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

[screecher]

^^Yeah. Rebecca had no intentions of getting pregnant with a millionaire being the father, she wasn't a money grubbing parasite. She could have easily done it...they were together for at least two years.

Wonder if the second ex-mrs. jonah shacknai told JS...oops I forgot to take my pills for a week.

 

[inthedark14]

Does anyone know where this info that RZ called herself a Burmese princess comes from?

Curious about this and the animosity...

In my family we call the girls (our heritage) princesses. AFAIK we are not of any royal decent but do use this affectionate term. I have a cousin in her mid thirties who is having a "princess" wedding next spring...I had one myself years ago...:blushing:

The whole being a princess thing isn't all that uncommon and is quite socially acceptable...hello Disney?

 

[Betty P]

Here's something from a 2011 Newsweek article:

Rebecca Hniangsinmawii (her name means “springtime beauty&#8221 was born on March 15, 1979, in the hills of northwest Burma. According to the Chinland Guardian website, she was the second-eldest daughter among six siblings of Pu Khua Hnin Thank and Pi Zung Tin Par from the Phunte village of Falam Township in Chin State, also known as Chinland. It’s an area of many tribes, including the Zahaus. In a land of 113 languages and scores of dialects, the Zahaus had their own.

When Jonah Shacknai told friends he was dating an Asian princess, they thought he was exaggerating. But apparently Zahau’s family had status. She told friends that her grandfather was chief of the Zahau tribe. Both her grandfather and her father, now known as Robert Zahau, were freedom fighters, opposed to the military regime’s systematic ethnic cleansing through forced labor, forced migration, rape, and religious persecution (especially of the many Chins, who were converted to Christianity by American missionaries in the 19th century). Her childhood seems to have been one of continual loss and displacement. In Rebecca’s rendition, at some point in her youth her father was a political prisoner and absent for six years.

http://www.newsweek.com/what-really-happened-coronado-mansion-67411

Rebecca's father was a freedom fighter for the indigenous tribes who lived in the Chin Hills of Burma. He spent 6 years as a political prisoner, for fighting to prevent military troops from enslaving the people of the indigenous tribes in the area. Her grandfather was the tribal leader.

Here's a link to more information about the Lai People - a native group of many tribes living in India and Burma. Zahau is listed as one of the tribes of the Lai Community.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lai_people

Here is another research paper on these tribes in Burma, with more information about the Zahau clan and it's leadership.

https://archive.org/stream/economicsofthece033105mbp/economicsofthece033105mbp_djvu.txt

So yes, it's been documented that her grandfather was a chief of the Zahau tribe/clan. So that would make her (and her sisters and female cousins, if any) a princess.

I doubt she or Jonah harbored any belief that she was from a wealthy, powerful royal family. A quick internet search by Jonah would have given him the history of the Zahau tribe, an indigenous group of mountain people who relied on agriculture and other trades to survive.

ETA: Here's an e-book with more information on the Zahau tribe and it's leaders & families. Includes photos. Really interesting people.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/86146690/A-Short-Biography-of-Zahau-Chief-Thang-Tin-Lian-by-Lal-Bik#scribd

 

[screecher]

Thank you so very much, Betty!

Very informative and interesting. Such a noble family, tribe/clan.

most certainly different from the disparaging remarks posted at the cesspool site.

 

[inthedark14]

Wow...betty...thanks for that...

I had no idea...

 

[Frigga]

What a proud and noble heritage- she was so beautiful. I love the meaning of her name. RIP Rebecca, justice is coming.

 

[Betty P]

Thank you so very much, Betty!

Very informative and interesting. Such a noble family, tribe/clan.

most certainly different from the disparaging remarks posted at the cesspool site.

Happy to help! It's always fun doing this kind of research. It appears the British were active in trying to work with and help these tribes before, during and after World War II, trying to help educate their leaders and help them develop a sustainable economic system. Apparently, that's why Germany offered Rebecca's father political asylum, they and the Brits were aware of the problems that had developed in these areas and were trying to protect the leaders fighting for their people.

Robert Zahau, or Pu Khua Hnin Thank (I think that's a misspelling, should be Thang acc. to the links) was an extremely brave man, as is her mother.

ETA: It's more evidence that the Zahaus were strong people who thrived in spite of a lot of early hardship. Makes it all the more unlikely that Rebecca would have committed suicide, even though she was very distressed over the death of Max.

ETA#2: Here's another article from 2007 that discusses how the Christians in Zahau are still facing persecution there

http://unpo.org/article/6207

Just guessing, but Rebecca's family may also have gotten political asylum in Germany due to the German Christian missionary groups that work in Burma. That's why RZ and her family attended Christian schools in Germany, etc.

 

[K_Z]

Thank you, Betty P. Very interesting. This family has been through so much, and they remain so dignified.

