Rebecca Nalepa - suicide or murder? #2

[jjenny]

was there a party the night before she was found, which was held while Max was in the hosp??

Nor is it known exactly what Zahau Nalepa and Jonah’s brother Adam were doing Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. Neighbors reported hearing a loud party at the house which Zahau Nalepa had been planning since the weekend. Adam found her body the following morning.
http://www.bnet.com/blog/drug-busin...dont-explain-timeline-at-shacknais-house/9140

There have been reports that it might have not been a party but a loud music instead.
Well why was there loud music (considering the child's accident)? Did somebody not want others to hear something?

 

[MsFacetious]

Also from your posted link:

Adam is a "prime witness" who has been "very cooperative," Frank says, adding that he has since left California.

Jonah has left and gone back to Arizona.
I would not expect Adam to have stayed in California if his brother left.

 

[Lovejac]

His mother, Jonah Shacknai's ex-wife Dina, has been identified by detectives as a witness in Zahau's death.
http://coronado.patch.com/articles/all-eyes-have-turned-to-coronado

Oh yeah. This was discussed on the 1st thread.

The author of that article clarifies below in the comments.

roger
7:27am on Monday, July 18, 2011

Dina is a witness to Zahau's death....is that a missprint? How could that be given Zahau and Adam were suppoedly only ones at mansion property that Tues/night -Wed morning.

Log in to reply Jennifer Vigil
9:34am on Monday, July 18, 2011

Detectives have labeled Dina a witness, yes, under questioning from the media, to distinguish between witness and “person of interest” or suspect. They have also labeled Jonah and Adam as witnesses. That doesn't necessarily mean the people talking to investigators were present at the scene. Only Adam and Rebecca have been named as having been on the property that night. Thanks for your question.

 

[Lovejac]

I don't believe Max's 'fall' and subsequent death was accidental and I don't believe Rebecca committed suicide either.

These deaths are absolutely connected IMO and husband is in it up to his eyeballs AFAIC.

You have me intrigued! Please share.

 

[JoeFromLB]

We have dug up everything we can about this family, let's let LE finish it off, jmo.

It shouldn't be long before they come to some conclusions and announce them. They're rushing the toxicology tests, as several news sources have reported.

 

[Carrington]

Whatever happened to the "Don't Leave Town" line.
IMO

 

[4Jacy]

i don't believe max's 'fall' and subsequent death was accidental and i don't believe rebecca committed suicide either.

These deaths are absolutely connected imo and husband is in it up to his eyeballs afaic.

rut roe

 

[Carpe Pacem]

If this woman truly loved her boyfriend, and was miserable and guilt-stricken for having been in charge when his little boy had his fatal accident, I can't see her wanting to add to this man's trauma/emotional pain by taking her life in such a very bizarre, dramatic way.

Sorry for the run-on sentence.

 

[4Jacy]

We have dug up everything we can about this family, let's let LE finish it off, jmo.

Why? I don't believe we have dug up everything we can. Let LE finish if off? Surely you jest. Oh, MO

 

[MsFacetious]

Whatever happened to the "Don't Leave Town" line.
IMO

This is a summer house. Not his full time residence.
Why stay in your summer house when the family you vacation with is all dead?

I would not go back to the house where both my son and the person I planned to marry had just died.

There also was Max's funeral... which wasn't to be held there. I don't think anyone expected Max's parents to remain there and not plan or attend his funeral.

Rebecca's funeral as well if he was assisting with or attending that (I assume he was, given the way Rebecca's brother in law talked highly of him) was not going to be held there either.

At this point I see no reason to think he is involved in either death. The guy can get back on a plane at anytime and come back if needed. I see no reason he needs to remain at the scene where all of this occurred. That would just be torture.

 

[Bonepile]

In Chinese culture the color "blue" symbolizes Immortality. Dark blue is a color worn at funerals and in the presence of death.

Could be the meaning of the blue scarf she had around her neck.

 

[anyoldtime48]

@anyoldtime48

WOW! That was some post!! Long Post #44

But I did miss the "check"'s from your previous step-by-step list!

I’m stuck on your step #5, with ankles bound then noose on then wrists bound, I don't see how one can slip bound feet through bound wrists to arrive with hands in back and have noose rope be long enough to hang (and not feet dragging on ground) once jumping off 4' table. I think one would have to be sitting to accomplish the slip through. [I tried and at least I would have to be sitting.]

What if one were to bind ankles, stand straight, tie noose rope at this height, secure one wrist, move both wrists behind back and secure other wrist. In this way the noose would be guaranteed to be high enough to keep feet off the ground after jumping.

[however: this wrist tying method would be extremely difficult if using the contractor style thick orange extension cord. Are there orange electrical cords that are more house electrical cord thickness and thus more pliable?]

If one was serious about this hanging thing, avoiding having to make multiple attempts due to noose rope being too long would have to be a high priority. <snark>

Sorry, I just keep going (and going, and going) while thinking thru it.

Only real difference from my original list is not having to heave yourself over the balcony railing (reportedly about 3-ft high) after securing feet and wrists, but rather kicking away a table.

I can't see any way she'd have been able to tie up her wrists behind her back if it was indeed electrical cord. Other way (in front, then running legs thru arms) is easy if fit and thin and limber, which she apparently was on all 3 counts.

But doing that while standing on a table? Far more problematic for me to wrap my head around. Would have to be one sturdy table, and straddling the walkway I can't see it sitting there nice and stable.

Tough to re-enact and you can be darn sure I'm not going to get rope, haul out a long extension cord, put a table under my balcony, and give it a go to see if it would work. Least of all get naked before trying.

Something is missing here in terms of what we know about bindings and whatever was used for noose/rope.

