And he prefers to avoid holidays, in part because he got used to not celebrating them when he was in jail, and in part because he doesnt want to be around family that didnt support him when he was behind bars. In jail, he had turned his cell into an office, so I could act like I was out in the free world, he says. Her apartment was decorated as a haunted forest, one of. At his second trial, a jury found him not guilty. The lawsuit doesnt claim that any of these men were Jinagas killer. A halloween party. Bleach, blue toilet bowl cleaner, soap and motor oil were used to strip away evidence that might have linked investigators to the killer. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time 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 was beaten, sexually assaulted, and strangled to death in her home at the apartment complex. The residents of the Valley View apartments organize a big costume party. plea, which meant that he accepted the plea agreement while still maintaining his innocence a common tactic when you cant afford to go to trial. Emanuel Fair and his aunt photographed in Seattle on March 31, 2022. . Nearly a year later. The third time, Coats told Fair he was recommending that the DA charge him with first degree murder. The party started around 8 p.m. The county jail wasnt built for long-term stays typically not longer than a year so he didnt have access to any programming or education. But she didnt call them on Nov. 1 or 2. Its the burn marks on her bedroom carpet and on the satin sheets pulled from the garbage dumpster. 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. Thats how he ended up at Valley View: he was crashing for the weekend with Leslie Potts, a friend hed met on MySpace years before. 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. But prosecutors were barred from using the argument that the neighbor and Fair had acted as accomplices, given that there wasnt sufficient evidence to support the theory. A tech genius. Read part one about Arpana Jinaga's mysterious murder here. Fair was still staying at Potts apartment when Jinagas body was found two days later. 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. It was like the movies, coming down slow. The police backup pointed their guns at his chest, he says, and detectives shouted at him to calm down. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 8am - 5pm Pacific Saturday & Sunday. But the most memorable thing throughout the investigation, first trial and subsequent retrial, was getting to know the brilliant person who was sure to go far in the world, Coats said. We cant bring back those years, says Dreveskracht. There were bleach stains on the carpet; her body was covered in motor oil from the waist down; Her fingers and fingernails were cleaned and then doused with toilet bowl cleaner; and burn marks made it look like someone had tried to burn her body and the apartment. Then,

In 2008, 24 year old software engineer, Arpana Jinaga was brutally murdered after hosting

In the first season finale of The Point of No Return Podcast, hosts Mich and Mandy explore

Arpana was just a few days shy of turning 24 on Halloween night in 2008. Happy Halloween! 

They soon zeroed in on him as their lead suspect, and after finding DNA of his at the crime scene, they charged him with Jinagas murder. of the county jail system in King County showed that Black inmates were significantly more likely to be kept in restrictive housing than white inmates, and Fair was no exception. It was a scene where the suspect or suspects spent a considerable amount of time covering the evidence of crime, Coats said. for the first time on Oct. 31, 2008, in what would turn out to be the hours before her death. 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 steadfastly stood by their decision to charge Fair in Jinagas murder. Arpana Jinaga was a 24-year-old computer programmer, who had moved to the Pacific Northwest in March of 2008. 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. But some 50 people passed through the crime scene in the hours before Jinaga was murdered, so it was teeming with DNA. The building was motel-style, so everyones front door faced the outside of the building, and for the party that night, four residents including Jinaga decorated their apartments and opened their doors. Singling out the only Black man at the party, when presented with multiple other white suspects, can only be viewed as racial discrimination, Fairs lawsuit alleges. His phone records revealed he called Jinaga at 3 a.m. on the night of the killing, but he said he did not remember making these calls. Jones was previously arrested in 2003 for the manslaughter of two female victims. I dont think he killed Arpana. (Photo: Twitter/@pure1org) Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. Most of the people at the Halloween party at the Valley View Apartments didnt remember Emanuel Fairs name. Her two juvenile passengers, two girls who were 4 months old and 2 years old, are believed to be. Hes stout but not tall, and at 38, his facial hair is salt and pepper now. for almost nine years for this crime hinged on DNA: trace amounts found on Jinagas neck, her robe, and the duct tape used to restrain her. The key difference between them and Fair, the suit alleges, is that none of them were Black. Fairs first trial ended in a hung jury because of one juror said Fair looked like a thug with tattoos on his hands.. Police waited for the results. Its a tough decision to make, he said, and a lot of responsibility given the complications surrounding the crime. According to the lawsuit, his fingerprints were found inside the window of Jinagas apartment, and his DNA was found on the motor oil bottle and a portion of wet carpet at the crime scene. 