And it is even more disheartening to me to think about how Dina and her attorneys are focused on exploiting the Zahau's history and immigration status in this lawsuit. What in the heck does any of that have to do with Dina defending herself from allegations of murder?? It's absurd to the extreme. That whole line of Dina's inquiry is simply astounding and disgusting to me, on so many level-- racist, classist, etc. Certainly revealing of Dina's state of mind. I'm glad Dina and her attorney were told in no uncertain term by immigration authorities that the details are simply none of Dina's business.

As we discussed before, this was just Dina's attempt to dig up "something" that she could use to try to challenge Robert Zahau's, and Pari Zahau's standing to bring the lawsuit. And it didn't work, fortunately.

This post linked below has that letter from USCIS imaged (with thanks and credit to Lash). It was contained in the Federal lawsuit documents:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-2013-in-California-3&p=11786261#post11786261

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=75001&d=1432135108

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=75003&d=1432135095

Oh-- and that letter from USCIS was just posted March 23, 2015-- so we know Dina has been obsessing over the Zahau immigration as of just a few months ago. Man, what a grudge, IMO. Sick.

And also remember Dina has recently (Aug 31, 2015) filed a request to submit a Letter Rogatory (#223, 224 on San Diego ROA). So she is still poking and prying, trying to dig up "something" on the Zahaus from another country, rather than focusing her legal efforts on defending herself and providing an alibi.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-2013-in-California-3&p=12036144#post12036144

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-2013-in-California-3&p=12036243#post12036243

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-2013-in-California-3&p=12037400#post12037400

 

[MissUnderstood]

So much info on this case!
I'm probably in the small percentage of people that believe the Rebecca killed herself from grief over Max's accident. I think this whole event is tragic. I really don't think anyone murdered either of them!
Now, no one attack me I just feel that this is simply a case of a horrible accident followed by a suicide.
I see how others view it differently, I just hope it's all over soon for both of their families.


MOO!!

 

[LuckyLucy2]

BBM



Maybe because they're racist? Generally speaking.

But in this case, I doubt most of the Shacknais knew Rebecca well enough to make a valid argument for not liking her. How much time did they really spend getting to know her? With an open mind? IMO, they knew she was young, it is obvious she was beautiful, also was Burmese. Could that be the reason for their disdain???

When that many people don't like someone there is usually a reason - and it is not not because they are racist, but because the person in question simply isn't LIKABLE.

 

[LuckyLucy2]

snipped



Pretty sure it is stated somewhere here in all these threads that movie was never taken into evidence.

And stated incorrectly. We only saw the first seach warrants since the Zahaus did not release all of the files since, IMO, there was unsavory information about Rebecca in them.

According to Ann Rule - who WAS given the files by the Zahaus and their celebrity lawyer - LE went back with MORE search warrants which included the movie The Housemaid.

IMO, Jonah told LE that Rebecca owned the movie and was obesessed with how it she felt it paralleled her life with him and how it seemed she copied her suicide on the one in the movie.

 

[LuckyLucy2]

It wouldn't surprise anyone that two ex-wives and daughters didn't like RZ. Max liked her. Adam himself stated he'd never met her until he came to Coronado.

It does appear all Jonah and Rebecca had a wide circle of friends. Recall, they had originally been planning a big party at the mansion before Max's accident and Rebecca's murder.

Just speculating, but it might also have been likely ex-spouses and older children may have been concerned about the possibility of Rebecca and Jonah starting their own family. Of course that wasn't likely at the time RZ was murdered as her autopsy showed the presence of an IUD (dislike posting such personal information, apologies to RZ and her family).

No where is it stated that Rebecca was planning a BIG party, just a party. It could have been just her, XZ, Jonah and Max - she certainly did not call anyone to cancel on that Monday or Tuesday - her phone records PROVE that.

And Rebecca had NO friends in Coronado - her journals talk about how she had no friends there and how LONELY she was.

 

[LuckyLucy2]

It wouldn't surprise anyone that two ex-wives and daughters didn't like RZ. Max liked her. Adam himself stated he'd never met her until he came to Coronado.

It does appear all Jonah and Rebecca had a wide circle of friends. Recall, they had originally been planning a big party at the mansion before Max's accident and Rebecca's murder.

Just speculating, but it might also have been likely ex-spouses and older children may have been concerned about the possibility of Rebecca and Jonah starting their own family. Of course that wasn't likely at the time RZ was murdered as her autopsy showed the presence of an IUD (dislike posting such personal information, apologies to RZ and her family).

Max certainly doesn't LOOK like he liked Rebecca in all of the photos taken with her. And the video Dr. Phil showed shows little Max, the boy with the HUGE smile looking VERY unhappy while talking with Rebecca.

 

[LuckyLucy2]

^^Yeah. Rebecca had no intentions of getting pregnant with a millionaire being the father, she wasn't a money grubbing parasite. She could have easily done it...they were together for at least two years.

