Wrongful Death Suit filed Nov. 13, 2013 in California, #2

[MyBelle]

Yes, Mybelle...they are women to be admired. And both of the women you cited (Mrs. Rocha and Mrs. Holloway) had the support of their spouses, both current and former. I sincerely hope and wish Dina had the support of her former spouse. It also appears she has not gotten the answers she has requested from LE or why her requests to re-open the case has fallen on deaf ears. As a Mom, I understand her quest for answers. The Zahau's have also asked for the case to be re-opened....I understand their quest for answers as well.

So do I. Whether I had the support of my ex-husband or not, I wouldn't hesitate to speak out as Dina is doing. RZ's death was investigated as a homicide but Max's death has never been investigated as a homicide.

JMO

 

[MzOpinion8d]

So do I. Whether I had the support of my ex-husband or not, I wouldn't hesitate to speak out as Dina is doing. RZ's death was investigated as a homicide but Max's death has never been investigated as a homicide.

JMO

To me it doesn't appear that RZ's death was ever investigated as anything but a suicide, from the moment of the 911 call to this very day.

I think DS was mad at Rebecca, but FURIOUS with JS, and that's why RZ had to die. DS wanted to take something from JS that mattered as much to him as her son mattered to her. If it's true his kids didn't like her but he kept her around, it may have made DS think he loved RZ more than his kids. The sarcasm in the note painted on the door is so obvious when you view things this way.

 

[K_Z]

Apparently Dina has chosen the path that both Sharon Rocha and Beth Holloway followed. They sincerely believed they knew the killer of their child and spoke out about it. And both women had many, many critics on message forums that they totally ignored. I admire their courage.

JMO

And I'll add that neither Sharon Rocha or Beth Holloway had a history of antagonistic behaviors toward the ones they accused of killing their adult children. And neither Sharon Rocha or Beth Holloway faced lawsuits over the wrongful deaths of the ones they accused. Their children were adults, and not small children in a dual custody situation, at the time of their deaths. IMO, they aren't the most appropriate to use for comparisons to Rebecca's case, IMO.

I admire Sharon Rocha and Beth Holloway, too. I don't admire Dina Shacknai. I'm appalled that she has behaved as she has, and I understand she is full of anger, and jealousy, and grief. That's no excuse for how she has behaved toward Rebecca Zahau and her family, IMO. Her words and actions are deplorable and inexcusable, IMO. She's a woman consumed with revenge, "one uppance", and vindictive behaviors, IMO.

 

[LuckyLucy2]

The walls in the guest house are not 12 inches thick.......I have been in the place.

So have I, and the walls are indeed not 12 inches thick. They are 12 FEET thick, and the windows were paned with very thick leaded glass (before the remodel). Perhaps you were there for the tour that happened after the remodel?

And for proof, this is from the Coronado LifeStyle Magazine, January/Febuary 2013, page 34. After describing the compound and the guest house, the article says:

Coronado designer Caylee Pinsonneault led the Jackman Group design/build team that updated the entire compound.

The construction team - headed by Harry Jackman - broke down walls, not easy when they're concrete - to open up spaces.

"Twelve-foot thick concrete walls weren't designed for remodels", Pinsonneault groaned.

Seems Spreckels was very afraid of earthquakes after the 1907 earthquake in San Francisco, which was just a few years before the house at 1043 Ocean Blvd was built, so had the home built, including the garage and guest house with 12 foot reinforced concrete walls.

 

[coastal]

Apparently Dina has chosen the path that both Sharon Rocha and Beth Holloway followed. They sincerely believed they knew the killer of their child and spoke out about it. And both women had many, many critics on message forums that they totally ignored. I admire their courage.

JMO

Oh, for heaven's sake. Those women called for justice, not revenge. Dina judged, and took revenge. Different paths by miles.

 

[LuckyLucy2]

^ No, Dina had her only child fatally injured while under the care of her ex-husband's girlfriend. And then the girlfriend killed herself to avoid answering questions. I belleve most Mothers are sympathetic to Dina, and admire the way she has conducted herself since Max's death. I know I do.

