CA - Rebecca Zahau Nalepa - suicide or murder? #11

[Victoriouswon]

Rebecca's family is setting up a website seeking donations to pay for an independent investigation. I wonder if Mr. Shacknai will make a donation ????? By the way, did he rush to the mansion upon learning of Rebecca's death ?? If I was the boyfriend, heck yeah !, I would rush over, and I would hold a press conference and be indignant about her death.

Family dispute cause of drug company CEO girlfriend's death
By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO | Fri Sep 9, 2011 9:40am EDT

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The ex-husband and relatives of the woman found hanged, bound and nude at the mansion of a wealthy pharmaceutical executive are seeking donations for a private investigation to challenge the official ruling of her death as a suicide.

A lawyer representing family members of Rebecca Zahau said on Thursday that a confidential coroner's report she obtained reveals several pieces of previously undisclosed evidence that cast doubt on conclusions reached by sheriff's investigators.

Relatives of Zahau have said since the official probe of her death concluded late last week that they did not believe the official finding that she had taken her own life at the estate of her boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai, founder and CEO of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp.

The Arizona-based company is the maker of the popular wrinkle filler Restylane and the acne treatment Solodyn.

The bizarre death on July 13 came two days after Shacknai's 6-year-old son Max was critically injured in a fall from a staircase while being looked after by Zahau at the mansion near San Diego. The boy died six days later.

Last Friday, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore held a news conference to announce that foul play had been ruled out in both deaths. Investigators concluded that Zahau had committed suicide hours after learning in a late-night phone call that Max, then still hospitalized, had taken a turn for the worse.

They even released an unusual video demonstration of how investigators believed Zahau, 32, had managed to tie her own hands behind her back before binding her own legs, slipping a noose around her neck, and hurling herself off a second-story balcony.

Her lifeless, nude body was found suspended by the neck from a rope later that morning by Shacknai's brother, a guest at the estate at the time.

This week, relatives of Zahau and her former husband, Neil Nalepa, set up a website seeking donations "to help us fight to get justice for ... Rebecca."

"It was obvious that the sheriff's department had worked too hard to paint this picture of suicide, and they were not about to let the Zahaus ruin it," the website said. "Now the family is left to fight for justice themselves, and this fight is an expensive one."

Seattle-based lawyer Anne Bremner, who is representing Zahau's family, told Reuters on Thursday that she has retained "forensic and psychiatric experts to take another look at the findings and the underlying evidence."

She cited several bits of undisclosed evidence contained in the medical examiner's report, including that Zahau's body was found with a T-shirt stuffed into her mouth, residue of tape on her legs, signs of trauma to the top of her head and blood on her legs.

"Just on the facts, this doesn't pass the smell test," Bremner said of the suicide ruling.

Sheriff's investigators have said there were no signs of a struggle, sexual assault or drugs in her system and no indication that Zahau was incapacitated before she was hanged.

"Becky did not commit suicide. My sister was murdered," Zahau's sister, Snowem Horwath, said in an email from her home in Germany after the suicide ruling was announced. "We had a very normal conversation that evening ... I know my sister very well, and there is no way anyone can convince me that she did this to herself!"

I put my check in the mail today! I also emailed the family and told them to put paypal on their website for faster donations. Sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is

 

[CDS22]

Originally Posted by Pach
Rebecca's family is setting up a website seeking donations to pay for an independent investigation. I wonder if Mr. Shacknai will make a donation ????? By the way, did he rush to the mansion upon learning of Rebecca's death ?? If I was the boyfriend, heck yeah !, I would rush over, and I would hold a press conference and be indignant about her death.

Would you really leave your small, dying son in his final moments?

 

[elementry]

How are they special? It is just a figure 8 looping from one wrist to another and bringing the rope through so when held in the hand it can tighten the rope.



Imo

Is it the kind of knotting you'd think up if wanting to bind yourself for such a purpose? That is, it looks a bit above random and with some finesse included for the tightening of semi-loose bonds before hurling oneself over the balcony. Knots like that don't just tie themselves on the first time out (without some real luck); the similarity to the cleat hitch knot is ......notable. Also, was the rope in the demonstration doubled over and then figure-eighted? I recall a link much earlier to a youtube showing the double-over method used for power cord coiling so as to keep them from tangling: another finesse if it might also apply to roping such as used in the Nalepa death.

