Rebecca Zahau Wrongful death trial begins. Trial coverage and discussion #4

[kittychi]

That’s true but they still would address it in some way. They can’t sit there and deny every shred of evidence without some counter to it. At this point though, who else could even be a remote possibility other than AS? A hitman? The defense’s job is to poke holes in the theories and evidence presented. To me, the best way to do that is to give the jurors a secondary thought of who else could correspond with the evidence presented. The defense doesn’t have to prove murder or suicide, but still need to counter with substance that plants doubt.

BBM: Hmmmmm....you wonder if JS really doesn't think AS was the perpetrator that he may *wish* he would have allowed and encouraged the investigation to the fullest extent possible to prove the innocence of his own brother.

Makes me wonder if Greer may bring up the fact that Zahaus tried time and again to get back into the mansion for further investigation and peace of mind and were thwarted every time. There was always the *appearance* that there was something to hide.

My own thoughts.

 

[Brit]

That story is remarkably sparse on details of the demonstration.

Agreed, but it was interesting to read exactly how dramatic the mannequinn reveal was. I think I would have gasped if I was in court to witness it.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Video showing Greer's presentation today. Eerie. I'm not surprised the defense objected. Go Greer!

http://www.cbs8.com/story/37859797/...ing-arguments-to-begin-in-wrongful-death-suit

 

[Mica]

The burden is on the Plaintiff to place AS at the scene of the crime. That's it. So far, there has been no evidence produced that places AS in that bedroom. This isn't a murder trial, it is a wrongful death trial.

Well, we know AS was on scene outside the home (by his own admission) and he left no trace of DNA evidence in places it should be. His testimony doesn’t add up either, as demonstrated by Mr. Greer. I, for one, believe AS either wore gloves and or wiped the evidence, in addition to pieces of evidence not adequately being tested or not tested at all. I also find Adam to not be truthful. Also, the handwriting on the door was very similar to AS's which places him at the crime scene in the home. I believe AS was in the home (crime scene locations) and his DNA disappeared just as it did outside the home in the same manner I described above. JMO

 

[Lezah]

Just another prop, imo.

IMO it was a simple miscalculation.

AS forgot to take into account the length of the rope still attached to RZ throat.

He was focused on the balcony rope, and making sure he had a story of how he was able to reach it.

In comes the three legged table.

So in summary, he simply forgot to add the additional length of rope still attached to RZ neck ...which when added into the total length meant she was virtually on the ground when you put the two pieces together.

Easy mistake to make....


All speculation and...

just my opinion...






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BRRI]

The burden is on the Plaintiff to place AS at the scene of the crime. That's it. So far, there has been no evidence produced that places AS in that bedroom. This isn't a murder trial, it is a wrongful death trial.

Yes. I understand that. That’s the basics of any civil case in wrongful death suits. But evidence-physical and circumstantial- is presented and theories built around it. Both sides narrate the story. I was just saying that I was surprised with some of the defense’s strategy.

And I was agreeing with you anyway. I am concerned that the plaintiffs do not have enough to prove it was AS at fault by the way jurors would be instructed to evaluate everything. I think murder is pretty obvious, but as for a definitive answer as to who did this, based purely on evidence, I don’t know if there is enough. I personally feel AS did this, but legally...we shall see.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I can only go by Webb's closing and he said they were given the proof more than a year before they dropped Dina from the lawsuit.

Attorney statements aren't evidence.

 

[Betty P]

I guess we don’t know when the table was brought over (in reality, not his account)? Maybe he adjusted her body after hanging her, realized he then had to account for the table being there (footprints, marks in the ground from the table legs) so he left it there and said he used it to cut her down?

In the recording of the 911 call, you can hear him dragging the table over and the leg falling off and bouncing on the sidewalk. Then him huffing and puffing as if he was climbing up and cutting her down. It was all an act.

In this recording, you can hear it beginning around 45 seconds and goes on for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyGs0d2d-ck

 

[Betty P]

Yes. I understand that. That’s the basics of any civil case in wrongful death suits. But evidence-physical and circumstantial- is presented and theories built around it. Both sides narrate the story. I was just saying that I was surprised with some of the defense’s strategy.

And I was agreeing with you anyway. I am concerned that the plaintiffs do not have enough to prove it was AS at fault by the way jurors would be instructed to evaluate everything. I think murder is pretty obvious, but as for a definitive answer as to who did this, based purely on evidence, I don’t know if there is enough. I personally feel AS did this, but legally...we shall see.

Fortunately, Mr. Greer has proven Adam to have lied a couple of times in his actions and relating details of what happened. That will have an impact on how jurors view the so-called lack of evidence in the murder room. It's been well proven that the scene was wiped down and that it was likely AS wore gloves.

The jurors will be asking themselves why AS felt it necessary to lie about cutting the rope to remove Rebecca, how he faked giving her CPR, how he changed his story about going through the house/around the house to find the house number for EMS, etc.

