Emmanuel Fair is now a free man after being in custody for eight years without being convicted.
In 2008, Fair was identified as the primary suspect in a murder case. It involved a sexual assault and choking of an Indian woman, Arpana Jinaga, 24, during a party.
Jinaga and many other people held a Halloween party, involving multiple apartments, including hers. The apartment complex is located in Redmond City, Seattle.
After the killing, Fair was blamed for the crime because of his criminal past and because he was the only Black man at the celebration.
In 2010, Fair was apprehended and spent 8 years, 7 months, and 14 days locked up after he was never found guilty of the crime.
“I’ve never seen a worse case. There’s very little justice left to salvage,” stated one of Fair’s lawyers.
Now, Fair is suing the county, the city of Redmond, and the Redmond Police Department for being wrongfully imprisoned for all of those years.
Fair is also suing the lead officer, Detective Coats. Coats is accused of analyzing pictures from the party and assuming that Fair was an “outsider” because he was the only Black man that attended.
The lawsuit alleges that detectives “ignored and failed to gather evidence that did not align with their theory of the case.” Then, after close to 9 years, Fair was released.
Now, at 38 years old, Fair is trying to start his life over. He now struggles with finding a job, a residence, and being financially stable. These are problems that many Black men face when released from custody.
“I’m out, but I’m not free,” Fair said.
