So its kind of messed up. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. If her rape was that violent he'd have had SOME scratches or scars. Coats ran a background check on the Fair and found the rape charge. 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. Most people left Jinaga's apartment after 9pm to move to another apartment. Cameron Johnson, who has never been charged, invoked his 5th Amendment right, and therefore only faced limited scope questioning during Fair's trial. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. Ben Goldsmith and Katharine Edwards advanced a straightforward theory about why Emanuel Fair should be acquitted in the murder of Arpana Jinaga, whose body was found in her Redmond apartment on Nov. 1, 2008. Arpana was last seen in the early morning of Nov. 1 during a Halloween . 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. 0:00 / 18:51 Halloween Party Host Murder Leads to Excess Suspects | Arpana Jinaga & Emanuel Fair Dr. Todd Grande 1.24M subscribers 67K views 2 months ago This video answers the question: Can I. 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 had been brutally beaten, raped, and strangled. 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.. 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. Cameron should have been the #1 suspect. 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. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. 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. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. "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. 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. I may be misremembering but I seem to remember there being explanations for Fairs DNA on those items? 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. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) but Im not free., Thailand's 'most beautiful transgender woman' and husband wear $580K in attire at extravagant wedding, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; 'We are coming,' sheriff says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh's new mugshot revealed after double life sentence, Rebel Wilson says she was banned from Disneyland for 30 days for taking a bathroom selfie, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, but light rain makes brief return, Why 4 of Mizzou's seniors have a personal meaning for Dennis Gates, Iliman Ndiaye: Senegal midfielder an 'unbelievable' player. They interrogated Fair on the car ride to the station without reading his rights. 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. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. 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 was released in 2019, serving a total of 9 years without conviction, and is now suing the county authorities. True. Police believe she was killed around 8 a.m. Two days later, a friend of Jinagas father went to check up on her because she hadnt answered phone calls from her family in India. A new true-crime podcast from Campside Media and Wondery delves into the brutal unsolved murder nearly 13 years and two trials later. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. 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. I hope I never have to investigate a case like this again.. 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. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. The area she was living is considered an upscale area with a very low crime rate, and is the home to technology companies such as Microsoft and Nintendo. In her spare time, she practiced taekwondo, learned to build her own motorcycle, and volunteered with neighbourhood groups. The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. 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. It's obvious why Fair is the number one suspect. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. It was a brutal scene. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. 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. The party started like many others. In the apartment, there was a strong smell of bleach, and also bleach stains were found. I dont think he killed Arpana. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. Jinaga was. From the beginning, it was a complex case, complicated by the fact so many people had attended the party the night before she was killed, said Coats, the Redmond police lieutenant. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. Jinaga's killer had clearly gone to great lengths to destroy any biological traces linking him to the crime scene. 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. 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? Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he 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. On the evening of Oct. 31, 2008, Arpana Jinaga, a 24-year-old software engineer and Indian immigrant, co-hosted the holiday get-together at the Valley View Apartments in Redmond, a suburb of Seattle. A suspect is identified, arrested, and convicted, but this morphed into a greater mystery when journalists began investigating the case years later. Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. Johnson engaged in a number of suspicious activities after the murder. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from India. Copyright 2023, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy, Police arrest man suspected of robbing downtown, South Hill banks, 82-year-old Mead man dies from injuries sustained in December crash near Whitworth , Family settles with Spokane County for $7.5 million in 2019 murder-suicide , Authorities in Oregon investigating incident that sent man with explosive device to Sacred Heart , Kohberger housed in small jail with mix of alleged criminals , Kohberger housed in small jail with mix of alleged criminals, Former Gonzaga guard Kyle Bankhead crafts game plan against alma mater, Family settles with Spokane County for $7.5 million in 2019 murder-suicide, McCarthy wins speakership on 15th vote after concessions to hard right. 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. Were they old friends? Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. He helped set up and clean up, and had no wounds, no scratches or injuries. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. Jinagas neighbor, Johnson, was the prime suspect at first, as described in Fairs lawsuit documents. 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. 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. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. 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. 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. On Halloween 2008, Jinaga and several of her neighbors at the Valley View Apartments threw a large Halloween party, with guests moving between their units. It was just gruesome, he said. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. Arpana Jinaga. The majority of criminals arent very bright. A tech prodigy from an early age, Arpana seemed poised to achieve great things in life. I dont think he killed Arpana. 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. . His case went on trial in 2017, the jury deadlocked and there was a mistrial. New episodes of the nine-part series will be released weekly on Tuesdays. 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. To contaminate evidence, Jinagas hands had been doused in blue toilet-bowl cleaner and her body covered in motor oil. An exclusive trailer for Suspect is below. Jinaga had been gagged with her underpants and duct tape, brutally beaten around the head. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. Jinaga's neighbor Cameron Johnson showed up to the party in Jinaga's unit late. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. Police found that he had Googled pawn shops near the border. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. Poor victim was surrounded by shady people it seems. 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. Perhaps the perpetrator(s) kicked in the door, then while leaving they shut it again. The neighbor invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Larson said. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. 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.. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. 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. 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. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. This was mainly on the basis of party photographs. She died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. Then, due to inexcusable delays in Fairs trial and prolonged pretrial detention, he spent more than nine years in the King County Correctional Facility as an innocent man, in conditions of inhumane confinement that are well known to have a detrimental effect on mental health, the suit contends. Johnson's friends and family stated he said "what if I did the murder and I don't remember". 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. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. 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. By Bill Christianson January 8, 2009 5:35 pm. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. 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. The lawsuit alleges there was heavy drinking at the party of 40 to 50 people. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But it seems Jinaga would quickly move on and return to enjoying the party. 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. 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. He was drunk and brought bottles of liquor. 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. Her finger and fingernails were cleaned. or felt they were? 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. 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. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. 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.. 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. Emanuel, his family, and friends ask for privacy, as he works to rebuild his life, wrote Goldsmith. He was her pimp, or as the podcast preferred to describe it, the person who placed craiglist ads for her escort services. 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 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. At age 20, Jinaga moved from her native India to the United States and quickly found success. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. Fair was later seen leaving the apartment that night. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? 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. The lawsuit also says Fair threw garbage in the dumpster where the robe and other items were found while helping with party clean up.