So its kind of messed up. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. He was read his rights. 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. Arpana Jinaga was murdered in her apartment in 2008 . 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. Nearly a year later. Around 1am, Fair visited Jinaga's apartment to eat pizza. It's obvious why Fair is the number one suspect. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. He was one of the three individual's whose DNA was found . Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. He appeared drunk and brought liquor. 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.. 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. They interrogated Fair on the car ride to the station without reading his rights. And thats hard.. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Jinagas bruised body was discovered covered with a cloth on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. Jinagas neighbor, Johnson, was the prime suspect at first, as described in Fairs lawsuit documents. Coats is now a captain in the department. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. 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. 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. More than a dozen people passed through Jinaga's apartment that night. 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. 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. Emanuel Fair's 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 her bathrobe robe (left in the apartment complex trash bin). 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. 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.. She is suspected to have died from strangulation from a bootlace. 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. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. 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. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. In August 2009, a man named Emanuel Fair was interviewed by police. This was mainly on the basis of party photographs. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. I just want to be myself.. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he said. 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.. 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 the trial, the jury heard evidence that pointed to the neighbor as the possible killer. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. Around 3 am, Jinaga left a gathering in a ground-floor apartment and returned to her apartment on the third floor. 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. 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. Host Matthew Shaer and and reporter Eric Benson go to the scene of the crime in an effort to discover if police identified the right suspect. Her finger and fingernails were cleaned. Were they old friends? Suspect: With Matthew Shaer, Eric Benson, Matt Baglio, Ashley Fantz. In it, Ehlert stood firmly by the prosecuting teams decisions. 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. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. 2008, in Marshall . The Seattle Times is not naming Jinagas neighbor because he has not been charged. He heard "a horrible growling" for about twenty seconds until he heard a thud. Her removed tampon alone had three separate unidentified male DNA profiles on it, according to Rolling Stones investigation. Jinaga was. The initial investigation focused on Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. Photo: King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office, 'Dr. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. 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 has denied any involvement in Jinagas death. The DNA on the motor oil and fleeing to Canada seems highly suspicious to me. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. His attorneys allege Fair was isolated as the main suspect for her murder because of his race and his past criminal record. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. He scrubbed his phone right after the interrogation, the lawsuit says. 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. Several people were at the party before Jinagas murder, so the scene was full of various DNA samples. An online memorial for Arpana has been created, for family and friends to share pictures and memories, at crypticgirl.com. A tech prodigy from an early age, Arpana seemed poised to achieve great things in life. 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. The DNA on her neck was microscopic and wasn't necessarily a match, it just couldn't be excluded. They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. 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. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. At age 20, Jinaga moved from her native India to the United States and quickly found success. They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. That decision was upheld by the state Court of Appeals following Fairs first trial. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. 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. The second trial was in 2019, where he got a not-guilty verdict. Potts had not known Fair for a long time. Meanwhile they raided Emmanuels stuff and according to his best friend on the podcast took almost ALL of his things. 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.. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. 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. 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. The evidence of Fairs involvement is compelling, Larson said this week. beansbaxter. 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? 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. Emanuel Fair was arrested in 2010. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. 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. 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. Jinaga's neighbor Cameron Johnson showed up to the party in Jinaga's unit late. I just want to be myself., The Seattle Times closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. Its got to be terrible for everybody it touched. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The following Monday, her body would be discovered inside of her apartment, the victim of an apparent homicide. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. 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. We were limited in the way we were able to argue the case and we have to live with that We try cases and we accept we have to prove everything beyond a reasonable doubt. Maybe they were running out of time (had to be somewhere? He said evidence about Jinagas neighbor raised significant questions for the jury. 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. 14 years later, and unfortunately there are no updates in this case. 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. Jinaga was sprawled on the floor in her bedroom, bloody, naked, and drenched in bleach, toilet bowl cleaner, and motor oil. 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. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. "Choices that, once made, are difficult to reverse.". "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. 14 years ago. Cameron should have been the prime suspect and the one they took to trial. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? Also Leslie Potts covering for Fair is alarming, was that investigated. 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. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. 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. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. 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. Jinaga, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. 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. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. They also failed to look for evidence of a missing bootlace. 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. After the sound stopped, Rose then heard steps and the sound of running water for 1 hour. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. Photos. There was forced entry into Jinaga's second-story apartment, signs of trauma to Jinaga and the apartment was in disarray. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. She had been brutally beaten, raped, and strangled. 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.. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. When youre in jail, you dont have a holiday. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. 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. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. I lost a lot. He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. 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. 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. Jinaga lived alone in an apartment at the Valley View Apartments. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he said. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. DNA evidence was linked to three men and. 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. 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. So its kind of messed up. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. Goldsmith said evidence found at Jinagas apartment and produced during the investigation pointed to one of her neighbors as the likely killer. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. 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. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. It was just gruesome, he said. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. My guess would be drugs. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. She had it all going on, Coats said. The damage from that can be quite minimal and close to the floor with the door discreetly closed on departure, you might not notice unless you looked for it. Bodicherla went to the apartment complex, where he encountered Cameron Johnson, who showed him the way to Jinaga's unit. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. Emanuel Fair: He was not a resident, but he was staying in the apartment of Leslie Potts. He was her pimp, or as the podcast preferred to describe it, the person who placed craiglist ads for her escort services. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. 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. To just dismiss it as racism is ridiculous. I hope I never have to investigate a case like this again.. 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. 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. 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. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. The county, police department and Coats filed a response to Fairs initial complaint refuting the claims. Why didnt he tell police that her door was kicked in? But of course, I imagine it must have been loud disturbance to kick in a door, which was apparently never reported. Its just another day. But it seems Jinaga would quickly move on and return to enjoying the party. 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. She was a brilliant person. Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. The lawsuit alleges there was heavy drinking at the party of 40 to 50 people. 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. There was evidence of rape. 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. 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. 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. So she was protecting him from interacting with cops and ending up going to jail for that. 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. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. 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. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. And thats hard.. Jinaga had been a prize-winner in a . Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinaga's death, and his. It was a brutal scene. 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. -, Press J to jump to the feed. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. 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. By Bill Christianson January 8, 2009 5:35 pm. 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. 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. Its just another day. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. As her next-door neighbor this would have been obvious. They messed up, he said. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. And the other DNA found was found on a robe that was likely in hanging in her bathroom, maybe he dried his hands on it while using the bathroom. Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial.