Wrongful Death Suit filed Nov. 13, 2013 in California, #4

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Thank You Carioca,

I have been following this case for several years. I should state that I have no personal or insider knowledge, nor do I have a stake in the incidents. I am simply an observer that sees glaring unanswered questions and feel justice has yet to be done. I have read numerous reports but do not know how accurate they have been. As of now I have the following questions which people here might be able to answer.

1) The ropes and "knots" that bound Rebecca were unique to say the least. Has anyone identified whether these are common knots in any particular vocation such as in boating etc?

2) I read that Adam has a boating background, true or false?

3) I have read that the note left in paint on the bedroom door was not in Rebecca's handwriting according to her family, but I have seen photographs which showed the note to be in block printing, not script, were these photos accurate?

4) I assume phone records were examined, both of the house phone and Rebecca's cell phone. To whom did she speak with that night?

5) I have not seen a diagram of the guest house. Did the room Adam slept in face the courtyard? If not, which windows of the guesthouse did face the courtyard?

6) Does anyone know what time the sun rose that morning? Was the courtyard automatically illuminated (by lights on a timer etc?)

7) I have read (I believe in the autopsy investigation but I'm not sure) that there were women's clothes in the bedroom with the balcony. What were the exact articles of clothing and were they a complete set of clothes?

8) Was the shirt Rebecca was gagged with a man's or a woman's shirt?

9) I have read in the Autopsy report that there was dirt (and possibly grass) on her feet. Yet there was only one spot of dirt on the floor of the bedroom, and there is no mention of grass in the bedroom, is that correct?

10) Where does DS say she was that night? Where does her sister say she was?

11) I *thought* I read that the sister admitted to being at the house earlier that evening but that no one answered the door? Is there an explanation of how long she stayed or if Adam was supposedly there at the time? Can the doorbell be heard in the guest house?

12) How does Adam explain being able to stand on the table to cut her down if the table had a broken leg?

13) I have read that the sisters are twins, if they are does anyone know if they are identical twins or fraternal?



Regarding Max's accident:

I find the incident very confusing and somewhat implausible.

a) There is a reconstruction of him falling over the railing. I believe it was done by the police. An average home banister is between 34 and 38 inches. The drawing does not explain how someone who is only 45 inches tall can go over a railing. Have there been any comments about this?

b)The drawing also does not show the scooter. What is the explanation for the scooter lying on top of his leg when the police got there?

c) How far out from the banister, and how far below it did the chandelier hang?

d) Rebecca's sister left for home that evening, does anyone know when those plane reservations were made? Did the incident cut her visit short or was her departure planned for that day? When had X arrived for the visit?

e) I have also read - and I think this was only a theory not fact but I'm not sure - that Rebecca's sister X was, in actuality her daughter. Is there any truth to that?

These are just some of the more glaring questions in my mind. I'm hoping someone here can enlighten me.

Thanks for your time.
 
Thank You Carioca,

I have been following this case for several years. I should state that I have no personal or insider knowledge, nor do I have a stake in the incidents. I am simply an observer that sees glaring unanswered questions and feel justice has yet to be done. I have read numerous reports but do not know how accurate they have been. As of now I have the following questions which people here might be able to answer.

1) The ropes and "knots" that bound Rebecca were unique to say the least. Has anyone identified whether these are common knots in any particular vocation such as in boating etc?

2) I read that Adam has a boating background, true or false?
Yes, Adam is a tug boat captain
3) I have read that the note left in paint on the bedroom door was not in Rebecca's handwriting according to her family, but I have seen photographs which showed the note to be in block printing, not script, were these photos accurate?
Compare the message on the door with the "Maxie's House" logo: the letters "M" and "S" are identical.
4) I assume phone records were examined, both of the house phone and Rebecca's cell phone. To whom did she speak with that night?

5) I have not seen a diagram of the guest house. Did the room Adam slept in face the courtyard? If not, which windows of the guesthouse did face the courtyard?
All the bedrooms in the guest house face the courtyard. The windows are single pane glass.
6) Does anyone know what time the sun rose that morning? Was the courtyard automatically illuminated (by lights on a timer etc?)

7) I have read (I believe in the autopsy investigation but I'm not sure) that there were women's clothes in the bedroom with the balcony. What were the exact articles of clothing and were they a complete set of clothes?

8) Was the shirt Rebecca was gagged with a man's or a woman's shirt?

9) I have read in the Autopsy report that there was dirt (and possibly grass) on her feet. Yet there was only one spot of dirt on the floor of the bedroom, and there is no mention of grass in the bedroom, is that correct?

10) Where does DS say she was that night? Where does her sister say she was?

