'Suspect' is a true crime Halloween whodunnit mystery for the books Maybe they were running out of time (had to be somewhere? I just want to be myself., The Seattle Times closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. Investigators said the lower half of the womans body was covered in motor oil. No one cleaning up reported seeing anything suspicious. He assumed Jinaga was either vomiting or having sex. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. 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. Halloween Party Host Murder Leads to Excess Suspects | Arpana Jinaga 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. To contaminate evidence, Jinagas hands had been doused in blue toilet-bowl cleaner and her body covered in motor oil. According to the Rolling Stone report, most of the people at the party that night didnt remember Fairs name. Most of Fairs jail term was spent away from the general population in administrative segregation essentially, solitary confinement. In my opinion, and in my heart, I dont have any question about anything we did in regards to charging that Emanuel Fair killed Arpana Jinaga, she said. He assumed Jinaga was either vomiting or having sex. Cameron should have been the #1 suspect. An exclusive trailer for Suspect is below. It was a brutal scene. 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 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. Fair was initially arrested for not updating his address with his probation officer. He replied: If youve done it before, youll do it again.. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. Perhaps the perpetrator(s) kicked in the door, then while leaving they shut it again. This was mainly on the basis of party photographs. The initial investigation focused on Cameron Johnson, Jinaga's neighbor. Police believe she was killed around 8 am. He had bruises consistent with a sexual attack, tried to flee the country, and was researching pawn shops (which the police never really followed up onor seemingly got a real answer from him on why he was researchingpawn shops). Coats and another Redmond detective confronted the neighbor about his calls to Jinaga, but then released him and returned his phone without examining it. In the apartment complex's trash bin, was a bag containing Jinaga's Halloween costume, a bloodied robe, a discarded bottle of motor oil, and the bootlace. Do we know he would have routinely passed her door going in and out of his apartment? More than a dozen people passed through Jinaga's apartment that night. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. His attorneys allege Fair was isolated as the main suspect for her murder because of his race and his past criminal record. 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. A suspect is identified, arrested, and convicted, but this morphed into a greater mystery when journalists began investigating the case years later. He attributed them to wrestling a stranger he met at another Halloween party the next day, the lawsuit alleges. I didnt know how to answer, so I just told her the truth: Im depressed. So its kind of messed up. And thats hard.. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. 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. She is suspected to have died from strangulation from a bootlace. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? We were limited in the way we were able to argue the case and we have to live with that We try cases and we accept we have to prove everything beyond a reasonable doubt. They messed up, he said. The lawsuit says that Johnson also had a past of strange or violent behavior with women. Hes now struggling to reconstruct his life, Fair and his attorneys said. Arpana and neighbors within the Valley View Apartment complex threw a large Halloween party. 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. 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. Arpana dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and her apartment was one of four areas in the complex. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. Some of the potential suspects were not interviewed. 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. 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.. Remembering Arpana Jinaga - this was the memorial DVD that was played at her funeral on October 6, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington. I always knew I was going to get out; I just didnt think it would take as a long as it took, Fair, 38, said last month. 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. Woman Found Dead After Hosting Halloween Costume Party At Her Apartment Fair, the second-longest-serving inmate in the downtown Seattle facility after being booked into jail in November 2010, was released Tuesday afternoon, three hours after the jury delivered its not-guilty verdict, according to a jail spokeswoman. She had opened her third-floor apartment to Fair and dozens of other partygoers, who traipsed in and out during the festivities. Emanuel Fair stayed in the King County Correctional Facility for nearly nine years for a crime he did not commit based on a botched and bizarre murder investigation driven by racial discrimination, a recent lawsuit alleges. but Im not free.. 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. DNA from the neighbor was found on a motor oil bottle, and from another man who wasnt at the party on a bootlace likely used to strangle Jinaga. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. There are multiple apartments with parties and these two go to a car to listen to music?! 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. When questioned, Fair claimed he retired to Potts' apartment around 1:30am on the night of the party. This is a person who is living her dream. Most of the partygoers reportedly referred to the chocolate-skinned man as the Black guy in his police file. Fair was later seen leaving the apartment that night. 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. Cameron Johnson: a neighbour of Jinaga: he showed up to the party in Jinaga's apartment late. 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. Around 2:30 am, Fair and Johnson went to Johnson's apartment and then down to Johnson's car to listen to music. The neighbor, who later hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating, subsequently scrubbed his phone of call and text data, the suit states. The Murder of Arpana Jinaga, The Stickiest Heist In History - WVXU Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. I lost a lot. Jinagas bruised body was discovered covered with a cloth on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. Cameron Johnson, who has never been charged, invoked his 5th Amendment right, and therefore only faced limited scope questioning during Fair's trial. In my opinion, and in my heart, I dont have any question about anything we did in regards to charging that Emanuel Fair killed Arpana Jinaga, she said. 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 were also other men in Jinagas life that detectives suspected of the murder, and some of their DNA was found at the crime scene. Her finger and fingernails were cleaned. Man Accused Of Killing Arpana Jinaga Freed After He's Held 9 Years With Man jailed for nine years sues King County, Redmond after acquittal in Episode 213: Interview: Emanuel Fair, Found Not Guilty of Murder after A brutal murder and mountains of evidence. After 2 court - Reddit 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. The complaint alleges that police failed to properly secure and gather evidence. Subsequently, Johnson attempted to scrub his phone. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. 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. 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. Johnson also said that he had driven to Canada on the day after the Halloween party and that he had been denied entry. 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. Somewhere they could establish an alibi?) He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. 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. When asked about the calls, Johnson reportedly said, oh crap, but he could not remember why he called Jinaga. 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. 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. They also waited days to search a dumpster in the complex where a partial bottle of motor oil, a boot lace used to strangle Jinaga and her bed sheet and a bath robe were found. 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. Johnson engaged in a number of suspicious activities after the murder. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. Fair also used Jinaga's bathroom. Fairs lawsuit cites a comment Coats made during his interview for the Suspect podcast that Fair was the only African American at the party in the photos. Arpana Jinaga - Spreaker Police attempted to identify the partygoers and interview them. 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 was a 24-year-old computer programmer, who had moved to the Pacific Northwest in March of 2008. His lawyers said he suffers from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. 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. She practiced martial arts and participated in a motorcycle club. 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. Investigators focused on Fair after seeing him in photos of the party. 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. Her father, a head professor of engineering in India, encouraged he to move to the US to attend Rutgers University. Such remarks since his exoneration only demonstrate authorities defensiveness about mishandling the case, Fair said. He had a prior history of violent sexual crimes. He was drunk and brought bottles of liquor. 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. Bodicherla went to the apartment complex, where he encountered Cameron Johnson, who showed him the way to Jinaga's unit. During the night, neighbors of Jinaga heard muffled moaning sounds, and assumed she and a partner were having consensual sex. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. 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. He told detectives he had a desire to explore. Canadian officials said Johnson tried to blow through the gates. 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. 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. From the beginning, it was a complex case, complicated by the fact so many people had attended the party the night before she was killed, said Coats, the Redmond police lieutenant. Best Arpana Jinaga Podcasts (2023) - Player Potts covered for Fair because he had a warrant out for not updating his address with his parole officer. 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. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. I just want to be myself.. Witnesses said Neil Marshall, a partygoer, was sexually aggressive toward Jinaga on Halloween. The party was big enough that it spanned multiple apartments and drew many revelers. 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. 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. His lawyers said the ordeal has permanently damaged Fairs reputation, his emotional well-being, livelihood and relationships. 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's killer had clearly gone to great lengths to destroy any biological traces linking him to the crime scene. I felt like I was kidnapped, Fair said in last months interview, when explaining his decision to pursue his claims of negligence, civil rights violations and malicious prosecution. It was like the movies, coming down slow.. Her other immediate neighbor, Kyle Rose, said he heard growling sounds around 8 a.m. Were they old friends? Around 3 a.m. on Nov. 1, Jinaga left a gathering in a ground-floor apartment and returned to her apartment on the third floor. I always knew I was going to get out; I just didnt think it would take as a long as it took, Fair, 38, said last month. They interrogated Fair on the car ride to the station without reading his rights. I think that was the biggest reasonable doubt and no one could eliminate him [as the killer], the juror said of the neighbor. 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 died from ligature strangulation, a bootlace the suspected murder weapon. Around 3 am, Jinaga left a gathering in a ground-floor apartment and returned to her apartment on the third floor. 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. On Oct. 30, 2010, Fair was placed in a Seattle holding cell while detectives gathered more evidence against him for the 2008 sexual assault and murder of a 24-year-old software engineer and Indian immigrant named Arpana Jinaga. He also heard a thud on the floor but figured she was alright when he heard water running shortly after the noise. Arpana Jinaga, a 24 year old woman from India. I thought I was gonna die, Fair told Rolling Stone. 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). Do we know how extensive the damage was? The defense also explained the innocuous opportunities Mr. Fair had to touch or indirectly transfer microscopic skin cells to these items during the party. He was staying with Potts in the mostly white neighborhood that weekend, and his attendance at the party was impromptu. The lawsuit alleges that a lighter was found in his apartment with a sticky substance on it, but investigators never collected it. 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. Photos. Jinagas phone and digital camera were missing from the scene and never recovered. Jinaga was. If you have probable cause, you dont go to a psychic, he said. In the trial, the jury heard evidence that pointed to the neighbor as the possible killer. According to reports, Fair accepted a plea agreement in 2004 while still maintaining his innocence. Residents said Fair appeared relaxed when he hung out at Potts apartment for three days over the weekend. Johnson has denied any involvement in Jinagas death. At age 20, Jinaga moved from her native India to the United States and quickly found success. On Halloween night, 2008, Jinaga and several other tenants hosted a Halloween party, attended by residents of the apartment complex and their relatives and friends from outside. Brian Coats, who led the investigation into Jinagas murder as a detective 13 years ago. 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. There was forced entry into Jinaga's second-story apartment, signs of trauma to Jinaga and the apartment was in disarray. 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. His legal team expanded the lawsuit in late March, adding ten more pages of allegations and the prosecutor on the case and other detectives that handled the case to the list of defendants. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. For three and a half decades, her disappearance was a mystery - a riddle neither authorities . 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. 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.