Wonder if the second ex-mrs. jonah shacknai told JS...oops I forgot to take my pills for a week.

I would BET you that it was JONAH that insisted on the IUD, not Rebecca. I bet he knew she could not be trusted to take the pill, IMO. He is not a fool.

 

[*Lash*]

Jonah Schacknai felt like the luckiest man in the world. It was July 8, and the millionaire CEO was enjoying a summer idyll with his kids in the tony seaside village of Coronado, Calif. He was talking on the phone with George Kopp, a Washington lawyer and buddy since the 1980s, when they were both congressional aides. Kopp recalls the conversation clearly. “Jonah said he was kicking a soccer ball with his boys, Max and Ethan. His daughter, Gabby, was there preparing for her volunteer trip to Africa in August. Jonah said, ‘We’re having an absolutely perfect day. I’ve got my kids with me. Rebecca's with me. The weather is perfect. My life is perfect. What could be better?'

​http://www.newsweek.com/what-really-happened-coronado-mansion-67411

 

[*Lash*]

Dr. Christian - Rebecca's Employer & Jonah's eye doctor comments -

In contrast to his life with Dina, Shacknai told a friend his relationship with Zahau was the most tranquil he had ever known; in all their time together they argued only once. For Zahau, the relationship “was a fairy-tale ending to her story,” says Christian. “It couldn’t happen to a better person. People tried to characterize them—just because he was older and wealthy, they thought she must have been going after him for his money, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.” Like Shacknai, Zahau was a health nut. “She didn’t drink alcohol, didn’t smoke, never did drugs; you couldn’t force her to eat fast food,” says Christian. She was athletic, too. “She could run like a gazelle. She ran up Camelback Mountain in 32 minutes, and competed in last year’s Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon—26.2 miles—without even training for it,” says another friend.


http://www.newsweek.com/what-really-happened-coronado-mansion-67411

 

[*Lash*]

Around that time Shacknai began dating Rebecca Zahau, a native of Burma who spoke several languages and worked as a certified ophthalmic technician. "She was such an incredibly optimistic, positive, driven person," says Dr. Felicia Popowski, 36, Zahau's good friend and former colleague.

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20523389,00.html


"At first I thought she might be his mother," Zahau's former personal trainer, Scott Markey, told ABC News. "They seemed like they were very happy. She was always smiling with him. They had a very good relationship."

Markey, who often saw the two together at Hollywood Fitness in Coronado, said she was "the sweetest girl you could possibly imagine." "Nothing but good things to say about her. It's horrible for this to happen to anybody, but for her it was a shock to me because she was the nicest girl you could meet," Markey said.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/coronado-m...ves-zahaus-personal-trainer/story?id=14124073

 

[Betty P]

If there are more search warrants, why hasn't SDSO released them to the public? I've never heard them mention any other evidence other than what was taken in the first search warrants.

Can you provide a link that shows SDSO has more search warrants that haven't been released to the public? TIA

 

[Betty P]

No where is it stated that Rebecca was planning a BIG party, just a party. It could have been just her, XZ, Jonah and Max - she certainly did not call anyone to cancel on that Monday or Tuesday - her phone records PROVE that.

And Rebecca had NO friends in Coronado - her journals talk about how she had no friends there and how LONELY she was.

Again, the contents of those journals haven't been released to the public. How do you know about their contents? Just curious.

 

[Betty P]

Thank you, Betty P. Very interesting. This family has been through so much, and they remain so dignified.

And it is even more disheartening to me to think about how Dina and her attorneys are focused on exploiting the Zahau's history and immigration status in this lawsuit. What in the heck does any of that have to do with Dina defending herself from allegations of murder?? It's absurd to the extreme. That whole line of Dina's inquiry is simply astounding and disgusting to me, on so many level-- racist, classist, etc. Certainly revealing of Dina's state of mind. I'm glad Dina and her attorney were told in no uncertain term by immigration authorities that the details are simply none of Dina's business.

As we discussed before, this was just Dina's attempt to dig up "something" that she could use to try to challenge Robert Zahau's, and Pari Zahau's standing to bring the lawsuit. And it didn't work, fortunately.

Snipped for focus.

It seems a bad idea to attempt to smear the Zahau family based on their immigration history. A fool's errand. A few internet searches provide a wealth of information about the history of strife that the indigenous people of Burma have experienced. The leaders of the Zahau and other clans/tribes is well documented and has been studied by anthropologists and historians since the late 1800's.

The Christian missionaries who have worked in the region for decades, and who helped rescue RZ's family continue to work there on behalf of their flock and report regularly on the problems Burmese Christians still face.

As for Dina's attacks? Classism, yes. Racism, yes. Xenophobia, yes. Religious bigotry, yes.