The following Monday, her body would be discovered inside of her apartment, the victim of an apparent homicide. "This unwritten policy of permissible use of excessive force has deep roots going back decades to Carrizales' opening. And still you have something that plays out like this did, where no one is currently arrested, indicted or in prison for this, and the investigation is nonexistent. There has been no sign of activity in the case in some time, due to the prolonged trials of Emanuel Fair. Shortly after moving to Redmond, the 24-year-old Arpana decided to purchase a motorcycle. Some were also concerned about his emotional state at the time, due to his prior relationship with Arpana, and him seeming to have become resentful towards her because of her newer friendships. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. It gives me a little bit of hope, that something that is relatively complicated is being thought about and talked about in the way that it is. "There have been multiple reports between 2012 and 2020 of Carrizales guards provoking inmates in order to get reaction from the inmate and then beat the inmate," the lawsuit stated. Just because it never happened doesnt mean they cant get back together. Over the next few hours, police would begin arriving at the crime scene, closing it off to outsiders and attempting to gather statements from anyone they deemed pertinent. This Valentine's Day, prepare for a unique podcast experience! This area - Redmond, Washington - is a relative stranger to violent crime. Throughout the latter half of 2017 and the entirety of 2018, another lengthy legal battle would ensue. After attending a prestigious university in India, she decided to broaden her horizons for post-graduate life. Short of clear leads and smoking guns, the authorities ultimately pin the crime on the lone Black man at the party, Emanuel Fair, who had a prior criminal record. Over nine episodes, true crime podcast Suspect hosts Matthew Shaer and Eric Benson return to the scene of the 2008 crime over a decade later to uncover what happened, and speak with everyone about . One, that someone had broken into the third-floor apartment of the decedent by kicking in the front door, leaving behind the broken frame to be discovered by the 911 caller. TrueAllele is a genotyping software developed by a company named Cybergenetics, which is utilized by law enforcement agencies all over the country. It quickly became evident that the door leading into the apartment had been forced open, and the door jam was broken. It's also a lot more complicated than TV shows and movies would have us believe. His reason for making this trip has never been uncovered, but it is believed that he might have committed crimes in the Seattle area over this three-day span in which Arpana Jinaga ended up dead. Arpana Jinaga was not the first young professional from India to be killed in 2008. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. In fact, they posited throughout the first trial that he may have been an accomplice; an uncharged accomplice, but an accomplice nonetheless. They were primarily interested in the Halloween party she had attended that Friday, which was held inside of four separate apartments and saw more than two dozen guests coming-and-going well into the morning hours (which is when Arpana had died). Season 1 features a whodunit-style search for a holiday party killer. Emanuel Fair's second trial began just last year, in 2019, and again, tried to reach a jury consensus regarding his guilt. Alanis was "left in that state for two hours, until he was taken to the Valley Regional Medical Center," according to the lawsuit. Prosecutors implied that Fair had been lying about where he was during these vital hours, which remained unexplained nearly two years later. Shaer: This is a story that found me rather than the other way around. Many had written off the case long ago, due to the belief that DNA had correctly tagged Fair as the killer back in 2010, but the truth is that the story is much more complicated than that. In October of 2008, a 24-year-old computer programmer living in the Seattle area would attend a Halloween party in her apartment complex. While Arpana didn't have any friends or family in the area, she didn't let that deter her from leaning into the community. There are even awkward smash cuts to ads, a stylistic staple nowadays, where you dont quite realize youre listening to a host-read ad for the shows presenting sponsor (and not a continuation of the actual episode) until a few seconds into the read. In a new Wondery podcast series called Suspect, career journalistsMatthew ShaerandEric Bensoninvestigate the story of Jinagas murder, Fairs conviction and the spiderweb of details around this story. Sure, it grapples with several important ideas discriminatory policing based on race, the limitations of DNA evidence, the thorny relationship between the judicial system and actual justice but it doesnt end up being particularly about any of those things, nor does it substantially advance the conversation on any front. The two disgraced men have both been sentenced for sex crimes. As you can imagine, this analysis was seen as invaluable to the prosecution, who saw this as being ironclad proof of Fair's guilt. We didnt know that the King County prosecutors office was going to be willing to participate in the show. Lt. Brian Coats would later tell reporters about the crime scene: "It was a scene where the suspect or suspects spent a considerable amount of time covering the evidence of crime. He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. He then heard the sound of running water in Arpana's apartment, which lasted for about an hour, but wouldn't give these bizarre sounds any second thoughts in the days to come. The linchpin of their case was forensic evidence: according to prosecutors, DNA from Emanuel Fair had been recovered at the crime scene, on several pieces of evidence that they believe the killer had touched. would admit