11) I *thought* I read that the sister admitted to being at the house earlier that evening but that no one answered the door? Is there an explanation of how long she stayed or if Adam was supposedly there at the time? Can the doorbell be heard in the guest house?

12) How does Adam explain being able to stand on the table to cut her down if the table had a broken leg?

13) I have read that the sisters are twins, if they are does anyone know if they are identical twins or fraternal?

[COLOR="#FF0000" They are not identical.

[/COLOR]Regarding Max's accident:

I find the incident very confusing and somewhat implausible.

a) There is a reconstruction of him falling over the railing. I believe it was done by the police. An average home banister is between 34 and 38 inches. The drawing does not explain how someone who is only 45 inches tall can go over a railing. Have there been any comments about this?
[COLOR="#FF0000"]The railing is about 32" high........not to code in San Diego County.

[/COLOR]b)The drawing also does not show the scooter. What is the explanation for the scooter lying on top of his leg when the police got there?

c) How far out from the banister, and how far below it did the chandelier hang?

d) Rebecca's sister left for home that evening, does anyone know when those plane reservations were made? Did the incident cut her visit short or was her departure planned for that day? When had X arrived for the visit?
When Jonah returned to Spreckels on Monday evening, he informed Xena that she would be flying home the following day, Tuesday. She had arrived on Sunday.
e) I have also read - and I think this was only a theory not fact but I'm not sure - that Rebecca's sister X was, in actuality her daughter. Is there any truth to that?
I know for fact that Xena is NOT Rebecca's daughter.
These are just some of the more glaring questions in my mind. I'm hoping someone here can enlighten me.

Thanks for your time.

My responses are highlighted in red........
 
Hi CricketFern.

First, I can address some of your questions about Max's death. There are many threads which are still in this forum that go into voluminous detail about Max's death, the chandelier, the scooter, the stairs, etc. They are open for reading, but closed for posting.

This thread is about Rebecca's Wrongful Death Lawsuit brought by the Zahau family against defendants Dina, Nina, and Adam. As such, we try very hard to keep this thread on topic.

The details about Max's death, while incredibly sad, are not the focus of this lawsuit or this thread-- Rebecca's death and the Zahau WDS lawsuit are. (Dina filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jonah for Max's death, and it has now dismissed with prejudice.)

So, I'd recommend that you get up to speed by reading some of the old threads about Max's death. Here are a few:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?218066-scooter-theory-failure-analysis-only

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?186154-Max-s-back-injuries

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?185699-Max-Shacknai-EMS-Report

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-think-Max-s-scooter-was-involved-in-his-fall

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...rants-Released!!!!-Discuss-Max-s-Death-here-2

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?188466-Max-s-Scooter

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?149881-New-Poll-The-Chandelier-poll

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?188247-What-is-the-origin-of-the-planking-rumor

As far as Dina and Nina-- they are fraternal twins. They do not look alike-- their height and weight/ body shape are different. Dina has long, dark brown hair (that many believe are wigs), and Nina has long blond hair in photographs. Adam is a tug boat operator. Dina and Nina grew up on boats with their dad.

Here are some links to old threads with information about the knots, the phone records, and the door. There are dozens of old threads with lots of details to answer your questions:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?148929-The-message-on-the-door

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?148933-Rebecca-s-Autopsy

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?149327-Rebecca-s-cell-phone-records

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?148939-The-Rope-and-the-knots

Hope this helps! Welcome to the forum!
 
Thank you Inparadise for taking the time to answer some of these questions. This case haunts me so I'm glad to find people who are informed about it.
 
K_Z, Thank you soooo much. I thought there was probably a better place to post my questions but I didn't know where that would be - that's why I asked first. I will now go and read these threads - I'm sure I am not the first to question these aspects. Thank you for your time!
 
After following this case for quite some time, I have some specific questions. I am new to Websleuths but suspect people here may know the answers. Can someone direct me to where I might post my questions?

Thank you
You've been following this case for "quite some time".

Most all the answers you are seeking are in all these threads.

Jonah Shacknai's child, Max, nor Rebecca's sister is revelant to the WDS.

Happy reading!
 
[video=youtu;OWUBaar1bWU]http://youtu.be/OWUBaar1bWU[/video]

Lawyer: New evidence will prove Rebecca Zahau was murdered
ABC 10 News

 
Very interesting, and encouraging to see the "evidence room" that Greer has maintained since 2011, with the enlarged glossy poster-sized photos, and the "suspect board" dry erase board for planning. Attorney Greer has given great legal service and loyalty to the Zahau plaintiffs throughout this whole sad saga. I think they are fortunate to have such a dedicated attorney.

And I'm very glad to see the story picked up in the news again. Hopefully, there will be more coverage. I'm also thinking we will hear from Dina in the media soon. She won't let this coverage of the plaintiff's perspective go unanswered, IMO.

