The murder mystery of Arpana Jinaga remains unsolved nearly a year later with “no firm suspects,” as Redmond Police Department investigators continue to “develop evidence,” according to Investigations Lt. Doug Shepard.

Shepard said Redmond Police have found several “people of interest” but none have panned out to be suspects in the murder case of Jinaga, a 24-year-old software engineer who was strangled to death at her Redmond apartment after a 2008 Halloween party.

“It’s challenging, the most challenging case I have ever seen,” said Shepard, who has done police work for more than 30 years. “We haven’t got that clear path to a suspect after a year. This is a difficult case, no doubt about it. While it is challenging, we are confident we will come to a conclusion.”

Those who knew Jinaga, an outgoing woman with a bright smile, who worked in Bellevue and loved to ride her motorcycle, are hoping investigators find a suspect soon.

“When you met her, she would have you smiling within 15 seconds,” said Phil Skelton, who met Jinaga through the PNW Riders, a local motorcycle group. “She was one of the most caring people I ever met. It’s aggravating, for sure, being on the outside of the investigation; we don’t know for sure if there is any progress being made. It’s not like our group wants revenge, but we do want whoever did this to be punished.”

Skelton, along with more than 100 other riders, embarked on a memorial motorcycle ride in honor of Jinaga, which started at Lake Sammamish State Park, then went to Snoqualmie Falls, one of Jinaga’s favorite places, and then ended at Redmond Bella Botega, right across the street from Jinaga’s old apartment.

“She would strive to succeed in everything and she did just that,” said Gregory Hobbs, Jinaga’s friend and organizer of the memorial ride. “The world is a sadder place without her but the people she touched while she was here will remember her for an eternity.”

Jinaga’s father, Dr. Basavappa Jinaga, who is the head of the School of Information Technology at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, sent a thank-you letter to Hobbs for organizing the ride and honoring his daughter.

“It is really heartening to know that people of Washington have not forgotten Arpana,” Basavappa wrote in the letter.

Redmond Police detectives are determined to bring justice to Arpana’s family and solve the murder mystery, said Shepard, emphasizing that Arpana’s murder is not a cold case and remains the No. 1 priority.

Police responded to the Valley View Apartments in the 8900 block of Redmond-Woodinville Road around 9 a.m. last Nov. 3 after Arpana’s friend found her dead body and called police.

There was forced entry into Jinaga’s second-story apartment, signs of trauma to Jinaga and the apartment was in disarray. Arpana was last seen in the early morning of Nov. 1 during a Halloween party, Shepard said.

Investigators have questioned every resident in the apartment complex and everyone who attended the Halloween party, but no suspects have surfaced, Shepard said.

“We have reinterviewed several people, several times and have come up with very little information,” said Shepard, adding that the lack of witnesses or informats makes this murder mystery a difficult case. Shepard said investigators have collected more than 100 different evidence items and are working closely with the King County Prosecutor’s Office to develop a solid case that will ultimately lead to an arrest.

Arpana’s family, who lives in India, has received numerous updates on the investigation and “has been understanding,” Shepard said.

Redmond investigators have interviewed more than 100 people who knew Jinaga, a talented, well-liked woman who received a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Rutgers University in New Jersey in October of 2007. Soon after graduating, she was offered a job at EMC, a Bellevue software-development company, where she quickly became a “shooting star,” according to her supervisor Muhammad Ali. She was a top-20 winner in a digital controller design contest, sponsored by Microchip Technology Inc., an Arizona-based company. Besides being a talented designer, Jinaga volunteered for several different community organizations and was an active member of PNW Riders.

“She did not make enemies, she just made friends and a lot of them,” Shepard said. “There is no apparent reason why someone would want to take this person from the prime of her life.”

“It gives you more motivation” to solve the case, Shepard said.