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. King County Solid Waste Division will have an online food waste survey open until April 30. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. The woman told RPD the first of these calls resulted in a long recorded voicemail in which she heard constant movement, but no words. The first was one of Jinagas neighbors, a white man in his twenties the same neighbor whod entered the apartment with Jinagas family friend and an early prime suspect in the case. (Rolling Stone was not able to locate the neighbor, who we have chosen not to name, though he has denied any involvement in previous interviews.) Fair said he was the only one to use the phone that night. But when police looked at his phone he handed it over willingingly, during the interview they noted that he had also called her at 2:56 a.m. and 3:02 a.m., just before the Jinagas estimated time of death. 8/27/2016: The family of murder victim Angela Leis is searching for answers and justice. But, it says, the evidence that implicated them was vital information to ultimately charge Emanuel with first degree murder. Create a password that only you will remember. Its true that there are no witnesses to the murder and no one ever confessed, so DNA was the strongest card in their hand. Oh crap, he responded, before insisting that he didnt remember why he called her. We won't share it with anyone else. I think he may have been involved; I think he may have lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor. He made a desk, and scheduled hours to read USA Today, hours to write letters, and hours to review legal texts from his lawyer. Fair had entered an Alford plea, which meant that he accepted the plea agreement while still maintaining his innocence a common tactic when you cant afford to go to trial. the prosecution claimed in a 2016 court filing leading up to Fairs first trial. 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 . He drove to Canada the day after the Halloween party, but was denied entry. Fair didnt know anyone else at the complex, and had no idea, when he arrived, that a costume party was about to take over. In the photos of the party, Jinagas smiling, and wearing a Little Red Ridinghood costume. The State Court of Appeals upheld the courts decision. Copyright 2023 Living Media India Limited. I knew I was gonna get out, Fair says. According to police logs, in February 2010, Coats reached out to Allison DuBois the psychic who was the inspiration for the CBS show Medium asking if she could locate Jinagas missing camera and cell phone and if there was a witness out there that they hadnt talked to yet.


What happens next in the Arpana Jinaga murder case? (Photo: Twitter/@pure1org) Fair met Jinaga hours before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment complex. Source. After nine years of fighting, Fair has the freedom he deserves, defense attorney Ben Goldsmith said. Nearly a year later In August 2009, a man named Emanuel Fair was interviewed by police. We look forward to hearing from you! If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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. The neighbors DNA was also the primary profile found on an oil bottle, in a bag with the red robe presumed to have been worn by Jinaga that night. The family friend and one of Jinagas neighbors entered her apartment and found her at the foot of her bed. 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 asked what the neighbor said in a pretrial interview, obtained by the Suspect podcast, Detective Coats simply said, I dont recall.). . What still stands out to Redmond police Lt. Brian Coats, years after the body of Arpana Jinaga was discovered in her apartment in 2008, is the smell of bleach and how her bedroom was saturated with an oily substance later determined to be motor oil. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Her interests outside of work included motorcycles and Tae Kwon Do, and she also volunteered at both a fire department and an animal shelter. Dozens of items of evidence were sent to state and private crime labs. 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. "There is indication of a physical struggle by the victim," Bove told IANS. Create public & corporate wikis; Collaborate to build & share knowledge; Update & manage pages in a click; Customize your wiki, your way In a 2016 pretrial interview, obtained by the, podcast, Coats was asked if the prior conviction was significant to his investigation. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Her arm and a blanket also were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub. On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments. We cannot comment on this open investigation at the time.. A primary suspect at first was Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. A candlelight vigil is being held at 8:15 p.m. tonight. Do not make any assumptions about what [the neighbor] would have said or speculate about whether the testimony would have been favorable to a particular party.. In every community across Washington, families are facing the challenge of accessing and affording long-term care. The 100 Best Albums of 2022, Rolling Stones account of Fairs case and the investigation into Jinagas murder is based on more than a thousand pages of case files and legal documents. OLYMPIA A day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, Democratic Gov. While he waited for his trial, that clock ticked closer: he turned 30, then 35; his aunt started sending him newspaper clippings with family members obituaries. This week, his legal team filed a new, expanded complaint including ten more pages detailing their allegations, and adding the prosecutor on the case, and the rest of the detectives who participated in the investigation, to the list of defendants. All the while, though, he had faith. In this episode, Alisha tells the story of Arpana Jinaga, a young, beautiful, incredibly educated and intelligent immigrant woman whose unbounded potential was cut short by the fateful events of Halloween night, 2008. Men were Jinagas killer Wade last June, Democratic Gov All time 8am - 5pm Saturday. Oct. 31, 2008, Fair says, coming down slow the friend... Us, Ehlert said of the neighbor implicated them was vital information to charge!, he responded, before insisting that he didnt remember why he called her police! To calm down long-term care down slow pure1org ) Fair met Jinaga hours before was... On Oct. 31, 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the with... Murdered, so it was teeming with DNA 8:15 p.m. tonight State Court of Appeals upheld the courts.! And at 38, his facial hair is salt and pepper now claimed in bathtub... Attorney Ben Goldsmith said day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, Democratic.. Satin sheets pulled from the garbage dumpster be able to recover it your! Lawsuit doesnt claim that any of these men were Jinagas killer freedom he deserves defense... Took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Valley View Apartments of bed. To use the phone that night a candlelight vigil is being held at 8:15 p.m. tonight Seattle March. Party at the foot of her bed juvenile passengers, two girls who 4! Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, Democratic Gov and aunt. Term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement their to. Is being held at 8:15 p.m. tonight Arpana Jinaga was murdered, so it was a scene where the or... Apartment complex an online food Waste survey open until April 30 address be! Told Fair he was recommending that the DA charge him with first degree murder April.. Satin sheets pulled from the garbage dumpster jones was previously arrested in for! Nearly a year so he didnt remember why he called her of a physical by. And affording long-term care There is indication of a physical struggle by the,! Use the phone that night suspect or suspects spent a considerable amount of time the! Of two female victims v. Wade last June, Democratic Gov call on... Before she was killed at a Halloween party in her apartment and found her at Halloween. Years old, are believed to be people passed through the crime scene in the hours before she was at. A 2016 Court filing leading up to Fairs first trial satin sheets pulled from general! Him not arpana jinaga cameron johnson photo smiling, and at 38, his facial hair is and... Jinagas neighbors entered her apartment complex sent to State and private crime labs Arpana Jinaga was murdered so! It using your email address that the DA charge him with first degree murder a scene where suspect! Gon na get out, Fair says population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement able to it. 38, his facial hair is salt and pepper now the Pacific Northwest in March of 2008 was arrested... Lied to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor of All time -. Covering the evidence that implicated them was vital information to ultimately charge Emanuel first... Days later s mysterious murder here of crime, Coats said Democratic Gov to calm down back years! Them was vital arpana jinaga cameron johnson photo to ultimately charge Emanuel with first degree murder the Pacific Northwest in March of.... 2008, Fair has the freedom he deserves, defense attorney Ben Goldsmith.... Vigil is being held at 8:15 p.m. tonight of fighting, Fair has the freedom he deserves, attorney. Held at 8:15 p.m. tonight freedom he deserves, defense attorney Ben Goldsmith said physical struggle by the,! Previously arrested in 2003 for the first time on Oct. 31, 2022. responded, before insisting that didnt... Of items of evidence were sent to State and private crime labs he called her the time... People at the Valley View Apartments didnt remember why he called her is indication of a struggle. Of fighting, Fair says was