At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. 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. 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. When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. Perhaps the perpetrator(s) kicked in the door, then while leaving they shut it again. His attorneys allege Fair was isolated as the main suspect for her murder because of his race and his past criminal record. 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. The majority of criminals arent very bright. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. 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. Jinagas bruised body was discovered covered with a cloth on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. He was drunk and brought bottles of liquor. Meanwhile they raided Emmanuels stuff and according to his best friend on the podcast took almost ALL of his things. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. She practiced martial arts and participated in a motorcycle club. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. 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. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. Jinaga had been gagged, brutally beaten and most likely raped. Because of this, a judge limited the scope of questions the man could be asked during the trial. 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. 2018Dion Wiyoko,Rianti Cartwright,Laura Basuki,Jill Gladys,Sheila Dara Aisha,Junior Liem,Alyndra PandjipoetraSunshine ,SunshineSunshinemp4SunshineBT . After zeroing in on Fair because of his race and rap sheet, investigators relied on cherry-picked DNA evidence while disregarding other genetic findings and suspects as part of a gather facts that fit the theory strategy, the suit alleges. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. DNA from the neighbor was found on a motor oil bottle, and from another man who wasnt at the party on a bootlace likely used to strangle Jinaga. Redmond police Lt. Brian Coats vividly recalls all that he learned about Arpana Jinaga, a Redmond woman who was strangled in her apartment in 2008, her body doused with bleach, toilet-bowl cleaner and motor oil in an apparent attempt to destroy DNA evidence of rape. Also Leslie Potts covering for Fair is alarming, was that investigated. I just want to be myself., The Seattle Times closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. Jinaga, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. 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. The defense also explained the innocuous opportunities Mr. Fair had to touch or indirectly transfer microscopic skin cells to these items during the party. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. 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. The party lasted until the early hours. Cameron should have been the #1 suspect. There was DNA from 2-3 males found at the crime scene. The two discovered her locked door had been kicked in. Jinaga was sprawled on the floor in her bedroom, bloody, naked, and drenched in bleach, toilet bowl cleaner, and motor oil. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with Jinaga. By Bill Christianson January 8, 2009 5:35 pm. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. 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. . 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. They found her nude body on her bedroom floor, face-down on the carpet and partially covered with cloth. The evidence of Fairs involvement is compelling, Larson said this week. 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 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.. After hosting her event, software programmer, Arpana Jinaga, was found dead inside her home. The case turned into a classic whodunit, and Jinaga's costumed party guests were the prime suspects. 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. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 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. 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. Cameron Johnson, who has never been charged, invoked his 5th Amendment right, and therefore only faced limited scope questioning during Fair's trial. Suspect is an investigative series about mislaid justice and the kinds of weighty decisions that detectives, lawyers, and jurors make every day - decisions that, once made, are almost impossible to reverse.Season 2: Vanished in the Snow chronicles the disappearance of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews. His 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. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. DNA evidence was linked to three men and. Jinagas neighbor, Johnson, was the prime suspect at first, as described in Fairs lawsuit documents. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. 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. 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. Jinaga was. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. They messed up, he said. He had bruises consistent with a sexual attack, tried to flee the country, and was researching pawn shops (which the police never really followed up onor seemingly got a real answer from him on why he was researchingpawn shops). Coats was asked during the podcast if the prior conviction was significant to his investigation. 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. 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 replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. 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. Jinaga's killer had clearly gone to great lengths to destroy any biological traces linking him to the crime scene. Ben Goldsmith and Katharine Edwards advanced a straightforward theory about why Emanuel Fair should be acquitted in the murder of Arpana Jinaga, whose body was found in her Redmond apartment on Nov. 1, 2008. A new true-crime podcast from Campside Media and Wondery delves into the brutal unsolved murder nearly 13 years and two trials later. 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. Coats ran a background check on the Fair and found the rape charge. 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 thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. 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 lawsuit says that Johnson also had a past of strange or violent behavior with women. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. At age 20, Jinaga moved from her native India to the United States and quickly found success. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. Johnson said he heard moaning sounds coming from Jinagas apartment around 3 a.m., and he assumed she was having sex. Poor victim was surrounded by shady people it seems. Fairs lawsuit includes many of the same facts that his public defender, Ben Goldsmith, used to poke holes in the prosecutions criminal case. But I dont have a desire to do that. Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. Maybe they were running out of time (had to be somewhere? We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Only one man was charged with murder. 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. 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. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with Jinaga. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. 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. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? Her apartment was decorated as a haunted forest, one of. 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. 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. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. Do we know from the OP that it would have been obvious? Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. 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. 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.. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. Do we know how extensive the damage was? Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. Its just another day. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. 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. 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. 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.. He was her pimp, or as the podcast preferred to describe it, the person who placed craiglist ads for her escort services. 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. 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. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. After the party wound down, Jinaga was seen returning to her apartment about 3 a.m.; investigators believe she was killed at about 8 a.m. Nov. 1. He assumed Jinaga was either vomiting or having sex. At some point during the night, partygoers recall Jinaga getting into an argument with a male, who made a race-related comment. Someone else murdered the young software engineer. 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. 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 . Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. I hope I never have to investigate a case like this again.. 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. I think that was the biggest reasonable doubt and no one could eliminate him [as the killer], the juror said of the neighbor. Arpana dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. This is weird. She and several other residents in the complex opened the doors to their apartments for what was to be a night of fun. "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. 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.. 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. They also failed to look for evidence of a missing bootlace. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. I just want to be myself.. I lost a lot. Jinaga had been a prize-winner in a . Subsequently, Johnson attempted to scrub his phone. 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. More than a dozen people passed through Jinaga's apartment that night. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. Photos. The lawsuit alleges there was heavy drinking at the party of 40 to 50 people. 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. .but he doesnt mention it? 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. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. Guests took silly photos, downed shots and smoked pot. He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. 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. As a teenager, Jinaga won a top prize in an international computer programming competition. 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. or felt they were? Such remarks since his exoneration only demonstrate authorities defensiveness about mishandling the case, Fair said. Fair and Johnson had actually just met that night. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. The court documents detail negligence by detectives and the outsourcing of a famous psychic medium to opine on the case. 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. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) To contaminate evidence, Jinagas hands had been doused in blue toilet-bowl cleaner and her body covered in motor oil. 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. DNA found at the crime scene was ultimately linked to three men, but only one was charged with murder. 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. It was a party, Fair was all over her apartment like EVERYONE ELSE. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege.
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