And the energy with which many of the people pursued this case it is tragic, what happened. And while TrueAllele had not yet been used by a prosecution in Washington state at this point, it had been used to obtain dozens of convictions all over the country and was seen as a reliable tool for law enforcement. In addition to having at least one brief encounter with Arpana at the party, police were able to determine that Fair had spent time at the party with "C.J." And when you get to talk to all these different people who are involved in the case at different times, you see how that power manifests itself or doesnt. Fair and C.J. Investigators and prosecutors feel the same way about this individual because he was interviewed on more than four occasions in the weeks after Arpana's murder - more than any other suspect or POI - and at one point, investigators even wrote up probable cause paperwork to apply for this suspect's arrest. "Classic City Crime," a true-crime podcast hosted by Cameron Jay, centers around the tragic death of Tara Louise Baker. The genre, fueled by sheer abundance and the brute force of its popularity, has seeped deep into the culture, reaching a point where the form should probably be expected to engage more routinely in some level of self-reflexivity. The Wagner opera returns to the Met for the first time in 17 years. We didnt know if anyone from the Valley View apartments or if the people in Arpanas life or the other people who at one point or another seem to have been at least persons of interest, if they were going to want to talk. She moved into the Valley View Apartments just north of Marymoor Park, along the 8900 block of Redmond-Woodinville Road. 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. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. Despite her not having any experience riding a motorcycle, she planned on using one as her primary mode of transportation. (Arpana's neighbor, who would co-discover her body days later). Benson: We didnt know that the Redmond [Police Department] was going to be willing to participate in the show. Strangers come together. In the weeks after Arpana's murder, Emanuel Fair was identified through photographs and eventually questioned. In 2019, he ultimately walked free after being acquitted of the murder charges. Witnesses would recall this incident being "race-related," likely due to comments the man had made, but Arpana would quickly move on and seemed to enjoy the rest of the party. In terms of pure execution, it's probably the best narrative true-crime podcast I've heard all year. Gregory Hobbs, another member of the club, said in the same article: "She would strive to succeed in everything and she did just that. However, these phone calls indicate that this was a lie, and he was already awake at the time this happened (and, at the very least, subconsciously thinking about Arpana). There, she would receive her master's degree in electrical and computer engineering in December of 2007. When officers and investigators had first arrived at Arpana's apartment, they made note of the smell of chemical agents throughout it. Muhammad Ali, one of Arpana's co-workers at EMC in Bellevue, would attempt to call her but was unable to get through to her cell phone. was their ultimate undoing, and it had been a problem of their own making (as they had hoped to try C.J. 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. I hope we did something to draw attention to that. Emanuel Fair spent 9 years in jail for a crime he did not commit proclaiming his innocence through two trials, numerous motions, and drawn out judicial delays. Theres a narrative buildup toward the presentation of a maybe suspect being the likely culprit. Suspect Season 1 Episode 1. Friends recall that she spoke of opening an animal sanctuary for endangered species in the future. Her body was then flown back to India, to be properly buried by her family, who struggled to move on after her sudden loss. 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. Offscreen, he was one himself. Meanwhile, Fair's attorneys would argue that this was not a valid argument: the state couldn't have their cake and eat it, too. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. But what I hope people also get from this is that theres a lot of vitality in the podcast it starts with Arpana and her being an extremely alive, curious person. Inside of Arpana's bathroom, investigators would find a white comforter from her bed, which had also been stained with blood. After attending a prestigious university in India, she decided to broaden her horizons for post-graduate life. 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. According to investigators, they were also struggling to piece together a solid motive. But Suspect is often so uncomplicated in its telling, it almost seems anonymous. 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. You can listen early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App. New episodes of the nine-part series will be released weekly on Tuesdays. For the next two years, investigators would struggle to make sense of this case. Was it Jesus secretary? Suspect initially sticks to the costumed whodunit structure, chiefly to establish the gallery of possible suspects, but eventually jettisons that framing as it progresses through the outcome of the actual police investigation. "We still consider it early in the investigation. That dream that would ultimately turn into a nightmare for herself and her loved ones, who have had to endure years of trials and tribulations in the wake of their tragic loss. One of Arpana's neighbors (Kyle R.) would later remark that at around 8:00 AM, he was awoken by a "horrible growling" sound, which persisted for about 20 seconds and was punctuated with a solid thud sound. Its challenging in terms of race, in terms of policing, in terms of forensic science. 