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. Indian immigrant and recent college graduate Arpana Jinaga was found brutally murdered in her Washington State apartment after co-hosting a Halloween costume party at her complex the evening of Oct. 31, 2008. According to residents of the apartment, Johnson appeared interested in Jinaga. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. Preliminary reports said Arpana may have died on Friday evening. Jinaga and other tenants he hadnt met were co-hosting a large Halloween party in several units. She had been brutally beaten, raped, and strangled. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. Nearly a year later. 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. When contacted by police, Leslie Potts falsely claimed that she was alone, even though Emanuel Fair was staying with her. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. So its kind of messed up. They act on impulse, not ration. Im out, Fair said. The neighbors DNA was found on a discarded bottle of motor oil, found in the same bag with the robe. 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. Shed been gagged, beaten and strangled during an apparent sexual attack. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.. He said evidence about Jinagas neighbor raised significant questions for the jury. 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. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. 2008, in Marshall . Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. 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. Emanuel, his family, and friends ask for privacy, as he works to rebuild his life, wrote Goldsmith. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. 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 dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. 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. Maybe they were running out of time (had to be somewhere? 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. 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. This is the last known independent witness sighting of the pair. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. Police let Johnson go after his questioning. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It was just gruesome, he said. Jinaga had been gagged, brutally beaten and most likely raped. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. 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. Her removed tampon alone had three separate unidentified male DNA profiles on it, according to Rolling Stones investigation. 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. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. Because of this, a judge limited the scope of questions the man could be asked during the trial. He scrubbed his phone right after the interrogation, the lawsuit says. He had a lighter covered in gook that looked like motor oil which they took a photo of but never bagged it nor did they check his shoes for a missing lace. 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. Guests took silly photos, downed shots and smoked pot. Fair also used Jinaga's bathroom. 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. In 2008, a 24-year-old Redmond-based software engineer named Arpana Jinaga was found strangled in her apartment after a Halloween party in her building. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? 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. The lawsuit also says Fair threw garbage in the dumpster where the robe and other items were found while helping with party clean up. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. In the investigation that followed, authorities scrambled to determine who would hurt the lovable young woman from India, a promising software programmer who volunteered at the local fire department and rode her motorcycle with friends in her free time. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. Police staked out the house where he was staying, slowly rolled up on Fair and reportedly pointed guns at his chest. She and several other residents in the complex opened the doors to their apartments for what was to be a night of fun. He was convicted of third-degree rape in 2004. The following Monday, her body would be discovered inside of her apartment, the victim of an apparent homicide. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Another apartment complex resident committed suicide just days after Jinagas death, and his DNA was reportedly never compared to the crime scene. 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. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. Several people were at the party before Jinagas murder, so the scene was full of various DNA samples. lt also points out that Jinagas neighbor quickly emerged as the lead suspect in the case as inconsistencies in his story began to surface.. 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. The officers allegedly did not change gloves between evidence collections, or between rooms or locations. Fair said the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, is the closest thing to justice I can get.. Fair said he went inside Jinagas apartment various times throughout the party. A man by the name of Emanuel Fair was arrested in connection with her murder, but he has since been found not guilty of the crime. Ive been away for so long, I dont believe in holidays no more, he said. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. He helped set up and clean up, and had no wounds, no scratches or injuries. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. They found her nude body on her bedroom floor, face-down on the carpet and partially covered with cloth. Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. Fairs attorneys contend that some of the DNA evidence was not an exact match. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. Potts covered for Fair because he had a warrant out for not updating his address with his parole officer. 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. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. Jinaga's neighbor Cameron Johnson showed up to the party in Jinaga's unit late. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. 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. The party ended between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., around the same time witnesses saw Jinaga going back to her apartment. 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. 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. According to reports, when lead Detective Brian Coats saw photos from the party, he narrowed in on Fair, who he referred to as theonly African-American male at the party on the podcast Suspect. Unidentified male DNA was also found on a bruise on Jinagas wrist. The Mysterious Death of a Young Mom Found Unresponsive in Her Bathtub, Inside the Case Against Bryan Kohberger: Legal Experts Weigh in on Idaho Murders, Will Bryan Kohberger Face Death Penalty if Convicted of Idaho Murders? .but he doesnt mention it? 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. However, when Fair emerged as a suspect, his treatment can only be viewed as racial discrimination, his attorneys allege. 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. 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. On Tuesday, that man, Emanuel Fair, 35, was found not guilty of first-degree murder with sexual motivation by a King County jury. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. But of course, I imagine it must have been loud disturbance to kick in a door, which was apparently never reported. Coats ran a background check on the Fair and found the rape charge. link. Meanwhile they raided Emmanuels stuff and according to his best friend on the podcast took almost ALL of his things. He also drove to Canada the day of the murder and attempted to cross the border without a passport. 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. Some guests were rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary, it says. Fair filed a lawsuit against King County, Redmond, the Redmond Police Department and the lead detective on Dec. 29. beansbaxter. He made calls to a few friends, including apparently pocket-dialing Potts. 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. She. When youre in jail, you dont have a holiday. He had a list of nearby pawnshops in his car printed the day Jinaga was killed, the lawsuit says. In August 2009, a man named Emanuel Fair was interviewed by police. Jinaga was sprawled on the floor in her bedroom, bloody, naked, and drenched in bleach, toilet bowl cleaner, and motor oil. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. 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. 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. and even burning of sheets, but then they would be so careless and stupid to just discard it all into the apartment dumpster. 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. I just dont want to be around nobody, he said. 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. 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). 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..