 

[Pach]

I have not been to coronado in 15 years but i have fond memories of it when i used to hang out there and other nearby beaches.

the fastest way to go there for visitors from freeway 5 is through the Coronado bridge over seawater. when you look at coronado while transiting the bridge , you get the impression that coronado is an island. anway, this bridge is also one of the top bridges for suicide(by jumping off bridges). I wont be surprised if it has security cameras now specially after 9/11(anyone verify ?) Once you have gone over the bridge, you are brought to the immediate vicinity of the mansion in the Ocean Blvd beach area and hotel del coronado. if you have vacation time left, I recommend it although its expensive staying at a hotel on coronado itself.

This is Coronado bridge where many people jump off.

the other route to coronado is by road through a narrow strip of land known as silver strand.

The question is where was the hospital of Maxie ? outside coronado or inside the coronado area.. Next, are there security cameras in the vicinity of the hospital in addition to the cameras on the hospital premises ?

Does anyone live in the Sab Diego area? If so, do you know if there are any cameras on the freeways there?

 

[Pach]

my point or angle is ----> Did he even call a press conference or a press release showing his indignation ?
in other words, the impression people get is more of concern about his PR, but then, I guess people have different values or priorities in life. Secondly, he was already convinced it was a suicide for reasons he knows..I wonder what does he know or sure of that we don't know that makes her death a suicide ??(assuming he does know something we dont know).

Would you really leave your small, dying son in his final moments?

 

[CDS22]

my point or angle is ----> Did he even call a press conference or a press release showing his indignation ? or a call for the truth ? in other words, the impression people get is more of concern about his PR.

But at the time it was being investigated by the sheriff's office. Why should he have to express anything when his first thought most likely was his small, dying son, and the two children he'd have to console and see through this tragedy?

Perhaps he thoroughly accepts the sheriff's findings now that they have become available. Perhaps he has hired his own investigative team and is waiting to see what they find. Perhaps he is still overwrought with the death of his small child.

I don't mean to sound cold, but the death of a small child kind of trumps everything. I'm not saying Rebecca's death is unimportant, but I don't think it took first priority in his mind compared to Max's, nor should it, no matter which sensational way she chose to exit this world, if her death was, in fact, suicide.

IMO

 

[Pach]

thanks for explaining .... He did say though when he called Rebecca's family to inform them of her death that Rebecca commited suicide . Thats my recollection of the earlier news stories way before the LE announced their findings. what makes him so sure that Rebecca commited suicide ? does he know something we dont know ? does LE already know what he knows(assuming he does know something) ?

But at the time it was being investigated by the sheriff's office. Why should he have to express anything when his first thought most likely was his small, dying son, and the two children he'd have to console and see through this tragedy?

Perhaps he thoroughly accepts the sheriff's findings now that they have become available. Perhaps he has hired his own investigative team and is waiting to see what they find. Perhaps he is still overwrought with the death of his small child.

I don't mean to sound cold, but the death of a small child kind of trumps everything. I'm not saying Rebecca's death is unimportant, but I don't think it took first priority in his mind compared to Max's, nor should it, no matter which sensational way she chose to exit this world, if her death was, in fact, suicide.

IMO

 

[elementry]

But at the time it was being investigated by the sheriff's office. Why should he have to express anything when his first thought most likely was his small, dying son, and the two children he'd have to console and see through this tragedy?

Perhaps he thoroughly accepts the sheriff's findings now that they have become available. Perhaps he has hired his own investigative team and is waiting to see what they find. Perhaps he is still overwrought with the death of his small child.

I don't mean to sound cold, but the death of a small child kind of trumps everything. I'm not saying Rebecca's death is unimportant, but I don't think it took first priority in his mind compared to Max's, nor should it, no matter which sensational way she chose to exit this world, if her death was, in fact, suicide.