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. Journalist Matthew Shaer, co-founder of Campside Media and Wondery, along with journalist Eric Benson, created a true crime podcast called "Suspect" which details this unsolved crime. However, investigators could not establish a specific time of death; instead speculating that she had died at some point early on Saturday morning, sometime between 3:00 and 8:00 AM. This was paired with several inconsistencies in Emanuel Fair's story; which included - but was not limited to - calls he had made during the time of Arpana's murder. Speaking to the Times, this juror recalled: "I think that was the biggest reasonable doubt and no one could eliminate him [as the killer] We found [Fair] not guilty because of reasonable doubt, not because we thought he was completely innocent.". Now science has gotten very sophisticated. The gap between practice and potential is further underscored by the many instances in which Suspect carries the genres various conventions and clichs. C.J. The case remains unsolved today. Im trying to tell the truth dont cut this podcast to make me look like a maybe suspect. Later, a woman who served as the jury foreperson in a pivotal trial talked about her responsibility as follows: I had to pay attention. The Seattle Timesrecently spoke with Shaer and Benson over Zoom about the impetus for this podcast, what surprised them in their reporting and what their take-aways are from investigating this story. 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. Prosecutors made it clear that they were seeking more than the recommended sentence - 45 years - which they were allowed to pursue because of the aggravated circumstances of her death. A curious thing about Suspect, though, is that as much as some of its interviewees display awareness about the format theyre engaging with, the show itself largely resists doing the same. Later on, during Emanuel Fair's first trial, prosecutors even alleged that this neighbor had been an accomplice in the murder. Alanis' head was forcefully slammed to the ground and "Galarza violently punched and hit Alanis' head, face and body as his blood spilled to the ground.". He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. C.J. Id written anarticle about DNA forensic science for The Atlantic, and I was like everybody else I thought that DNA worked like it did on Law & Order, where its a green light. 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. Not only was there just as much incriminating physical evidence implicating him in Arpana's death, but he had committed a ton of strange and bizarre acts around the time of her death that raised suspicion. TikToks Favorite Celebrity Couple Is Kim Kardashian and Michael Cera. Missing from the scene entirely was Arpana's motorcycle, a Suzuki GS 500, which quickly became a highly-sought-after item for Redmond Police. They then recalled the sound of running water for upwards of an hour; which they just assumed was Arpana taking a late-night shower but was probably the killer attempting to cover up the crime scene. 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. Six years after charges were filed, Fair, now 33, spends his days shuffling between the King County Superior Court and the county jail while his two defense attorneys . Whats Next for Convicted Sex Criminals Harvey Weinstein and R. Kelly? 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. "Galarza and Solis intentionally escalated the interaction by commenting in a derogatory fashion about Alanis' mother.". As a teen, she participated in an IEEE Hardware Design Contest that earned her some attention from universities and potential employers, and seemed to cement her down the path of computing. There is no apparent reason why someone would want to take this person from the prime of her life.". "This unwritten policy of permissible use of excessive force has deep roots going back decades to Carrizales' opening. 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). Sheriff Conrado Cantu took office as sheriff in 2001 and oversaw Carrizales when it first opened in 2004," a portion of the federal lawsuit stated. After leaving work, she would stop by a store to pick up some Halloween decorations, and began covering her apartment as other people began returning home and donning their costumes. Investigators would later speculate that this was the time when the ambitious 24-year-old's life was coming to an end, and her killer was attempting to cover up his tracks. and on their website: sarahneilsonwriter.com. The power of that for potentially solving a crime, but also the potential shortcomings of DNA, was something everyone we talked to for this series has been really honest about. Terms of Service apply. Regardless, more than a decade has passed since the mysterious death of Arpana Jinaga, and no one has been held responsible for it. 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 . The jury was unable to come to a consensus regarding Fair's guilt, resulting in a mistrial. That was surprising. While armed robberies and sexual assaults do happen there, they are very low in number compared to other similarly-sized cities. Now that Meredith is gone, it is business as usual at Grey Sloan Memorial. We're not going to put this to bed. Inside the apartment, it became clear to investigators that a struggle had taken place. After Dax Shepard asked her about her musical chairs relationship situation. In addition to joining a motorcycle club, Arpana also volunteered at the Redmond Fire Department, riding along to fires in the area; as well as animal shelters in Bellevue, where she helped care for and attend to unwanted pets. Alanis-Mejia was allegedly beaten by jailers Raul Galarza and Mark Solis while Alanis-Mejia was incarcerated at the Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center in Olmito in September 2014, the lawsuit reads. It was the culmination of a long and tortured relationship with the criminal justice system. 