Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. 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. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. 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. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinagas death, and his DNA was reportedly never compared to the crime scene. 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.. He scrubbed his phone right after the interrogation, the lawsuit says. They also failed to look for evidence of a missing bootlace. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. 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. link. Meanwhile they raided Emmanuels stuff and according to his best friend on the podcast took almost ALL of his things. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. 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 had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. 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. 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. 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. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. During trial the jury heard significant evidence that another person, Ms. Jinagas next door neighbor, may have murdered her on that tragic night.. Jinaga was. Im out, Fair said. 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. Those are times when you should be around family. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. I think that was the biggest reasonable doubt and no one could eliminate him [as the killer], the juror said of the neighbor. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with 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 immigrant named Arpana Jinaga. His lawyers said the ordeal has permanently damaged Fairs reputation, his emotional well-being, livelihood and relationships. 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. I am far from shady. 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 majority of criminals arent very bright. 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. 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. She and several other residents in the complex opened the doors to their apartments for what was to be a night of fun. The party lasted until the early hours. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. 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. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. They interrogated Fair on the car ride to the station without reading his rights. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. 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. There are multiple apartments with parties and these two go to a car to listen to music?! He helped set up and clean up, and had no wounds, no scratches or injuries. His DNA was on the roll of duct tape found on the couch, not the tape that covered her face and according to the podcast there's a photo of him using the duct tape to hang up decorations so yea he touched it they already know that. 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. 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. 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. Fair was later seen leaving the apartment that night. Photo: King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office, 'Dr. It was just gruesome, he said. 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. The two discovered her locked door had been kicked in. 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. Johnson said he heard moaning sounds coming from Jinagas apartment around 3 a.m., and he assumed she was having sex. 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. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. He made calls to a few friends, including apparently pocket-dialing Potts. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. 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. New episodes of the nine-part series will be released weekly on Tuesdays. This was mainly on the basis of party photographs. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. 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. Fair had some criminal history: weapon and drug offenses as a juvenile, and a rape charge from 2004. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he said. 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. Maybe he sneezed or coughed while using it. Maybe they realized only at the last minute that they should get rid of the sheets and empty oil bottle and without anyone seeing them do it? 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. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. 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. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. In it, Ehlert stood firmly by the prosecuting teams decisions. 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. This is the last known independent witness sighting of the pair. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. Since his release two-and-a-half years ago, Fair said hes struggled to adjust to life outside of jail or find steady work. The Murder of Arpana Jinaga, The Stickiest Heist In History, abnd The Crappiest Place on Earth Published December 28, 2021 at 12:01 AM EST Listen 12:50 This is a person who is living her dream. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. Around 3 am, Jinaga left a gathering in a ground-floor apartment and returned to her apartment on the third floor. 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. The defense also explained the innocuous opportunities Mr. Fair had to touch or indirectly transfer microscopic skin cells to these items during the party. 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. Arpana Jinaga was murdered in her apartment in 2008 . Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Fair also used Jinaga's bathroom. Johnson also said that he had driven to Canada on the day after the Halloween party and that he had been denied entry. Arpana dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. 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. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. 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.. and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. He heard "a horrible growling" for about twenty seconds until he heard a thud. And thats hard.. Bodicherla went to the apartment complex, where he encountered Cameron Johnson, who showed him the way to Jinaga's unit. Only one man was charged with murder. Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinaga's death, and his. 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. At some point during the night, partygoers recall Jinaga getting into an argument with a male, who made a race-related comment. They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. When contacted by police, Leslie Potts falsely claimed that she was alone, even though Emanuel Fair was staying with her. The lawsuit also says Fair threw garbage in the dumpster where the robe and other items were found while helping with party clean up. A suspect is identified, arrested, and convicted, but this morphed into a greater mystery when journalists began investigating the case years later. Her fingers and nails were cleaned and then covered in toilet bowl cleaner, and there was a heavy scent of bleach throughout the house. DNA found at the crime scene was ultimately linked to three men, but only one was charged with murder. 