'Suspect' is a true crime Halloween whodunnit mystery for the books The party started like many others. 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. Brian Bundridge was in a motorcycle club with Jinaga. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. A bunch of residents of the apartment complex had decided to throw a big Halloween bash across something like four of the apartments, with each apartment decorated with a different theme. and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. 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. Court records show prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to charge Jinagas neighbor, who met Fair the night of the homicide. In it, Ehlert stood firmly by the prosecuting teams decisions. 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. 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. Arpana Jinaga Unresolved Arpana Jinaga In October of 2008, a 24-year-old computer programmer living in the Seattle area would attend a Halloween party in her apartment complex. As her next-door neighbor this would have been obvious. Not sure if there would be any visible damages. A brutal murder and mountains of evidence. After 2 court - Reddit 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. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. . Police attempted to identify the partygoers and interview them. I am far from shady. He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. 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. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. 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 . By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. He assumed Jinaga was either vomiting or having sex. 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. The medical examiner estimated Jinagas time of death was 8 a.m. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. When youre in jail, you dont have a holiday. His DNA was on the roll of duct tape found on the couch, not the tape that covered her face and according to the podcast there's a photo of him using the duct tape to hang up decorations so yea he touched it they already know that. 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. The lawsuit says that Johnson also had a past of strange or violent behavior with women. And thats hard.. 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. 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. Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients Now His Victims Are Speaking Out, Ex-Boyfriend of Missing Md. 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. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. As a teenager, Jinaga won a top prize in an international computer programming competition. Those are times when you should be around family. So what else can they do but to continue to point their finger at me?. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege. 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. 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. In it, Ehlert stood firmly by the prosecuting teams decisions. Its just another day. Jinaga had been a prize-winner in a . Johnson engaged in a number of suspicious activities after the murder. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. Arpana Jinaga Unresolved His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. He was her pimp, or as the podcast preferred to describe it, the person who placed craiglist ads for her escort services. Guests took silly photos, downed shots and smoked pot. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. 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. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinagas death, and his DNA was reportedly never compared to the crime scene. Bodicherla went to the apartment complex, where he encountered Cameron Johnson, who showed him the way to Jinaga's unit. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. 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. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. Suspect Might Be the Best True-Crime Podcast of the Year - Vulture Police found that he had Googled pawn shops near the border. Fairs DNA was found on Jinagas robe and a roll of duct tape that was likely used to tape her underwear inside her mouth like a gag. A new true-crime podcast from Campside Media and Wondery delves into the brutal unsolved murder nearly 13 years and two trials later. The suit contends detectives aligned evidence to match their theory and disregarded half a dozen non-Black suspects in the case. 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. Arpana Jinaga Memorial on Vimeo During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. 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. At approximately 8 am, Jinaga's next-door neighbor Kyle Rose, was awakened by sounds coming from her apartment. This was mainly on the basis of party photographs. Some guests were rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary, it says. By Bill Christianson January 8, 2009 5:35 pm. Brian Coats, who led the investigation into Jinagas murder as a detective 13 years ago. 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.. Cameron should have been the #1 suspect. Preliminary reports said Arpana may have died on Friday evening. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. 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. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. This is only a fraction of the evidence exonerating Emanuel which was wide-ranging and persuasive. Jinaga was sprawled on the floor in her bedroom, bloody, naked, and drenched in bleach, toilet bowl cleaner, and motor oil. Condition of the apartment: Jinaga's bed had been stripped, a fleece blanket was partially burned and her comforter was found in soaked the bathroom bathtub. Arpana was last seen in the early morning of Nov. 1 during a Halloween . 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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. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. 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. 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. Fairs DNA was found on Jinagas robe and a roll of duct tape that was likely used to tape her underwear inside her mouth like a gag. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. Coats is now a captain in the department. 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. Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. DNA was found on a discarded bottle of motor oil (same bag as robe). They found her nude body on her bedroom floor, face-down on the carpet and partially covered with cloth. 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. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. They messed up, he said. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. Source. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. 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. 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. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. 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. Jinaga had been gagged, brutally beaten and most likely raped. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. But it seems Jinaga would quickly move on and return to enjoying the party. She died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. Ive never seen a worse case, Corinne Sebren, one of Fairs lawyers, who specializes in civil rights cases, told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. 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. Emanuel Fair's DNA was found on Jinagas neck, a piece of duct tape used to gag her, a piece of toilet paper or paper towel found at the crime scene, and was mixed with Jinagas blood on her bathrobe robe (left in the apartment complex trash bin). Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. 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. Ive never seen a worse case, Corinne Sebren, one of Fairs lawyers, who specializes in civil rights cases, told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. Jinaga, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. 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. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. A suspect is identified, arrested, and convicted, but this morphed into a greater mystery when journalists began investigating the case years later. This is a person who is living her dream. Police believe she was killed around 8 am. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. After the jury in his first trial deadlocked in 2017, King County prosecutors tried Fair again in 2019. Jinaga lived alone in an apartment at the Valley View Apartments. Were they old friends? The initial investigation focused on Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. 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. It's obvious why Fair is the number one suspect. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. When youre in jail, you dont have a holiday. 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. He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. 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. 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. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from India. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. Jinagas bruised body was discovered covered with a cloth on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. Those are times when you should be around family. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. 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. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. 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. 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.. Arpana Jinaga. Around 1am, Fair visited Jinaga's apartment to eat pizza. 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. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. He made calls to a few friends, including apparently pocket-dialing Potts. Alyndra Pandjipoetra 2018Dion Wiyoko,Rianti Cartwright,Laura Basuki,Jill Gladys,Sheila Dara Aisha,Junior Liem,Alyndra PandjipoetraSunshine ,SunshineSunshinemp4SunshineBT! They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. Maybe he sneezed or coughed while using it. Fair was tried for Jinagas sexual assault twice and was acquitted after his second trial in June 2019. DNA found at the crime scene was ultimately linked to three men, but only one was charged with murder. The Seattle Times is not naming Jinagas neighbor because he has not been charged. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. . -, Press J to jump to the feed. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. Cameron Johnson: a neighbour of Jinaga: he showed up to the party in Jinaga's apartment late. There was DNA from 2-3 males found at the crime scene. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. In her spare time, she practiced taekwondo, learned to build her own motorcycle, and volunteered with neighbourhood groups. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. 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 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. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. Kyler Alvord leads PEOPLE's politics coverage as a news editor for the brand. The following Monday, her body would be discovered inside of her apartment, the victim of an apparent homicide. They messed up, he said. He made calls to a few friends, including apparently pocket-dialing Potts. So she was protecting him from interacting with cops and ending up going to jail for that. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he said. Photo: King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office, 'Dr. Johnson also said that he had driven to Canada on the day after the Halloween party and that he had been denied entry. Police went to Jinaga's apartment after they were contacted by her friend, Redmond police spokesman Jim Bove said, adding police are investigating the death as a homicide. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. 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. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. 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. Fair filed a lawsuit against King County, Redmond, the Redmond Police Department and the lead detective on Dec. 29. His lawyers said the ordeal has permanently damaged Fairs reputation, his emotional well-being, livelihood and relationships. 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. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. When residents of the Valley View Apartments in Redmond, Wash., decided to host a Halloween party nearly 13 years ago, nobody expected that it would end with murder.