As far as the apparent blue scarf...live fast, die young, and leave a pretty corpse comes to mind. Could have been as simple as to not leave ugly rope burn, or the mistaken belief it would reduce the pain. Again, presuming the suicide theory.

 

[anyoldtime48]

Jonah has left and gone back to Arizona.
I would not expect Adam to have stayed in California if his brother left.

Especially as he has a job to get back to so he can cover rent on his apartment. Guys lives and works in Memphis, and best I can surmise, doesn't happen to own a summer home. Tugboat is that boy's "getaway."

 

[anyoldtime48]

It shouldn't be long before they come to some conclusions and announce them. They're rushing the toxicology tests, as several news sources have reported.

Would be loverly, but still sounds like all the rest of the forensics are going to take a good long while.

Story posted Thursday evening:

It could take another several weeks before investigators get answers as to what really happened inside the Spreckels mansion that left a boy gravely injured near the foot of the vacation home’s grand staircase and his father’s girlfriend hanging from second-floor balcony two days later, authorities said Thursday.

Investigators from the Sheriff’s Department and Coronado police are awaiting the results of forensic tests to determine how 6-year-old Max Shacknai and 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau died — and if either death was the result of a criminal act.​

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/21/answers-spreckels-mansion-deaths-could-take-weeks/

 

[Bonepile]

In case this has not been posted before Douglas Loehner who is Rebecca's brother-in-law was recognized this week for 10 years of service to the St. Joseph Missouri Police Department. The article does not indicate in which capacity he was honored. Hopefully this will help with the retrieval of information moving forward.

http://www.stjoepd.info/awards.cfm

 

[BrownRice]

If this woman truly loved her boyfriend, and was miserable and guilt-stricken for having been in charge when his little boy had his fatal accident, I can't see her wanting to add to this man's trauma/emotional pain by taking her life in such a very bizarre, dramatic way.

Sorry for the run-on sentence.

But you're thinking as a person who is not involved in this tragic accident and not devastated nor depressed. Her taking her life makes sense to me. I would assume if you are so far gone that you really want to commit suicide, you are not particularly concerned about the emotional aftermath of your loved ones.

She loved this little boy so much and feels responsible for his death (even though she probably wasn't). Knowing Max was the apple of his daddy's eye, she is so consumed with grief and feels she owes it to the world to end her life because she is such a horrible person. FYI - this is a theory. I do not believe she was a horrible person at all - just trying to get into her thought process if it was suicide.

 

[~n/t~]

But you're thinking as a person who is not involved in this tragic accident and not devastated nor depressed. Her taking her life makes sense to me. I would assume if you are so far gone that you really want to commit suicide, you are not particularly concerned about the emotional aftermath of your loved ones.

She loved this little boy so much and feels responsible for his death (even though she probably wasn't). Knowing Max was the apple of his daddy's eye, she is so consumed with grief and feels she owes it to the world to end her life because she is such a horrible person. FYI - this is a theory. I do not believe she was a horrible person at all - just trying to get into her thought process if it was suicide.

I agree that it is very plausible that it is suicide. However, I'm having difficulty understanding her choice or method. Why such an elaborate and exposed way? Her fiancé just lost his son to a tragic "accident", IDK, it just seems selfish in a way having to do this to him in such a way that it would pain him even more...at his mansion, hanging, naked. I'm having a hard time expressing what I mean in words but I hope you get the gist of what I'm trying to say.

In no way am I saying any method of suicide is less painful to loved ones left behind but I think in this case, it's very suspicious.

 

[BrownRice]

I agree that it is very plausible that it is suicide. However, I'm having difficulty understanding her choice or method. Why such an elaborate and exposed way? Her fiancé just lost his son to a tragic "accident", IDK, it just seems selfish in a way having to do this to him in such a way that it would pain him even more...at his mansion, hanging, naked. I'm having a hard time expressing what I mean in words but I hope you get the gist of what I'm trying to say.

In no way am I saying any method of suicide is less painful to loved ones left behind but I think in this case, it's very suspicious.

Oh yea, I agree this is bizarre and parts don't make sense. Like I said earlier in another post, she could have easily just gone over to the bridge to commit suicide. It would have been a lot quicker than what she did (if she did it). But, if she did commit suicide, I don't think she would have have thought too much about the pain she was causing (not because she was being selfish, but because she was so despondent).

I guess I am in the minority when it comes to suicide. I don't think it's a selfish act because I think when someone does it they are not thinking clearly - they are focused on one thing only - ending their pain. They don't have the ability in that moment to focus on the whole picture. It's just sad.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

she is laying on her left hip, sort of on her side, her face is looking straight up at the sky

Dont you think when Adam found her once he got her down he placed her on her back with her face straight up?

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I agree that it is very plausible that it is suicide. However, I'm having difficulty understanding her choice or method. Why such an elaborate and exposed way? Her fiancé just lost his son to a tragic "accident", IDK, it just seems selfish in a way having to do this to him in such a way that it would pain him even more...at his mansion, hanging, naked. I'm having a hard time expressing what I mean in words but I hope you get the gist of what I'm trying to say.

In no way am I saying any method of suicide is less painful to loved ones left behind but I think in this case, it's very suspicious.

I am not sure they intentionally do it to be selfish although it does destroy their loved ones and leaves them trying to figure out 'why' and really most of the time it remains a mystery unless there is a record history of depression. I truly think their full motive is to stop the pain they feel. They may even believe that those who love them will be better off without them.

I suppose some suicides are elaborate because the person realizes this will be the last thing they will organize and carry through.

With my daughter's friend it would have been far easier and much more simple for her to just overdose herself on the prescription meds in her own home but she chose for whatever reason (known only to her) to hang herself instead.