Rebecca Nalepa - suicide or murder? #4

[Carrington]

Tuesday
All I can come with is a Birthday Party or a Wrinkle Injection Party.
Tupperware anyone......
IMO

 

[pferrin]

Also Ocean..wanted to thank you for getting me to look closely at suicide. You had some really good arguments. So thanks. All of you are making me be much more thorough. Thanks to everyone.

Now I still feel homicide..but I have studied it more.

 

[justbetweenus]

I do think she may have been hung by the electrical cord but I think another material bound her hands and feet. The binding on her feet were rather odd to me. Her legs and feet were separated yet the material still on the ankles.

I also think she has some type of dark blue scarf around her neck or it seems that way to me.

I am really not sure what happened here. I do believe she could have been in the right frame of mind to commit suicide. Women tend to take the guilt of the world on their shoulders when something traumatic happens but hanging herself outside does give me pause. Now if this had happened inside the mansion then maybe a suicide but I too have questions even though I am not firmly convinced either way now.

I just don't think it would take this long for the ME to determine if it was a homicide but maybe it does.

But it took the ME in California 7 months to finally come to the MOD on Lana Clarkson (Phil Spector) when he finally ruled it was not a suicide and was a homicide instead when that should have been the MOD from day one.

IMO

BBM:

I'm thinking opposite to you. Because they haven't ruled it a suicide yet, I believe it is more apt to be a homicide. Surely they know by now.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

BBM:

In my theory, she was in bed, and most likely sleeping when she was attacked. Her arms grabbed first and tied behind her. She didn't have a chance.

Right now since we really don't know any of the actual facts one theory is as good as any other one.

Who knows we may all be off the mark when a final resolution is determined.

Even if she was murdered we may have the wrong set of potential suspects in mind. May be someone LE has not even mentioned.

We really don't know what happened after midnight when she talked to her sister or who may have come there and perhaps was gone by the time she was found.

IM

 

[scorekeeper]

How exactly would it be determined if it was homicide or suicide? No, seriously, what's the difference in terms of forensics? Of course we know longer hang people but hanging could be a method to kill someone. So if somebody tied a rope around her neck and made her jump, or if she tied a rope around her neck and jumped, how would anyone know the difference?

DNA, fingerprints???

 

[oceanblueeyes]

BBM:

I'm thinking opposite to you. Because they haven't ruled it a suicide yet, I believe it is more apt to be a homicide. Surely they know by now.

If they think it is a suicide I would think they would want to wait on the toxicology reports to come in and see if she was highly intoxicated on alcohol or drugs at the time which is common when people decide to take their lives. I guess it numbs their pain and gives them courage.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

RBBM

In that presser link Curran said she was "suspended by rope" and bound/tied by something else, he did not elaborate on what it was...

Thank you for the information.

 

[pferrin]

RBBM

In that presser link Curran said she was "suspended by rope" and bound/tied by something else, he did not elaborate on what it was...

I looked at the video and it did look orange and much like an extension cord

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Also Ocean..wanted to thank you for getting me to look closely at suicide. You had some really good arguments. So thanks. All of you are making me be much more thorough. Thanks to everyone.

Now I still feel homicide..but I have studied it more.

Awww, what a nice thing to say pferrin.

No, thank you for greatly contributing to this intriguing case. I think we all have enjoyed your posts and found them very interesting and thought provoking.

 

[lauriej]

Tuesday
All I can come with is a Birthday Party or a Wrinkle Injection Party.
Tupperware anyone......
IMO

..i don't find anything "odd" about a party planned for a tuesday night.

..they were on holiday at their summer home ( not back in arizona on the "work-week" schedule ).

..it could have been a 'small' dinner party, or something larger/informal for their friends/acquaintences in coronado..

..we need more info/details on a LOT of aspects of this case...

 

[Carrington]

What if they did find alcohol and/or drugs in her system.
Wouldn't that inhibit her ability to pull off this feat?

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I looked at the video and it did look orange and much like an extension cord

In one way it did. Although now I am not sure I am thinking it is an electrical cord now because that was said in the media. lol Power of suggestion. LOL!

But when I look at it laying on the ground its girth looks much thicker than than even a heavy duty extension cord. I thought it may be some type of nylon boat rope or something. One that is thicker in size than an extension cord.

It reminds me of the old macramé roping.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

What if they did find alcohol and/or drugs in her system.
Wouldn't that inhibit her ability to pull off this feat?

IMO

It must not because it isn't uncommon for people who commit suicide to indulge themselves in alcohol or drugs or both beforehand.

If she had drugs or alcohol in her system I am sure LE would have seized any bottles they saw open and pill bottles they saw to see who's fingerprints were on them if it comes back positive for either one.

IMO

 

[scorekeeper]

It must not because it isn't uncommon for people who commit suicide to indulge themselves in alcohol or drugs or both beforehand. If she had drugs or alcohol in her system I am sure LE would have seized any bottles they saw open and pill bottles they saw to see who's fingerprints were on them if it comes back positive for either one.

IMO

BBM

I can't imagine being "high" or "drunk" and getting into the position she was found (hands tied behind back; binding on ankles or feet tied together, etc).
I could think of "easier" ways to commit suicide if under the influence...

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Well after all police did describe her death as "violent." So how does that jive with suicide?

As I understand it, suicide no matter what the method falls under the definition of violent death, meaning a death caused by some sort of injury inflicted by a human (even the same human receiving the injury) rather than by natural causes.

My understanding may be wrong, of course.

 

[lauriej]

BBM:

In my theory, she was in bed, and most likely sleeping when she was attacked. Her arms grabbed first and tied behind her. She didn't have a chance.

..people from the fitness club she worked out at have said that she was in great shape, and very strong.

..if someone attacked her, i would think they'd have some pretty major bruises etc. from her attacking back, with her feet. there would definitely be signs of a struggle.

..and who knows, maybe there was, LE isn't giving us too much hard info------while they await autopsy/forensic/tox reports.

 

[CuriousAmazon]

Just found this thread today, so I apologize in advance if someone else has already posted this. I am attaching a link to a video tribute from the funeral home in St Joseph, MO, where Rebecca Zahau was buried (it takes a long time to load, so be patient).

StJohn, I recall seeing the link mentioned previous, but a big thanks, now I don't have to go searching for it. I actually wanted to view this at my home computer.

 

[Wendy101]

I wonder if it was "normal" for Rebecca to be speaking with her sister at midnight? That phone call everything was fine, and Rebecca was going to update her about Maxie "tomorrow".

 

[cluciano63]

Maybe they plan to rule it a suicide if no other DNA at all is found on any of the items used to tie up Rebecca? I don't know how they can, really, otherwise. And if they do find other DNA, it still would not really prove murder, but make it murkier yet...

 

[pferrin]

I wonder if it was "normal" for Rebecca to be speaking with her sister at midnight? That phone call everything was fine, and Rebecca was going to update her about Maxie "tomorrow".

Hi Wendy..I wonder if it was midnight san diego time or midnight missouri time..where her sis lives. I cant take credit for this thought ...one of our amazing sleuthers here came up with this. It might be 10:00 in california..not sure.