Just curious - in the hours and up to Rebecca's death was it reported anywhere as to what she said happened regarding Max's accident? Like what did she tell Jonah, her family, and/or LE (if known)?
Or was it a situation where she and her sister were in a different part of the house and therefore did not see what happened at all? They had to kind of guess, judging from where he landed and the chandelier broken on the floor that he had to have fallen from upstairs?
I know this question has nothing to do with the civil trial. I'm just trying to get in Rebecca's head a little more. I know that if I was responsible for a six year old child and I wasn't watching him and a very serious (serious enough to call 911, perform cpr, had a long fall where a chandelier actually fell down as well) fall occurred - I would be beyond devastated. I know accidents happen.
I don't know if Rebecca took her own life or not. But I do think regardless of what she knew about Max's condition she had to have felt just devastated and probably felt 'like it was her fault.' I only say that because I can see how anyone would feel that way especially immediately afterwards...being the caretaker of a young six year old whom you're close to and love and he left home in an ambulance because of a serious fall from a 2nd story and is being hospitalized. Given as time went by Rebecca would have most likely came to terms with this being an accident and she could work on forgiving herself. But she did not have time, imo, to process all of these serious emotions in the time before her death. IMO, I don't think she was in the head space to chalk it up to "it was an accident. it's not my fault."
It had just happened. She was in shock. I believe she cared for and loved Max and I believe she blamed herself. Who wouldn't? Especially the immediate aftermath.
Even not knowing he would pass, imo, Rebecca had to have thought this was no small 'oops' accident. Regardless, if Rebecca knew Max's prognosis was grave or not, IMO she knew how serious it was. Again, I'm not saying she took her life at all. Shockingly, I'm still on the fence, completely in the middle. (I usually lean in all cases. ha!) I'm trying to remain open minded while I catch up with all the facts/info like most of you guys all have.
I haven't read anywhere how Rebecca explained Max's accident so I'm just curious if anything more was stated besides "I was in a different room/part of the house, so I don't know what happened." Even if that was what she said - I would still feel enormous responsibility because I'm the adult/caretaker and I'd constantly be thinking in the immediate aftermath "I should have been watching him better. I shouldn't have left him upstairs alone" ..etc. Those are just MY examples. I have a five year old daughter and we have a two story house. I watch her like a hawk and I *still* block off the stairs so she can't go up and down without me bc during this age they don't realize what can happen if they do x, y or z.
Again, I'm not saying she took her life and I'm not saying she wasn't murdered. I'm just curious if it was reported anywhere what she said about Max's accident.
MOO. JMO, Etc.
Good questions and observations.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/sd-me-zahau-defense-20180327-story.html
“Defense attorney David Elsberg asked Berman about reports that Zahau had been fondled by her school principal when she was young, and why that might put her at risk for suicide.
“Sexual abuse can be devastating to the abused,” Berman answered. “It produces a sense of shame, as if they are to blame; low self-esteem.”
Similarly, victims of domestic violence often feel anxious, potentially helpless and distrust in relationships, he said. Zahau reportedly suffered mental abuse, threats and attempted strangulation at the hands of her husband, before she divorced and met Jonah Shacknai.
The ex-husband, Neil Nalepa, testified in a videotaped deposition that Zahau had three affairs with other men during their marriage.
Also, writings found on Zahau’s phone showed her to have doubts about her relationship with Jonah Shacknai. Notes that “I feel this incredible emptiness,” and “I have no one to talk to” suggested depression, Berman said.
Topping off her state of mind was a fall that her boyfriend’s 6-year-old son, Max, suffered while Zahau was looking after him on July 11, 2011. He fell from a two-story stairwell landing at the house.”
How well do we know our adult children or siblings living far away from us?
We know only what they chose to confide.
When RZ wrote that she had “no one to talk to.”...it reminded me that the Z family has stated they had no idea of the shoplifting incident. Now if RZ were falsely accused, wouldn’t a loving family be your source of comfort? Likewise the Z family seemed to believe that RZ was a religious woman, living a life as dictated by her faith. Suicide is a religious no-no! But so is adultery...and RZ was a serial adulterer. Which was it..did they know about the affairs, the moving to get away from lovers...or did she tell them stories that kept them thinking she was a woman living by the tenets of her religion?
That night, did she feel she had anyone to confide in...or was she struggling to keep of a facade of what she thought her family expected of her? Obviously, she did not confide that for the “first time in her life” she wasn’t sleeping and crying all the time, because the Z family had stated emphatically that she was coping just fine.
There’s a real disparity between what the family says and what RZ writes herself. The Defense needs to hit that hard. Perhaps the investigators realized that the family didn’t know as much about RZ and her life as they assumed they did.
This shows that RZ was a very emotionally complicated woman. The attempts to deny the tremendous confluence of emotional stressors on her that night are ludicrous. Her lover had put their relationship on probation because his disrespectful children were influencing him. She only had about 6 weeks to go to the probation period ended. Did she know he was already romancing his current wife? I think most women can sense when a man begins to loose interest in her.
Contemplating another move...this time without Neil...any move is a stress. Starting over with no financial security from JS as Dina had received when discarded.
And to top it off...she and her sister being the only persons in the house when a child was gravely injured! It might be devastating enough...to know that DR would blame her and maybe in time the powerful JS would blame her...but the police were involved!! She’d already been through one minor interrogation over her jewelry theft. This time, what would they ask, what might they accuse her of, how would they treat her? And, my God...if the child DIED...and they had to rule out murder! No wonder she writes that her mind “is racing.”
All this as she sat alone. At first talking to her sister...who says she was “coping.” I think she didn’t always feel she could confide her pain and fear in her. “I have no one to talk to....” Perhaps the strain of pretending for this sister was another burden.
Finally, she just shut herself off...stopped answering texts and phones.
RZ was under colossal strain that night. A creative woman...she chose a creative way to die....leaving a parting sarcastic dig at her powerful, insensitive, lover.
