True. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. She. Arpana Jinaga was murdered in her apartment in 2008 . 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.. Court records show prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to charge Jinagas neighbor, who met Fair the night of the homicide. They messed up, he said. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. Those are times when you should be around family. 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. 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. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with Jinaga. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. 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. 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. 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. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. "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. Police found that he had Googled pawn shops near the border. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. They interrogated Fair on the car ride to the station without reading his rights. The damage from that can be quite minimal and close to the floor with the door discreetly closed on departure, you might not notice unless you looked for it. It was just gruesome, he said. 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. Since his release two-and-a-half years ago, Fair said hes struggled to adjust to life outside of jail or find steady work. She was a brilliant person. A third mans DNA was on a bootlace, also found in the trash, but he had an alibi. 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. Arpana Jinaga was a 24-year-old computer programmer, who had moved to the Pacific Northwest in March of 2008. 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. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. He made calls to a few friends, including apparently pocket-dialing Potts. 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 . According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. He assumed Jinaga was either vomiting or having sex. 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. In every community across Washington, families are facing the challenge of accessing and affording long-term care. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from India. 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. To get in one of those cheap hollow core doors (if thats what the apartment had) by kicking, you dont need to kick a hole through, just knock it out of the lock. Source. Jinaga, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. 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? 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.. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he said. When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. In the trial, the jury heard evidence that pointed to the neighbor as the possible killer. but Im not free., Thailand's 'most beautiful transgender woman' and husband wear $580K in attire at extravagant wedding, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; 'We are coming,' sheriff says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh's new mugshot revealed after double life sentence, Rebel Wilson says she was banned from Disneyland for 30 days for taking a bathroom selfie, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, but light rain makes brief return, Why 4 of Mizzou's seniors have a personal meaning for Dennis Gates, Iliman Ndiaye: Senegal midfielder an 'unbelievable' player. 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. His case went on trial in 2017, the jury deadlocked and there was a mistrial. 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. But of course, I imagine it must have been loud disturbance to kick in a door, which was apparently never reported. 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. Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. 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. His DNA was also found, he was sexually interested in her, called her around 3am and said oh crap when caught in the lie, also matched the description of the guy seen at her door at 3am. 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 Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. For three and a half decades, her disappearance was a mystery - a riddle neither authorities . and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. 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 night, neighbors of Jinaga heard muffled moaning sounds, and assumed she and a partner were having consensual sex. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. 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. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. At age 20, Jinaga moved from her native India to the United States and quickly found success. It was a party, Fair was all over her apartment like EVERYONE ELSE. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. And thats hard.. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from India. . 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. Cameron Johnson, who has never been charged, invoked his 5th Amendment right, and therefore only faced limited scope questioning during Fair's trial. The medical examiner estimated Jinagas time of death was 8 a.m. And thats hard.. Jinaga's killer had clearly gone to great lengths to destroy any biological traces linking him to the crime scene. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. 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. Maybe he sneezed or coughed while using it. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. Johnson also had injuries that detectives said were consistent with a sexual assault. After hosting her event, software programmer, Arpana Jinaga, was found dead inside her home. This is weird. 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. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. Most people left Jinaga's apartment after 9pm to move to another apartment. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. 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. 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. Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he said. He scrubbed his phone right after the interrogation, the lawsuit says. "Choices that, once made, are difficult to reverse.". 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. No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. To just dismiss it as racism is ridiculous. 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. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. 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 let Johnson go after his questioning. After the sound stopped, Rose then heard steps and the sound of running water for 1 hour. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. In it, Ehlert stood firmly by the prosecuting teams decisions. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. If her rape was that violent he'd have had SOME scratches or scars. 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. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. Coats is now a captain in the department. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. Also Leslie Potts covering for Fair is alarming, was that investigated. 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. 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. She died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. The initial investigation focused on Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. 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. Potts, Jinaga and two others neighbors decorated and opened up their units to allow partygoers to go in and out freely. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. A tech prodigy from an early age, Arpana seemed poised to achieve great things in life. Jinaga's neighbor Cameron Johnson showed up to the party in Jinaga's unit late. Preliminary reports said Arpana may have died on Friday evening. He was one of the three individual's whose DNA was found . Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. I just want to be myself., The Seattle Times closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. At some point during the night, partygoers recall Jinaga getting into an argument with a male, who made a race-related comment. 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 was drunk and brought bottles of liquor. 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. Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. 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. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. Her finger and fingernails were cleaned. 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. 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. But I dont have a desire to do that. He said evidence about Jinagas neighbor raised significant questions for the jury. The county, police department and Coats filed a response to Fairs initial complaint refuting the claims. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment.
Red Carpet Wardrobe Fails,
Articles A