CA - Rebecca Zahau Nalepa - suicide or murder? #11

[oceanblueeyes]

Two kitchen knives were found in the crime scene bedroom & marked as evidence.

Rope that allegedly came from a shelf in the garage was found in the crime scene bedroom and was also around the victim's neck, wrists, and ankles & was marked as evidence.

A white trash bag, a tube of black acrylic paint, and two paint brushes were found in the crime scene bedroom and were marked as evidence.

A blue tee shirt was wrapped around the victim's neck, and was stuffed into her mouth.

Another kitchen knife that was used to cut the victim down was found in the courtyard on the ground.

IMO, based on the items found in the crime scene bedroom & elsewhere, a thorough investigation of locations other than the crime scene bedroom was more than warranted.

I am not sure I am following you.

If the knives, paint tube,paintbrushes and rope have Rebecca's prints/DNA only on them why would it be necessary to check out other locations? It shows that Rebecca was in the sole possession of all of those items that day.

Except for the knife that Adam used to cut her down.

IMO

 

[TorisMom003]

I have seen the comparison of Rebecca's sister and Max's parents for the grief talk. I think it is important to remember that Rebecca also has parents who have lost their child. While the sister is being the spokesperson for the family, her parents are most definately affected as well. It does not matter how old or young your child is, when a child dies it still affects you. Especially in a case when it is not an expected death, for instance a long term illness or something like that.

Both Rebecca and Max left behind parents that are obviously still needing some answers for their questions.

 

[Brit]

I have seen the comparison of Rebecca's sister and Max's parents for the grief talk. I think it is important to remember that Rebecca also has parents who have lost their child. While the sister is being the spokesperson for the family, her parents are most definately affected as well. It does not matter how old or young your child is, when a child dies it still affects you. Especially in a case when it is not an expected death, for instance a long term illness or something like that.

Both Rebecca and Max left behind parents that are obviously still needing some answers for their questions.

couldn't have said it better!

 

[CDS22]

respectfully snipped by me.

Just to clarify, it is LE that claims this is the way Maxie fell not Rebecca. No one else has reported seeing anything.

But I agree with you, I am having a hard time believing he launched over the foyer to the other bannister (catching or hitting chandelier and bringing it down with or on top of him) and still bouncing off the bannister and flipping him face forward to the ground.

Yes, thank you. I suppose what I'm really asking is how LE came up with the theory of how Max fell. I don't know if they can trace his footprint patterns, or if they checked the railings for marks, etc. It seems odd to me that detectives didn't clean up the scene.

 

[Brit]

come to think of it. i wonder if they looked for fingerprints or any evidence that RZ had been in the garage considering this is where they "think" she "might" have gotten the rope.

 

[TorisMom003]

I hate to say it but I think that LE did a half arsed job on both of the deaths. I understand that it took LE however long to "wrap" the case up but I definately feel that was more for show than doing any actual police work. When you have other MEs come forward and say that the AR makes no sense to them and that more questions have not been answered, then how could it be ruled "suicide" and "case closed". Then there is the problem with Max. That model that they did makes no sense when you consider they used an adult sized person instead of a child of Max's age and size. IMO both need to be looked at closer by an outside source.

 

[jjenny]

I am not sure I am following you.

If the knives, paint tube,paintbrushes and rope have Rebecca's prints/DNA only on them why would it be necessary to check out other locations? It shows that Rebecca was in the sole possession of all of those items that day.

Except for the knife that Adam used to cut her down.

IMO

Did LE ever say what they found on the knife AS used to cut her down?

 

[sorrell skye]

come to think of it. i wonder if they looked for fingerprints or any evidence that RZ had been in the garage considering this is where they "think" she "might" have gotten the rope.

I know - right? Were RZ's fingerprints or DNA found on the light switch in the garage, or the door jamb of the garage door, or the door knob of the garage door, or the garage door itself? Were her fingerprints or DNA found on the shelf in the garage?

Were anyone else's fingerprints or DNA found anywhere in the garage or on any of the surfaces listed above?

Were any of these locations checked for fingerprints or DNA (known or unknown)?

 

[sdcali]

Acrylic paint is almost always squeezed from the tube directly onto the brush, particularly when painting block letters or signs. That's the beauty of acrylic paint - it gives a nice, solid block of color.

Also, artists who paint in block letters are painting in form, meaning that it doesn't resemble one's handwriting at all. A good artist can duplicate a font so that it will appear to be produced by a machine because the letters will be precise. You wouldn't be able to tell block letter painting (if done by someone who knows art) from one artist to another.

My humble two cents as an artist.

Back in the day (1982), when I took acrylic painting classes, they were small bottles and runnier than what may come out of a tube and I have always used a plastic palette to squirt out a small amount of paint. This is the first time I have heard someone say that they almost always squeeze the paint from the tube. IMO, that seems very awkward and inefficient. But, I learn something new everyday.

I have my own style of writing, whether it is all caps, printing or cursive. I tend to use a combination of printing and cursive and it is unique to me. The style of my lettering is mine. I believe that Rebecca's family would recognize her writing, as would mine. She had no reason to disguise her writing.

LE has said it is block printing, but when it was written in the AR, it is written She Saved Him Can You Save Her. To me that is printing. But since we have not seen the actual message, we can only guess what was meant by "block printing".

 

[sorrell skye]

I am not sure I am following you.

If the knives, paint tube,paintbrushes and rope have Rebecca's prints/DNA only on them why would it be necessary to check out other locations? It shows that Rebecca was in the sole possession of all of those items that day.

