At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. She died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. Jinaga was. 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. 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. Subsequently, Johnson attempted to scrub his phone. 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. There are multiple apartments with parties and these two go to a car to listen to music?! This is a person who is living her dream. The suit contends detectives aligned evidence to match their theory and disregarded half a dozen non-Black suspects in the case. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. 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. Johnson said he heard moaning sounds coming from Jinagas apartment around 3 a.m., and he assumed she was having sex. Meanwhile they raided Emmanuels stuff and according to his best friend on the podcast took almost ALL of his things. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. Photos. He used the bathroom on one occasion. Fair was later seen leaving the apartment that night. 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. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. Arpana Jinaga was murdered in her apartment in 2008 . He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. Burn marks on her body and apartment suggest somebody tried to burn her. 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.. This was mainly on the basis of party photographs. 14 years later, and unfortunately there are no updates in this case. 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. 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. 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? Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. A recent immigrant from India and a graduate of Rutgers University, Jinaga had worked at EMC in Bellevue. Fairs lawsuit includes many of the same facts that his public defender, Ben Goldsmith, used to poke holes in the prosecutions criminal case. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. 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 was one of the three individual's whose DNA was found . No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. 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. 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. It seems odd to me that the killer(s) would go to such extremes to cover up DNA on her body and in her apartment with the motor oil and toilet bowl cleaner and bleach etc. 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. Her hands were covered in blue toilet-bowl cleaner, her body and other items were covered in motor oil. When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. Maybe they realized only at the last minute that they should get rid of the sheets and empty oil bottle and without anyone seeing them do it? He said evidence about Jinagas neighbor raised significant questions for the jury. The case turned into a classic whodunit, and Jinaga's costumed party guests were the prime suspects. Its just another day. DNA evidence was linked to three men and. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. A few guests got rowdy, arguments broke out and a couple of people were asked to leave. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. An exclusive trailer for Suspect is below. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. 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. Around 1am, Fair visited Jinaga's apartment to eat pizza. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. In a 2020 interview, one of the prosecutors said Fair looked like the best suspect because his DNA was found on objects specifically related to the murder, not the aftermath. Cameron should have been the prime suspect and the one they took to trial. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. In the apartment, there was a strong smell of bleach, and also bleach stains were found. Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. She had been brutally beaten, raped, and strangled. Such remarks since his exoneration only demonstrate authorities defensiveness about mishandling the case, Fair said. DNA from the neighbor was found on a motor oil bottle, and from another man who wasnt at the party on a bootlace likely used to strangle Jinaga. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. I hope I never have to investigate a case like this again.. The following Monday, her body would be discovered inside of her apartment, the victim of an apparent homicide. He was drunk and brought bottles of liquor. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. Several people were at the party before Jinagas murder, so the scene was full of various DNA samples. 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. I think that was the biggest reasonable doubt and no one could eliminate him [as the killer], the juror said of the neighbor. The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. But I dont have a desire to do that. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. A bunch of residents of the apartment complex had decided to throw a big Halloween bash across something like four of the apartments, with each apartment decorated with a different theme. link. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. Jinaga was sprawled on the floor in her bedroom, bloody, naked, and drenched in bleach, toilet bowl cleaner, and motor oil. New episodes of the nine-part series will be released weekly on Tuesdays. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. DNA was found on a discarded bottle of motor oil (same bag as robe). They messed up, he said. Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial. 14 years ago. At approximately 8 am, Jinaga's next-door neighbor Kyle Rose, was awakened by sounds coming from her apartment. An online memorial for Arpana has been created, for family and friends to share pictures and memories, at crypticgirl.com. 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.. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. Potts had not known Fair for a long time. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. His case went on trial in 2017, the jury deadlocked and there was a mistrial. 2008, in Marshall . 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. . Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. In the apartment complex's trash bin, was a bag containing Jinaga's Halloween costume, a bloodied robe, a discarded bottle of motor oil, and the bootlace. Theres very little justice left to salvage., In a 2020 interview, the lead detective said Fair stood out to him because he was the only African-American male at the party and looked like an outsider.. Jinagas bruised body was discovered covered with a cloth on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. 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. His attorneys allege Fair was isolated as the main suspect for her murder because of his race and his past criminal record. It was the combination of the various items that his DNA was on that pushed us to the point of saying we are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Emanuel Fair killed Arpana, Ehlert said in her podcast interview. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. Bodicherla went to the apartment complex, where he encountered Cameron Johnson, who showed him the way to Jinaga's unit. The medical examiner estimated Jinagas time of death was 8 a.m. 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. Do we know from the OP that it would have been obvious? 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. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. The two discovered her locked door had been kicked in. The majority of criminals arent very bright. The initial investigation focused on Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. 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. 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. Around 2:30 am, Fair and Johnson went to Johnson's apartment and then down to Johnson's car to listen to music. In her spare time, she practiced taekwondo, learned to build her own motorcycle, and volunteered with neighbourhood groups. 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. 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. Emanuel Fair: He was not a resident, but he was staying in the apartment of Leslie Potts. Detectives relied on her to help them find Jinagas missing phone and camera and consulted her about the potential of Fair as a suspect, the lawsuit says. Johnson said he heard moaning sounds coming from Jinagas apartment around 3 a.m., and he assumed she was having sex. This is only a fraction of the evidence exonerating Emanuel which was wide-ranging and persuasive. 