Wrongful death trial begins. Trial coverage and discussion

[kittychi]

Yes, Tricia, these were on the page, not on Websleuths!

 

[Pi2016]

Adam's handwriting compared.

Thanks Cynic. We're there any exhibits with Rebecca's handwriting?

I find the exaggerated lines in both the A and M to be significant but with block style lettering styles can be similar. I would love to see Rebecca's sample.

The note on the door is so strange. If this was a suicide, then Rebecca went to great lengths to make it look like a murder. Why would she do that? She wasn't impaired by drugs or alcohol. Let's say she was grief stricken to the point of suicide, WHY in the world would she do all the weird stuff in addition to killing herself?? Surely she would know her NAKED hanging and bondage like appearance would bring unnecessary and weird speculation onto this man she supposedly loved who was already am emotional mess over his son? Nope, none of this adds up.

 

[Imp]

I hope this is ok to bring here-- I know we're ordinarily not supposed to link to fundraising sites, but perhaps Tricia will consider allowing these updates without a link. I'll alert this post so Tricia can make a decision.

Mary Zahau is posting updates about the progress in court a couple times a day on their fundraising site, with a lot of courtroom details I haven't read in the MSM summaries. This is from about 10 pm last night.

This gave me chills, K_Z. Thanks for posting.

 

[Inparadise]

I believe the rope was allegedly from the garage. I remember noticing the red rope as well as the bent legs when we were watching the breaking news live. I assumed murder just because of those things. It's still insane to me anyone could think anything else.

I agree on the lack of injuries to her neck. There was a kid who fell off a DESK with a rope around his neck and required stitches in his neck. There is no way she wouldn't have at least been partially decapitated if she jumped. If it's just rope burn that's different, but when that amount of weight and gravity hits... that's just not how it works.

That's also why children should remain rear facing in the car until age 4+. When they are forward facing too early they can be internally decapitated by the force of a crash. Their head is so much larger than their body and their neck vertebrae are not fused yet. Not exactly the same thing but similar.

Physics don't change because SDSO doesn't like them...

The Sheriff said that the rope came from the garage. Interestingly, there was never mention by LE that Jonah owned two boats, which he kept in the Glorietta Bay Marina, a short ten minute walk from Spreckels. One of the boats was a ski boat that he used to tow the kids on wake boards, using red tow rope, the type that Rebecca was bound with.

 

[Imp]

Thanks Cynic. We're there any exhibits with Rebecca's handwriting?

I find the exaggerated lines in both the A and M to be significant but with block style lettering styles can be similar. I would love to see Rebecca's sample.

The note on the door is so strange. If this was a suicide, then Rebecca went to great lengths to make it look like a murder. Why would she do that? She wasn't impaired by drugs or alcohol. Let's say she was grief stricken to the point of suicide, WHY in the world would she do all the weird stuff in addition to killing herself?? Surely she would know her NAKED hanging and bondage like appearance would bring unnecessary and weird speculation onto this man she supposedly loved who was already am emotional mess over his son? Nope, none of this adds up.

There are also examples of Rebecca's handwriting - probably in the Media Links and Timeline thread. IIRC, RZ's handwriting leans right (forward), while AS's leans backwards, similar to the writing on the door.

The note is definitely strange, and has always seemed to me to be a message to Jonah, but who knows? Also agree with you that if RZ decided to commit suicide out of guilt, it makes less than no sense that she would do it "exhibition style," in the nude, with a noose, over a railing. Seriously? If you sincerely believe you need to disappear out of overwhelming guilt and shame, wouldn't you go quietly? And wouldn't it take more than a couple of days to work up to the idea that you couldn't live with yourself? Max was still on life support when Rebecca was murdered.

You're absolutely right ... none of this adds up, and it never has, which is why I lost all respect for SDSO when I watched their "recreation" of Rebecca's "sucide" and realized they had been building to that precise conclusion all along.

 

[Pi2016]

There are also examples of Rebecca's handwriting - probably in the Media Links and Timeline thread. IIRC, RZ's handwriting leans right (forward), while AS's leans backwards, similar to the writing on the door.

The note is definitely strange, and has always seemed to me to be a message to Jonah, but who knows? Also agree with you that if RZ decided to commit suicide out of guilt, it makes less than no sense that she would do it "exhibition style," in the nude, with a noose, over a railing. Seriously? If you sincerely believe you need to disappear out of overwhelming guilt and shame, wouldn't you go quietly? And wouldn't it take more than a couple of days to work up to the idea that you couldn't live with yourself? Max was still on life support when Rebecca was murdered.

You're absolutely right ... none of this adds up, and it never has, which is why I lost all respect for SDSO when I watched their "recreation" of Rebecca's "sucide" and realized they had been building to that precise conclusion all along.

Exactly! Rebecca would have had to hate Jonah to do the bizarre stunt suicide out of guilt. Why would she want to hurt Jonah more than he was already hurting? She had plans to take things to him at the hospital the next day.

I have often thought that we are missing a huge piece of the puzzle here, because at the same time murdering Rebecca in such a bizarre manner is also strange. If staging to look like a suicide, then why the bindings and gag?

BTW, do you (or anyone) know what phone Adam used to call 911? Was it his cell phone?

Also when the was Asian *advertiser censored* viewed? Did a timestamp ever come out on that?

 

[kay74]

To me, the message seems like it's geared toward Jonah and is from someone who is sarcastically thinking Max was saved by Rebecca and now who will save her?! I'm thinking D's sister.

 

[K_Z]

This is an update from the Zahau fundraising site-- an update from about an hour ago. (I'll post these for at least today or tomorrow. Waiting for a mod or Tricia to say they're ok posted without a link to the fundraiser site.)

Day#2 of week #2 trial is starting at 9am. Attorney Greer is going to try and get Rebecca’s handwriting in. The defendant’s attorneys are saying that we have no foundation and authenticate Rebecca’s handwriting and kept it out of evidence yesterday.

The handwriting expert will continue to testify this morning.

 

[Emi]

https://www.facebook.com/AshleighBanfield/videos/10156114784109757/

https://www.facebook.com/AshleighBanfield/videos/10156115060409757/



These are videos from yesterdays Crime and Justice with Ashleigh Benfield episode.
Tricia said its ok to post them here

 

[kay74]

https://www.facebook.com/joseph.morgan1/videos/10213725720450292/
https://www.facebook.com/joseph.morgan1/videos/10213726117500218/
https://www.facebook.com/joseph.morgan1/videos/10213726178341739/

These are videos from yesterdays Crime and Justice with Ashleigh Benfield episode.
Tricia said its ok to post them here

These don't work for me.

 

[Emi]

These don't work for me.

If you have a fb acount they should work I am trying to find them on youtube

 

[SillyPants]

Question for those who have gone down to the courthouse: I'm thinking of going over there today (I work DT). Is there room for the public or has it been pretty full? Thanks

 

[coastal]

Even law enforcement determined the book was not relevant as evidence. There's no proof it belonged to RZ or that she had even read it.

It does make you wonder if someone else planted it there. It wasn't found until long after RZ's murder.

We know for a fact that it wasn't Rebecca who inserted that book into these threads, and into the 20/20 storyline, and hence, into the back of the public mind. Chances are she didn't read it to find out how to kill herself, either. IMO.

 

[Imp]

We know for a fact that it wasn't Rebecca who inserted that book into these threads, and into the 20/20 storyline, and hence, into the back of the public mind. Chances are she didn't read it to find out how to kill herself, either. IMO.

If I'm thinking of the same book, IIRC, it was first mentioned (specifically, the ropes) in these threads as a slam against Rebecca, right? Am I remembering that disgusting bunch of posts correctly?

 

[*Lash*]

Rebecca’s DL - signature

 

[*Lash*]

Handwriting comparison Cynic posted awhile back -

 

[*Lash*]

Day 4 of civil trial for the wrongful death of Rebecca Zaha

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/visuals/

 

[Tricia]

Mr. Greer called this morning and said he will call again after court today.

If you have questions please post them here.

Keith Greer is truly grateful to all of you who have followed this case from day one as am I.

If you all hadn't done such a good job of sleuthing he might not have known we were discussing Rebecca's case and therefore no interviews after court.

Thank you all.

Tricia

 

[Lezah]

(Warning-- some may find these comments too graphic or disturbing.)

Regarding the extent of injuries to her neck-- they were hardly what I'd describe as minor, or moderate. Her SCM muscles and strap muscles were essentially torn in half on one side. They also include evidence that her heart was beating at the time (significant hemorrhage at the torn muscle sites documented in the AR, which would have looked different if her heart had not been beating at the time of the muscle tears). Many years ago I also posted that I thought that with the lengthy drop it was amazing she wasn't decapitated. (Sorry for the gruesome detail.)

Because of the injury pattern-- both tearing of the muscle and soft tissue structures, with concurrent circumferential crush injuries to her larynx, I believe she was alive with a beating heart (perhaps semi conscious or unconscious, from blows, and/ or perhaps partial/ incomplete strangulation) when she went over the railing.

As to the force applied to get her over the railing-- tossed, tipped, somehow lowered down at the end of the rope, IDK. But the "hanging or raising her from below" theory about "staging" her hanging never reconciled with her neck injuries for me. I also think that the AR injuries could indicate she wasn't entirely limp at the time of the hanging (was moving against the rope, either involuntary reflexes, or in the last seconds of consciousness)-- and if so, that could account for the circumferential crush injuries to the larynx.

Not all long drops produce cervical fractures, and Rebecca didn't have cervical fractures. There is plenty of discussion in the literature about that. Some believe that the absence of cervical fractures means she couldn't have experienced the long drop.

I'll look forward to the medical examiner's testimony (Cyril Wecht, IIRC), but also recognize that this level of detail may not be brought up in this case. These kind of details might be less appropriate for the level of evidence in a civil trial, IDK. I'm recalling Mr. Greer's interview comments where he said they had to make decisions about what to present, and not all details, lab tests, and experts were necessary for them to win their case.

Rest in peace, Rebecca-- lots of people are on your side fighting for you, and love survives the grave.

Thank you for this interesting post. Do you believe that there is a possibility that the plastic bag could have been used to suffocate / strangle RZ into unconsciousness? ( autoerotic asphyxiation?) There is also paint transfer on the neck of the bag.

What other purpose could the bag have and why was it in the room?

Could the pressure from the strong plastic ties in the bag have caused the secondary (noted as thin, angled) markings to the throat and the strangulation injuries below the rope furrow on the throat?

I also second your comment, Rest In Peace, Rebecca.

 

[Lezah]

Questions for Mr Greer

Thankyou for asking our questions Tricia!

Was Rebecca left handed? Or was Adam Shacknai? ( background - the ‘V’ has a directional formation thought to be more comfortable for a left handed person)

What day will Dr Wecht be planned to be giving evidence please?

Thankyou very much