Except for the knife that Adam used to cut her down.

IMO

Evidence must be sourced to its original location. If an item of evidence came from a location other than the immediate crime scene, then the original location of the item of evidence must be checked for potential fingerprints & DNA, as well as other potential trace evidence.

 

[TorisMom003]

Did anyone notice any red pieces of rope on the floor of the guest bedroom? Where the ends of the rope frayed where it was cut? If you cut a rope, doesn't it leave fragments behind that come from the rope? I would expect to see small pieces of red fibers on the floor if the rope was cut in the guest bedroom. If the rope was cut somewhere else then I would expect to see red rope fibers wherever the rope was cut.

 

[TorisMom003]

I just went back and looked at all of the photos that were released of the guest bedroom and could not find a single red rope fiber on the floor anywhere. But I did notice something else that is bothering me. The plastic trash bag in the room has some paint on it and it is covering the tube of black paint. Why would the trash bag be put on top of the tube of paint? Is it possible that someone else who painted the "message" on the door used the plastic trash bag to not leave fingerprints behind on the tube of paint, the paintbrushes and the knives? I can see no other reason for it to be in the room.


http://sdsheriff.net/coronado/

 

[belimom]

The rope was just long enough, everything was perfectly proportioned and the entire rope was used. No extra pieces of rope? Perhaps, whoever did this, cut as they were going....ie, bind hands, cut rope,tape legs, make noose, cut rope, oops, got extra rope left, go back and take tape off and bind legs with rope....no extra rope to clean up.

There was extra rope, especially a long length hanging from her wrists. By extra, I mean 'more than was needed', since there was some left over.

This is probably one of the things that nags at me the most, concerning suicide vs murder. If murder, it seems like there would not have been that long piece left over at her wrists - just cut off the extra pieces as you go. If suicide, that would make sense: she would have tied her hands last, then pulled the extra amount through, but not have bothered to cut it - or not have been able to cut it. She also would have needed the extra length to tighten it with, if it happened according to the video.

I still don't believe it was a suicide, but just wanted to put that thought out there. Anyone else think about that?

 

[sdcali]

Thanks, I was hoping that there was a specific number, I know that current building code usually favors 42" to make it safer for children.

LE said the disturbance in the dust on the top of the railing was 11", so if the railing is only 36 inches tall, what part of Rebecca's body caused that disturbance? Anyone? With the railing that short, I am having a harder time with her diving off without a bruise or scrape on the front of her torso, thighs, shins or feet.

 

[TorisMom003]

LE said the disturbance in the dust on the top of the railing was 11", so if the railing is only 36 inches tall, what part of Rebecca's body caused that disturbance? Anyone? With the railing that short, I am having a harder time with her diving off without a bruise or scrape on the front of her torso, thighs, shins or feet.

According to her autopsy report there was a dust mark on her left thigh area. It was on the "anterior proximal left thigh". However, LE claimed that approximately 11 inches fit the size of her waist.

 

[belimom]

LE said the disturbance in the dust on the top of the railing was 11", so if the railing is only 36 inches tall, what part of Rebecca's body caused that disturbance? Anyone? With the railing that short, I am having a harder time with her diving off without a bruise or scrape on the front of her torso, thighs, shins or feet.

I think a disturbance of 11 inches is about the right width for someone to lean their arm on, while hoisting her over, and accounting for a little movement. JMHO.

 

[jjenny]

There was extra rope, especially a long length hanging from her wrists. By extra, I mean 'more than was needed', since there was some left over.

This is probably one of the things that nags at me the most, concerning suicide vs murder. If murder, it seems like there would not have been that long piece left over at her wrists - just cut off the extra pieces as you go. If suicide, that would make sense: she would have tied her hands last, then pulled the extra amount through, but not have bothered to cut it - or not have been able to cut it. She also would have needed the extra length to tighten it with, if it happened according to the video.

I still don't believe it was a suicide, but just wanted to put that thought out there. Anyone else think about that?

But there was a lot of extra length. Much more than necessary if all she needed is tighten with. Why would she want a piece that long hanging around especially considering she had to hop on bound feet? I would think it could have easily tripped her.

 

[belimom]

But there was a lot of extra length. Much more than necessary if all she needed is tighten with. Why would she want a piece that long hanging around especially considering she had to hop on bound feet? I would think it could have easily tripped her.

I agree. But it seems that the same could be said for a perp, too. Why have all that extra length to step on, trip over, etc.? The whole thing is baffling, IMO. None of it makes sense, except that it was either suicide or murder by someone who had access to the home, since there was no obvious break-in or theft.

 

[SophieRose]

I just went back and looked at all of the photos that were released of the guest bedroom and could not find a single red rope fiber on the floor anywhere. But I did notice something else that is bothering me. The plastic trash bag in the room has some paint on it and it is covering the tube of black paint. Why would the trash bag be put on top of the tube of paint? Is it possible that someone else who painted the "message" on the door used the plastic trash bag to not leave fingerprints behind on the tube of paint, the paintbrushes and the knives? I can see no other reason for it to be in the room.


http://sdsheriff.net/coronado/

I believe someone else mentioned that the paint tubes and brushes may have been put in the plastic bag to carry them from wherever they were prior to the guest room.

 

[defense101]

Wow I come home after 10 days and have been reading for hours, still so many questions, but one that so far hasn't been answered although I may have missed it, when did the table leg get broken?