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. Potts, Jinaga and two others neighbors decorated and opened up their units to allow partygoers to go in and out freely. They interrogated Fair on the car ride to the station without reading his rights. He was her pimp, or as the podcast preferred to describe it, the person who placed craiglist ads for her escort services. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? A tech prodigy from an early age, Arpana seemed poised to achieve great things in life. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. 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. But as they worked through the evidence, jurors came to believe the state had not met its burden of proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt, said the juror, a 35-year-old Bellevue software engineer who asked not to be named to protect his privacy, It was tough for us to vote not guilty because the family still doesnt know exactly who killed her, the juror said. Fairs lawsuit includes many of the same facts that his public defender, Ben Goldsmith, used to poke holes in the prosecutions criminal case. The lawsuit alleges there was heavy drinking at the party of 40 to 50 people. Court records show prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to charge Jinagas neighbor, who met Fair the night of the homicide. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. In 2008, a 24-year-old Redmond-based software engineer named Arpana Jinaga was found strangled in her apartment after a Halloween party in her building. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. 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. We found [Fair] not guilty because of reasonable doubt, not because we thought he was completely innocent., The Seattle Times closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. Theres very little justice left to salvage., In a 2020 interview, the lead detective said Fair stood out to him because he was the only African-American male at the party and looked like an outsider.. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. Arpana Jinaga. 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. However, phone records show that he was making many phone calls between 2am and 5am, including to Potts. 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. 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. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. I covered for Emanuel because at the time I thought he was my friend, not because I was trying to cover for him for something he may or may not have done. 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. When the night came to an end and the crowd began to disperse, Jinaga said what would be her final goodbyes. He also successfully represented himself in a legal claim for an injury he sustained from handcuffs, receiving a $25,000 settlement from King County in 2017. The evidence of Fairs involvement is compelling, Larson said this week. Jinagas neighbor, Johnson, was the prime suspect at first, as described in Fairs lawsuit documents. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? In August 2009, a man named Emanuel Fair was interviewed by police. 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. Detectives also found a trace of his DNA on the front of Jinagas neck that was so small that it had to be sent to a specialized lab for review. I may be misremembering but I seem to remember there being explanations for Fairs DNA on those items? Suspect premieres Aug. 17 on Wondery+ and Aug. 31 wherever podcasts are streamed. He scrubbed his phone after questioned about the call and could easily have hung around and taken time to clean her apartment/scrub the crime scene because their apartments shared a balcony and him taking out trash wouldn't strike anyone as weird or noticeable. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. It was a party, Fair was all over her apartment like EVERYONE ELSE. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. Its just another day. 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. 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. Fair also used Jinaga's bathroom. He made calls to a few friends, including apparently pocket-dialing Potts. 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. She volunteered at the. 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. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. Jinaga, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. I lost a lot. 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). 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. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Suspect is an investigative series about mislaid justice and the kinds of weighty decisions that detectives, lawyers, and jurors make every day - decisions that, once made, are almost impossible to reverse.Season 2: Vanished in the Snow chronicles the disappearance of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. Fair filed a lawsuit against King County, Redmond, the Redmond Police Department and the lead detective on Dec. 29. After nine years of fighting, Emanuel Fair has the freedom he deserves. He also successfully represented himself in a legal claim for an injury he sustained from handcuffs, receiving a $25,000 settlement from King County in 2017. In 2008, 24 year old software engineer, Arpana Jinaga was brutally murdered after hosting a party on Halloween night with fellow residents of the Valley View Apartments in Redmond Washington. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. Coats ran a background check on the Fair and found the rape charge. At some point, though, things turned tense. Atlanta Black Star is a narrative company. Suspect: With Matthew Shaer, Eric Benson, Matt Baglio, Ashley Fantz. 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 think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. In a 2020 interview, one of the prosecutors said Fair looked like the best suspect because his DNA was found on objects specifically related to the murder, not the aftermath. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) 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. By Bill Christianson January 8, 2009 5:35 pm. He used the bathroom on one occasion. Police found that he had Googled pawn shops near the border. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. 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. The second trial was in 2019, where he got a not-guilty verdict. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. Brian Coats, who led the investigation into Jinagas murder as a detective 13 years ago. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. 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. Nearly a year later. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. But I dont have a desire to do that. Family of Missing Black Woman, Last Seen Living with Man She Met on Craigslist, Frustrated By Lack of Response to Case: Were Not Trying to Annoy Anybody, Happened As a Result of Jealousy: New York Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Stabbing Black 16-Year-Old Boy In the Heart for Walking a Girl Home, I Wanted to be a Trailblazer: Zandra Flemister, the First Black Woman Hired as a Secret Service Agent, Enduring Years of Blatant Racism, Dies at 71. Arpana dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. Jinagas bruised body was discovered covered with a cloth on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. A new true-crime podcast from Campside Media and Wondery delves into the brutal unsolved murder nearly 13 years and two trials later. Im out, Fair said. 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. . They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. Maybe they were running out of time (had to be somewhere? Im out, Fair said. The party started like many others. As her next-door neighbor this would have been obvious. True. Do we know how extensive the damage was? Fair, a guest of another woman living in the building, met Jinaga and her neighbor that night. 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. 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. On Tuesday, that man, Emanuel Fair, 35, was found not guilty of first-degree murder with sexual motivation by a King County jury. Emanuel, his family, and friends ask for privacy, as he works to rebuild his life, wrote Goldsmith. Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinaga's death, and his. Fair and Johnson had actually just met that night. The lawsuit alleges there was heavy drinking at the party of 40 to 50 people. 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. It was just gruesome, he said. As a teenager, Jinaga won a top prize in an international computer programming competition. The Seattle Times is not naming Jinagas neighbor because he has not been charged. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. 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.
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