Respectfully, I disagree. For so many years, many focused on Jonah's ex wife and sister (who did behave suspiciously) as the killers of Rebecca. JMO, many lost focus on many facts of the case that indicated the murderer was someone who was strong, taller than Rebecca and who had extensive experience in tying nautical knots and lashings.
I think part of that came from the early, unsubstantiated assertions that Adam had taken Ambien that night and slept through the whole thing. I never believed that and found it odd that the excuse was offered. I also found it significant that:
police zeroed in on Adam very early in the investigation
Adam was given a polygraph exam, one that lasted quite a long time
Adam was the last person to see RZ alive and the only person known to have access to the mansion
The cryptic message was painted higher than an average sized woman would have been able to paint it legibly
The odd remarks Adam made about his "bedside manner" and masturbating to *advertiser censored* before rescuing Rebecca
The 911 call which was filled with so many conflicting and suspicious statements
The scene and actions of Adam at the time he "discovered" RZ's body and attempted rescue
The urgency with which Paul Pfingst, retained by JS, got through to LE in order to convince Adam to refuse the poly exam
etc, etc.
The evidence and suspicious activity of Adam were there all along. The knots and lashings pinged my radar early on. There were many discussions here about the table with the broken leg, questioning how it could have handled the weight of both Adam and RZ as he cut her down. Many pages of discussion about the 911 call. But in order to accept Adam as the prime suspect, you had to reject the messaging that he had taken Ambien the night before and suspect something was up when he wasn't tested for presence of any drugs, alcohol, etc. in his system to verify his claim.
Perhaps the high profile and inflammatory actions of Jonah's ex wife after the murder were more of a distraction that put the focus on her. She did herself no favors in venting publicly her jealousy and misplaced anger towards Rebecca. I've always tried to keep an open mind on this case and will continue to do so. The new evidence and details revealed as a result of the WDS really point to Adam. There may have been others involved at some point, or at least had knowledge, but those may be dealt with at a future date.
The APA which sets the standards considers armchair psychiatry to be unprofessional & unethical
"call for an end to psychiatrists providing professional opinions in the media about public figures whom they have not examined, whether it be on cable news appearances, books, or in social media. Armchair psychiatry or the use of psychiatry as a political tool is the misuse of psychiatry and is unacceptable and unethical."
https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/apa-calls-for-end-to-armchair-psychiatry
Evidence was given by someone who met her and talked to her and does not agree with that assessment. I just need to go to the testimony.
ETA: The counselor, Karen Hancock, is a member of the countys Psychiatry Emergency Reponse Team, and was on a ride-along that day. She was not working in that capacity when they went to the Spreckles mansion, she testified.
Can you post a link that Paul Pfingst was retained by Jonah Shacknai. AFAIK, that has not been released. We just know Adam refused to talk to him. TIA
“It was probably Jonah who had retained Paul Pfingst, the lawyer who had texted Adam just before he took the polygraph tests. Unable to reach Adam, Pfingst knew the private number to call at the sheriff’s office where he could get a message to Adam as soon as possible. His intent had indeed been to advise Adam, as Detective Hillen had predicted, that he should avoid the polygraph machine—at least at this point in the investigation.
Since the results were inconclusive, it didn’t really matter.
Earlier in the day, Paul Pfingst had gone to the Spreckels Mansion before Rebecca Zahau’s body was removed. He was one of the few people besides the EMTs and law enforcement personnel to be allowed onto the property. Pfingst was photographed talking with the detectives on the other side of the CRIME SCENE tape. In one shot, a detective has an arm around Pfingst’s shoulder.”
Excerpt From: Rule, Ann. “Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors.”
Lol. The statistics on shoplifting might surprise you. Try reading your local paper some time.
Do you have a link to a source that claims Rebecca was a serial adulterer? TIA. If not, perhaps you should be using a different modifier.
But, yeah, that's what the defense always does when they're worried about losing their case: Blame The Victim
"She had it coming..she only had herself to blame.."
Lol. The statistics on shoplifting might surprise you. Try reading your local paper some time.
Do you have a link to a source that claims Rebecca was a serial adulterer? TIA. If not, perhaps you should be using a different modifier.
But, yeah, that's what the defense always does when they're worried about losing their case: Blame The Victim
"She had it coming..she only had herself to blame.."
It is my assumption that he was retained by Jonah and a fairly accurate one at that.
There are only two parties who could have retained Pfingst: the Shacknai Family or the Zahau Family.
Which family do you think it was?
Do you think Paul Pfingst should have been allowed to have access to the crime scene?
Yes, an expert who actually observed Rebecca the day before she was killed said she did not appear unduly stressed or at risk of suicide. That carries much more weight than someone who had never met her, never spoke to her and had very little on which to base his opinion.
