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.. 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. In the investigation that followed, authorities scrambled to determine who would hurt the lovable young woman from India, a promising software programmer who volunteered at the local fire department and rode her motorcycle with friends in her free time. He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. 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. 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. Johnson has denied any involvement in Jinagas death. 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. Fair filed a lawsuit against King County, Redmond, the Redmond Police Department and the lead detective on Dec. 29. She. Jinaga had moved to the Pacific Northwest about six months ago. The Mysterious Death of a Young Mom Found Unresponsive in Her Bathtub, Inside the Case Against Bryan Kohberger: Legal Experts Weigh in on Idaho Murders, Will Bryan Kohberger Face Death Penalty if Convicted of Idaho Murders? Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. I dont think he killed Arpana. 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. They act on impulse, not ration. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. 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. 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. He used the bathroom on one occasion. Nearly a year later. 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. and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. The Seattle Times is not naming Jinagas neighbor because he has not been charged. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. 14 years ago. The suit contends detectives aligned evidence to match their theory and disregarded half a dozen non-Black suspects in the case. 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. On Tuesday, that man, Emanuel Fair, 35, was found not guilty of first-degree murder with sexual motivation by a King County jury. A tech prodigy from an early age, Arpana seemed poised to achieve great things in life. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. 2008, in Marshall . link. Johnson's friends and family stated he said "what if I did the murder and I don't remember". He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. Suspect: With Matthew Shaer, Eric Benson, Matt Baglio, Ashley Fantz. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. Jinagas hands were covered in blue toilet-bowl cleaner, her body and other items were covered in motor oil, her bed had been stripped, a blanket was partially burned and her soaked comforter was found in the bathtub. 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. There was forced entry into Jinaga's second-story apartment, signs of trauma to Jinaga and the apartment was in disarray. 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. Its got to be terrible for everybody it touched. 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. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. During the night, neighbors of Jinaga heard muffled moaning sounds, and assumed she and a partner were having consensual sex. The county, police department and Coats filed a response to Fairs initial complaint refuting the claims. 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. The lawsuit alleges there was heavy drinking at the party of 40 to 50 people. Source. Police found that he had Googled pawn shops near the border. According to court documents, a neighbor who did not attend the party reported seeing a man with olive complexion and light stubble standing in Jinagas doorway, talking to someone inside around 3 a.m. Fair went inside Potts apartment between 2:30 and 3 a.m. after listening to music with Jinagas immediate neighbor Cameron Johnson. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. Fair also used Jinaga's bathroom. Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. 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. 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.. She practiced martial arts and participated in a motorcycle club. However, phone records show that he was making many phone calls between 2am and 5am, including to Potts. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. The majority of criminals arent very bright. Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. 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. Coats ran a background check on the Fair and found the rape charge. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. 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. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. 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. Several people were at the party before Jinagas murder, so the scene was full of various DNA samples. Fair, a guest of another woman living in the building, met Jinaga and her neighbor that night. He was read his rights. To contaminate evidence, Jinagas hands had been doused in blue toilet-bowl cleaner and her body covered in motor oil. 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. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. Arpana dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. A suspect is identified, arrested, and convicted, but this morphed into a greater mystery when journalists began investigating the case years later. 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. 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. 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. 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. Also Leslie Potts covering for Fair is alarming, was that investigated. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. Johnson also said that he had driven to Canada on the day after the Halloween party and that he had been denied entry. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But of course, I imagine it must have been loud disturbance to kick in a door, which was apparently never reported. 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. There was evidence of rape. Court records show prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to charge Jinagas neighbor, who met Fair the night of the homicide. Poor victim was surrounded by shady people it seems. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. . Around 1am, Fair visited Jinaga's apartment to eat pizza. Now, more than two years later, Fair is suing King County, the city of Redmond and Redmond Police Capt. There are multiple apartments with parties and these two go to a car to listen to music?! The neighbors DNA was found on a discarded bottle of motor oil, found in the same bag with the robe. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. 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. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. 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. The party lasted until the early hours. 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. 14 years later, and unfortunately there are no updates in this case. 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. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. 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. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. This is only a fraction of the evidence exonerating Emanuel which was wide-ranging and persuasive. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. Such remarks since his exoneration only demonstrate authorities defensiveness about mishandling the case, Fair said. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with Jinaga. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. 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. They messed up, he said. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. 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 says that Johnson also had a past of strange or violent behavior with women. Just to set the record straight. Its just another day. 