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. 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). [In the 1980s], you really needed a lot of body fluid, so there was no ambiguity about whose DNA it was. 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. 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. The latest episode of Suspect highlights a reason that IMO isn't talked about enough -- the problems inherent in the jury system. 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). It is unknown if Galarza and Solis are still employed by the county, and it is also unknown if they have hired attorneys to represent them. 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. 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. can also be characterized as an uncharged accomplice.". Over the next two years, C.J. Instead of trying to solve Jinagas murder, Shaer and Benson use extensive interviews to weave a complex narrative around race, injustice, the place of forensic DNA evidence in the common perception of guilt and innocence and, ultimately, a tragic story with no real closure. The twelve jurors, who had originally leaned 9-3 in favor of acquittal, had been sent back to deliberate before ultimately coming up with a split decision (6-6 in favor of guilty/not-guilty, 5 of whom believed that "C.J." However, over the next several days, they would eventually bring themselves to a consensus, and delivered their findings the following Tuesday, June 11th: not guilty. Thats where a lot of the drama is for us, and where we wanted to investigate what had happened. Even forensic analysis has its limits, as King County prosecutors and investigators in the Redmond area learned from this case. This one is not going away. In that sense, Suspect is a little bit like the true-crime podcast version of a Gerard Butler movie or a really good episode of Law and Order: an exemplar of its genre, but not a revolutionary, which I sincerely mean as praise. Just like in the first trial, the state leaned heavily upon the DNA evidence, which had been aided by the TrueAllele analysis and originally implicated Fair in Arpana Jinaga's murder. It would soon become clear to them that someone had attempted to scrub the apartment of their presence, wiping bleach onto several pieces of furniture, as well as a table in the living room (from which, fluid had spilled down onto the carpet, permanently staining it). However, the results obtained through TrueAllele pointed to Fair, in particular, as the killer; with the software saying that he was thousands of times more likely to have been Arpana's killer than other available suspects. However, the weekend after the party, Arpana would not answer any of their calls and would fail to call them back, which was very unlike her. I hope that answers can still be found in this case, but until such a time, the story of Arpana Jinaga will remain unresolved. A tech prodigy from an early age, Arpana seemed poised to achieve great things in life. How Tyrel Jackson Williams Brought TikTok Cringe to, Its sort of a newer version of the L.A. actor ride that Kyle is on the first two seasons, but its worse.. For three and a half decades, her disappearance was a mystery - a riddle neither authorities . An exclusive trailer for Suspect is below. Shortly after moving to Redmond, the 24-year-old Arpana decided to purchase a motorcycle. 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. Listening notes for the top shows, from Vultures critic Nick Quah. Roughly two months after the trial began, after weeks of gridlock, the trial would end with a hung jury. After all, not everything has to be about something bigger than itself, and theres something to be said about delivering the most polished version of a standard. Police would speculate that the killer had started using bleach there and then carried it towards the bedroom, based on a trail of bleached droplets that led down the hallway. Redmond Police spokesman Jim Bove would tell reporters later that day (Monday, November 3rd): "There were signs of trauma in the apartment We have booked it as a case of suspicious death.". 4A former Cameron County inmate is suing the county and two of its jailers for $1 million alleging he was beaten by the jailers while incarcerated. But over the next few years, Emanuel Fair would fail to abide by the terms of his release and was later jailed on probation violations. Throughout the latter half of 2017 and the entirety of 2018, another lengthy legal battle would ensue. This likely resulted in his DNA being distributed throughout the apartment; in particular, in Arpana's bathroom, where he had cleaned himself up. The best musical instrument is a love triangle. would attend a party at a friend's house in Everett, and while there, attempted to wrestle them. The crime scene itself was a maelstrom of forensic evidence because more than a dozen people had been inside of Arpana Jinaga's apartment just hours before her death, attending the Halloween party. Now inside, Jay and C.J. 