 

[coastal]

Apparently Dina has chosen the path that both Sharon Rocha and Beth Holloway followed. They sincerely believed they knew the killer of their child and spoke out about it. And both women had many, many critics on message forums that they totally ignored. I admire their courage.

JMO

Also, IMO, had Dina constrained herself to speaking out, instead of lashing out, she'd have far fewer critics to ignore.
It is what it is.

 

[bourne]

Coastal is right. Dina sought VENGEANCE. Other mothers sought JUSTICE via legal, moral means. BIG, BIG difference. Enough about the <mod snip> Twin.

Furthermore, pro-Dina's are obviously trying to derail this thread and drum up sympathy for murderer Dina for the upcoming trial. Desperate times for murderers going into trial call for desperate, anxious, derailing measures...

This is a thread about the Zahau's long-hard and long-fought WDS against alleged murderers Dina, Nina and Adam, not about a murderer's alleged feelings which I don't believe she had anyway. Dina's lack of compassion towards her own son is evident: she ABANDONED her one and only son's bedside at ICU for OVER 12 hours on Tuesday (SAME NIGHT WHEN REBECCA WAS LATER FOUND MURDERED), and Dina was NOWHERE to be found on day Max was injured. The police could NOT locate Dina from 10am Monday until 4pm Monday after Max had his accident! Sorry I don't believe jack-s*it that this Dina had any feelings for anyone else but herself. To me, she is clearly a narcissistic psychopath.

A more accurate analogy would be comparing Rebecca's mom and sisters to the other ladies seeking justice for their children via the legal system. Not Dina as murderer.

 

[*Lash*]

A search warrant also places Jonah at the gym at the time of Max's fall. This would have been confirmed by police before using the information to obtain the search warrant.

"Jonah (Shacknai) was at the gym when he received a call from Rebecca telling him about Maxfield's accident. He immediately went home then followed the ambulance transporting Maxfield to the hospital."

"(Jonah) said on July 11, 2011, he was at the hospital with son, Maxfield. He went to his residence in Coronado later that evening to shower and pack a change of clothes. He returned to the Ronald McDonald House, across the street from Rady's Children's Hospital, at about 0155 hours, but they were at full capacity so he got a hotel at the Homestead Inn for the night. He returned to the hospital on July 12, 2011, around 0530-0600. His ex-wife, Dina Shacknai, was at the hospital when he arrived. Dina left and went to her residence in Coronado to gets some sleep."

"Dina returned to the hospital on July 12, 2011, at about 1800 hours. Rebecca and Adam came to the hospital to pick up Jonah and his friend, Howard. They left the hospital, dropped off Howard at the airport then went to eat some dinner. Jonah returned to the hospital around 2000 hours and Dina was still there. Rebecca and Adam returned to the residence in Coronado. (Jonah) left the hospital around 0100 hours and went to Ronald McDonald House. Dina stayed at the hospital. (Jonah) returned to the hospital on July 13, 2011 at about 0700 hours and Dina was still there"

"(Jonah) received a text message from his brother, Adam Shacknai, on July 13, 2011, at about 0648 hours, advising Rebecca had hung herself."

"On July 13, 2011&#8230; detectives&#8230; facilitated a polygraph examination of Adam Shacknai with Polygrapher Paul Redden. Redden said based on the analysis of the polygraph charts he couldn't draw a conclusion, but felt Adam was being truthful during the examination."

http://www.760kfmb.com/story/15505829/some-shacknai-search-warrants-to-be-unsealed?clienttype=mobile

RBBM-

I respectfully disagree. A search warrant is requested to obtain and verify information. These particular warrants are for Jonah and Dina Shacknai's phone records. Requested on August 24, 2011. Your quote is from the 'probable cause' section. Statements made by Jonah Shacknai during his interview with detectives on July 13th. The search warrants were requested specifically to investigate Jonah and Dina Shacknai's truthfulness in the investigation, their whereabouts and who they were communicating with during the time Rebecca's death.

