Rebecca Nalepa - suicide or murder? #1

[time]

Something is bothering me...how would the Shacknai's "friends" know when Rebecca died? I don't believe the time of death has been released by the coroner yet.

I guess they knew when Adam found her, but as I've posted, she seemed to be still alive when firefighters arrived.

What I was wondering is how would they really know that both of Max's parents were in the hospital, expecially at 6:30 or before in the morning. I'm sure they were told that, not that they knew. I doubt the nurses would even know if they were there all the time.

 

[JoeFromLB]

http://www.cbs8.com/story/15075598/coronado-mansion-death?clienttype=printable

Shacknai's ex-wife, Dina Shacknai, a clinical psychologist based in Arizona, also lives part-time at a nearby home in Coronado. News 8 spoke to an unidentified man at Dina Shacknai's home, who said she was not prepared to make a public statement at this time. He added that Dina Shacknai was at the hospital with her son at the time of the incident at the mansion.

 

[Linda7NJ]

photos at this link

http://www.theage.com.au/world/deat...thing-like-this-to-happen-20110718-1hkzx.html

 

[anyoldtime48]

I thought I read earlier that her house is only 2 blocks away? And, that the hospital was actually extremely close also.

Dunno how close her home is, but Google maps puts the hospital at about 12 miles north of his home on Ocean Blvd.

Close is relative of course. But LE said they had been in constant touch with Jonah and I suspect he and Dina had spent the entire night at Max's side and were confirmed to be at the hospital. So if they were known to be there the all night, then he indeed would not have been at home at her time of death....which occurred sometime between the phone call and when she was apparently found hanging.

 

[sorrell skye]

Does anyone think it is strange that there was a midnight phone call? I never call anyone after 8 p.m., but that is just me.

Her sister said she called Rebecca @ midnight, so it may have been midnight for the sister, but 10:00 p.m. for Rebecca.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

The hospital they took Maxie to was off the island - meaning they didn't take him to the main hosptial on Coronado (Sharp Hospital). Instead he went to Rady's Children Hospital - which is about 30 minutes away (not counting bridge traffic).

The only way in/out of Coronado is the Bay Bridge or by ferry/helicopter.

North Central City (Main Campus)
3020 Children's Way
San Diego, CA 92123

Rady is the main children's hospital in San Diego (and a good one at that).

Mel

Well, this just gets weirder and weirder.

Do a google news search for "Max Shacknai transferred Rady." The snippet that comes up clearly says, "CPR was performed and the youngster was taken to Coronado Hospital before being transferred to Rady Children's Hospital."

But when I click the link to go to the article:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/14/woman-found-dead-spreckels-mansion-identified/

...the article says nothing about him going to Coronado Hospital!

Man, can't anyone get their facts straight?

 

[JoeFromLB]

Another thing that's bothering me:

excerpt:
The man who made the call, Adam Shacknai, told investigators he found Zahau's body hanging from a second-floor balcony over a courtyard and cut the rope or cord attached to her neck to get her down, sheriff's homicide Capt. Tim Curran said. ...

http://www.10news.com/news/28579183/detail.html

Unfortunately, that act may have compromised the evidence to some degree.
Also, I have not read any stories that state Rebecca was definitely still alive when the medics arrived. Has anyone heard differently?

 

[Melanie]

Well, this just gets weirder and weirder.

Do a google news search for "Max Shacknai transferred Rady." The snippet that comes up clearly says, "CPR was performed and the youngster was taken to Coronado Hospital before being transferred to Rady Children's Hospital."

But when I click the link to go to the article:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/14/woman-found-dead-spreckels-mansion-identified/

...the article says nothing about him going to Coronado Hospital!

Man, can't anyone get their facts straight?

I know - I get the same thing. If Maxie went to Sharp Coronado, no one is saying. Would they transfer a child in such critical condition, or take him straight to the nearest critical care unit for children. If they did transfer him, it should have been by copter - IMHO.

I think he went straight to Rady's myself.

