I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. At age 20, Jinaga moved from her native India to the United States and quickly found success. But I dont have a desire to do that. 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. 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. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. In the intervening hours, neighbors who lived on either side of Jinagas apartment heard muffled moaning sounds but assumed she and a partner were having consensual sex. . 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. The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. Fair filed a lawsuit against King County, Redmond, the Redmond Police Department and the lead detective on Dec. 29. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. Around 2:30 am, Fair and Johnson went to Johnson's apartment and then down to Johnson's car to listen to music. 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. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. Such remarks since his exoneration only demonstrate authorities defensiveness about mishandling the case, Fair said. So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. Suspect: With Matthew Shaer, Eric Benson, Matt Baglio, Ashley Fantz. Police attempted to identify the partygoers and interview them. 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 Tuesday, that man, Emanuel Fair, 35, was found not guilty of first-degree murder with sexual motivation by a King County jury. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. 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. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. When youre in jail, you dont have a holiday. Jinaga lived alone in an apartment at the Valley View Apartments. Jinaga had moved to the Pacific Northwest about six months ago. 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 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. The Wondery true-crime podcast Suspect centers on the murder of Arpana Jinaga as well as the trials of the wrongly imprisoned Emanuel Fair, who spent years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. Some guests were rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary, it says. Her finger and fingernails were cleaned. 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. Were they old friends? The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. "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. 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. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. They messed up, he said. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. Maybe he sneezed or coughed while using it. It was just gruesome, he said. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he said. 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. 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. Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients Now His Victims Are Speaking Out, Ex-Boyfriend of Missing Md. This is the last known independent witness sighting of the pair. Johnson said he heard moaning sounds coming from Jinagas apartment around 3 a.m., and he assumed she was having sex. 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 lawsuit alleges there was heavy drinking at the party of 40 to 50 people. Jinaga, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. Only one man was charged with murder. He heard "a horrible growling" for about twenty seconds until he heard a thud. 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. The county, police department and Coats filed a response to Fairs initial complaint refuting the claims. 14 years later, and unfortunately there are no updates in this case. The defense also explained the innocuous opportunities Mr. Fair had to touch or indirectly transfer microscopic skin cells to these items during the party. In Suspect, journalists Matthew Shaer and Eric Benson (Over My Dead Body) return to the Valley View Apartments and interview party guests and authorities about the horrific series of events stemming from Halloween 2008. Burn marks on her body and apartment suggest somebody tried to burn her. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. 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. An exclusive trailer for Suspect is below. Im out, Fair said. 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. Redmond Police have found no "firm suspects" in the brutal murder of Arpana Jinaga, a 24-year-old software engineer who was . Since his release two-and-a-half years ago, Fair said hes struggled to adjust to life outside of jail or find steady work. 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 is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. 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. 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 I covered for Emanuel because at the time I thought he was my friend, not because I was trying to cover for him for something he may or may not have done. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. He used the bathroom on one occasion. When contacted by police, Leslie Potts falsely claimed that she was alone, even though Emanuel Fair was staying with her. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. He was her pimp, or as the podcast preferred to describe it, the person who placed craiglist ads for her escort services. 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. They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. The case turned into a classic whodunit, and Jinaga's costumed party guests were the prime suspects. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) 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. Just hours after that party ended, in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2008, one of the hosts of the Halloween party a 24-year-old software engineer and Indian immigrant named Arpana Jinaga . He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. Suspect premieres Aug. 17 on Wondery+ and Aug. 31 wherever podcasts are streamed. Fighting for justice: Two public defenders worked for years to get 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 filed a lawsuit against King County, Redmond, the Redmond Police Department and the lead detective on Dec. 29. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. True. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. I am far from shady. 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. 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 tried for Jinagas sexual assault twice and was acquitted after his second trial in June 2019. Fair also used Jinaga's bathroom. Police found that he had Googled pawn shops near the border. There was potential there that was just taken away., Citing pending litigation, a city of Redmond spokesperson declined to comment about Fairs lawsuit on behalf of Coats and the citys Police Department. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. 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. Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. The DNA on her neck was microscopic and wasn't necessarily a match, it just couldn't be excluded. He was drunk and brought bottles of liquor. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. 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.. New 'Suspect' Podcast Explores Halloween Party Murder of Arpana Jinaga Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. The second trial was in 2019, where he got a not-guilty verdict. 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. An online memorial for Arpana has been created, for family and friends to share pictures and memories, at crypticgirl.com. 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. His phone records revealed that he had called Jinaga at 3am on the night of the murder, but he stated he did not remember making the calls. 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. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. At approximately 8 am, Jinaga's next-door neighbor Kyle Rose, was awakened by sounds coming from her apartment. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. Guests took silly photos, downed shots and smoked pot. Jinaga had been gagged, brutally beaten and most likely raped. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with Jinaga. This is weird. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. The majority of criminals arent very bright. Johnson engaged in a number of suspicious activities after the murder. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. So she was protecting him from interacting with cops and ending up going to jail for that. Jinaga, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. Coats was asked during the podcast if the prior conviction was significant to his investigation. He and Jinagas next-door neighbor who became a suspect in her slaying discovered her locked door had been kicked in and found her nude body on her bedroom floor. Emanuel Fair: He was not a resident, but he was staying in the apartment of Leslie Potts. There was potential there that was just taken away., Citing pending litigation, a city of Redmond spokesperson declined to comment about Fairs lawsuit on behalf of Coats and the citys Police Department. Arpana Jinaga was murdered in her apartment in 2008 . 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. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. Those are times when you should be around family. The suit contends detectives aligned evidence to match their theory and disregarded half a dozen non-Black suspects in the case. 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. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. DNA found at the crime scene was ultimately linked to three men, but only one was charged with murder. He was read his rights. 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. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. But of course, I imagine it must have been loud disturbance to kick in a door, which was apparently never reported. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. 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. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. 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. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. Photos. The two discovered her locked door had been kicked in. A suspect is identified, arrested, and convicted, but this morphed into a greater mystery when journalists began investigating the case years later. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? 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. A third mans DNA was on a bootlace, also found in the trash, but he had an alibi. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. The lawsuit also says Fair threw garbage in the dumpster where the robe and other items were found while helping with party clean up. There was forced entry into Jinaga's second-story apartment, signs of trauma to Jinaga and the apartment was in disarray. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. Poor victim was surrounded by shady people it seems. Why didnt he tell police that her door was kicked in? They also failed to look for evidence of a missing bootlace. Also Leslie Potts covering for Fair is alarming, was that investigated. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. My guess would be drugs. New true-crime podcast reexamines the unsolved murder of a Redmond I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. 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. Emanuel Fair stayed in the King County Correctional Facility for nearly nine years for a crime he did not commit based on a botched and bizarre murder investigation driven by racial discrimination, a recent lawsuit alleges. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? 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. Jinaga's neighbor Cameron Johnson showed up to the party in Jinaga's unit late. Jinagas neighbor, Johnson, was the prime suspect at first, as described in Fairs lawsuit documents. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. She had been brutally beaten, raped, and strangled. The medical examiner estimated Jinagas time of death was 8 a.m. 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 said that he had driven to Canada on the day after the Halloween party and that he had been denied entry. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. 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. Fair had some criminal history: weapon and drug offenses as a juvenile, and a rape charge from 2004. 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. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. 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. 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. Emanuel Fair was arrested in 2010. On the night of Oct. 31, 2008, Arpana Jinaga and her neighbors at the Valley View Apartments, in Redmond, Wash., threw a party to celebrate Halloween. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. 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. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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.