IMO

I would think he might be expected to have a little remorse at least, if only because he did seemingly, possibly neglect the feelings of his mate, of her sense of rejection and isolation, and of despair. Sure, #1 would be his dying son's condition; but as his woman was also all bound up (pardon the expression) with what had happened to the child, and had - it appears - been kept from being on hand at the hospital and possibly out of the loop (sorry for the figure of speech once again), and then it turns out (in the suicide scenario) that she felt such hopelessness and misery, she killed herself. If he has a heart, I'd assume he would feel bad also about not taking enough care with his Rebecca and leaving her to such a lonely doom. Unless either he was paying good attention to her needs and her hurt during all this (and she killed herself anyway in despair), or he really doesn't feel enough for her to experience remorse, as in, "what might I have done to save Rebecca from such a fate". I've not seen in his publicist-released statements on the matter any sense of his feeling awful or even a little bad about not being there or doing enough to also help Rebecca through a very precarious emotional period. That's in the suicide scenario of course.

 

[SunnieRN]

I would think he might be expected to have a little remorse at least, if only because he did seemingly, possibly neglect the feelings of his mate, of her sense of rejection and isolation, and of despair. Sure, #1 would be his dying son's condition; but as his woman was also all bound up (pardon the expression) with what had happened to the child, and had - it appears - been kept from being on hand at the hospital and possibly out of the loop (sorry for the figure of speech once again), and then it turns out (in the suicide scenario) that she felt such hopelessness and misery, she killed herself. If he has a heart, I'd assume he would feel bad also about not taking enough care with his Rebecca and leaving her to such a lonely doom. Unless either he was paying good attention to her needs and her hurt during all this (and she killed herself anyway in despair), or he really doesn't feel enough for her to experience remorse, as in, "what might I have done to save Rebecca from such a fate". I've not seen in his publicist-released statements on the matter any sense of his feeling awful or even a little bad about not being there or doing enough to also help Rebecca through a very precarious emotional period. That's in the suicide scenario of course.

And I think therein lies the confusion I feel in this case. JS is acting as if Rebecca was the nanny or a business acquaintance. Nothing personal or emotional concerning her death.

I would hope that if I had been involved with someone for over two years, traveled with them, kept up his home, helped with his children when they were there, loved him and felt that the love was reciprocated, I would think that if I died, that person would be upset, angry and more than a little bit concerned at how, why and what led me to die.

 

[Brit]

http://www.examiner.com/news-analysis-in-national/jonah-shacknai-doubted-rebecca-zahau-committed-suicide

Interesting read.

 

[Brit]

http://www.examiner.com/news-analysis-in-national/jonah-shacknai-doubted-rebecca-zahau-committed-suicide

Excerpt from article in above link:


Rebecca Zahau was found completely naked, hanging from a second floor inner courtyard balcony at about 6:30 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 with her feet bound, her hands tied behind her back, a blue T-shirt wrapped around her throat with parts of it in her mouth as a gag, with adhesive tape residue on her calves, and a fracture to her calvaria or skullcap bone indicating a possible blow to her head, at the historic Shacknai home, known as the Spreckels Mansion, located at 1043 Ocean Boulevard, in Coronado, CA.


One fireman who works in Coronado whom we interviewed under conditions of anonymity, thought that the finding of suicide was based on "a balance between efficiency and effectiveness", claiming that the City of Coronado's police department was highly efficient, but not as effective in responding to high profile suspicious death incidents.

He also told us that Coronado wanted to protect its revenue sources that were highly dependent on tourism, that the County Sheriff's office saw this as a "political hot potato", and that both departments, because of political and other concerns, wanted the case closed and forgotten.

