Rebecca Zahau Wrongful death trial begins. Trial coverage and discussion #3

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*Lash* said:
In my very humble opinion :daisy:they’re reading and have posted here.
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It would be smart for everyone to assume the defense is aware of everything posted here. People associated with defense are well aware of WebSeuths, as their posts in other social media indicate clearly. Also, imo, they are definitely posting here as well.
 
minorone said:
Back on the AR:

Dr. Wecht noted that lividity was fixed in Rebecca’s back & he hypothesized that if Rebecca had died as a result of hanging, lividity would have been fixed in her lower limbs.

Fixed lividity sets in a minimum of 6-12 hours after death (usually earlier if it is warmer and later if it is colder). Lividity starts becoming partially fixed within a couple of hours after death. Blood starts settling into the tissues and clotting. Prior to lividity becoming fixed, it can move but not as much as it would have moved soon after death. If she was on her back after death and prior to being moved to a hanging position, there would be a mixed pattern of lividity or dual lividity.
Estimated time of RZ death - 3am on July 13th
AS called 911 at 6:48am on July 13th, after having allegedly cut Rebecca’s body down from the balcony and laying her body on her back in the courtyard.
RZ would have been hanging for approx. 3hrs.40 minutes.

If lividity becomes partially fixed within a couple of hours after death, there should be lividity in her feet as well her back.

From the AR:
POSTMORTEM CHANGES: Rigor mortis is mild and easily broken in the upper an lower extremities, neck, and jaw. Livor mortis posterior, red and fixed. There is als red livor mortis on the upper chest. There is green discoloration of each lower quadrar of the abdomen. Skip slips with pressure.

I looked for why livor mortis is red and fixed. Red blood cells, which are very dense, travel and pool in the lowest areas possible, staining the tissue.
Is there an explanation for why there is livor mortis on the upper chest as well?

No mention of livor mortis in the extremities. From what I've read about hanging deaths, livor mortis develops in the feet and hands.
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Regarding your bolded question, I keep going back to the hogtie, which indicates she was lying face down at some point.
 
Seattle1 said:
There have been a lot of questions about the missing ME which reminds me of another time Dr Lucas was missing: I've not been able to find it in print so it must have been at a news conference where I recall Sheriff Gore responded to question about why RZ was left outside on the grass for more than 10 hours. His response was to the effect that Dr Lucas, ME was attending a medical conference in LA and came to the scene as soon as he was able to get away. There was a follow-up question about why didn't they call someone else and Gore indicated it was a large ME Conference (county wide attendance) and they were short staffed. IMO from recall...

Hoping somebody else remembers this and can help with a link.
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I vaguely recall something about this as well.

Seems like Dr. Lucas has a knack for being otherwise occupied at the most interesting times, eh?
 
bourne said:
I’ve been in court and everyone I’ve spoken to believes Rebecca was heinously murdered and that the killer is Adam because of his expertise in nautical knot tying despite his refusal to admit it during testimony. His haughty dismissive attitude towards “the girl” and “this f’king -“ and the discrepancy beteeen his recall now in 2018 and his 2011 “inconclusive” polygraph the day of incident about his sequence of actions that morning of Tebecca’s murder - whether he cut her down before making 911 call makes everyone in courtroom believe him to be a bold faced liar.

The “I couldn’t fit my finger under the bindings to get her pulse” contradicts the defense’ absurd contention that the bindings were loose” so that she could tie her own hands in front of her body and remove her hands to finish tying herself behind her back while with ankles bind - too ludicrous to even consider. And at which point in time do she also find time and hands to put noose around her neck and wind T-shirt around her own neck several times and stuff down her throat? Was it before or after binding her own hands in don’t of her body or after she removed hem to tie herself behind her back and complete bindings with hogtie?

Get Outta Here! Bull.

Adam is guilty. GUILTY as charged.
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Oh...my...gosh...I just realized that she would have had to stuff the t-shirt in her mouth before tying herself up. That didn't happen.
 
Well, if this thread is the reason the defense suddenly put the kibosh on the M.E.'s testimony, I'd say they're worried, and I'd say Mr. Greer can definitely work with what appears to be evidence of a "problem M.E." who didn't make it to the crime scene for 12+ hours, and who didn't make it to the trial, either, and who perhaps discarded extremely important (the throat) evidence in a case where the victim died of strangulation.

He only needs 9 out of 12 people who can see the forest in spite of the trees.
 
Wonder how Adam’s crew feels if they have heard that disaster of an emergency call for Rebecca?

The contradiction between the training and role of being a Captain, on the Mighty Mississippi River no less, and the way he bumbled around is huge.

Adam had required safety & first aid training to earn his Captains license.

He has a college degree that necessitates reading and comprehension skills.

He has to navigate with technology and instincts knowing his bearing and location constantly on the crowded and dangerous River.

So why did he play dumb on the 911 call?

As Captain he is expected to take charge and to jump into action in an emergency.

He knew that he had to have a location for Emergency Services to respond.

He could have given his GPS coordinates with that handy phone.