I hope things go well for the Zahau plaintiffs in the hearing today. I'd like to see the case get to a trial. I think there is a pretty good chance it will continue.

In a few past Friday hearings, there were new entries on the ROA even before the end of the business day. Hopefully, there will be news soon after today's hearing. I think it's scheduled for 1:30 pm California time.

And Neil Nalepa's motion for protective order and to quash subpoena is scheduled for a hearing next friday.

Glad to see some movement in the case.
 
From the dry erase board in the video above: (freeze at 35 sec to read some of the board)

Adam: 10:00 pm "Wakes up once during the night to urinate."

Interesting. I don't remember hearing before that Adam said he woke up overnight. Just the "ambien" info. Wonder if the time is accurate, 10:00 pm? Or if that's just an approximation.

Nice wider screen shot of the dry erase board at 39 sec if someone wants to enlarge to see what's written.

Also, a nice poster-sized enlargement of the message on the door at 1:23.
 
Hey! And at 1:34 you can see Websleuther Cynic's diagram of the head contusions on the wall on the left side of the screen! I'm pretty sure that's Cynic's diagram.
 
I've been going through the video frame by frame. I wish Atty Greer was not standing in the middle of the whiteboard! There are a few interesting pictures on the wall.
 
Who is the woman in the striped shirt with the cross-body handbag? I can't see the head.

IIRC, the bicycle witness saw Dina wearing a striped shirt-- different color than the gray stripes. But maybe looked different in the dark at 10-10:30 pm?

Could that be a Rady security video still of Dina entering the hospital on some occasion wearing a striped shirt? Perhaps to be used to show she owned and wore a striped shirt close in time to when the bicycle witness saw her in one?
 
Who is the woman in the striped shirt with the cross-body handbag? I can't see the head.

IIRC, the bicycle witness saw Dina wearing a striped shirt-- different color than the gray stripes. But maybe looked different in the dark at 10-10:30 pm?

Could that be a Rady security video still of Dina entering the hospital on some occasion wearing a striped shirt? Perhaps to be used to show she owned and wore a striped shirt close in time to when the bicycle witness saw her in one?

attachment.php


"He was going by and saw somebody with a large, black bag trying to get in the front door and looking around and going to the back of the house," Bremner said. "She was 40 to 50 years, 5'5", 170 to 190 lbs., long dark hair; wearing a black and white striped short sleeve shirt," said Bremner.

http://www.cbs8.com/story/15982091/exclusive-max-shacknais-aunt-talks-about-coronado-mansion-deaths


 

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Hey! And at 1:34 you can see Websleuther Cynic's diagram of the head contusions on the wall on the left side of the screen! I'm pretty sure that's Cynic's diagram.

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Nice job Cynic!
 
Clearly that's a pic of someone walking in a parking lot, probably captured by a surveillance camera. Can't tell if the shirt has short sleeves, but the wearer has on a lightweight cardigan style shirt over it.
 
Left side - picture of woman wearing a striped shirt and Cynic's diagram. I wish we could make out the picture on the top right side. When I blow it up it looks like a window and a person walking below the window. In the window there appears to be a bottle of something, maybe lotion?

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If that is actually a pic of Dina wearing a short sleeved gray striped shirt in the news video, that is a VERY significant piece of "new" objective information we haven't had before-- that Dina owned and wore a striped short sleeve shirt close in time to the night Rebecca died. Because that would go directly to corroborate the bicycle witness' account of seeing Dina in a black and white striped shirt at the mansion door. Given the dark conditions, gray and white could easily be mistaken for black and white.

And the bicycle witness has no skin in the game. He was out for a ride with his wife and kids. The kids stopped in front of Spreckels to look at a "dead critter" in the gutter. He would have no reason to concoct a story about a woman with long, dark hair in a striped shirt and black bag pacing in front of the front door to Spreckels.

Maybe the bicycle witness saw Nina in a striped shirt, and she gave different clothing to police? Hmmmm. She reported carrying a pink Coach wristlet, which I always thought was WAY too much detail to give in a media interview. Do we know what kind of shirt Nina says she was wearing when she went to the mansion to confront Rebecca? (I've forgotten. Was that in the audio interview?)

Something's significant about the pic of the woman in the striped shirt, IMO, or Greer would not have it highlighted on the wall in the "evidence room".

ETA: But now I'm going to second guess myself, because the woman in the striped shirt doesn't appear to have a very large chest, and appears slim, so maybe it's not Dina or Nina-- both of whom appear very well-endowed in many pics online, and both appear to carry a bit more thickness around the middle. JMO.

Could it be Rebecca?
 

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