CA - Rebecca Zahau Nalepa - suicide or murder? #10

[CalElliot]

Not the same rope, but it is a 7/16" two person tow rope. Note the description.

http://boatingsavings.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/60-stearns-7-16-tube-tow-rope-yellow.aspx?a=627805
BBM

Why would you tie the handle into your feet? There was 84 spare inches on her hands, why use the handle?

I wondered about the handle, too. But looks like the tow rope is 60" (not 84).

 

[sorrell skye]

I wondered about the handle, too. But looks like the tow rope is 60" (not 84).

60"? That's only 5 feet of rope.

Do they come in different (longer) lengths?

 

[jjenny]

60"? That's only 5 feet of rope.

Do they come in different (longer) lengths?

It has to, because the one she used had to be much longer than 5 feet. The drop itself was 9 feet, then there is rope to bind hands and feet. And the one on the hands still had a large piece remaining after binding was done.

 

[CalElliot]

An experiment: Would be interesting to see what one can do with 60 inches of rope. Any kind of rope should do.

1) Match the wrist bindings in the demo, based on description AR.
2) Match ankle bindings, based on description in AR.
3) See how much rope is left over.
4) How would that amount of rope work in crime scene?

 

[IWannaKnow]

7/11/11
Max fell at ~10:00 am
DS MIA for several hours
RZ calls TG to pick up Ocean around 4:00

7/12/11
TG arrives to pick up Ocean, sees another "woman" there (XZ?)
RZ takes XZ to airport, picks up AS
AS arrives late afternoon (?)
AS, JS, RZ go to dinner from hospital
RZ last seen by AS at 8:00 (2000 hours).
RZ calls sister at 9:50 (2150 hours)

7/13/11
1 - 1:30 am loud music reported
3:00 am RZ allegedly dives off balcony
AS finds RZ at 6:30
AS calls 911 at 6:48

7/14
?

7/15
MS pronounced brain dead 11:58 (2358 hours)

7/16
MS death verified at 11:30
PI picks up Ocean at Camp Diggity Dog
GS posts on FB

7/17
Death announcements begin to appear
Organ procurement

7/18
Private memorial service for MS
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=73531182

 

[jjenny]

An experiment: Would be interesting to see what one can do with 60 inches of rope. Any kind of rope should do.

1) Match the wrist bindings in the demo, based on description AR.
2) Match ankle bindings, based on description in AR.
3) See how much rope is left over.
4) How would that amount of rope work in crime scene?

60 inches of rope is not enough. The drop itself was 9 feet long (that's the distance from the railing to the ligature). The rope was attached to the bed so it had to be way longer than 5 feet.

 

[IWannaKnow]

Maybe AS is the favorite family member?

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=73531182

Max is survived by parents, Mogul Jonah Shackels, Dina (Romano) Shacknai, a sister, G., a brother, E., uncle A. S., aunt N. R., Maternal grandmother, N. and Paternal grandfather, G. S..

Guess AS was it. I wonder who wrote this page. Did they intentionally spell JS as "Shackels"?

 

[branwynbreeze]

In the days after Jonah Shacknai's son, Max, and girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau died, he hired a private investigations firm, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

he hired them them immediately; the guy from the agency picked up the dog from the boarders........RN's family didn't question the findings until the week before Labor Day.....for some reason JS knew right off the bat to cover all the bases.....

HINKY, HINKY....

This bugged me, unless the guy was checking out kennel for whatever reason. Why turn a PI into your errand man?

 

[jjenny]

This bugged me, unless the guy was checking out kennel for whatever reason. Why turn a PI into your errand man?

The kennel guy was talking a lot. If PI actually did pick up the dog, maybe to question kennel guy on what he knew?

 

[branwynbreeze]

I am trying to catch up, but what about RZ limp? Would that affect balance if her feet where bound together?

 

[oceanblueeyes]

It might say that but we have the photos and the hands behind her back prevent her from being put flat on her back, she is somewhat sidewise.

Thats true but photos can be deceiving. Maybe she was more on her back than it looked from afar. If not then the ME would have listed her position as semi-supine, imo.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

The kennel guy was talking a lot. If PI actually did pick up the dog, maybe to question kennel guy on what he knew?

The kennel guy said the PI asked him no questions.

IMO

 

[elfie]

For some reason the attachment (paperclip) tool is not working or I would attach a photo of the towline. Is anyone else having this attachment problem?

Just add a link, or address and we can copy & paste it to address bar. I haven't tried to do any attachments, so not sure about this. Hopefully someone can be of more help.

 

[CalElliot]

60 inches of rope is not enough. The drop itself was 9 feet long (that's the distance from the railing to the ligature). The rope was attached to the bed so it had to be way longer than 5 feet.

So then we try 84"... does that work?

The tow-rope lines seem to come in specific sizes for a 2-rider rope.

How much rope is needed to replicate the crime scene?
Does that amount of rope match a standard tow-rope length?
Does it match, say, two tow-rope lengths? Or three?
Or is it a random number that would suggest there is missing rope that was not used?

 

[oceanblueeyes]

This bugged me, unless the guy was checking out kennel for whatever reason. Why turn a PI into your errand man?

Well Jonah may have thought he could be next. He had a son who died from a fall that no one saw and then lost his girlfriend shortly after.

He may have thought 'whomever' could follow him if he was the one that had picked up Ocean since by then everyone knew Ocean was being kenneled and where.

IMO

 

[jjenny]

So then we try 84"... does that work?

The tow-rope lines seem to come in specific sizes for a 2-rider rope.

How much rope is needed to replicate the crime scene?
Does that amount of rope match a standard tow-rope length?
Does it match, say, two tow-rope lengths? Or three?
Or is it a random number that would suggest there is missing rope that was not used?

No. 84 inches is only 7 feet. The drop itself was 9 feet (and that's not counting the distance from the bed leg to the railing). The rope had to be much longer than 7 feet.

 

[Rhyme & Reason]

The tape residue is easy... it's small tape and it's on her shins. She had shin splints, she was a runner and was reported to have an on-going limp. The tape did not go around her legs as if she was bound. It's residue from taping the splints.

The head injuries are small according to the AR and IMO were inflicted as she fell quickly over the balcony. To launch herself from her left hip head first her head would have had to hit the balcony railing and the iron around the balcony.

Good night... I have a little one with asthma that I'm having to nebulize around the clock every 2 hours... time for more "dragon air".

Do you have the link with proof she had shin splints? TIA!

 

[IWannaKnow]

BBM

I noticed the same thing. Would they know 2 days before that Maxie would likely be brain-dead I wonder?

FWIW, I have not asked about the timeline and when DS was informed of the turn for the worst. DS is in so much pain, as we all can imagine and there is belief that Maxie was suffocated so talking about it usually revolves around that belief, not the events leading up to it. I'll keep everyone updated though if I hear anything else.

Could that belief be a result of the fact that the report is that he died from the lack of oxygen to his brain for the period of time it took to get a pulse back?

 

[jjenny]

The kennel guy said the PI asked him no questions.

IMO

Strange. Why would PI pick up the dog and not ask any questions? After all the kennel guy did talk to RN when she wanted to board the dog, so he might have had some info regarding Max's accident that he heard from RN.

 

[Morag]

It has to, because the one she used had to be much longer than 5 feet. The drop itself was 9 feet, then there is rope to bind hands and feet. And the one on the hands still had a large piece remaining after binding was done.

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't tow a tube or wakeboard only 5 feet behind a boat.