Opinions and Conclusions - search warrant 11-164 and 165, requested Det. Tsuida

The primary focus of our investigation is to determine whether Rebecca Zahau's death was a suicide or homicide. By examining all of the information related to Jonah's and Dina's cellular phone numbers and account information, I will be able to determine their location at the time of Rebecca's death. I will also be able to determine who they communicating with during the time frame Rebecca's death occurred. This information will be relevant and material to answering the question whether the death was a homicide or suicide. The phone record information will be important to evaluate whether the statements given by Jonah and Dina to law enforcement have been truthful. Moreover, the call history from these two individuals may include calls to Rebecca Zahau which might provide information relevant to the suicide inquiry.

http://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/kfmb/misc/warrant_11-164.pdf

 

[justice be served]

RBBM-

I respectfully disagree. A search warrant is requested to obtain and verify information. These particular warrants are for Jonah and Dina Shacknai's phone records. Requested on August 24, 2011. Your quote is from the 'probable cause' section. Statements made by Jonah Shacknai during his interview with detectives on July 13th. The search warrants were requested specifically to investigate Jonah and Dina Shacknai's truthfulness in the investigation, their whereabouts and who they were communicating with during the time Rebecca's death.

Opinions and Conclusions - search warrant 11-164 and 165, requested Det. Tsuida

The primary focus of our investigation is to determine whether Rebecca Zahau's death was a suicide or homicide. By examining all of the information related to Jonah's and Dina's cellular phone numbers and account information, I will be able to determine their location at the time of Rebecca's death. I will also be able to determine who they communicating with during the time frame Rebecca's death occurred. This information will be relevant and material to answering the question whether the death was a homicide or suicide. The phone record information will be important to evaluate whether the statements given by Jonah and Dina to law enforcement have been truthful. Moreover, the call history from these two individuals may include calls to Rebecca Zahau which might provide information relevant to the suicide inquiry.

http://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/kfmb/misc/warrant_11-164.pdf

Lash, thank you for clearing up the smoke and mirrors about the intent of the search warrant. It's intent and purpose cannot be used as evidence in placing the defendant's at any location whatsoever.

 

[Ausgirl]

MYBELLE, I thought about it..."why wouldn't Nina admit she went to the house if she really went to the house?" and of course, it could have been an "innocent jaunt, late at night" OR, "she said it in order to cover up for her sister." Nina never says that the bicycle rider DIDN'T SEE A WOMAN PACING IN FRONT OF THE MANSION, instead she only states that the bicycler confused her for her twin. If that is the case, then Nina is not correct about the time she walked to the mansion (or she made two trips and neglected to relay that info?) because her timeline and that of the bicycle rider do not match. (off by 40 minutes) The sighting "of the woman in a white and black striped top" do not match the outfit Nina said she was wearing, nor does a large black purse look like a pink Coach w-r-i-s-t-l-e-t and a woman with long black hair does not look like a woman with shoulder length blonde hair. Nor do I believe a person "so intent on asking questions and disturbed by her nephew's condition"....would just walk "right back home and go to bed." It just seems that so much effort was put into getting to the mansion, and then (paraphrasing by me) "Oh well, I think I'll just go back home and go to bed." It sounds like a major "disconnect" or "distancing" of the events. Who says, I looked through the gate, "but didn't touch it?" Doesn't that seem like an odd statement for her to make? It is actually an odd statement for anyone to make...kind of like, I rang the doorbell, but I didn't touch the door....irrelevant additions to
unverifiable events. Irrelevant admissions always sounds like someone wanting to distract the listener away from the facts. Anyway, thank you for your insight, good night, kiddo. IQuestion a lot!

Thanks for this excellent post. And the "didn't touch it" comment has really stood out to me as deflective as well.

