fair was asleep at his friends apartment when Jinaga likely was attacked, and that he didnt attempt to leave the area: He helped clean up outdoor areas after the party and stayed with his friend at her apartment for two more days. After hosting her event, software programmer, Arpana Jinaga, was found dead inside her home. Maybe he sneezed or coughed while using it. Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinagas death, and his DNA was reportedly never compared to the crime scene. Woman Found Dead in Park Charged with Murder, Honors Student, 17, Killed After Offering Teenagers a Ride: 'Thought He Was Doing the Right Thing', Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, A Man Who Died by Suicide After Being Questioned About 1994 Murder Has Been Identified as the Alleged Killer, More Than 15 Years After Madeleine McCann's Disappearance, Questions Remain Unanswered: 5 Things to Know, Accident or Murder? Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. He had bruises consistent with a sexual attack, tried to flee the country, and was researching pawn shops (which the police never really followed up onor seemingly got a real answer from him on why he was researchingpawn shops). Then, due to inexcusable delays in Fairs trial and prolonged pretrial detention, he spent more than nine years in the King County Correctional Facility as an innocent man, in conditions of inhumane confinement that are well known to have a detrimental effect on mental health, the suit contends. Cameron should have been the #1 suspect. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. On Oct. 30, 2010, Fair was placed in a Seattle holding cell while detectives gathered more evidence against him for the 2008 sexual assault and murder of a 24-year-old software engineer and Indian. link. When youre in jail, you dont have a holiday. Since his release two-and-a-half years ago, Fair said hes struggled to adjust to life outside of jail or find steady work. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. Just hours after that party ended, in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2008, one of the hosts of the Halloween party a 24-year-old software engineer and Indian immigrant named Arpana Jinaga . Some guests were rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary, it says. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. Jinaga had been gagged, brutally beaten and most likely raped. If you would like to share your thoughts or experiences in relation to this story, please email the reporter or, Fire on Lake City Way in Seattle raises smoke, flooding concerns, WA to end masking requirement in health care, correctional facilities, Tacoma woman refusing tuberculosis treatment continues to face arrest, Be bolder to get light rail done, expert panel tells Sound Transit, Driver makes U-turn, hits pedestrian near Pioneer Square, police say. Some guests were rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary, it says. The initial investigation focused on Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. Now working a security job and living with friends in Renton, he said hes often depressed, carries guilt for a younger brothers emotional troubles and avoids going out. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. Someone else murdered the young software engineer. New episodes of the nine-part series will be released weekly on Tuesdays. Two days later, after Jinaga hadnt shown up to work or returned calls to her family in India, a family friend and Jinagas next-door neighbor found her door kicked in and her nude body on her bedroom floor. -, Press J to jump to the feed. He was one of the three individual's whose DNA was found . Photos. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. Perhaps the perpetrator(s) kicked in the door, then while leaving they shut it again. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. They also failed to look for evidence of a missing bootlace. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from India. So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. The neighbor initially neglected to tell detectives about phone calls he made to Jinaga at 3 a.m. Later on the morning of her slaying, he drove to the Canadian border and attempted to cross it without a passport but was denied entry. Fair and Johnson had actually just met that night. Jinagas bruised body was discovered covered with a cloth on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. Were they old friends? . The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. She is suspected to have died from strangulation from a bootlace. Only one man was charged with murder. Indian immigrant and recent college graduate Arpana Jinaga was found brutally murdered in her Washington State apartment after co-hosting a Halloween costume party at her complex the evening of Oct. 31, 2008. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. But I dont have a desire to do that. A spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office said in an email, we look forward to addressing these allegations in a public courtroom, and we are confident in our case.. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. And thats hard.. At approximately 8 am, Jinaga's next-door neighbor Kyle Rose, was awakened by sounds coming from her apartment. "It's a series about cutting-edge science and mislaid justice, race and policing, and the kinds of weighty choices that cops and prosecutors make every day," Wondery states in a release. When residents of the Valley View Apartments in Redmond, Wash., decided to host a Halloween party nearly 13 years ago, nobody expected that it would end with murder. He helped set up and clean up, and had no wounds, no scratches or injuries. Police believe she was killed around 8 a.m. Two days later, a friend of Jinagas father went to check up on her because she hadnt answered phone calls from her family in India. I always knew I was going to get out; I just didnt think it would take as a long as it took, Fair, 38, said last month. This is weird. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. Johnson engaged in a number of suspicious activities after the murder. Brian Coats, who led the investigation into Jinagas murder as a detective 13 years ago. After zeroing in on Fair because of his race and rap sheet, investigators relied on cherry-picked DNA evidence while disregarding other genetic findings and suspects as part of a gather facts that fit the theory strategy, the suit alleges. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial. There were also other men in Jinagas life that detectives suspected of the murder, and some of their DNA was found at the crime scene. After-the-fact contentions about inadmissible evidence are a little disingenuous, said Dreveskracht, Fairs attorney, who noted police at one point consulted with a psychic medium who attempted to contact Jinaga beyond the grave. At one time, Emanuel Fair was the longest-serving inmate in the King County Jail, spending nine years behind bars without being convicted of a crime. According to court documents, a neighbor who did not attend the party reported seeing a man with olive complexion and light stubble standing in Jinagas doorway, talking to someone inside around 3 a.m. Fair went inside Potts apartment between 2:30 and 3 a.m. after listening to music with Jinagas immediate neighbor Cameron Johnson. His case went on trial in 2017, the jury deadlocked and there was a mistrial. Bodicherla went to the apartment complex, where he encountered Cameron Johnson, who showed him the way to Jinaga's unit. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. Fairs lawsuit contends the probable cause affidavit used to support the murder charge omitted multiple facts, including that several other mens DNA also was found on crime scene evidence and items found in the dumpster. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. I fear and I worry that someone else may become a victim at some point in time, Ehlert said of Fairs acquittal during the 2020 interview. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege. There was potential there that was just taken away., Citing pending litigation, a city of Redmond spokesperson declined to comment about Fairs lawsuit on behalf of Coats and the citys Police Department. DNA was found on a discarded bottle of motor oil (same bag as robe). Ben Goldsmith and Katharine Edwards advanced a straightforward theory about why Emanuel Fair should be acquitted in the murder of Arpana Jinaga, whose body was found in her Redmond apartment on Nov. 1, 2008. Emanuel Fair: He was not a resident, but he was staying in the apartment of Leslie Potts. On Oct. 31, 2008, 24-year-old Arpana Jinaga dressed up in a Little Red Riding Hood costume and prepared for a Friday night to remember. Im out, Fair said. https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/petitions/96468-8%20Answer%20to%20petition.pdf. When Johnson was interviewed by police on Nov 3 and 5th, he was noticeably limping with elbow and knee issues, but claimed it was due to an arm wrestling incident. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. He scrubbed his phone right after the interrogation, the lawsuit says. Fair ultimately was charged based on trace DNA evidence found on Jinagas neck; a piece of duct tape used to gag her; paper found in the apartment; and mixed with Jinagas blood on a robe recovered from the apartment buildings dumpster. The neighbor initially neglected to tell detectives about phone calls he made to Jinaga at 3 a.m. Later on the morning of her slaying, he drove to the Canadian border and attempted to cross it without a passport but was denied entry. I lost a lot. Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. Jinaga, a 24-year-old software engineer from India, had attended Rutgers University, won an international software award and was a rising star at the Bellevue company where she worked. The lawsuit alleges there was heavy drinking at the party of 40 to 50 people. On Halloween 2008, Jinaga and several of her neighbors at the Valley View Apartments threw a large Halloween party, with guests moving between their units. Court records show prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to charge Jinagas neighbor, who met Fair the night of the homicide. The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. They interrogated Fair on the car ride to the station without reading his rights. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. She died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. In addition, several neighbors in the complex told investigators that he had a sexual attraction to Jinaga, and he exhibited jealous behavior when she talked to other men at the Halloween party that night. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Emanuel, his family, and friends ask for privacy, as he works to rebuild his life, wrote Goldsmith. The man was the last person to call her the night she was killed, he tried to destroy evidence of the calls, and he attempted to go to Canada after the homicide but was turned away, he said. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. Brian Coats, who led the investigation into Jinagas murder as a detective 13 years ago. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. According to reports, when lead Detective Brian Coats saw photos from the party, he narrowed in on Fair, who he referred to as theonly African-American male at the party on the podcast Suspect. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. When contacted by police, Leslie Potts falsely claimed that she was alone, even though Emanuel Fair was staying with her. Two days later on Monday, Jinagas father in India was worried that her daughter was not answering her phone, so he asked family friend Jay Bodicherla in the US to check up on her. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. He made calls to a few friends, including apparently pocket-dialing Potts.