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. The following Monday, her body would be discovered inside of her apartment, the victim of an apparent homicide. Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. 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. 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. 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. Suspect premieres Aug. 17 on Wondery+ and Aug. 31 wherever podcasts are streamed. 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. 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. When the night came to an end and the crowd began to disperse, Jinaga said what would be her final goodbyes. 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. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. 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. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. But I dont have a desire to do that. However, phone records show that he was making many phone calls between 2am and 5am, including to Potts. 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. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. 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. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. "Choices that, once made, are difficult to reverse.". We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. 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. 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. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. The lawsuit also says Fair threw garbage in the dumpster where the robe and other items were found while helping with party clean up. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. 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. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. Arpana Jinaga was a 24-year-old computer programmer, who had moved to the Pacific Northwest in March of 2008. 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. 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. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. 2008, in Marshall . I lost a lot. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. 14 years ago. 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.. Her removed tampon alone had three separate unidentified male DNA profiles on it, according to Rolling Stones investigation. He made calls to a few friends, including apparently pocket-dialing Potts. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. I just want to be myself.. or felt they were? Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. 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. 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. Photos. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The Seattle Times is not naming Jinagas neighbor because he has not been charged. 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. The medical examiner estimated Jinagas time of death was 8 a.m. I hope I never have to investigate a case like this again.. Fair was released in 2019, serving a total of 9 years without conviction, and is now suing the county authorities. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) DNA was found on a discarded bottle of motor oil (same bag as robe). A recent immigrant from India and a graduate of Rutgers University, Jinaga had worked at EMC in Bellevue. Arpana Jinaga. Goldsmith said evidence found at Jinagas apartment and produced during the investigation pointed to one of her neighbors as the likely killer. Fair was tried for Jinagas sexual assault twice and was acquitted after his second trial in June 2019. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. At some point, though, things turned tense. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. 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. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. 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 Oct. 31, 2008, 24-year-old Arpana Jinaga dressed up in a Little Red Riding Hood costume and prepared for a Friday night to remember. His 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 August 2009, a man named Emanuel Fair was interviewed by police. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Its just another day. His lawyers said the ordeal has permanently damaged Fairs reputation, his emotional well-being, livelihood and relationships. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. 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.. 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. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. After hosting her event, software programmer, Arpana Jinaga, was found dead inside her home. 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? One juror said that when the jury began its deliberations on June 6, the 12-member panel was evenly split: Four thought Fair was not guilty, four thought he was guilty, and four were undecided. 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. 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. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. 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. Several people were at the party before Jinagas murder, so the scene was full of various DNA samples. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. At approximately 8 am, Jinaga's next-door neighbor Kyle Rose, was awakened by sounds coming from her apartment. It was a party, Fair was all over her apartment like EVERYONE ELSE. The lawsuit says that Johnson also had a past of strange or violent behavior with women. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. 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. 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. The suit contends detectives aligned evidence to match their theory and disregarded half a dozen non-Black suspects in the case. 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. 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. Coats is now a captain in the department. He was her pimp, or as the podcast preferred to describe it, the person who placed craiglist ads for her escort services. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. He slept with Potts in her bed and woke up the next morning before 10 a.m., after which he helped her and other neighbors clean up the complex, according to the complaint. 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. 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.. Johnson has denied any involvement in Jinagas death. When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. Also Leslie Potts covering for Fair is alarming, was that investigated. An online memorial for Arpana has been created, for family and friends to share pictures and memories, at crypticgirl.com. 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. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. Potts, Jinaga and two others neighbors decorated and opened up their units to allow partygoers to go in and out freely. Potts had not known Fair for a long time. Around 2:30 am, Fair and Johnson went to Johnson's apartment and then down to Johnson's car to listen to music. If her rape was that violent he'd have had SOME scratches or scars. Not sure if there would be any visible damages. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file.
Maryhill Health Centre Repeat Prescriptions, Charlotte Name Puns, Castle Playhouse With Slide, Articles A