 

[Zinn]

So do I. Whether I had the support of my ex-husband or not, I wouldn't hesitate to speak out as Dina is doing. RZ's death was investigated as a homicide but Max's death has never been investigated as a homicide.

JMO

As far as I can tell, IMO, Max's death was investigated as an accident, rather than a homicide or a suicide. Rebecca's death was investigated as a homicide and suicide, but the case made for suicide was heavily based on information that could not be verified (such as a missing voicemail) and the homicide investigation was incomplete and relied on statements from JS (such as the source of women's undergarments found in the guesthouse trashcan) and questionable alibis, such as the location of DS's mobile phone that evening.

All of the above is just my opinion.

 

[Quester]

One of the many things I don't get in this case:

Among other things, IF RZ's possible murderer chandelier wire whipped [parallel injuries on back?] and beat [wounds to head?] the truth out of RZ about who all was at the mansion at the time of MS's incident along with the details and then the murderer went on to paint the so call "suicide" door riddle message "SHE SAVED HIM ..." possibly written with intense sarcasm about RZ having saved MS, yeah right, "... CAN YOU SAVE HER" possibly with "HER" being a non-Z, then the murderer would have known what had happened to MS, who had been responsible, possibly just how it had happened and probably had fully expected LE to follow-up on the details of the MS incident???

Wouldn't where everyone was during MS' incident have been relatively easy to prove and yet there was so much public flip flopping on those details that it led one to question the truth about any of their said whereabouts. JMVHO

Hope the Z's have been able to get a clearer, truthful, proven picture of who was where and when at the time of MS' incident because, it seems to have been a direct cause to the effect of what happened to RZ, less than two days later. JMVHO

 

[justice be served]

One of the many things I don't get in this case:

Among other things, IF RZ's possible murderer chandelier wire whipped [parallel injuries on back?] and beat [wounds to head?] the truth out of RZ about who all was at the mansion at the time of MS's incident along with the details and then the murderer went on to paint the so call "suicide" door riddle message "SHE SAVED HIM ..." possibly written with intense sarcasm about RZ having saved MS, yeah right, "... CAN YOU SAVE HER" possibly with "HER" being a non-Z, then the murderer would have known what had happened to MS, who had been responsible, possibly just how it had happened and probably had fully expected LE to follow-up on the details of the MS incident???

Wouldn't where everyone was during MS' incident have been relatively easy to prove and yet there was so much public flip flopping on those details that it led one to question the truth about any of their said whereabouts. JMVHO

Hope the Z's have been able to get a clearer, truthful, proven picture of who was where and when at the time of MS' incident because, it seems to have been a direct cause to the effect of what happened to RZ, less than two days later. JMVHO

Expanding upon your IF scenario,

That the murderer learned (through the torture of Rebecca) the specifics of who, what, why, of Max’s death but could not directly pursue those who were actually involved in his death because:

The torture of Rebecca went too far resulting (maybe accidentally) in her death and those responsible for Max’s death knew the murderer’s intentions to get the story directly from Rebecca which would give motive and place the murderer(s) at the crime scene.

Although it was learned through the torture that Rebecca was not directly responsible for Max’s death but those that were responsible could not be pursued because they know the who, what, why of Rebecca’s murder so it would be self-implicating to pursue those responsible for Max’s death.

A direct accusation of those person(s) responsible for Max’s death was hindered from earlier legal proceedings to speak out so, instead, accusing Rebecca of being responsible (and sullying her reputation) for Max’s death was the closest thing to pursuing the person(s) actually responsible.

These two deaths are simply not able to be separated one from the other IMO. And the investigation path clearly did separate them with intentions to quietly close this “messy” case and call it a suicide. Such a travesty all around.

 

[MyBelle]

RBBM-

I respectfully disagree. A search warrant is requested to obtain and verify information. These particular warrants are for Jonah and Dina Shacknai's phone records. Requested on August 24, 2011. Your quote is from the 'probable cause' section. Statements made by Jonah Shacknai during his interview with detectives on July 13th. The search warrants were requested specifically to investigate Jonah and Dina Shacknai's truthfulness in the investigation, their whereabouts and who they were communicating with during the time Rebecca's death.