We'll know for certain when we hear the instructions the judge gives the jury for deliberations, but its looking like they will be allowed to take AS's falsehoods into consideration. She allowed Mr. Greer to use the mannequin for today's demonstration, so...

JMO

 

[IzzyBlanche]

In the recording of the 911 call, you can hear him dragging the table over and the leg falling off and bouncing on the sidewalk. Then him huffing and puffing as if he was climbing up and cutting her down. It was all an act.

Wasn't there something at one time about Adam being involved in theater some way?

 

[Brit]

The demonstration with the mannequin was so emotional, I can't imagine how Mary and her mother sat through that. The truly sad part is that in trial it was brought up that Rebecca had encourage Adam to come to San Diego. She picked up NR from airport. She obviously wanted and saw the importance of DS and JS of having a support system around them consisting of their loved ones. She was obviously trying so desperately to help and ease burdens for them. At the end it looks like she was betrayed and punished for her thoughtfulness, and it makes you wonder, we probably wouldn't be posting here right now at this very moment if only she hadn't have encouraged Adam to come to San Diego.
All my very sad opinions

 

[Waitaminute]

In the recording of the 911 call, you can hear him dragging the table over and the leg falling off and bouncing on the sidewalk. Then him huffing and puffing as if he was climbing up and cutting her down. It was all an act.

In this recording, you can hear it beginning around 45 seconds and goes on for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyGs0d2d-ck

that alone would be enough for me to say it was adam that killed her

 

[Brit]

Fortunately, Mr. Greer has proven Adam to have lied a couple of times in his actions and relating details of what happened. That will have an impact on how jurors view the so-called lack of evidence in the murder room. It's been well proven that the scene was wiped down and that it was likely AS wore gloves.

The jurors will be asking themselves why AS felt it necessary to lie about cutting the rope to remove Rebecca, how he faked giving her CPR, how he changed his story about going through the house/around the house to find the house number for EMS, etc.

We'll know for certain when we hear the instructions the judge gives the jury for deliberations, but its looking like they will be allowed to take AS's falsehoods into consideration. She allowed Mr. Greer to use the mannequin for today's demonstration, so...

JMO

And how to LE investigators he said he had loosened the ropes to check for a pulse, and said the opposite in testimony. He also said something in testimony while he was being questioned by greer about the discrepency like "that was my recollection then and this is my recollection now". MOO

 

[Gilgamesh]

What time does court begin tomorrow?

 

[Brit]

Any chance the defense will try to settle tomorrow?

 

[Imp]

BBM: Hmmmmm....you wonder if JS really doesn't think AS was the perpetrator that he may *wish* he would have allowed and encouraged the investigation to the fullest extent possible to prove the innocence of his own brother.

Makes me wonder if Greer may bring up the fact that Zahaus tried time and again to get back into the mansion for further investigation and peace of mind and were thwarted every time. There was always the *appearance* that there was something to hide.

My own thoughts.

Exactly what I've been thinking, kittychi. Looks like the "investigation" may not have been very helpful to the defense, either.

 

[MyBelle]

I remember when from the very day of Rebecca's body being found and being plastered all over the media, I read so much on this site of posters pointing out about this table possibly being used and how it looked broken and didn't make sense......then when the LE declared this a suicide and provided the evidence of why they thought this, so many people posted here saying "No way, the table just doesn't make sense". In all these years this table has been mentioned more times than almost anything else......over and over again everyone would go back to the broken table. All I can say is good job fellow sleuthers!

The table wasn't inside the house and wasn't part of her death. It was Adam who moved it over there after he saw her hanging. The jury isn't being asked to decide whether he moved it or not.

 

[Imp]

The demonstration with the mannequin was so emotional, I can't imagine how Mary and her mother sat through that. The truly sad part is that in trial it was brought up that Rebecca had encourage Adam to come to San Diego. She picked up NR from airport. She obviously wanted and saw the importance of DS and JS of having a support system around them consisting of their loved ones. She was obviously trying so desperately to help and ease burdens for them. At the end it looks like she was betrayed and punished for her thoughtfulness, and it makes you wonder, we probably wouldn't be posting here right now at this very moment if only she hadn't have encouraged Adam to come to San Diego.
All my very sad opinions

Agree with your sentiments. BBM. I believe mom was escorted from the courtroom early on, at the request of Mr. Greer. Apparently she doesn't know all the horrific details, and she continues to be shielded from them.

 

[scaredtopost]

I'm going by what Webb said in court today. He gave specific dates. Pretty unconscionable to do that to Dina whether it was a year or six months. JMO

I imagine it took quite a while for one man to go through 27 disks of security footage... I mean, it's not like there are 7 of him...
JMO MOO etc

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[MyBelle]

Attorney statements aren't evidence.

I'm not on the jury.