This is weird. Fair was tried for Jinagas sexual assault twice and was acquitted after his second trial in June 2019. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. 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. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. To contaminate evidence, Jinagas hands had been doused in blue toilet-bowl cleaner and her body covered in motor oil. Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. 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. He was one of the three individual's whose DNA was found . Some guests were rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary, it says. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Its just another day. He said evidence about Jinagas neighbor raised significant questions for the jury. 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. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. And thats hard.. Suspect: With Matthew Shaer, Eric Benson, Matt Baglio, Ashley Fantz. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. 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. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. After nine years of fighting, Emanuel Fair has the freedom he deserves. So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. Johnson engaged in a number of suspicious activities after the murder. 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. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. 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, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. His attorneys allege Fair was isolated as the main suspect for her murder because of his race and his past criminal record. I just want to be myself.. They act on impulse, not ration. Those are times when you should be around family. However, phone records show that he was making many phone calls between 2am and 5am, including to Potts. This is the last known independent witness sighting of the pair. His lawyers said the ordeal has permanently damaged Fairs reputation, his emotional well-being, livelihood and relationships. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. 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. 14 years later, and unfortunately there are no updates in this case. The neighbor invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Larson said. Fair, a guest of another woman living in the building, met Jinaga and her neighbor that night. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. Im out, Fair said. Arpana dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. 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. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. Now, more than two years later, Fair is suing King County, the city of Redmond and Redmond Police Capt. beansbaxter. She. 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. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. He helped set up and clean up, and had no wounds, no scratches or injuries. To contaminate evidence, Jinagas hands had been doused in blue toilet-bowl cleaner and her body covered in motor oil. During trial the jury heard significant evidence that another person, Ms. Jinagas next door neighbor, may have murdered her on that tragic night.. No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. 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.. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Around 1am, Fair visited Jinaga's apartment to eat pizza. https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/petitions/96468-8%20Answer%20to%20petition.pdf. After hosting her event, software programmer, Arpana Jinaga, was found dead inside her home. 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. I may be misremembering but I seem to remember there being explanations for Fairs DNA on those items? A recent immigrant from India and a graduate of Rutgers University, Jinaga had worked at EMC in Bellevue. 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. Im out, Fair said. 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. Nobody heard from her in the following days, and that Monday, her body was discovered on the floor of her apartment, doused in chemicals and showing signs of strangulation. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. 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. Johnson said he heard moaning sounds coming from Jinagas apartment around 3 a.m., and he assumed she was having sex. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from 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. I lost a lot. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. 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. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. 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. Johnson was hanging out near Jinagas apartment when her friend arrived to check on her, and he helped the family friend identify the body, the lawsuit alleges. Why didnt he tell police that her door was kicked in? The lawsuit says that Johnson also had a past of strange or violent behavior with women. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. 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. She volunteered at the. Fair and Johnson had actually just met that night. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. Potts had not known Fair for a long time. . 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. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. 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? 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. 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.. By Bill Christianson January 8, 2009 5:35 pm. As the fact that Fair was the only black African American at the party and involved in this case, some are also accusing racial discrimination. Johnson said he heard moaning sounds coming from Jinagas apartment around 3 a.m., and he assumed she was having sex. They also failed to look for evidence of a missing bootlace. I dont think he killed Arpana. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. 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? Do we know from the OP that it would have been obvious? 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. 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. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. 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. 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. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. 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. 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. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. Most people left Jinaga's apartment after 9pm to move to another apartment. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? Fair was later seen leaving the apartment that night. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. 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. 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. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. 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. 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. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. In her spare time, she practiced taekwondo, learned to build her own motorcycle, and volunteered with neighbourhood groups. or felt they were? 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.. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Coats was asked during the podcast if the prior conviction was significant to his investigation. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. Arpana Jinaga. They found her nude body on her bedroom floor, face-down on the carpet and partially covered with cloth. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. 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. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from India. A few guests got rowdy, arguments broke out and a couple of people were asked to leave. 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. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. Her apartment was decorated as a haunted forest, one of. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. When contacted by police, Leslie Potts falsely claimed that she was alone, even though Emanuel Fair was staying with her. 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. 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 . Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) Her apartment was decorated as a haunted forest, one of four themed areas at the Valley View that would welcome visitors for the Halloween party, which spanned multiple units in the complex. Several people were at the party before Jinagas murder, so the scene was full of various DNA samples. 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. I am far from shady. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. His phone records revealed that he had called Jinaga at 3am on the night of the murder, but he stated he did not remember making the calls. 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. Since his release two-and-a-half years ago, Fair said hes struggled to adjust to life outside of jail or find steady work. Emanuel Fair stayed in the King County Correctional Facility for nearly nine years for a crime he did not commit based on a botched and bizarre murder investigation driven by racial discrimination, a recent lawsuit alleges. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. -, Press J to jump to the feed. At some point during the night, partygoers recall Jinaga getting into an argument with a male, who made a race-related comment. There was forced entry into Jinaga's second-story apartment, signs of trauma to Jinaga and the apartment was in disarray. Preliminary reports said Arpana may have died on Friday evening. She was a brilliant person. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. 2008, in Marshall . I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinagas death, and his DNA was reportedly never compared to the crime scene. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. More than a dozen people passed through Jinaga's apartment that night. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. 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. Johnson has denied any involvement in Jinagas death. My guess would be drugs. 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. The case turned into a classic whodunit, and Jinaga's costumed party guests were the prime suspects. So its kind of messed up. To just dismiss it as racism is ridiculous. But I dont have a desire to do that. 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. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. 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. Jinaga had been gagged, brutally beaten and most likely raped. Poor victim was surrounded by shady people it seems. For three and a half decades, her disappearance was a mystery - a riddle neither authorities . They messed up, he said. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. Source. Emanuel Fair: He was not a resident, but he was staying in the apartment of Leslie Potts. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. Fairs lawsuit includes many of the same facts that his public defender, Ben Goldsmith, used to poke holes in the prosecutions criminal case. 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. 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.. His case went on trial in 2017, the jury deadlocked and there was a mistrial. 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. He was drunk and brought bottles of liquor. Now, more than two years later, Fair is suing King County, the city of Redmond and Redmond Police Capt. The party lasted until the early hours. 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.. The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. 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 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. 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. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. 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. Just to set the record straight. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. 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. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. 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. A man by the name of Emanuel Fair was arrested in connection with her murder, but he has since been found not guilty of the crime. The DNA on her neck was microscopic and wasn't necessarily a match, it just couldn't be excluded. Its just another day. 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. 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. Ehlert, in the 2020 interview, noted prosecutors were barred from including some key evidence at trial: Fairs past convictions and the possibility that he and the neighbor acted together in Jinagas killing because there wasnt evidence to support that theory a decision upheld by the state Court of Appeals after Fairs first trial. On Tuesday, that man, Emanuel Fair, 35, was found not guilty of first-degree murder with sexual motivation by a King County jury. 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. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. Coats is now a captain in the department. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. So its kind of messed up. Emanuel Fair was arrested in 2010. 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. At some point, though, things turned tense. Brian Coats, who led the investigation into Jinagas murder as a detective 13 years ago. 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. After the sound stopped, Rose then heard steps and the sound of running water for 1 hour. 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. 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. 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. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. 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. Bodicherla went to the apartment complex, where he encountered Cameron Johnson, who showed him the way to Jinaga's unit. Fair was released in 2019, serving a total of 9 years without conviction, and is now suing the county authorities. Those are times when you should be around family. It was a brutal scene. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. I lost a lot. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name.