The Murder of Arpana Jinaga, The Stickiest Heist In History - WVXU 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. 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. Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. Arpana Jinaga was murdered in her apartment in 2008 . The man was the last person to call her the night she was killed, he tried to destroy evidence of the calls, and he attempted to go to Canada after the homicide but was turned away, he said. 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. Her apartment was decorated as a haunted forest, one of. Around 2:30 am, Fair and Johnson went to Johnson's apartment and then down to Johnson's car to listen to music. Jinaga had been gagged with her underpants and duct tape, brutally beaten around the head. 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. On Thanksgiving, when he hadnt shown up to his familys dinner, Fair said an aunt called him to ask whether he was planning to come. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. Her removed tampon alone had three separate unidentified male DNA profiles on it, according to Rolling Stones investigation. 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. I lost a lot. 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. DNA was found on a discarded bottle of motor oil (same bag as robe). The party lasted until the early hours. 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. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. Cameron should have been the prime suspect and the one they took to trial. 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. He said evidence about Jinagas neighbor raised significant questions for the jury. I think that was the biggest reasonable doubt and no one could eliminate him [as the killer], the juror said of the neighbor. This is weird. Its got to be terrible for everybody it touched. 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. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. He appeared drunk and brought liquor. Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. During the party, [Fair] was accidentally hit in the mouth and had a bloody lip, so he used a tissue in Ms. Jinagas apartment; he likely used her bathroom during the party where her robe hung; he may have touched the duct tape holding decorations during the party; and photographs show he touched Ms. Jinaga and others while posing during 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. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. It was a party, Fair was all over her apartment like EVERYONE ELSE. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. 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. 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.. 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. The DNA on her neck was microscopic and wasn't necessarily a match, it just couldn't be excluded. 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.. 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.. After nearly 11 years and two trials, killing of Redmond woman who had Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. He was read his rights. 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. But I dont have a desire to do that. He assumed Jinaga was either vomiting or having sex. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. Cameron Johnson: a neighbour of Jinaga: he showed up to the party in Jinaga's apartment late. She volunteered at the. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. 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. 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. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. 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.. link. She. 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.. Im out, Fair said. He assumed Jinaga was either vomiting or having sex. Suspect premieres Aug. 17 on Wondery+ and Aug. 31 wherever podcasts are streamed. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Sunshine2018/BT - lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. 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. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. 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. I may be misremembering but I seem to remember there being explanations for Fairs DNA on those items? 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. 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. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. 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. He was her pimp, or as the podcast preferred to describe it, the person who placed craiglist ads for her escort services. 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.. The following Monday, her body would be discovered inside of her apartment, the victim of an apparent homicide. Fair was tried for Jinagas sexual assault twice and was acquitted after his second trial in June 2019. Since his release two-and-a-half years ago, Fair said hes struggled to adjust to life outside of jail or find steady work. I am far from shady. 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. However, phone records show that he was making many phone calls between 2am and 5am, including to Potts. In my opinion, and in my heart, I dont have any question about anything we did in regards to charging that Emanuel Fair killed Arpana Jinaga, she said. The suit contends detectives aligned evidence to match their theory and disregarded half a dozen non-Black suspects in the case. 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 he sneezed or coughed while using it. Those are times when you should be around family. Fair, a guest of another woman living in the building, met Jinaga and her neighbor that night. Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. Jinaga had been gagged, brutally beaten and most likely raped. I hope I never have to investigate a case like this again.. . Halloween Party Host Murder Leads to Excess Suspects | Arpana Jinaga 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. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds. He helped set up and clean up, and had no wounds, no scratches or injuries. Suspect Might Be the Best True-Crime Podcast of the Year - Vulture To contaminate evidence, Jinagas hands had been doused in blue toilet-bowl cleaner and her body covered in 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. Jinagas neighbor, Johnson, was the prime suspect at first, as described in Fairs lawsuit documents. 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. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. In it, Ehlert stood firmly by the prosecuting teams decisions. She practiced martial arts and participated in a motorcycle club. 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. Fair was released in 2019, serving a total of 9 years without conviction, and is now suing the county authorities. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Now, more than two years later, Fair is suing King County, the city of Redmond and Redmond Police Capt. Redmond Police have found no "firm suspects" in the brutal murder of Arpana Jinaga, a 24-year-old software engineer who was . The evidence of Fairs involvement is compelling, Larson said this week. Police attempted to identify the partygoers and interview them. And thats hard.. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. 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. She had it all going on, Coats said. Photos. The neighbor initially neglected to tell detectives about phone calls he made to Jinaga at 3 a.m. Later on the morning of her slaying, he drove to the Canadian border and attempted to cross it without a passport but was denied entry. They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. The county, police department and Coats filed a response to Fairs initial complaint refuting the claims. 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. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. After nine years of fighting, Emanuel Fair has the freedom he deserves. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. 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. 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. 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. There was forced entry into Jinaga's second-story apartment, signs of trauma to Jinaga and the apartment was in disarray. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. My guess would be drugs. Jinaga's killer had clearly gone to great lengths to destroy any biological traces linking him to the crime scene. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. It was the second time Fair had been tried in connection with Jinagas killing: The first time, in 2017, the jury deadlocked and a mistrial was declared. In every community across Washington, families are facing the challenge of accessing and affording long-term care. This was mainly on the basis of party photographs. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. To just dismiss it as racism is ridiculous. "Choices that, once made, are difficult to reverse.". 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. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. 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. Jailed for Nine Years, Man Acquitted of 2008 - The Daily Chronicle Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. I dont think he killed Arpana. Coats was asked during the podcast if the prior conviction was significant to his investigation. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. Jinaga's neighbor Cameron Johnson showed up to the party in Jinaga's unit late. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. 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 . 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. 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. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. She died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. 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. Court records show prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to charge Jinagas neighbor, who met Fair the night of the homicide. I dont think he killed Arpana. 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. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. 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. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. Emanuel Fair: He was not a resident, but he was staying in the apartment of Leslie Potts. 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. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. He had been in her apartment once earlier in the night too. Potts, Jinaga and two others neighbors decorated and opened up their units to allow partygoers to go in and out freely. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. 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. 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. Man jailed for 9 years sues King County, Redmond after acquittal in Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients Now His Victims Are Speaking Out, Ex-Boyfriend of Missing Md. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/petitions/96468-8%20Answer%20to%20petition.pdf. 14 years ago. On Thanksgiving, when he hadnt shown up to his familys dinner, Fair said an aunt called him to ask whether he was planning to come. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. 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. Some guests were rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary, it says. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. Eight Years in Jail With No Conviction: Emanuel Fair Files Lawsuit 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. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. There was evidence of rape. At some point during the night, partygoers recall Jinaga getting into an argument with a male, who made a race-related comment. 2018Dion Wiyoko,Rianti Cartwright,Laura Basuki,Jill Gladys,Sheila Dara Aisha,Junior Liem,Alyndra PandjipoetraSunshine ,SunshineSunshinemp4SunshineBT . Coats ran a background check on the Fair and found the rape charge. In her spare time, she practiced taekwondo, learned to build her own motorcycle, and volunteered with neighbourhood groups. Episode 213: Interview: Emanuel Fair, Found Not Guilty of Murder after 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. At some point, though, things turned tense. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. Fair was tried for Jinagas sexual assault twice and was acquitted after his second trial in June 2019. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. Her hands were covered in blue toilet-bowl cleaner, her body and other items were covered in motor oil. Fair and Johnson had actually just met that night. 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. Around 1am, Fair visited Jinaga's apartment to eat pizza. He scrubbed his phone right after the interrogation, the lawsuit says. 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. 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 officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. Arpana Jinaga Unresolved Arpana Jinaga In October of 2008, a 24-year-old computer programmer living in the Seattle area would attend a Halloween party in her apartment complex. In the trial, the jury heard evidence that pointed to the neighbor as the possible killer. Best Arpana Jinaga Podcasts (2023) - Player I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. 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. The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. There was DNA from 2-3 males found at the crime scene. They messed up, he said. 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. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. Subsequently, Johnson attempted to scrub his phone. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) 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.