I have a good theory about why the rope was tied to the bed instead of the balcony railing. It only makes sense from a murderer's perspective. Had the murderers attached/tied the hanging rope from the balcony railing, they would have to ENTER the balcony and leave indelible footprints on the dusty balcony floor.
So instead, the murderers tied the noose-hanging rope using stabilizing knots on the bedpost inside the murder room. They used gloves to handle everything -- the ropes, paint, knives, bindings of Rebecca. That is why NO prints/DNA were found on the items, and only mixed DNA were found which they might inadvertently have left despite wearing gloves.
The reason they tied the hanging rope inside the murder room is because each of the three defendants now named in the Zahaus' wrongful death suit (Dina, Nina and Adam) felt, if the investigators found any of their DNA/prints in the room, they can easily explain the prints/DNA away. Dina could say she had lived in the Spreckels mansion with Jonah in the past, and Nina and Adam could claim they visited and used that murder room in the past. They'd all be able to claim that it is not unusual for some of their residual prints/DNA to still be inside the murder room because they had used it (frequently) in the past.
However, had the murderers wanted to tie the rope to the balcony railing, they would have to step onto the dusty balcony and in doing so, they would have to leave FOOTPRINTS. Their footprints would indicate they were at the Spreckels mansion RECENTLY. THAT they cannot easily explain away because no one would reasonably believe that these three defendants' footprints were left "from the distant past" when likely rain would have washed those old footprints off and dust would have then accumulated on top of those old footprints, thoroughly covering them already.
And OMG I just had a eureka moment. A most plausible theory as to why the 3-legged table broke is that the 3 murderers had originally wanted to hang the rope directly from the balcony railing but did not want to walk onto the dusty balcony floor to tie the rope for fear they'd leave footprints. So they tried to stand atop the courtyard table to tie the rope to the balcony railing FROM BELOW. But when the murderers climbed atop the table, they were so heavy, one leg of the table broke off! :scared:
In short, I believe strongly that the murderers then decided the best place to tie the hanging rope would be to the bedpost inside the murder room. They stood at the balcony doors inside the room and threw the hogtied Rebecca over the balcony railing. That is why there was a shoeprint and bootprint at the balcony doors only.
Nice thinking! Yes, I think there is good reason the murder(s) tied it to the bed - there is no reason someone would if they were committing suicide. And, I think the forensics match with all this.
I am still pondering that maybe Becky was hung from the inside balcony. That would be too obvious though so she was moved to look like she was hung from the outside balcony and/or to make sure it was a public display. There could be another purpose and that is to divert any attention from forensic evidence away from the initial crime scene and to stage the other.
I still think Becky was outdoors - those dirty feet. The gloves (one pair was outside?) And either the table broke as you say or someone was standing on it prior to her being hung from the balcony for some other reason.