Opinions and Conclusions - search warrant 11-164 and 165, requested Det. Tsuida

The primary focus of our investigation is to determine whether Rebecca Zahau's death was a suicide or homicide. By examining all of the information related to Jonah's and Dina's cellular phone numbers and account information, I will be able to determine their location at the time of Rebecca's death. I will also be able to determine who they communicating with during the time frame Rebecca's death occurred. This information will be relevant and material to answering the question whether the death was a homicide or suicide. The phone record information will be important to evaluate whether the statements given by Jonah and Dina to law enforcement have been truthful. Moreover, the call history from these two individuals may include calls to Rebecca Zahau which might provide information relevant to the suicide inquiry.

http://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/kfmb/misc/warrant_11-164.pdf

You are missing my point which was both Dina and Jonah were interviewed by different investigators and they confirmed each other's alibis as to the times they were at the hospital. Dina arrived at the hospital at 10 PM on July 12 and that is the time Jonah left. One or both of them was always at the hospital and they were both at the Hospital at 10:20 PM when the witness claims he saw Dina in Coronado. They confirmed each other's alibi and the phone records confirmed it because the Sheriff did clear both Dina and Jonah.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

Also, IMO, had Dina constrained herself to speaking out, instead of lashing out, she'd have far fewer critics to ignore.
It is what it is.

I really doubt she cares.

 

[MyBelle]

Oh, for heaven's sake. Those women called for justice, not revenge. Dina judged, and took revenge. Different paths by miles.

How has Dina taken revenge? She's the defendant, not the plaintiff in a civil lawsuit that very publicly accuses her of conspiracy and torturous murder in a case that both investigators and the ME determined to be a suicide. Her ex-husband confirmed her alibi, apparently phone records do also which is why the Sheriff cleared them. To me, the only act of revenge I can see is a baseless lawsuit.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

^ No, Dina had her only child fatally injured while under the care of her ex-husband's girlfriend. And then the girlfriend killed herself to avoid answering questions. I belleve most Mothers are sympathetic to Dina, and admire the way she has conducted herself since Max's death. I know I do.

I agree. The fact that JS refused to sleep at home and preferred a hotel even though the hospital was only 10 or so miles away speaks volumes. It wasn't just a police investigation she feared, it was the fact that Jonah was rejecting her. I do wonder if she expressed this in the many phone calls to her sister.

Perhaps Jonah will testify in this trial about what he said in that missing message.

JMO

 

[justice be served]

You are missing my point which was both Dina and Jonah were interviewed by different investigators and they confirmed each other's alibis as to the times they were at the hospital. Dina arrived at the hospital at 10 PM on July 12 and that is the time Jonah left. One or both of them was always at the hospital and they were both at the Hospital at 10:20 PM when the witness claims he saw Dina in Coronado. They confirmed each other's alibi and the phone records confirmed it because the Sheriff did clear both Dina and Jonah.

JMO

I have looked for any link that you may have taken this information from. Yes, I find where Jonah is confirmed at the hospital but cannot find anything on Dina. Where could I find this confirmation where Dina was? The only information from SDSO was that Dina's phone was triangulated as being at the hospital - but that's her phone - not physically locating Dina. Thank you.

 

[Inparadise]

I agree. The fact that JS refused to sleep at home and preferred a hotel even though the hospital was only 10 or so miles away speaks volumes. It wasn't just a police investigation she feared, it was the fact that Jonah was rejecting her. I do wonder if she expressed this in the many phone calls to her sister.

Perhaps Jonah will testify in this trial about what he said in that missing message.

JMO

IMO, the fact that Jonah moved out of the house on East Caballo Drive that he shared with Dina around Christmas time, into the mansion he built on North Foothills Drive South while Dina was visiting her mother with Max speaks volumes about he was so done with her then.