 

[Pach]

haha. well, this is the best "non-conspiracy" explanation for why LE came out with their "suicide" findings despite the evidence that has been made available to the public. As I have mentioned before, the findings should have been "Undetermined" but I suppose, that might get tourists worried enough to shy away, and cause a loss of revenue for Coronado businesses. (FYI, Coronado is a tourist area.)
I wish, LE would come out with a more detailed explanation to convince us it was indeed a suicide because based on the available evidence shared with the public, it just not convincing enough, and by the way, even if we go with the "suicide" finding, how sure are we that it cannot be a "staged" suicide ??

http://www.examiner.com/news-analysis-in-national/jonah-shacknai-doubted-rebecca-zahau-committed-suicide

Excerpt from article in above link:


Rebecca Zahau was found completely naked, hanging from a second floor inner courtyard balcony at about 6:30 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 with her feet bound, her hands tied behind her back, a blue T-shirt wrapped around her throat with parts of it in her mouth as a gag, with adhesive tape residue on her calves, and a fracture to her calvaria or skullcap bone indicating a possible blow to her head, at the historic Shacknai home, known as the Spreckels Mansion, located at 1043 Ocean Boulevard, in Coronado, CA.


One fireman who works in Coronado whom we interviewed under conditions of anonymity, thought that the finding of suicide was based on "a balance between efficiency and effectiveness", claiming that the City of Coronado's police department was highly efficient, but not as effective in responding to high profile suspicious death incidents.

He also told us that Coronado wanted to protect its revenue sources that were highly dependent on tourism, that the County Sheriff's office saw this as a "political hot potato", and that both departments, because of political and other concerns, wanted the case closed and forgotten.

 

[SophieRose]

http://www.examiner.com/news-analysis-in-national/jonah-shacknai-doubted-rebecca-zahau-committed-suicide

Excerpt from article in above link:


Rebecca Zahau was found completely naked, hanging from a second floor inner courtyard balcony at about 6:30 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 with her feet bound, her hands tied behind her back, a blue T-shirt wrapped around her throat with parts of it in her mouth as a gag, with adhesive tape residue on her calves, and a fracture to her calvaria or skullcap bone indicating a possible blow to her head, at the historic Shacknai home, known as the Spreckels Mansion, located at 1043 Ocean Boulevard, in Coronado, CA.


One fireman who works in Coronado whom we interviewed under conditions of anonymity, thought that the finding of suicide was based on "a balance between efficiency and effectiveness", claiming that the City of Coronado's police department was highly efficient, but not as effective in responding to high profile suspicious death incidents.

He also told us that Coronado wanted to protect its revenue sources that were highly dependent on tourism, that the County Sheriff's office saw this as a "political hot potato", and that both departments, because of political and other concerns, wanted the case closed and forgotten.

I can understand a touristy town/city might want to come to quick resolution if it were a serial killer on the loose. Remember the Yosemite killings and initially the murders were thought to be done by a group of people in Modesto. FBI kept telling press they thought they had the killers. Some of that was probably done to protect the tourist trade in and around Yosemite. I think most people who think this is not a suicide, still believe if it is a murder it's related to this house. I doubt very many people in Coronado are afraid that they could be next.

 

[CDS22]

thanks for explaining .... He did say though when he called Rebecca's family to inform them of her death that Rebecca commited suicide . Thats my recollection of the earlier news stories way before the LE announced their findings. what makes him so sure that Rebecca commited suicide ? does he know something we dont know ? does LE already know what he knows(assuming he does know something) ?

The family claims that, and I don't know if it's true. But let's say he did say Rebecca committed suicide. Maybe that's what he assumed because she was found hanging. It's what I would assume if I found someone hanging.

Look, maybe in their last conversation he said something to the effect that Max might not make it, and she said something like, "I'll kill myself!" and he didn't really think she'd do it. Then she's found hanging. So it'd make sense to assume it was suicide, IF that's what happened.

IMO

 

[CDS22]

I would think he might be expected to have a little remorse at least, if only because he did seemingly, possibly neglect the feelings of his mate, of her sense of rejection and isolation, and of despair. Sure, #1 would be his dying son's condition; but as his woman was also all bound up (pardon the expression) with what had happened to the child, and had - it appears - been kept from being on hand at the hospital and possibly out of the loop (sorry for the figure of speech once again), and then it turns out (in the suicide scenario) that she felt such hopelessness and misery, she killed herself. If he has a heart, I'd assume he would feel bad also about not taking enough care with his Rebecca and leaving her to such a lonely doom. Unless either he was paying good attention to her needs and her hurt during all this (and she killed herself anyway in despair), or he really doesn't feel enough for her to experience remorse, as in, "what might I have done to save Rebecca from such a fate". I've not seen in his publicist-released statements on the matter any sense of his feeling awful or even a little bad about not being there or doing enough to also help Rebecca through a very precarious emotional period. That's in the suicide scenario of course.