that during this time, he had stopped taking his psychiatric medication. However, this case would prove to be much harder to solve for investigators; many of whom had not worked on a murder case in quite some time (if at all). Speaking to the Redmond Reporter, Lt. Doug Shepard said: "She did not make enemies, she just made friends and a lot of them. Unlike Emanuel Fair, he also had a prior relationship with Arpana, lived next-door to her, and had been noticeably resentful towards her in the weeks leading up to her death. While Israel Keyes has become a boogeyman for numerous unsolved crimes - due to his habit of traveling the country and attempting to cover up any trace of himself - there is a compelling argument to be made in this case. TikToks Favorite Celebrity Couple Is Kim Kardashian and Michael Cera. In that sense, the end of Suspect could very well be the start of the rest of the story. A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for May 30 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan. Shane Waters will introduce 14 crime podcast hosts, including Crimelines! C.J. A handful of years before the murder of Arpana Jinaga, Emanuel Fair had been arrested and charged with raping a minor. When I started talking to Emanuel and then to Ben Goldsmith, his attorney, I was like, Wow, this case is sort of exactly what Ive been thinking about. It was DNA that drew us to it initially. October 31st, 2008 - Halloween - had the rare fortune of falling on a Friday. Dispatchers would tell both of the men to leave the apartment but remain nearby, and wait for investigators to arrive. Keyes was a methodical serial killer who obsessively planned out his crimes ahead of time, but was also known to act impulsively. They dance and drink. Terms of Service apply. Emanuel Fair's innocence would be asserted by his defense attorneys in the months and years to come, who insisted that he receive proper treatment under the law; which, they alleged, prosecutors were refusing to give to him, as had the investigators from the very beginning of this case. While Emanuel Fair was acquitted of the charges levied against him, the jurors that decided his fate claim that it had little to do with his innocence; but, rather, the level of reasonable doubt that his attorneys were able to raise. Benson: We didnt know that the Redmond [Police Department] was going to be willing to participate in the show. Youve got some Janning to do! Utilizing almost 200,000 lines of code, TrueAllele can analyze evidence with more than a half-dozen contributors, and determine who the most likely culprit is based on how many genetic markers are left on the evidence and where. The semen from an unnamed neighbor was found on a towel near Arpana's body, while another neighbor's DNA was found on a bootlace that investigators theorized had been used to strangle Arpana (this neighbor, it's worth pointing out, had an alibi for the time of the murder, and had not been at the Halloween party). This one is not going away. On October 31st, 2008, Israel Keyes flew from Anchorage to SeaTac and was in the Seattle area until November 2nd, when he then flew from SeaTac to Boston. Another military veteran that has become a suspect in this story is none other than Israel Keyes, who was the focus of a very early episode of Unresolved from 2015 (and has since been covered more extensively in other books, documentaries, and podcasts). During that time, he had been couch-surfing with a friend at Arpana's apartment complex: a young woman named Leslie, who would actually lie to police about Emanuel staying there (claiming that she was home alone when questioned). They argued against the analysis performed by TrueAllele; at least, until they were able to look through the source code of the software to determine just how, exactly, the program had come to this consensus. Inside of Arpana's bathroom, investigators would find a white comforter from her bed, which had also been stained with blood. to give the unexplained injury an innocuous excuse. Sarah Neilson is a freelance writer and book critic based in Seattle. Justice has not been swift. Police had already determined that Arpana's body had been covered in that type of motor oil, so whoever had handled it had likely been involved in her death. The only other murder that took place in Redmond that year (2008) involved a jealous spouse who murdered his estranged wife and then himself (Joseph and Melissa Batten). If the state wanted to pursue charges against Emanuel Fair, then they were well within their right to do so, but attempting to convict both him and an uncharged accomplice for crimes that they might have committed together was unconstitutional. Phil Skelton, a member of the PNW Riders, spoke to the Redmond Reporter and said about Arpana: "When you met her, she would have you smiling within 15 seconds.". was a similarly likely candidate to be Arpana's killer. Despite not even knowing how to ride a motorcycle at the time, she purchased a Suzuki and began attending classes to learn how to safely ride it. But theres also a kind of incredible energy that went into every part of this; as much as it all sort of ended up with everyone feeling haunted, this was a lot of people trying to do what they thought was right, in most cases. I hadn't seen her for months, I'd never thought about her like that [prior to the night of the Halloween party]". She was 24-years-old when she was killed on November 1st, 2008, and would now be 35. Who knows what kind of things she might have accomplished by now? While those at the party remember Arpana going home alone at around 3:00 AM, neighbors that lived on both sides of her unit would recall hearing what sounded like muffled moaning sounds shortly thereafter, which they assumed at the time was consensual sex (but, knowing what we know now, undoubtedly wasn't). Those pleas would continue to amplify months after Arpana's murder, when it became evident that answers were not readily available. How did that happen? After all, he was the only one facing charges, and him facing charges for two people was - at its core - unconstitutional. The gap between practice and potential is further underscored by the many instances in which Suspect carries the genres various conventions and clichs. He was originally charged with Arpana's murder in October of 2010 and acquitted in June of 2019 - nearly nine years, in which there was little movement in Arpana's case. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have broken up after he allegedly cheated on her with Raquel Leviss. Police getting called out to a suspicious death in Redmond; one in which there was clear evidence of a struggle? "It's the No. According to investigators, they were also struggling to piece together a solid motive. Discover golden trading opportunities with FXTM, Laura B. Martinez, The Brownsville Herald, Texas. At the same time, her family was desperately trying to call her, having not heard from her since the prior Thursday. During his career, the prolific actor inhabited an array of troubled characters. While armed robberies and sexual assaults do happen there, they are very low in number compared to other similarly-sized cities. The prosecution would quickly decide that they wanted to retry Emanuel Fair for the murder of Arpana Jinaga, and the court would set a date for that September. There is no apparent reason why someone would want to take this person from the prime of her life.". Let's get this out of the way: Suspect is a very good listen. In the year since Emanuel Fair's second trial came to an end, the story has received close to no attention from the world-at-large. Cameron County officials did not respond to The Brownsville Herald for comment by press time. Alanis-Mejia was booked into Carrizales on Sept. 10, 2020, on an outstanding warrant, that alleges he was unaware of, according to the lawsuit. He was also a longtime friend of Omar Norman, a convicted killer that had received a 52-year sentence for murdering a man in October of 2005. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. According to this caller, the body had been found in an apartment just north of Marymoor Park, the scenic park and music venue east of Seattle, jutted up against Lake Sammamish. By the age of 24, Arpana Jinaga had already lived a full and rewarding life and seemed poised to leave a positive impact on the rest of the world. As the Seattle Weekly would point out, the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab found that Fair was 1,000 times more likely to have committed the crime than an unrelated African American, but TrueAllele found him to be 56.8 million times more likely. He later told investigators that he was sexually attracted to Arpana, and was hoping to "hook up" with her that evening (his words, not mine). In fact, Suspect is as straightforward as a true-crime podcast can get. According to the 15-year-old victim, Fair had raped her numerous times, but this culminated in a final incident in the city of Burien that saw Fair escalate in violence, choking the teenage girl at gunpoint. Meanwhile, Emanuel Fair's defense attorneys Benjamin Goldsmith and Katharine Edwards emphasized creating reasonable doubt; mostly, by pointing the blame at Arpana's neighbor, C.J., whom, they believed made a more convincing suspect. This is perhaps another way Suspect embodies a core quality of the contemporary true-crime podcast experience: You might get a little more truth and even a little more justice, but youre still far from closure. After all, O'Leary seemed to show little regard for his victims' age, ethnicity, or well being - targeting them for his pure enjoyment - and he has refused to crack on any of his crimes in the years since. The team, led by Matthew Shaer and Eric Benson (who previously collaborated on Over My Dead Body), with further reporting by Natalia Winkelman, approaches every beat of the investigative documentary process with clinical precision and workmanly competence. Other witnesses that knew C.J. The defense also pointed out how evidence found in the apartment complex's dumpster - which had ultimately implicated Emanuel Fair - was found nearly two days after the discovery of the victim's body, giving it several days of potential tampering before being documented by investigators. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, of course. This file contains 75 GB of incriminating details about O'Leary that he has refused to budge on, even after being arrested and sentenced to life in prison. Its challenging in terms of race, in terms of policing, in terms of forensic science. (Arpana's neighbor, who would co-discover her body days later). Offscreen, he was one himself. While C.J. In pretrial motions filed by Fair's attorneys, it was claimed that Emanuel Fair, a black man, had been treated very differently from other suspects or POIs (most of whom were white). Shaer: This is a really challenging case to think about on lots of different levels. It's an extra special, two-part, more than two-hour, Valentine's event. The case is described to us as a true whodunit, one that relies purely on circumstantial and DNA evidence because there werent any witnesses to the killing. It seemed more like a momentary argument to them than a sign of anything serious and didn't believe that it was linked to Arpana's death hours later. The damage left behind made it evident that the killer had entered through brute force, and from there, had proceeded to struggle with Arpana. His DNA had been found on a bottle of motor oil and on a bloody robe, both of which had been found inside of a plastic bag thrown into the apartment complex's dumpster. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. It would be noted that those at the party recalled him arriving with a noticeable limp - which would be noted by investigators days later when they spoke to him - but when asked about where this limp had come from, he said it had come from the wrestling match at the party. Months later, members of the Pacific Northwest Riders, the motorcycle club that Arpana had joined, would organize memorial rides in her honor (which took them out to Snoqualmie Falls, one of Arpana's favorite places to visit in Washington). By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Oh, Loosey! He was arrested for this crime and ended up pleading guilty to avoid a decade-plus prison sentence (pleading down from 2nd degree to 3rd-degree rape). In fact, DNA from several men was found at the crime scene, including several of Arpana's neighbors and fellow partygoers. The lawsuit states abuse by guards also continued when Sheriff Omar Lucio took over in 2005, although Lucio had vowed to clean up jail abuses by guards. The case remains unsolved today. "That same year, Gail Hansen, a chaplain ministering to inmates at Carrizales, provided evidence of commonplace illegal activities under Sheriff Cantu.". This entire process has become known as probabilistic genotyping, and it's become a pretty integral facet of forensic testing over the last decade or so. DNA evidence was linked to three men and ultimately used to charge Emanuel Fair, a Black man from Seattle. throughout the episode - stating during the trial that: " the State's position is that [C.J.] According to one of the jurors, who later spoke to the Seattle Times, the state's inability to reconcile the charges against Emanuel Fair with the evidence implicating C.J. Guest on Suspect. We're not going to put this to bed. "Defendants Galarza and Solis acted unprofessionally and in a manner they knew would cause additional stress to Alanis' situation for no legitimate reason other than to bully Alanis because defendants Galarza and Solis were in a position of authority, power and control to do so," the lawsuit stated. I hope I never have to investigate a case like this again.". Through clever investigating, O'Leary was later captured and ultimately linked to at least five violent rapes between Washington and Colorado: all of which he had photographed and documented, keeping mementos of the victims (such as their cell phones and cameras). In the year of our Lord 2021, you cant swing a cat without hitting a true-crime podcast. We didnt want to make a promise up front that we will reveal who did this or who didnt. They can be found on Instagram @readrunsea; Fair's attorneys claim that he had been treated negatively during interviews, while other suspects with more incriminating evidence pointing to their guilty were treated with metaphorical kid's gloves. could see that things were in disarray, and briefly scanned the apartment before locating the body of Arpana lying on her bedroom floor, already in the process of decomposing. In the weeks to come, it would be reported that several items had been sent to the Washington state crime lab, but it was estimated that it could take weeks - if not months - for items to be tested for any possible forensic evidence. Because of the scene left behind at the apartment complex, it was obvious that whoever had killed Arpana Jinaga had broken in and specifically targeted her, subjecting her to a violent assault and a rape (which would later be confirmed during her autopsy). Arpana B. Jinaga grew up in Hyderabad, one of the largest cities in all of India. Reply . The residents of the Valley View apartments organize a big costume party. Prosecutors made it clear that they'd be pursuing a life sentence, due to the brutality of the crime (not the standard 35-45 year sentence for 1st-degree murder). The world is a sadder place without her but the people she touched while she was here will remember her for an eternity.". In a new Wondery podcast series called "Suspect," career journalists Matthew Shaer and Eric Benson investigate the story of Jinaga's murder, Fair's conviction and the spiderweb of details . Not only was Keyes accustomed to Washington, having grown up in the northeastern corner of the state and serving at Ft. Lewis for a spell in the early 2000s (just south of Tacoma), but he did travel to the Seattle area on the weekend of Arpana's murder. Benson: I think no one feels satisfied with the outcome. Arpana moved to Redmond, Washington in the early months of 2008. Suspect is an investigative series about mislaid justice and the kinds of weighty decisions that detectives, lawyers, and jurors make every day - decisions that, once made, are almost impossible to reverse.Season 2: Vanished in the Snow chronicles the disappearance of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews. Investigators would later retrieve the cell phone's information from Arpana's provider, but its disappearance - as well as the absence of Arpana's camera - pointed to the likelihood of her killer being someone that she knew. Some of these individuals had not even attended the Halloween party, which made the discovery of their DNA at the crime scene that much more surprising. Shaer: Its astonishing when you look at a case in this way, the power that every decision has over the rest of the investigation and the trial, the power that individuals have, prosecutors, police, jurors especially. By January of 2009, it was reported that work on the case had started to stall, but investigators were still optimistic, due to the aforementioned physical evidence, which they were still awaiting the results of. Jay arrived at the apartment complex at around 9:00 AM and made his way to Arpana's apartment, which one of her neighbors - who I'll nickname "C.J." was interviewed multiple times by investigators, and each time, was unable to remember certain details: including what he had been up to during the estimated time of the murder (3:00 - 8:00 AM). It was important for us to take the case as a whole and consider all the directions that it mightve gone, yes, but not to draw any conclusions. But as the reporting got going in earnest, it became more about an opportunity to do something which Ive always wanted to do, which is really break down an investigation from beginning to end and see how these cases come together or dont.