He could have described where he was “Spreckles -5 or so houses down from Hotel Del. Shacknai residence; ocean side”

Just a quick Google turns up:

The class is approved by the US Coast Guard to satisfy the requirements for mariners under the International Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) and satisfies the requirements for a Coast Guard Captain's license.
Topics:
First Aid:
General Principles of First Aid
Handling Medical Emergencies Aboard
Body Structure and Function
Victim Assessment
Wounds & Bleeding
Dressing & Bandaging
Burns & Scalds
Joint & Muscle Injuries
Fractures, Traction & Splinting
Chest, Abdominal & Pelvic Injuries
Sudden Illnesses
Diabetic Emergencies
Spinal Cord Injuries
Bites & Stings
Poisoning
Exposure, Hypothermia & Frost Bite
Dehydration & Sea Sickness
Sun Burn & Sun Poisoning
Heat Exhaustion & Heat Stroke
Life Threatening Injuries and Management of Shock
Rescue and Transport of Casualties
Drowning Emergencies
Calling for Help: USCG / Search and Rescue (SAR)

CPR:
Unconscious Casualty
Resuscitation
AED:
Theory and Use
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http://www.annapolisschoolofseamanship.com/captainslicense.html#cpr
 
K_Z said:
A few questions for Dr. Gregory Davis rolling around in my head:

Have you ever been a county coroner? A county Medical Examiner? Where, when? Describe typical caseload.

How many hanging victims have you personally autopsied?

How many were bound with hands behind their back, hogtied, gagged, and went over a railing naked under their own power?

How many had no neck fractures?

How many had ligature damage below the hanging ligature, but without any bony neck fractures?

Have you ever been licensed in California?

Have you been certified by the California Clinical Forensic Medical Training Center in conjunction with the California District Attorneys Association? Have you completed The SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner) training program?

What do you know about the Cal OES 2-923 Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Report Form, the state mandated form required for use in California, and the California Medical Protocol for Examination of Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Victims?

Did the exam by Dr. JL comply in all areas with these standards?

What is the role of the San Diego County Medical examiner? How is it different from that of a coroner?

What is the unique structure of the SD ME's role in the law enforcement structure of suspicious death investigations in their jurisdiction?

What is the relationship and reporting authority between Sheriff Gore, and ME Dr. JL?

What did JL know about Max Shacknai's fall and prognosis at the time of Rebecca's autopsy?

(Ok, that's enough. I could go on and on. And I usually do..... sigh.)
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Bravo K_Z! Absolutely superb questions to ask this “substitute” witness. I am usually a lurker who reads everything with great interest, but had to come out of my shell to let you know how much I admire your postings. Thank you for taking the time to share such a wealth of knowledge and insight.

(By the way, I hold great admiration for so many others who so thoughtfully share on WS. [emoji4] You are such a great bunch! You also have my praise and gratitude!)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
stmarysmead said:
But didn’t they receive $100,000 from NR’s insurance company? Didn’t Dr Phil make a donation to their fund in order to do the two day special during Prime Time? Cyril Wecht was pro bono and so is Mr Greer.

IMO they have a more credible case against the medical examiner ...if they feel evidence was degraded and their loved ones remains demeaned? But they gave the ME, The city of San Diego and the PD a pass?

I do find that hard to understand.
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It would be essentially impossible to prevail in such a case due to governmental immunity.

stmarysmead said:
Confused again. So they did file a case. Did the Zahau family prevail?
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My vague recollection is that this case was only about procedural matters (e.g., seeking release of evidence and/or reopening of the case), not a suit for damages.
 
While administering cpr, why didn’t AS free RZ’s hand bindings? He had the knife readily available to cut her loose if he was having a problem untying the rope. I think most people have at least a tiny bit of knowledge about cpr, and the first thing you should do is make sure the victim is on a flat hard surface with hands by side. In testimony he said that he tried to feel for pulse but could barely get a finger under the rope bindings. I would think that right then he would say to himself “oh crap, let me get the knife to loosen these”.

My opinion
 
AZlawyer said:
It would be essentially impossible to prevail in such a case due to governmental immunity.



My vague recollection is that this case was only about procedural matters (e.g., seeking release of evidence and/or reopening of the case), not a suit for damages.
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Thanks for weighing in, AZlawyer. It's always been my understanding that it's an exercise in futility to attempt to file lawsuits against government agencies.
 
AZlawyer while you're here, do you know if Mr Greer can call defense witnesses that the defense doesn't call?

It doesn't seem like it, but do you know?
 
Tortoise said:
[FONT=&amp]tweet

Famed prosecutor Marcia Clark doesn't believe [/FONT]RebeccaZahau[FONT=&amp]'s death was a suicide. Hear her take on the mysterious Spreckels mansion death case: [/FONT]http://via.kswbtv.com/XftB6

https://twitter.com/fox5sandiego
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From the article (BBM):

"In my opinion, based on what we saw, you could say anything is possible, but at the end of the day what is reasonable and most likely to have happened?" Clark said.

"Then, there was that weird message on the bedroom door saying 'she saved him, can you save her?' None about that fits with a suicide. Why would she write in a third-person?" Clark said.


As an aside, Clark has some upcoming shows (perhaps on A&E) in which she re-investigates certain cases, Casey Anthony's being one.
 
Sorry if I missed a post that explained this...but I'm not understanding how the defense could call Dr. Davis, rather than Dr. Lucas. In civil cases you usually need to disclose your witnesses to the other side way before trial -- this gives the opposition the chance to take their deposition. Was Dr. Davis listed as a witness for the defense before trial?
 
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