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. Fairs 23-page complaint, filed last month by his attorney, Ryan Dreveskracht, contends police and prosecutors botched the probe and wrongly targeted him because he was a Black man with a criminal record, despite evidence implicating Jinagas then-neighbor, who is white. It's obvious why Fair is the number one suspect. She was outgoing and friendly, joining a motorcycle club, practicing tae kwon do, and volunteering at an animal shelter and fire department, all within eight months of moving to Redmond, he said. But it seems Jinaga would quickly move on and return to enjoying the party. Sunshine2018/BT - Police found that he had Googled pawn shops near the border. 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. 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. When Johnson found out Fair liked hip hop and wrote beats, Johnson invited him to his car to listen to some electronic music he had made. 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. His lawyers said the ordeal has permanently damaged Fairs reputation, his emotional well-being, livelihood and relationships. 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.. "Choices that, once made, are difficult to reverse.". Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. However, phone records show that he was making many phone calls between 2am and 5am, including to Potts. 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. 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. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. She had a keen interest in engineering and won several innovation competitions. 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. 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.. Suspect Podcast on Amazon Music New 'Suspect' Podcast Explores Halloween Party Murder of Arpana Jinaga 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. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. He had been in her apartment once earlier in the night too. It is reported in Seattle Times that a third male's DNA was found on the bootlace, but it is not reported as such in the court documents. I think that was the biggest reasonable doubt and no one could eliminate him [as the killer], the juror said of the neighbor. Jinagas father had asked a family friend to check in on her after she missed scheduled calls with family from India. Photo: King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office, 'Dr. 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. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Fair spent six of the nearly nine years in jail, held by a seven-figure bond, isolated for 23 hours a day awaiting trial. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. So its kind of messed up. Redmond Police have no 'firm suspects' in - Bellevue Reporter At age 20, Jinaga moved from her native India to the United States and quickly found success. In every community across Washington, families are facing the challenge of accessing and affording long-term care. Fairs lawsuit includes many of the same facts that his public defender, Ben Goldsmith, used to poke holes in the prosecutions criminal case. 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. Jinaga's killer had clearly gone to great lengths to destroy any biological traces linking him to the crime scene. 2018Dion Wiyoko,Rianti Cartwright,Laura Basuki,Jill Gladys,Sheila Dara Aisha,Junior Liem,Alyndra PandjipoetraSunshine ,SunshineSunshinemp4SunshineBT . He waited in jail while authorities tested his DNA. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. After hosting her event, software programmer, Arpana Jinaga, was found dead inside her home. 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.. Jailed for Nine Years, Man Acquitted of 2008 - The Daily Chronicle The area she was living is considered an upscale area with a very low crime rate, and is the home to technology companies such as Microsoft and Nintendo. Only one man was charged with murder. 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. 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. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. After the sound stopped, Rose then heard steps and the sound of running water for 1 hour. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. In August 2009, a man named Emanuel Fair was interviewed by police. DNA evidence was linked to three men and. As her next-door neighbor this would have been obvious. Detectives interviewed Fair three times in jail before the district attorney recommended a first-degree murder against him. Fair is seeking damages for the emotional stress he faced from when police investigated him until he was released. 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. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. To just dismiss it as racism is ridiculous. An online memorial for Arpana has been created, for family and friends to share pictures and memories, at crypticgirl.com. 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 scrubbed his phone right after the interrogation, the lawsuit says. Johnson's friends and family stated he said "what if I did the murder and I don't remember". She is suspected to have died from strangulation from a bootlace. Jinaga had been gagged, brutally beaten and most likely raped. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. Larson, the chief criminal deputy prosecutor, noted Fairs 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 a robe found in the apartment buildings trash bin. 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. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. 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. They messed up, he said. This is a person who is living her dream. 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. A brutal murder and mountains of evidence. After 2 court - Reddit Coats was asked during the podcast if the prior conviction was significant to his investigation. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. Was Kyle Rose ever questioned as a suspect? Brian Coats, who led the investigation into Jinagas murder as a detective 13 years ago. 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. Photos. 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. During the trials, the neighbor, whom prosecutors at one point granted immunity for information, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. His attorneys allege Fair was isolated as the main suspect for her murder because of his race and his past criminal record. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. 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. She had it all going on, Coats said. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Poor victim was surrounded by shady people it seems. Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. 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.. I dont think he killed Arpana. It was just gruesome, he said. Suspect (Podcast Series 2021- ) - IMDb 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. 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. Potts, Jinaga and two others neighbors decorated and opened up their units to allow partygoers to go in and out freely. Around 3 am, Jinaga left a gathering in a ground-floor apartment and returned to her apartment on the third floor. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he 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. Jinagas naked body was discovered by a close friend and an immediate neighbor in her home on Nov. 1, 2008. 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. Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. His lawyers said the ordeal has permanently damaged Fairs reputation, his emotional well-being, livelihood and relationships. Fair had some criminal history: weapon and drug offenses as a juvenile, and a rape charge from 2004. Episode 213: Interview: Emanuel Fair, Found Not Guilty of Murder after The party started like many others. 14 years later, and unfortunately there are no updates in this case. There are multiple apartments with parties and these two go to a car to listen to music?! There was DNA from 2-3 males found at the crime scene. 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. The lab technicians simply could not exclude Fair as a match, and his DNA was found alongside other DNA matches. 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.. 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. 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. 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. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. Johnson has denied any involvement in Jinagas death. 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. She died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. 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. DNA found at the crime scene was ultimately linked to three men, but only one was charged with murder. Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinagas death, and his DNA was reportedly never compared to the crime scene. Jinaga showed Fair and other partygoers something on her computer on another occasion. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. 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. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. 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. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. A recent immigrant from India and a graduate of Rutgers University, Jinaga had worked at EMC in Bellevue. Subsequently, Johnson attempted to scrub his phone. Maybe they were running out of time (had to be somewhere? 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. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. Arpana dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. Maybe they realized only at the last minute that they should get rid of the sheets and empty oil bottle and without anyone seeing them do it? Its got to be terrible for everybody it touched. To pass time, he said he read books, wrote letters and drew pictures. Bodicherla went to the apartment complex, where he encountered Cameron Johnson, who showed him the way to Jinaga's unit. link. 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 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. Fair, a guest of another woman living in the building, met Jinaga and her neighbor that night. 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. They interrogated Fair on the car ride to the station without reading his rights. This is the last known independent witness sighting of the pair. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. After her graduation, she got a job as a software engineer at EMC, in a suburb of Seattle. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party.