The case for murder

[Mrs. Holmes]

Hmmm, good point Mrs. Holmes!! Just out of curiosity, but could the family argue the point of whether or not the case is actually closed, based on the fact that LE is still searching evidence?

And if so, how would this affect their arguments? Interesting.:waitasec:

LOL... this is so crazy... there was that big Press Conference where SDLE announced the case was CLOSED.

 

[jjenny]

LOL... this is so crazy... there was that big Press Conference where SDLE announced the case was CLOSED.

Not only it is closed, it is "iron clad." So it makes no sense for them to be examining her cell phone. What difference does it make what's on her cell phone if she killed herself?

 

[Mrs. Holmes]

Not only it is closed, it is "iron clad." So it makes no sense for them to be examining her cell phone. What difference does it make what's on her cell phone if she killed herself?

Which brings me back to my earlier question.... is it a good or bad thing if SDLE actually re-opened the case themselves versus having an independent investigation?

Wouldn't that just be a peanut in the monkey's hat if SDLE continued to investigate?

:great:

 

[SunnieRN]

Not only it is closed, it is "iron clad." So it makes no sense for them to be examining her cell phone. What difference does it make what's on her cell phone if she killed herself?

Which imho is the 18 Million dollar question of the day. Is it legal for them to hold on to personal items after a case is closed and the family has requested those items?

 

[MyBelle]

True... I mean LE is now using software on her phone so the case isn't really closed.

I think LE has stated to the media weeks ago that they will re-open the case if they find new evidence. They've had plenty of time to examine the phone and I've not heard or seen anything indicating they found new evidence on it.

JMO

 

[SunnieRN]

I think LE has stated to the media weeks ago that they will re-open the case if they find new evidence. They've had plenty of time to examine the phone and I've not heard or seen anything indicating they found new evidence on it.

JMO

Which proves a point. They did not say the case was re opened, yet they re examined Rebecca's phone, following a request for the phone, by the family, after the case was closed. Is this legal? Case closings usually equate to evidence being released to next of kin, unless it is a murder investigation and the evidence has to be retained.

 

[MyBelle]

If I were the insurance company, I would refuse to pay for possibly illegal (and definately unethical IMO) accounting practices.

<modsnip> Insurance companies must abide by the terms and conditions of the policy and Medicis was not charged with a crime.

JMO

 

[nursebeeme]

friendly reminder that we attack the post not the poster... thanks everyone

 

[Rhyme & Reason]

It certainly could make the girlfriend an enemy if she didn't get a piece of that $7 million. I doubt a disgruntled employee would stop by a house twice in one week to commit two murders. Such a scenario might work in fiction.

JMO

Wow...

 

[SunnieRN]

Wow...

I am glad you made the comment. I am afraid I may not have been so civil.

 

[rosemary]

I'd just like to thank everyone here for all the hard work they've done on this case. You may not be the LE but you all seem to have done a better job than they did in reviewing this case. I don't understand why the family are not allowed to view the police report and why they won't give back her things when they officially closed this case? Don't they have a right to even get back her own things at least?

I feel so much for Rebecca's family. Not only did they have to suffer the trauma of watching their loved one's dead and nude body treated so carelessly by the LE, they also had to deal with the LE's dismissive and arrogant attitude towards them. I'm not even a relative but I feel so angry at the way LE has behaved towards Rebecca and her family. At the very least, they could have hired a forensic psychologist to explain why the theory of suicide is more plausible, they could have given the family an expert who would have been able to provide some comfort and answers to them rather than dismissing them entirely and calling the case 'iron clad' because 'science does not lie.'

 

[Mrs. Holmes]

What do you think it means if anything that the Coronado Police Chief NOT being at the Press Conference? He was part of the Sand Diego force and rose to Assistant Chief he didn't get the job of Chief... when the controversial new Chief was pushed in. I wonder if he agrees how the Rebecca Zahau Case was handled. Here is his info...form the Coronado website.

Following a thorough interview and evaluation process, Louis Scanlon has been appointed as Director of Police Services (Police Chief). Mr. Scanlon replaces Chief Paul Crook, who retired in March 2007.

&#8220;Lou Scanlon has devoted his career to public safety. He competed against many applicants, demonstrating his outstanding abilities. We look forward to having Lou continue the excellence of the Coronado Police Department,&#8221; said City Manager Mark Ochenduszko.

Scanlon joins the City of Coronado with over 30 years of law enforcement experience. He began his career in law enforcement in 1974 as a police officer for the City of San Diego. In his career with the City of San Diego, Scanlon rose through the ranks to become Assistant Chief of Police in 2001. In his role as Assistant Chief, Scanlon was assigned to the Patrol and Operations division, supervising all uniformed officers, detectives, and civilian employees assigned to the eight area commands. He also chaired the Fiscal Advisory Board, advising the Chief on all budget matters.

Scanlon had an integral role in developing community policing strategies to prevent and solve problems of crime and disorder in the City of San Diego. Scanlon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Boston College. He is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, as well as a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. After graduating college, Scanlon was an active duty fighter pilot in the United States Navy. He was a member of the United States Navy Reserve until 1994, honorably retiring as Commander. As Commander, he held leadership positions including Officer in Charge of the reserve detachments for the USS Constellation and USS Kitty Hawk.