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). That day, Arpana showed up for work as if it were any other workday, but told some of her coworkers about a party being held that evening at her apartment complex. Oh, you like podcasts? was one of these neighbors, who claimed to have passed out on a couch jutted up against his and Arpana's shared wall, and he said that he was woken up shortly after 3:00 AM to the sound of moaning, before falling back asleep until 10:00 AM. Instead, her life was brought to a violent and sudden end the morning after a Halloween party, and no one has been held to task for that. What were the things that made that possible? Its the best we can do forensically, but it still requires human beings to translate. C.J. The lawsuit alleges jailers Raul Galarza and Mark Solis began demeaning Alanis-Mejia and ridiculing him because he was crying over the death of his parents. This area - Redmond, Washington - is a relative stranger to violent crime. When residents of the Valley View Apartments in Redmond, Wash . This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. This killer had kicked in the front door to the apartment, which had been locked beforehand by not only the doorknob itself but the deadbolt. 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. Emanuel Fair's defense attorneys would also contest the state's claims that he had acted alongside an accomplice; stating that he wasn't on-trial for crimes that he and/or someone else may have committed. was called to the stand during this trial to answer questions but was limited in what questions he could be asked, due to his privilege against self-incrimination. A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for May 30 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan. 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. This isnt some true-crime podcast I can listen to and just have an opinion on.. Those that remembered the incident thought that the man involved should be investigated as a suspect, but investigators probing this altercation didn't believe that there was anything to it. would admit that during this time, he had stopped taking his psychiatric medication. That the murder took place around the time of a Halloween party lends a slightly surreal quality to the way law-enforcement types discuss the case on tape: Was it the gangster? In fact, they posited throughout the first trial that he may have been an accomplice; an uncharged accomplice, but an accomplice nonetheless. I hope I never have to investigate a case like this again.". as a suspect which is why they ultimately presented a case that didn't do so. The oil would contribute to the odd smell throughout the apartment, and was reportedly found all over the carpet of the bedroom. According to prosecutors, Emanuel Fair claimed to have gone back to his friend Leslie's apartment at around 1:00 AM but would make nearly two dozen calls to three separate women (none of whom were Arpana) between 2:00 and 5:00 AM. Typically, when police recommend filing charges against someone, they don't follow that up with any investigation of their own and that's sadly what happened here. After all, nothing else of value had been stolen from the apartment, so someone might have been on the phone and camera that didn't want to be. Shane Waters will introduce 14 crime podcast hosts, including Crimelines! While Arpana didn't have any friends or family in the area, she didn't let that deter her from leaning into the community. Other witnesses that knew C.J. According to an interview with Coats by Matt Shaer who retraced the steps of Coats' investigation in his podcast, Suspect, and whose interviews helped inform Fair's lawsuit he spotted . Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. In the apartment complex's dumpster, investigators would find a bottle of Castrol motorcycle oil, which the offender had likely found inside of Arpana's apartment and then sprayed all over the crime scene and her body. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, This password will be used to sign into all, Shania Twain Gives Rare Update on Her Ex-Husband and Ex-BFF, Journey Should Probably Go Their Separate Ways, 6 Stand-ups Analyze ChatGPTs Attempts to Steal Their Jobs, Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Kind of Right About Novak Djokovic, Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Right About Novak Djokovic, The 7 Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch This Weekend, Ke Huy Quan Continues His Winning Streak at the Independent Spirit Awards. had even shown Fair a music editing software on his home computer. Because this individual has never been charged with any crime, I'll continue to refer to him as C.J., but there is a lot of evidence pointing towards him either having some kind of involvement in this case or, at the very least, knowing much more than he has publicly admitted. This included the nearly two years it took them to single out Emanuel Fair as a suspect; during which time, investigators had hired a psychic to help point them in the right direction, which highlighted how adrift the investigators had been up until that point. There were really intense, long jury deliberations for the first trial and hearing about that from people who were truly going in cold to this case and this story, I thought it was really fascinating and not a place I really imagined that wed be going at the beginning. Those pleas would continue to amplify months after Arpana's murder, when it became evident that answers were not readily available. At times the party veers out of control. That is where her body was discovered, nude and bloody, lying face-down on the floor beside her bed. Police getting called out to a suspicious death in Redmond; one in which there was clear evidence of a struggle? Even though Arpana Jinaga had not been back home to visit her family in India in more than two years, she still talked to them over the phone regularly and had spoken to them the night before the Halloween party (Thursday, October 30th).