throughout the episode - stating during the trial that: " the State's position is that [C.J.] Using the design kit allotted to each contestant, Arpana was able to design a communications jammer, which didn't win her the contest but showcased her ingenuity at such a young age (21). C.J. "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. 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. TikToks Favorite Celebrity Couple Is Kim Kardashian and Michael Cera. Of course, for [Arpanas] family, its crushing. ", "It was a brutal scene. throughout this episode - who, it turns out, had been one of the investigation's main suspects early on. In fact, she was the fifth student or worker from India to be murdered in the United States that year; a fact that ultimately led to the United States Hindu Alliance calling for the FBI to investigate this case, as they feared that it could be tied to a widespread rash of hate crimes sweeping the nation. Most of this reasonable doubt revolves around C.J., Arpana's neighbor, who also remains a very valid suspect (hence me not wanting to say his name throughout this podcast). He only admitted to three crimes in particular - Bill and Lorraine Currier from Vermont in 2009, and Samantha Koenig from Alaska in 2012 - but is believed to have committed several other murders, as well as separate rapes, assaults, and bank robberies over an extended period (possibly decades). Youve got some Janning to do! And when they wake up the next morning, one resident is dead. Alanis Mejia is also accused of striking Galarza in the chest. By Cameron Sheppard March 4, 2023 1:30 pm. 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. More than two dozen people would filter through the numerous apartments that evening, including Arpana's. 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. told investigators: The morning after the Halloween party - when investigators believed Arpana was killed and the killer began covering up his tracks, ultimately stealing Arpana's cell phone and digital camera - C.J. 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. Now, nearly two years later, Emanuel Fair was being charged with 1st-degree murder and was transferred to the King County jail to await trial. 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.". She had been posthumously covered in numerous liquids, including bleach and motor oil, which the killer had undoubtedly use to try and cover up the crime scene. Until such a time, they had to take the program and its parent company, Cybergenetics, at their word. For the next two years, investigators would struggle to make sense of this case. There, she would receive her master's degree in electrical and computer engineering in December of 2007. 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). Over the next two years, C.J. By October of that year, she had already scored a promotion to lead programmer and seemed destined for greater things. For three and a half decades, her disappearance was a mystery - a riddle neither authorities . 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. 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. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. Sarah Neilson is a freelance writer and book critic based in Seattle. Lets get this out of the way: Suspect is a very good listen. There is no apparent reason why someone would want to take this person from the prime of her life.". 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. 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. Despite the insistence from the Redmond Police Department that this case was their top priority, that didn't bring forth any answers in the months to come, as the workable leads only led investigators to numerous dead-ends. Police had publicly speculated that Arpana's killer - who had stolen her cell phone and digital camera - might have attempted to distribute the stolen items through pawn shops, so this seems to be more than pure coincidence. Emanuel Fair's defense attorneys, on the other hand, didn't see it that way. However, the notion of a robbery taking place did not end there. To-date, Arpana Jinaga's murder remains unsolved. Benson: DNA was kind of the selling point in terms of why this was going to be something that was current and hadnt been talked about a lot, because the DNA science has evolved very quickly. The final stretch of the series lingers in the bittersweet of the triumph: Its justice, but it comes after great loss. 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.". During his interviews with investigators, C.J. Eventually, they would reach out to a family friend, Jay B. Speaking to the Bellevue Reporter, Lt. Doug Shepard of the Redmond Police Department said: "We're a safe community. Both jailers acted under color and are not entitled to qualify for immunity because the excessive use of force violated Alanis-Mejia's Fourteen Amendment constitutional rights, the lawsuit alleged. The latest episode of Suspect highlights a reason that IMO isn't talked about enough -- the problems inherent in the jury system. Mar. Shaer and Benson previously collaborated on another true-crime podcast calledOver My Dead Body.. TrueAllele was utilized heavily by this investigation and was able to come up with results that were far more definitive than anything the crime lab itself had been able to determine. As they were walking to a jail cell where Alanis was to be housed, they continued to yell at him and at one point Galarza then proceeds "without provocation or justification to push Alanis forward," the lawsuit stated. 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. 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? The jury was unable to come to a consensus regarding Fair's guilt, resulting in a mistrial. Theres a narrative buildup toward the presentation of a maybe suspect being the likely culprit. had even asked people whether or not he had killed Arpana, seeming to be unsure of the answer himself. Its the best we can do forensically, but it still requires human beings to translate. I hope we did something to draw attention to that. It was around 3:00 AM on November 1st (Saturday) when the apartment's Halloween party began to die down; at which point, Arpana began returning to her apartment to catch some sleep. Meanwhile, the shift in the podcasts emphasis does mean that Jinagas own story ends up fading into the background a little bit. Emanuel Fair's second trial began just last year, in 2019, and again, tried to reach a jury consensus regarding his guilt. While investigators had already analyzed the evidence and saw that it could feasibly implicate Emanuel Fair's involvement in the murder, it was anything but definitive (and could create reasonable doubt if brought up in trial). The oil would contribute to the odd smell throughout the apartment, and was reportedly found all over the carpet of the bedroom. Inside of Arpana's bathroom, investigators would find a white comforter from her bed, which had also been stained with blood. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, of course. Speaking to the Redmond Reporter, Lt. Doug Shepard said: "She did not make enemies, she just made friends and a lot of them. Other witnesses that knew C.J. He is also seeking a jury trial. All of this evidence made it virtually impossible for prosecutors to rule out C.J. Emanuel Demelvin Fair - who was also known as Anthony P. Parker - was 27 years old when charges were filed against him in October of 2010. As if that wasn't bad enough, the killer had then sprayed motorcycle oil and other chemicals all over the 24-year-old's body, which they had then attempted to light on fire, not knowing that oil isn't flammable. Arpana B. Jinaga grew up in Hyderabad, one of the largest cities in all of India. 