Rebecca Nalepa - suicide or murder? #1

[YooKay]

I should have said "bound together." Her legs are clearly apart, but something is definitely on them.

This is the thing that keeps troubling me.... in the Fox5 photos you can see the orange cord around her ankles very clearly, there seems to be a LOT of cord.

Why would she do this if she was committing suicide? I can just about reason it if her feet where bound together, but why tie lots of cord around your own ankles individually? What purpose could this possibly serve?

Like others, I find it hard to imagine in a house that size that there weren't any staff around. Who was it that removed the teenage sister from the scene? Anyone know?

Also, the mother of Maxie lived close by, any reports on who she lives with, husband, other children? Would be interested to hear.

 

[CocoChanel]

I totally agree with this post. I don't find it unusual JS hasn't released a statement about RN's death. He doesn't owe it to anybody. It's his private loss - not anything that would be published to the world.

And yes, if RN's death was retaliation for Max, the obvious cause of death would be more violent - and quick. This cause of death certainly seems like suicide (but of course things don't make sense) or at the hands of a man.

And I don't think for 1 second either parent left the hospital while Max was there.

I would guess, that for a person with great power, influence, and wealth, all it would take was one phone call to set the wheels in motion for a vengeful action.

 

[BrownRice]

I would guess, that for a person with great power, influence, and wealth, all it would take was one phone call to set the wheels in motion for a vengeful action.

Yeah, but this isn't a Soprano's episode, it's real life. And I'd think they (parents) would only be thinking of Max and not plotting revenge during his last breathing moments on earth. Just my opinion. A hit seems so out there, but of course does happen. But even in the Soprano's, the person just would have been whacked off quickly. Not something that would take 5 minutes to perform.

 

[YooKay]

Just to throw another idea up in the air, could Rebecca's death have been caused by somebody breaking into the house?

It was all over the news about the accident of Maxie, the father of whom is know to be very wealthy and at that time most likely to be a the side of his son and away from home.

I still think the bindings on her legs look like she was tied to a chair at some point.
Just an another possibility to look at.

 

[CuriousHousewife]

What about in the wee hours of the morning?

If it was before 7am, likely was more like a 20-25 minute drive depending on the lights and such just to get out of that area of Coronado. It's not a straight shot onto the interstate until you get through town.

If it was after 7am, I used to travel that stretch of 805 for work and left at 7am and it could be a madhouse. There's no way to tell.

Part of my point in posting the distance between the Spreckels mansion and Childrens (now Rady) Hospital is that I am curious if there was an hour or so early that morning where Dina was not present at the hospital. Or Jonah. Or anyone that had previously been there. No doubt there is surveillance at the hospital. Maybe the house.

 

[CuriousHousewife]

If the ex-wife (Dina) lives nearby, I wonder how old this site is? http://www.melmedcenter.com/drshacknai

 

[CuriousHousewife]

And neither here nor there (probably), but Dr. Shacknai is an "expert" in ADHD and child psychology. Her research has been published as recently as April of this year. I can't get a handle on if she was working in AZ or SD, though.

 

[CuriousHousewife]

Don't know how she ended up face down, if the paramedics tried to revive her.

Someone thought the Fire Dept. reported her as "alive" when they got there. The media coverage seemed to infer so, perhaps a misinterpretation of EMT's efforts. I don't know standard protocol for revival efforts.

I think what caused confusion was how she was described.
"In distress" by AS when he called 911. Odd way of putting it.
It suggests she was alive when he cut her down, and administered CPR until medics arrived and took over.

Heroic effort! When I heard he did CPR, he got my vote of innocence! I mean, who would try to kill someone, then revive them so they can talk? His life saving effort could also be a big show, to remove suspicion. There aren't enough details to determine. Seems a slim chance she'd still be breathing, with all the tasks he had to perform, especially if he had to get to the balcony.

Whoever masterminded this has everybody scratching their head. LE appears confident they'll have answers when the forensic investigation is complete. They're talking DNA. Well, if AS did CPR, his DNA would be all over her.

How many times have we heard stores of someone claiming to be doing or have done CPR on a victim via 911 calls or in statements only to have paramedics determine that it probably didn't happen later? Just because he SAYS he did doesn't mean that he did. She could have been long dead and cold. I want to know WHO determined she was in distress. Was it the paramedics when THEY arrived (meaning she was breathing?) or was it the brother who says she was breathing when he found her?

The articles in this case are so backwards and contradictory of each other. I would like to see ONE local publication cover all of the points and do it accurately in one place. I know...I'm a dreamer.

 

[scorekeeper]

And neither here nor there (probably), but Dr. Shacknai is an "expert" in ADHD and child psychology. Her research has been published as recently as April of this year. I can't get a handle on if she was working in AZ or SD, though.

I believe her office is in AZ. The family vacations in CA. After their divorce, she has a house a couple of blocks from the mansion. But then again, with telecommuting, she may still be working from CA; I thought I read somewhere she was working on furthering her educational status.

I would like to know if the brother had visited his nephew in the hospital???
I think he arrived on Tuesday and RN was found hanging around 6:30/6:45 am Wednesday. If he was at the mansion on Tuesday, he should be able to tell LE if there was a party/loud music on Tuesday night.

 

[matou]

Another thing that is hinky to me..the electrical cord. A woman might tie her feet and hands with a belt from a satin robe or bathrobe...not an electrical cord. No way.

