At some point during the night, partygoers recall Jinaga getting into an argument with a male, who made a race-related comment. 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. It was a party, Fair was all over her apartment like EVERYONE ELSE. Arpana Jinaga was murdered in her apartment in 2008 . Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. But I dont have a desire to do that. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. She practiced martial arts and participated in a motorcycle club. Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. I just want to be myself., The Seattle Times closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. He scrubbed his phone right after the interrogation, the lawsuit says. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. To get in one of those cheap hollow core doors (if thats what the apartment had) by kicking, you dont need to kick a hole through, just knock it out of the lock. Arpana was last seen in the early morning of Nov. 1 during a Halloween . He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. 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. Around 3 a.m. on Nov. 1, Jinaga left a gathering in a ground-floor apartment and returned to her apartment on the third floor. The lawsuit alleges that the department hired famous psychic medium Allison DuBois to help with the investigation around the time Fair was identified as the main suspect. Police attempted to identify the partygoers and interview them. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. Some guests were rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary, it says. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. Redmond police Lt. Brian Coats vividly recalls all that he learned about Arpana Jinaga, a Redmond woman who was strangled in her apartment in 2008, her body doused with bleach, toilet-bowl cleaner and motor oil in an apparent attempt to destroy DNA evidence of rape. I dont think he killed Arpana. But of course, I imagine it must have been loud disturbance to kick in a door, which was apparently never reported. Why didnt he tell police that her door was kicked in? 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. 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. More than a dozen people passed through Jinaga's apartment that night. Police found that he had Googled pawn shops near the border. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. New 'Suspect' Podcast Explores Halloween Party Murder of Arpana Jinaga Jinaga's neighbor Cameron Johnson showed up to the party in Jinaga's unit late. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. Preliminary reports said Arpana may have died on Friday evening. Convicted sex offender charged in brutal 2008 Redmond homicide Fair and Johnson had actually just met that night. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. 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. Goldsmith said evidence found at Jinagas apartment and produced during the investigation pointed to one of her neighbors as the likely killer. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. The Murder of Arpana Jinaga, The Stickiest Heist In History - WVXU However, phone records show that he was making many phone calls between 2am and 5am, including to Potts. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. At approximately 8 am, Jinaga's next-door neighbor Kyle Rose, was awakened by sounds coming from her apartment. Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients Now His Victims Are Speaking Out, Ex-Boyfriend of Missing Md. Fair also used Jinaga's bathroom. He was one of the three individual's whose DNA was found . Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. Suspect (Podcast Series 2021- ) - IMDb The Mysterious Death of a Young Mom Found Unresponsive in Her Bathtub, Inside the Case Against Bryan Kohberger: Legal Experts Weigh in on Idaho Murders, Will Bryan Kohberger Face Death Penalty if Convicted of Idaho Murders? In every community across Washington, families are facing the challenge of accessing and affording long-term care. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. There was forced entry into Jinaga's second-story apartment, signs of trauma to Jinaga and the apartment was in disarray. 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. 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. Coats was asked during the podcast if the prior conviction was significant to his investigation. 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. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. 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.. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. 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. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. 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. 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. When Johnson found out Fair liked hip hop and wrote beats, Johnson invited him to his car to listen to some electronic music he had made. 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. . Do we know from the OP that it would have been obvious? He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. Jinaga's killer had clearly gone to great lengths to destroy any biological traces linking him to the crime scene. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. 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. Larson, the chief criminal deputy prosecutor, noted Fairs DNA was found on Jinagas neck, a piece of duct tape used to gag her, a piece of toilet paper or paper towel found at the crime scene, and was mixed with Jinagas blood on a robe found in the apartment buildings trash bin. Second trial in killing of Redmond woman ends with not-guilty verdict Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? Fairs DNA was found on Jinagas robe and a roll of duct tape that was likely used to tape her underwear inside her mouth like a gag. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. 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. The result, it claims, was a biased probe that caused Fair to be arrested and charged without probable cause for a murder he did not commit.. 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. Suspect premieres Aug. 17 on Wondery+ and Aug. 31 wherever podcasts are streamed. No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/petitions/96468-8%20Answer%20to%20petition.pdf. Johnson has denied any involvement in Jinagas death. 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. The defense also explained the innocuous opportunities Mr. Fair had to touch or indirectly transfer microscopic skin cells to these items during the party. 'I'm Out, But I'm Not Free': Man Sues After Spending More Than Eight The lawsuit says that Johnson also had a past of strange or violent behavior with women. 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. Condition of the apartment: Jinaga's bed had been stripped, a fleece blanket was partially burned and her comforter was found in soaked the bathroom bathtub. lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. 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. In my opinion, and in my heart, I dont have any question about anything we did in regards to charging that Emanuel Fair killed Arpana Jinaga, she said. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. Arpana Jinaga. Ehlert also defended an immunity deal with the suspected neighbor, and the decision to solely prosecute Fair for first-degree murder with sexual motivation a charge that hinged mostly on trace DNA collected from a crime scene teeming with genetic evidence linked to multiple people. Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. Jailed for Nine Years, Man Acquitted of 2008 - The Daily Chronicle 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. Police believe she was killed around 8 am. The prosecutors office also provided an uncut hourlong recording of an interview of former Chief Deputy Criminal Prosecuting Attorney Erin Ehlert in 2020 for a true crime podcast called Suspect, which examined the case. Several people were at the party before Jinagas murder, so the scene was full of various DNA samples. But I dont have a desire to do that. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. 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 apartment after a Halloween party in 2008. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. Now, more than two years later, Fair is suing King County, the city of Redmond and Redmond Police Capt. According to residents of the apartment, Johnson appeared interested in Jinaga. Fair, a guest of another woman living in the building, met Jinaga and her neighbor that night. It is reported in Seattle Times that a third male's DNA was found on the bootlace, but it is not reported as such in the court documents. Cameron should have been the prime suspect and the one they took to trial. But it seems Jinaga would quickly move on and return to enjoying the party. Those are times when you should be around family. His first trial, in 2017, ended in a hung jury because one juror said Fair looked like a thug with tattoos on his hands. The jury in the second trial acquitted him. Jinagas neighbor, Johnson, was the prime suspect at first, as described in Fairs lawsuit documents. A tech prodigy from an early age, Arpana seemed poised to achieve great things in life. Arpana Jinaga was a 24-year-old computer programmer, who had moved to the Pacific Northwest in March of 2008. 14 years later, and unfortunately there are no updates in this case. Source. The prosecutors office told Rolling Stone: We look forward to addressing these allegations in a public courtroom; we stand by our case., Fair said that he was reluctant to file the lawsuit at first because Jinagas family still hasnt gotten justice: theres no resolution for this case, no resolution for her.. The suit contends detectives aligned evidence to match their theory and disregarded half a dozen non-Black suspects in the case. Sunshine(2018) - In my opinion, and in my heart, I dont have any question about anything we did in regards to charging that Emanuel Fair killed Arpana Jinaga, she said. 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. 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. The medical examiner estimated Jinagas time of death was 8 a.m. An online memorial for Arpana has been created, for family and friends to share pictures and memories, at crypticgirl.com. Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. Suspect is a true crime podcast that examines the murder of Arpana Jinaga who was killed at a Halloween party hosted by her apartment complex. Nearly a year later. It was just gruesome, he said. Also Leslie Potts covering for Fair is alarming, was that investigated. 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. 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. They also waited days to search a dumpster in the complex where a partial bottle of motor oil, a boot lace used to strangle Jinaga and her bed sheet and a bath robe were found. She died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. Those are times when you should be around family. On Halloween night, 2008, Jinaga and several other tenants hosted a Halloween party, attended by residents of the apartment complex and their relatives and friends from outside. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. The DNA on her neck was microscopic and wasn't necessarily a match, it just couldn't be excluded. Fair, the second-longest-serving inmate in the downtown Seattle facility after being booked into jail in November 2010, was released Tuesday afternoon, three hours after the jury delivered its not-guilty verdict, according to a jail spokeswoman. Fairs lawsuit includes many of the same facts that his public defender, Ben Goldsmith, used to poke holes in the prosecutions criminal case. If her rape was that violent he'd have had SOME scratches or scars. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. That decision was upheld by the state Court of Appeals following Fairs first trial. Jinaga had been gagged with her underpants and duct tape, brutally beaten around the head. 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. 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. She volunteered at the. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. His first trial, in 2017, ended in a hung jury because one juror said Fair looked like a thug with tattoos on his hands. The jury in the second trial acquitted him. A recent immigrant from India and a graduate of Rutgers University, Jinaga had worked at EMC in Bellevue. 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. They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. 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. 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 lived alone in an apartment at the Valley View Apartments. 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 apartment after a Halloween party in 2008. 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. Fair was later seen leaving the apartment that night. His attorneys allege Fair was isolated as the main suspect for her murder because of his race and his past criminal record. The neighbor invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Larson said. 'Suspect' is a true crime Halloween whodunnit mystery for the books So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. As a man who was incarcerated and released but not convicted, Fair left jail without the support and resources typically offered to exonerated people or parolees, such as job support and mental health services. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. Court records show prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to charge Jinagas neighbor, who met Fair the night of the homicide. She. Fair was released in 2019, serving a total of 9 years without conviction, and is now suing the county authorities. 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, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. 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). As a teenager, Jinaga won a top prize in an international computer programming competition. Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinagas death, and his DNA was reportedly never compared to the crime scene. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. He had a lighter covered in gook that looked like motor oil which they took a photo of but never bagged it nor did they check his shoes for a missing lace. Brian Coats, who led the investigation into Jinagas murder as a detective 13 years ago. The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. I dont think he killed Arpana. 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. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with Jinaga. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. 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. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. Jinagas hands were covered in blue toilet-bowl cleaner, her body and other items were covered in motor oil, her bed had been stripped, a blanket was partially burned and her soaked comforter was found in the bathtub. During trial the jury heard significant evidence that another person, Ms. Jinagas next door neighbor, may have murdered her on that tragic night.. In the apartment, there was a strong smell of bleach, and also bleach stains were found.