Remorse is something someone who's done wrong should be feeling. Say, like someone who was watching a child who got fatally wounded, not someone who was busy fighting for his son's life only to have to watch him die, then break the news to his other children.

No offense to anyone, but Rebecca wasn't his wife, she wasn't the mother of his child, and Max's death wouldn't impact her like it would Max's mother and father. Rebecca was just the woman he was living with, and I know that sounds cold, but a girlfriend doesn't equal a dead child, particularly if said girlfriend was somehow, even advertently, to blame for the child's death.

Maybe JS hired investigators from the start and knows more than he's letting on. Maybe he was going to break up with Rebecca before the accident, maybe decidedly after. Maybe he's tearing his guts out over her death and feels it's such a private matter, he can't share it with the public. Maybe he's the kind of guy who holds close his most private feelings, so he won't discuss RZ publicly. Who knows?

But he doesn't owe the public anything.

What I find the strangest is that the Zahau family is busy trying to collect money but have yet to offer a single condolence to Max or mention the child's death. They have made all sorts of flying accusations about the victims in little Max's death and that's just wrong. It makes the thinking and feeling public automatically side with JS and DS.

The smartest thing for everyone to do, in my humble opinion, is step back, take a deep breath, and let the experts handle things. If you don't like the experts taxpayers have provided, pony up and pay for it out of your own pocket. Surely with six siblings, many in-laws, and two living parents, they can come up with some money for a private investigation, or civil suit, which is what I think they're really heading for.

It looks cheap and tacky to sell stories to tabloids, and that's what we see happening. That makes JS and DS's dignified silence all the more powerful.

IMO

 

[SunnieRN]

The family claims that, and I don't know if it's true. But let's say he did say Rebecca committed suicide. Maybe that's what he assumed because she was found hanging. It's what I would assume if I found someone hanging.

Look, maybe in their last conversation he said something to the effect that Max might not make it, and she said something like, "I'll kill myself!" and he didn't really think she'd do it. Then she's found hanging. So it'd make sense to assume it was suicide, IF that's what happened.

IMO

That's an awful lot of 'assuming', and we all know what they say about assuming.

 

[CDS22]

haha. well, this is the best "non-conspiracy" explanation for why LE came out with their "suicide" findings despite the evidence that has been made available to the public. As I have mentioned before, the findings should have been "Undetermined" but I suppose, that might get tourists worried enough to shy away, and cause a loss of revenue for Coronado businesses. (FYI, Coronado is a tourist area.)
I wish, LE would come out with a more detailed explanation to convince us it was indeed a suicide because based on the available evidence shared with the public, it just not convincing enough, and by the way, even if we go with the "suicide" finding, how sure are we that it cannot be a "staged" suicide ??

No offense, but the Examiner isn't really regarded as a respected news source. They hire practically anyone. If you don't believe me, apply to them. You won't believe how easy it is to get in there. (And last I heard, they don't pay).

IMO

 

[CDS22]

That's an awful lot of 'assuming', and we all know what they say about assuming.

And thus you are making your own assumption.

IMO

 

[SunnieRN]

And thus you are making your own assumption.

IMO

Actually I was remarking concerning your post.:seeya:

 

[lauriej]

The question is where was the hospital of Maxie ? outside coronado or inside the coronado area.. Next, are there security cameras in the vicinity of the hospital in addition to the cameras on the hospital premises ?

..maxie was at rady's children's hospital in san diego.

..driving distance from 1043 ocean blvd. coronado CA to rady's children's hospital 3020 children's way san diego CA.

I-805 S
21 mins / 13.93 miles

CA-163 S
20 mins / 12.26 miles