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. He appeared drunk and brought liquor. Alyndra Pandjipoetra 2018Dion Wiyoko,Rianti Cartwright,Laura Basuki,Jill Gladys,Sheila Dara Aisha,Junior Liem,Alyndra PandjipoetraSunshine ,SunshineSunshinemp4SunshineBT! Jinaga had been a prize-winner in a . Were they old friends? Those are times when you should be around family. 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. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. According to court documents, a neighbor who did not attend the party reported seeing a man with olive complexion and light stubble standing in Jinagas doorway, talking to someone inside around 3 a.m. Fair went inside Potts apartment between 2:30 and 3 a.m. after listening to music with Jinagas immediate neighbor Cameron Johnson. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. 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. Guests took silly photos, downed shots and smoked pot. 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. Jinagas bruised body was discovered covered with a cloth on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. 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. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. The medical examiner estimated Jinagas time of death was 8 a.m. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. It's obvious why Fair is the number one suspect. 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. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. "Choices that, once made, are difficult to reverse.". She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. Potts had not known Fair for a long time. .but he doesnt mention it? 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. Police attempted to identify the partygoers and interview them. lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. She is suspected to have died from strangulation from a bootlace. 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. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Kyler Alvord leads PEOPLE's politics coverage as a news editor for the brand. More than a dozen people passed through Jinaga's apartment 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. He assumed Jinaga was either vomiting or having sex. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. Arpana was last seen in the early morning of Nov. 1 during a Halloween . Around 3 am, Jinaga left a gathering in a ground-floor apartment and returned to her apartment on the third floor. DNA found at the crime scene was ultimately linked to three men, but only one was charged with murder. There was DNA from 2-3 males found at the crime scene. As a teenager, Jinaga won a top prize in an international computer programming competition. 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. 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. Johnson engaged in a number of suspicious activities after the murder. But I dont have a desire to do that. No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. Jinaga lived alone in an apartment at the Valley View Apartments. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. And the other DNA found was found on a robe that was likely in hanging in her bathroom, maybe he dried his hands on it while using the bathroom. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. They messed up, he said. Emanuel Fair: He was not a resident, but he was staying in the apartment of Leslie Potts. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. And thats hard.. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. 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. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. Two days later on Monday, Jinagas father in India was worried that her daughter was not answering her phone, so he asked family friend Jay Bodicherla in the US to check up on her. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. Johnson said he heard moaning sounds coming from Jinagas apartment around 3 a.m., and he assumed she was having sex. 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. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. 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. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. The initial investigation focused on Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. 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 . I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. 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. Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. That decision was upheld by the state Court of Appeals following Fairs first trial. 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. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. 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. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. 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.. 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 think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. Fairs lawsuit includes many of the same facts that his public defender, Ben Goldsmith, used to poke holes in the prosecutions criminal case. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. Jinaga's neighbor Cameron Johnson showed up to the party in Jinaga's unit late. Cameron should have been the #1 suspect. I just want to be myself.. 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 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. Host Matthew Shaer and and reporter Eric Benson go to the scene of the crime in an effort to discover if police identified the right suspect. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. The suit contends detectives aligned evidence to match their theory and disregarded half a dozen non-Black suspects in the case. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. 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 Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. After hosting her event, software programmer, Arpana Jinaga, was found dead inside her home. Since his release two-and-a-half years ago, Fair said hes struggled to adjust to life outside of jail or find steady work. 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. Someone else murdered the young software engineer. His attorneys allege Fair was isolated as the main suspect for her murder because of his race and his past criminal record. This is a person who is living her dream. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. In the apartment, there was a strong smell of bleach, and also bleach stains were found. Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. 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. I just want to be myself., The Seattle Times closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. Those are times when you should be around family. 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. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. Meanwhile they raided Emmanuels stuff and according to his best friend on the podcast took almost ALL of his things. Do we know from the OP that it would have been obvious? Was Kyle Rose ever questioned as a suspect? 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. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. Coats ran a background check on the Fair and found the rape charge. The two discovered her locked door had been kicked in. 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. 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. 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. 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. In it, Ehlert stood firmly by the prosecuting teams decisions. 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. He heard "a horrible growling" for about twenty seconds until he heard a thud. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. Suspect is a true crime podcast that examines the murder of Arpana Jinaga who was killed at a Halloween party hosted by her apartment complex. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. 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. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence.
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