Scanlon assumed his role as the Coronado Police Chief on Monday, April 2, 2007.



the link to the page....http://www.coronado.ca.us/newsletter/200705/CACORON_18_20070501_en.htm

and just because I need a laugh... the previous Chief's last name was CROOK!!!

 

[stilettos]

<modsnip> Insurance companies must abide by the terms and conditions of the policy and Medicis was not charged with a crime.

JMO

Yet, IMO

 

[time]

Which proves a point. They did not say the case was re opened, yet they re examined Rebecca's phone, following a request for the phone, by the family, after the case was closed. Is this legal? Case closings usually equate to evidence being released to next of kin, unless it is a murder investigation and the evidence has to be retained.

I think that's a great question. In every case I have seen that was ruled a suicide, the personal items are returned to family.

Maybe AZlawyer could answer? But I think we may want a thread entitled "Legal Questions"?

 

[jjenny]

I think that's a great question. In every case I have seen that was ruled a suicide, the personal items are returned to family.

Maybe AZlawyer could answer? But I think we may want a thread entitled "Legal Questions"?

I am no lawyer, but I fail to see the reason for police to keep her cell phone and examine it with some new software, since they ruled her death suicide and closed the case. If she killed herself, as LE said, why do they care what was on her cell phone? I don't think that kind of behavior (LE first saying this was an iron clad suicide, then deciding to examine her cell phone using supposedly new software-after they closed the case) inspires much confidence in their investigation.

 

[coastal]

Valhall has posted a new article, wherein she discusses the black paint that was found on Rebecca's body:

http://www.thehinkymeter.com/2011/10/01/rebecca-zahau-case-worth-a-thousand-words/

 

[SunnieRN]

Valhall has posted a new article, wherein she discusses the black paint that was found on Rebecca's body:

http://www.thehinkymeter.com/2011/10/01/rebecca-zahau-case-worth-a-thousand-words/

Snip:

Now, there are six loops around the left wrist so the “middle” would be the 3rd or 4th loop around the left wrist. Why (or better yet “how” ) would she get black paint on the 3rd or 4th wrap around her left wrist and not get it on the first, second, or maybe third? And if you go back and watch Ms. LE Bind-myself’s demonstration, how did she bind her wrists at all without brushing her right hand against her left hand and getting paint on it?

And how the heck did she not get any paint on the ankle bindings or the blue t-shirt? Are we to believe that she bound her wrists first, removed her right hand, somehow managed to keep the cleat hitch binding from getting all gimped up while she then bound her ankles virtually one-handed? I mean at some point you have to give the explanation that either the excess paint had already been wiped off on other items, or it had begun to dry and therefore didn’t transfer to the ankle bindings.

OR, are we to believe she bound her ankles first, THEN PAINTED THE DOOR (nude and ankle bound), and then bound her wrists? Wouldn’t she have to wrap the blue t-shirt around her neck first before binding her wrists, so wouldn’t the blue t-shirt have a MUCH larger probability of having black paint on it? It has more surface area and is more absorbent than the rope, right? And how did she put the ligature around her neck and not get any paint on it, but end up getting it on the “knot tail”?

Could it be that the paint on the knot tail was transferred to the tail when it brushed against Rebecca’s right hand after she was bound? It’s definitely long enough to reach her hands behind her back and especially when the ligature has been placed loosely around her neck and before she goes over the railing to draw it tight.

And why are there black-paint fingerprint smudges all over the trash bag but SDSO never said anything about the fingerprints found on the bag?

 

[SunnieRN]

The above is something we have talked about on these threads. I wish SDSO had explained, using their 'iron clad science doesn't lie' information for these and the many other questions being asked!

 

[TorisMom003]

It certainly could make the girlfriend an enemy if she didn't get a piece of that $7 million. I doubt a disgruntled employee would stop by a house twice in one week to commit two murders. Such a scenario might work in fiction.

JMO

Let's take this into parts then.

The girlfriend, who lives with the CEO who has the $7 million, may not "get a piece" of that money as in cash in hand but she is still benefitting from living in homes that the CEOs money has paid for. The girlfriend also has not been shown to be a gold digger or a person that has demanded money from her CEO boyfriend. It appears that the girlfriend is with her CEO boyfriend because she truly loves him and his children.

A disgruntled employee or better yet an ex-employee that has not received any of this money and is not reaping the benefits of living with or being related to the CEO is very likely going to be pissed. Especially if the ex-employee has also lost their job on top of not getting a cut of the $7 million. Not only does that ex-employee have no cash from the illegal actions of the CEO and company but the ex-employee now has no way of making any money from a job that they were fired from because of those illegal actions by the CEO and company.

So, after all of that, who in this scenario would have the most motive to commit at least one murder and possibly two?

MOO

 

[jjenny]

I find the idea of some disgruntled employee doing this extremely far fetched. First the employee would have to sneak into the house undetected despite at least two people being inside to injure the child, and after doing this, escape, again completely undetected. Second, one wouldn't expect that throwing the child into the stair well would necessarily kill the child. If the child didn't die then the child could say what happened to him. That kind of revenge plan doesn't make any sense to me.