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 . Fair and C.J. Two, that there was a noxious smell emanating throughout the apartment, which indicated the widespread use of chemical cleaning agents, which now proliferated the small living quarters. While Arpana didn't have any friends or family in the area, she didn't let that deter her from leaning into the community. 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. A new true-crime podcast delves into the complicated murder case of a rising 24-year-old software programmer in Redmond, Wash. On November 21st, 2008 - three weeks after the murder - he spoke to investigators and admitted to being inside of Arpana's apartment during the Halloween party. All rights reserved. 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. The jailers are further accused in the lawsuit of fabricating their statements. This included the tape used to gag Arpana, DNA recovered from her neck (where she had been strangled), and a bloody robe found in the apartment complex's dumpster, which contained traces of Fair's DNA. In that sense, the end of Suspect could very well be the start of the rest of the story. 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 June of 2005, Arpana was featured in the New Indian Express, in an article titled "Young Inventors." Police would arrive at the apartment complex a short time later, and immediately noticed two things that stood out about this crime. Days after the discovery of Arpana's body, a ceremony was held in Redmond, which had all of the customs of a Hindu memorial service and was attended by the many of dozens of lives that Arpana had impacted during her short time in the Pacific Northwest. New episodes of the nine-part series will be released weekly on Tuesdays. For three and a half decades, her disappearance was a mystery - a riddle neither authorities . as a suspect which is why they ultimately presented a case that didn't do so. C.J. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. She was last seen by numerous people leaving an apartment on the first floor - where the party had ended up - and was heading back up to her apartment on the third floor (the top level of the complex). They can be found on Instagram @readrunsea; Suspicious deaths, such as homicide, very rarely happen in Redmond: one of the wealthier suburbs on the outskirts of Seattle, which is known internationally for housing the U.S. headquarters for both Microsoft and Nintendo. 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. 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. Alanis-Mejia is seeking $1 million in exemplary damages as well as the cost of attorney's fees. 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. 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. He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. The state was attempting to build a case around the possibility of Emanuel Fair acting alongside an accomplice; who, they had alleged in the first trial, had acted alongside Fair to commit the crime but was not charged with anything for the time being. - happened to be nearby. However, in that decade, we have learned about a couple of high-profile criminals that were active in the area at the time, who may or may not have committed this crime. Suspect takes up the unsolved murder of Arpana Jinaga, who was killed the night of a Halloween party at her Redmond, Washington, apartment complex in 2008. The prosecution would paint a portrait of Fair as a repeat offender, who met Arpana at the Halloween party and then became infatuated with her. While O'Leary was ultimately arrested for crimes he committed in Colorado, he had committed earlier crimes in Washington; in particular, in the area where Arpana lived - where he lived, as well. At the time of this announcement - in October of 2010 - he was incarcerated at the McNeil Island Correction Center in Steilacoom for failing to update his sex offender registration and was not expected to be released until 2012. After making this gruesome discovery, Jay would begin dialing 911. Her body was then flown back to India, to be properly buried by her family, who struggled to move on after her sudden loss. 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. That night, Arpana and at least three of her neighbors would open up their apartments for the party, which would move throughout the complex over several hours. had even shown Fair a music editing software on his home computer. October 31st, 2008 - Halloween - had the rare fortune of falling on a Friday. These are just a couple of the most high-profile suspects I've uncovered while researching this case, but the answer may be more simple than that (it usually is). 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). Later that day - after being turned away from the Canadian border - C.J. Redmond, a suburb on the outskirts of Seattle, is located just on the other side of scenic Lake Washington and is known as a bit of a tech mecca (having served as the homes for both Microsoft and Nintendo). Both were seen together, and this would come up later - which is why I mention it - but both claim that their interaction lasted no more than 30 minutes or so, and they hadn't seen each other before or since. 1 priority in the division. The autopsy of Arpana Jinaga was performed by the King County Medical Examiner's Office, and the results would be released roughly one week after Arpana's death (November 6th, 2008). Meanwhile, Fair's attorneys would argue that this was not a valid argument: the state couldn't have their cake and eat it, too. 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. What drew you to this story, and why now? Shortly thereafter, Fair would be arraigned on murder charges and entered a plea of not guilty. theres no closure for them, certainly from the justice system. But we got really all of those people. We didnt want to make a promise up front that we will reveal who did this or who didnt. Arpana Jinaga was not the first young professional from India to be killed in 2008. 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. After nine years of awaiting his fate, 35-year-old Emanuel Fair was released from custody just hours after being acquitted in the death of Arpana Jinaga. But it does leave me with a strong sense of want, and a feeling that the genre is long overdue for a quantum leap forward in its language. 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). "It's the No. Benson: I think no one feels satisfied with the outcome. The big issue the show pursues is that Cameron was a viable suspect and the cops seemed to want to find ways to let him off the hook and make him a witness against Emmanuel. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Joel Alonso Alanis-Mejia, alleges the county jail system has a history of jailers using excessive force against inmates. Its absence led investigators to speculate that robbery had played some kind of motive, as the killer might have stolen the bike to flee from the scene, but police would later locate the motorcycle at a repair shop in Everett, where Arpana had taken it days prior. 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. 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). After Dax Shepard asked her about her musical chairs relationship situation. 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.

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