At it's worst, armchair psychiatry is an invasion of medical privacy.
Great points.
I understand from some of the court minutes that Dan Webb will be able to tell the jury how many times the Zahau’s and Greer’s case has changed since 2011. I think that is very relevant information of the jury.
<modsnip>.
If the Plaintiffs felt it was “armchair”psychiatry, they could have objected to the Judge that the testimony not be allowed.
The Judge allowed the testimony. The jury Is allowed to consider that testimony in their deliberations.
It is my assumption that he was retained by Jonah and a fairly accurate one at that. Pfingst also contacted SDSO on Adam's behalf around the time SDSO was administering his poly exam. Here's a link to the thread from 2011 with this discussion, including the reference from Ann Rule's book noting that Pfingst had contacted Adam.
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...was-Pfingst-representing-at-the-mansion/page5
There are only two parties who could have retained Pfingst: the Shacknai Family or the Zahau Family.
Which family do you think it was?
Do you think Paul Pfingst should have been allowed to have access to the crime scene?
Do you have a link for that? I don't think you do.
Do you have a link for that? I don't think you do.
Most murderers would like to get away with the crime. The murder that most describe here still left the alleged perpetrator with a LOT of free time on his hands.
Im imagining AS sitting in that room, after raping, torturing, and strangling RZ and painting his crazy message. Hes thinking...okay, I want to get away with this. I dont want Jonah to know or God Forbid...the police to arrest me. What to do, what to do?
Okay, first I have to wipe down every available surface...but I have to be careful to preserve her fingerprints and dna. I have to get every speck of myself out of this room. But...then what? Im the only other person in this entire place. What should I do with the body?
Are we to believe that he would decide to drag her out to the balcony, leave only her footprints, sling her over and stage this bizarre scenario? and then remove all traces of himself from THAT area?
Why would he go to such lengths to remove himself from every area he touched and leave the body there, bound in such a bizarre fashion, thereby making himself subject to suspicion?
Why not stage a burglary? Or leave her in bed...with none of the bindings etc still on her. Why not leave the front door ajar or stage a struggle in the kitchen and leave her there?
It makes no sense to me that he would do this genius job of removing all trace evidence of himself and yet not stage the murderto look like a robbery?
The bizarre aspects of this case do not match a murderer trying to cover his tracks. Perhaps, it was a suicidal woman trying to make her death look like murder...so as not to shame her beloved and very religious family.
BBM. The Romano family may have contacted Pfingst. Why is Pfingst relevant now, seven years later? I'm not aware that he participated in this trial.
IIRC, wasn’t one of the Zahaus and Bremner’s original complaints that the SDSO did not have a postmortem psychological assesement done?
Were they unable to find a doctor that would find the assement they wanted, or did they not think they could refute Dr. Alan Berman, who is probably the most educated person in the U.S. on suicide?
The Judge gets final say and allowed that witness to testify as an “expert.”
I’d need to know how long this other expert interviewed RZ. Did she have her history? Or did she just “observe”that she felt composed and ask her...”Are you okay? Do you need assistance?”
The defense expert had benefit of reading her entire history and her journal. The person on the scene did not.
BBM
Actually that's probably exactly what he was thinking. It's pretty much what most murderers think after killing someone -- destroy or clean up any evidence of the murder so they don't get caught. As for worrying about Jonah finding out, I doubt Adam was concerned about that.
Adam was in an area he was unfamiliar with. He didn't have a car, didn't know his way around and was in a very busy tourist area. There was no way he was going to attempt to dispose of Rebecca's body. He couldn't stage it to look like a robbery gone bad, because police would have asked him why he didn't respond. Staging a suicide was a quick and easy way to cover up the murder. It's not rare for murders to be disguised this way. In fact there are probably a few under discussion right now here at WS.
JMO only, but Adam may have gotten some advice that night from people who could help him cover up the crime.
The ones who get the final say in this case are the members of the jury. We shall see.
BBM
Actually that's probably exactly what he was thinking. It's pretty much what most murderers think after killing someone -- destroy or clean up any evidence of the murder so they don't get caught. As for worrying about Jonah finding out, I doubt Adam was concerned about that.
Adam was in an area he was unfamiliar with. He didn't have a car, didn't know his way around and was in a very busy tourist area. There was no way he was going to attempt to dispose of Rebecca's body. He couldn't stage it to look like a robbery gone bad, because police would have asked him why he didn't respond. Staging a suicide was a quick and easy way to cover up the murder. It's not rare for murders to be disguised this way. In fact there are probably a few under discussion right now here at WS.
JMO only, but Adam may have gotten some advice that night from people who could help him cover up the crime.