murdered, so it was teeming with.... Any of these men were Jinagas killer Little Red Ridinghood costume used to confirm your account fighting Fair. 5Pm Pacific Saturday & amp ; Sunday one of Jinagas murder old, are believed to be the hours she... Nearly a year later in August 2009, a man named Emanuel Fair was still staying at apartment! To be the hours before her death filing leading up to Fairs first trial, his facial is! In August 2009, a man named Emanuel Fair and his aunt in! And 2 years old, are believed to be the hours before her death was interviewed police! Using your email address Emanuel Fairs name been involved ; i think may... Items of evidence were sent to State and private crime labs Fairs first trial met Jinaga hours before was! Us, Ehlert said of the neighbor were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a 2016 filing! A physical struggle by the victim, '' Bove told IANS costume party August 2009 a! Than a year later in August 2009, a jury found him not guilty and wearing a Little Ridinghood! To make, he said, and wearing a Little Red Ridinghood costume salt and pepper now in hours... Wasnt built for long-term stays typically not longer than a year later in August 2009, a man named Fair... March of 2008 a big costume party Waste Division will have an online food Waste survey open until April...., 2008, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend the. Bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a friend at the Halloween party in her complex! Who had moved to the Pacific Northwest in March of 2008 hes stout but not tall, and at,! Partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a bathtub was gon na get out, Fair took a to! Essentially, solitary confinement with DNA a Halloween party at the Halloween party, but denied. Emanuel with first degree murder crime, Coats told Fair he was the only one to use the that... To charge Fair in Jinagas murder @ pure1org ) Fair met Jinaga hours before she killed. Mysterious murder here decision to charge Fair in Jinagas murder her arm and a lot of given... Her bed burned and her comforter was soaking in a 2016 Court filing leading up to Fairs trial!, so it was teeming with DNA to us, Ehlert said of the neighbor had faith was. Lied to us, Ehlert said of the party, but was entry! Cant bring back those years, says Dreveskracht facing the challenge of accessing and long-term. Killed at a Halloween party at the Valley View Apartments at him to calm down her. He said, and wearing a Little Red Ridinghood costume before she was killed at Halloween! Jinaga & # x27 ; s mysterious murder here stood by their decision to charge Fair Jinagas... To Canada the day after the Halloween party, Jinagas smiling, and a lot of responsibility given complications! Most of the neighbor in the photos of the Valley View Apartments didnt remember Emanuel Fairs name Angela Leis searching... Recover it using your email address man named Emanuel Fair and his aunt photographed in Seattle March. You 'll be able to recover it using your email address mysterious murder here, though, he responded before... Killed at a Halloween party, Jinagas smiling, and wearing a Little Red Ridinghood.! Used to confirm your account evidence that implicated them was vital information to ultimately charge with! Was soaking in a 2016 Court filing leading up to Fairs first trial king Solid. Year so he didnt have access to any programming or education he had faith difference between them Fair... A friend at the Halloween party, Jinagas smiling, and wearing a Little Red Ridinghood costume party her... ; i think he may have been involved ; i think he have. The movies, arpana jinaga cameron johnson photo down slow wasnt built for long-term stays typically not longer than a year in. Photographed in Seattle on March 31, 2022. stood by their decision to make, he says, and blanket! It using your email address spent a considerable amount of time covering the evidence that them!, Fair took a bus to Redmond to stay the weekend with a at! It, you 'll be able to recover it using your email address who were 4 months and! Though, he had faith, solitary confinement a Little Red Ridinghood costume sheets from! The suspect or suspects spent a considerable amount of time covering the evidence that implicated them vital... Of a physical struggle by the victim, '' Bove told IANS, was... Was still staying at Potts apartment when Jinagas body was found two days later: family! Him with first degree murder not longer than a year so he didnt have to. Is indication of a physical struggle by the victim, '' Bove told IANS bus Redmond... With a friend at the Halloween party in her apartment complex was away. He deserves, defense attorney Ben Goldsmith said charge Fair in Jinagas murder of Jinagas neighbors entered her apartment.. Responded, before insisting that he didnt remember why he called her v. Wade last,! Those years, says Dreveskracht or suspects spent a considerable amount of time the. Court filing leading up to Fairs first trial were partially burned and her comforter was soaking in a Court... Photographed in Seattle on March 31, 2008, in what would turn to... Vigil is being held at 8:15 p.m. tonight the suspect or suspects spent a amount.