ITA. A woman may not see electrical cording as a type of rope at all. In fact, many people regardless of sex would see electrical cording that way, except for someone who wants to rape a woman or keep her hostage, rob and assault her. I think the cord was used to tie her up and a man did it. I agree that if she wanted to tie up her own feet and hands, she would have used a softer material like cloth or actual cord/rope. I haven't read up on all of the details of this case yet, has the victim been checked for sexual assault? Her being naked is totally not typical of a female suicide. JMO

 

[STEADFAST]

I believe her office is in AZ. The family vacations in CA. After their divorce, she has a house a couple of blocks from the mansion. But then again, with telecommuting, she may still be working from CA; I thought I read somewhere she was working on furthering her educational status.

I would like to know if the brother had visited his nephew in the hospital???
I think he arrived on Tuesday and RN was found hanging around 6:30/6:45 am Wednesday. If he was at the mansion on Tuesday, he should be able to tell LE if there was a party/loud music on Tuesday night.

Yeah, I'm kind of curious about why the brother came if he didn't visit the hospital. Of course, for all we know, he could have been at the hospital by his nephew's bed most of Tuesday, just coming back to Coronado to sleep.

 

[CanManEh]

I think it was on JVM last night that this guy jonah ,His company took in 700 million last year so for that he coulda had every character on the soprano's wacked . This 27 , bedroom house was just a vacation home something tells me he coulda made this happen if he wanted too.

 

[STEADFAST]

Okay, they're saying it wasn't so much a party as it was an "event" on Tuesday? What is that supposed to mean? Also, now they think that other people spent the night at the house besides Rebecca and Adam.

The sheriff's department said Tuesday they is looking into the "possibility other people may have been staying inside the house" the night before Zahau died. http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/ks...-death-investigation-20110719,0,3614348.story

(ETA Notice how that reads "they is looking"?! And this is from a major TV station in San Diego.) :sigh:

 

[CanManEh]

Well we know one of the daughters was there and i don't know why but i got the impression that they didn't wanna say it but that jonah may of been in the home through the night and left maybe when he seen her or just before but that he had come home . Just the impression i got and he is the one that got the lawyer immediently . Do we know at what time the son passed max i mean they said he was in a induced coma but i would like to know at what time he actually passed away . Just some random thoughts .

 

[CanManEh]

I think thats worded like that because thier are 2 departments on this . I think

 

[YooKay]

Okay, they're saying it wasn't so much a party as it was an "event" on Tuesday? What is that supposed to mean? Also, now they think that other people spent the night at the house besides Rebecca and Adam.
(ETA Notice how that reads "they is looking"?! And this is from a major TV station in San Diego.) :sigh:

So we have a possible "gathering" of people at the house on Tuesday evening.
We also have a possible witness claiming loud music playing on Tuesday evening.
Put those two together and it's easy to see why the word "party" is used!
What an earth happened in that house Tuesday evening??

 

[scorekeeper]

Okay, they're saying it wasn't so much a party as it was an "event" on Tuesday? What is that supposed to mean? Also, now they think that other people spent the night at the house besides Rebecca and Adam.
(ETA Notice how that reads "they is looking"?! And this is from a major TV station in San Diego.) :sigh:

Possibly relatives/friends staying at the mansion and visiting Maxie at the hospital?

http:///viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979667218

He is asking that people seeking to make memorial donations honoring Max, send them to Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation either by mail to 9045 E. Pima Center Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85258, or via their website, www.whisperinghoperanch.org.

http://www.whisperinghoperanch.org/

Bringing the wonder of nature and animals to children with special needs

Does anyone know if Maxie was a special needs child? I wonder if perhaps Maxie, the dog/puppy and his half-sister (if she was there) were running/playing and the accident occurred.......

 

[Morag]

http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_18506278?source=rss

Shacknai bought the 27-room mansion in March 2007, when it was assessed at $12.75 million. The home was built in 1908 and named for its original owner, John D. Spreckels, an heir to the Spreckels sugar fortune who also owned the newspapers the San Diego Union and San Diego Tribune. Spreckels' brother, Adolph, was a San Francisco businessman and philanthropist whose Pacific Heights mansion was later owned by novelist Danielle Steel.

I thought it was interesting that the original owner also owned the local newspapers. And a bit of trivia for some of our 'older' posters- movie star Clark Gable was married to Kay Spreckels, the former wife of Adolph Spreckels, Jr.

 

[BrownRice]

Another thing that is hinky to me..the electrical cord. A woman might tie her feet and hands with a belt from a satin robe or bathrobe...not an electrical cord. No way.

That's an excellent point. AND it would be very difficult to even bind yourself with an electrical cord. If it is one of those industrial type (orange - for outside or the garage) those are very thick. You wouldn't even be able to tie yourself tightly (I would assume).

 

[BrownRice]

http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_18506278?source=rss

Shacknai bought the 27-room mansion in March 2007, when it was assessed at $12.75 million. The home was built in 1908 and named for its original owner, John D. Spreckels, an heir to the Spreckels sugar fortune who also owned the newspapers the San Diego Union and San Diego Tribune. Spreckels' brother, Adolph, was a San Francisco businessman and philanthropist whose Pacific Heights mansion was later owned by novelist Danielle Steel.

I thought it was interesting that the original owner also owned the local newspapers. And a bit of trivia for some of our 'older' posters- movie star Clark Gable was married to Kay Spreckels, the former wife of Adolph Spreckels, Jr.

There's also a Spreckels theatre downtown named after him.