Police attempted to identify the partygoers and interview them. The initial investigation focused on Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. Do we know how extensive the damage was? But it seems Jinaga would quickly move on and return to enjoying the party. link. Kyler Alvord leads PEOPLE's politics coverage as a news editor for the brand. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. 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. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from India. . Jinaga, an outgoing Rutgers University grad, had moved to Redmond six months earlier to work as a software engineer at a Bellevue firm. Police believe she was killed around 8 a.m. Two days later, a friend of Jinagas father went to check up on her because she hadnt answered phone calls from her family in India. True. DNA was found on a discarded bottle of motor oil (same bag as robe). 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. This is a person who is living her dream. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. There was evidence of rape. She had it all going on, Coats said. Around 2:30 am, Fair and Johnson went to Johnson's apartment and then down to Johnson's car to listen to music. I lost a lot. In 2008, 24 year old software engineer, Arpana Jinaga was brutally murdered after hosting a party on Halloween night with fellow residents of the Valley View Apartments in Redmond Washington. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. 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.. Her removed tampon alone had three separate unidentified male DNA profiles on it, according to Rolling Stones investigation. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. 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. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. Arpana Jinaga Unresolved He was read his rights. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. Fighting for justice: Two public defenders worked for years to get Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. When Johnson was interviewed by police on Nov 3 and 5th, he was noticeably limping with elbow and knee issues, but claimed it was due to an arm wrestling incident. 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. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. 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. Suspect Podcast on Amazon Music He had been in her apartment once earlier in the night too. Coats is now a captain in the department. Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. Episode 213: Interview: Emanuel Fair, Found Not Guilty of Murder after 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. Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. Arpana Jinaga Memorial. 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 brutal murder and mountains of evidence. After 2 court - Reddit Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. A tech prodigy from an early age, Arpana seemed poised to achieve great things in life. According to court documents, Johnson called Jinaga around 3 a.m. but did not mention that to the police during his interview. I dont think he killed Arpana. Emanuel Fair: He was not a resident, but he was staying in the apartment of Leslie Potts. 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. During trial the jury heard significant evidence that another person, Ms. Jinagas next door neighbor, may have murdered her on that tragic night.. Most people left Jinaga's apartment after 9pm to move to another apartment. Johnson also said that he had driven to Canada on the day after the Halloween party and that he had been denied entry. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. He helped set up and clean up, and had no wounds, no scratches or injuries. The Murder of Arpana Jinaga, The Stickiest Heist In History - WVXU 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.. 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? Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. After the sound stopped, Rose then heard steps and the sound of running water for 1 hour. Its just another day. 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. They also want him to be reimbursed for the attorney fees he incurred while fighting the charges. 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. New true-crime podcast reexamines the unsolved murder of a Redmond When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. Jinaga had been a prize-winner in a . Not sure if there would be any visible damages. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Why didnt he tell police that her door was kicked in? Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial. Photos. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. 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. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. Eight Years in Jail With No Conviction: Emanuel Fair Files Lawsuit Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients Now His Victims Are Speaking Out, Ex-Boyfriend of Missing Md. Court files said there were also burn marks from an attempt to set the body or apartment on fire. But of course, I imagine it must have been loud disturbance to kick in a door, which was apparently never reported. Im out, Fair said. Death of Arpana being probed as homicide - DNA India I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. Jinagas neighbor, Johnson, was the prime suspect at first, as described in Fairs lawsuit documents. 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. She and several other residents in the complex opened the doors to their apartments for what was to be a night of fun. 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. Meanwhile they raided Emmanuels stuff and according to his best friend on the podcast took almost ALL of his things. 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. Cameron should have been the prime suspect and the one they took to trial. 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. The two discovered her locked door had been kicked in. 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. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Fair filed a lawsuit against King County, Redmond, the Redmond Police Department and the lead detective on Dec. 29. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the 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.