MOO

Mel

 

[Linda7NJ]

I'm not too sure that one can convincingly tie his/her own hands behind their back. Feet, maybe, but unless you are Houdini or the Greatest Boy Scout Knot Tyer, I just don't see it being passing for authentic. It would be loose. Think about it -- how many of us can scratch our own backs, let alone do things with our arms behind us? If I tried to tie my hands in front of me, I still don't think it would be very tight. I guess I think that's a dead giveaway. For example, in the Jayna Murray/Lululemon murder, Brittany Norwood attempted to make it look real and they knew straight away that it was fishy because of the way her hands WEREN'T tied. And why stage your murder that way? Pack your bags and leave town, cut yourself and throw some blood around. I don't know... It's nefarious.

Also, why wouldn't she be with her significant other at the hospital? I understand you can't be there 24/7, but is there any mention anywhere of her having visited the boy or being there to support her boyfriend?

It sounds like this accident with the son happened and someone blamed Rebecca. Even if she blamed herself and decided to go out on her own out of guilt (or because she thought people assumed her guilt) the rest is just uncalled for. Who restrains his/herself? So she couldn't stop herself? If you really want to die, you won't anyway.

I hate to see so much tragedy happen and have someone's death sold short.

It's very possible to tie hands together in the front and step over them to now have them tied behind you. I just tried it, it was easy

 

[sorrell skye]

From Charlie09's link:

The body of a 32-year-old woman, Rebecca M. Zahau, was found hanging from the balcony of the Ocean Boulevard house Wednesday, her nude body bound at the ankles and her wrists tied behind her back, sheriff’s investigators said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/14/woman-found-dead-spreckels-mansion-identified/

Wrists tied behind her back????

If this account is accurate, I'm seriously skeptical it was a suicide.

How does one tie their own hands behind their back - and with orange electrical wire (which sounds to me like it may have been one of those heavy duty carpenter-type extension cords)?

Others in this thread have expressed similar disbelief that her death was the result of suicide. I agree - her wrists tied behind her back make the suicide scenario seem implausible, IMO.

 

[JenniferTx]

Very strange story....when I first read it my first thought was that she killed herself because she felt bad because the 6 year old had died.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I want to know what else was found when the boy was found. Once my brother and I took a ride down our carpeted stairs on a boogie board. Yeah, I grew up in San Diego, so we had boogie boards handy!

Yep, my own son always slid down the stairs on a boogie board, cardboard, snow tube...didn't matter to him as long as he slid fast and it never bothered me.

 

[marycarney]

Ummm..... just how exactly do you bind your own hands and feel and THEN climb over the railing with a rope around your neck? Seriously kids - unless she had a previous career as a circus contortionist, I ain't buyin' it!

JMHO

 

[sorrell skye]

A day after the body was found, technicians were seen removing several items from the house, including a table with a leg missing, a roll of carpet and a large painting.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/14/woman-found-dead-spreckels-mansion-identified/

I can understand taking a table with a broken leg as potential evidence, but why a roll of carpet and a large painting?

 

[Melanie]

A day after the body was found, technicians were seen removing several items from the house, including a table with a leg missing, a roll of carpet and a large painting.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/14/woman-found-dead-spreckels-mansion-identified/

I can understand taking a table with a broken leg as potential evidence, but why a roll of carpet and a large painting?

Blood spatter?

 

[Donjeta]

There is another thread:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6923112"]Rebecca Nalepa - Page 4 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

 

[sorrell skye]

Image of what looks like a roll of carpet being removed from the residence:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/photo...body-found-spreckels-mansion/21825/#galleries

 

[Linda7NJ]

Authorities would not say exactly how the two incidents may be connected, but said the boy's reported accident needs to be looked at in light of the death of Rebecca M. Zahau, 32.

Investigators believe Zahau's death was either a homicide or a suicide, Frank said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/18/death-of-shacknai-boy-sparks-investigation/

red by me....wow ! No ***** Sherlock comes to mind:banghead:

 

[Linda7NJ]

I didn't think to look for it over there as it is not offically a crime, had I known there was a thread already....I wouldn't have started this one. :innocent:

 

[Wholehearted]

I understand that some people who commit suicide by hanging tie their hands so that they don't pull at the rope and save themselves. But why the feet? I'd think it would make it harder to commit suicide--harder to kick the chair away if you're on a chair, and way harder to jump off a balcony. I can see why a murderer would tie someone's feet to stop them from struggling. I'm having trouble thinking of any reason a suicide would.