What happened to Rebecca Zahau?

[Reannan]

I have not followed this case as closely as I would like to have done, but I have a few questions that I bet you guys have already discussed, but as far as I can tell, there are still no answers.
1. Why would AS TEXT his brother that RZ had just "hung" herself?
2. Why would AS think RZ had hung herself? If I found a bound and gagged woman hanging from a balcony, suicide would be the LAST thing on my mind! I would immediately arm myself against whoever had committed the murder!
3. Why did JS not call AS immediately after that text message? If I received a text message from ANYONE that someone had died, I would call them for more details.

OK... that's it for now. Thanks in advance for your insight.

 

[CuriousGeorgia]

Just my opinions on your questions:

1. Because Jonah was in the ICU, my guess he had asked family members to TEXT him, not call.
2. Adam was the last person to see her alive, and he, Jonah, and Rebecca had a quick dinner at the McDonald's in Radys, and then Adam and Jonah went back to the ICU room while she got the car. From all reports, Rebecca was very quiet that day and did not want to answer questions about Max's accident. Perhaps Jonah had mentioned to Adam that Rebecca was not taking about it, and seemed odd. Maybe Rebecca said something to Adam on the way home about how she felt. We don't know. He may not have really seen the bindings when he first saw her...he cut her down while on the phone with 911. I think most people would think a hanging victim was a suicide...unless your in 1920's Mississippi and the victim is black...
3. My guess is Adam's text also said a policeman was coming to Rady's to talk to him...just a guess.

 

[justice be served]

I have not followed this case as closely as I would like to have done, but I have a few questions that I bet you guys have already discussed, but as far as I can tell, there are still no answers.
1. Why would AS TEXT his brother that RZ had just "hung" herself?
2. Why would AS think RZ had hung herself? If I found a bound and gagged woman hanging from a balcony, suicide would be the LAST thing on my mind! I would immediately arm myself against whoever had committed the murder!
3. Why did JS not call AS immediately after that text message? If I received a text message from ANYONE that someone had died, I would call them for more details.

OK... that's it for now. Thanks in advance for your insight.

1. Perhaps this family has a very different way of doing things.
2. Perhaps this was not a surprise.
3. Same answer as #2.

 

[K_Z]

Just my opinions on your questions:

1. Because Jonah was in the ICU, my guess he had asked family members to TEXT him, not call.
2. Adam was the last person to see her alive, and he, Jonah, and Rebecca had a quick dinner at the McDonald's in Radys, and then Adam and Jonah went back to the ICU room while she got the car. From all reports, Rebecca was very quiet that day and did not want to answer questions about Max's accident. Perhaps Jonah had mentioned to Adam that Rebecca was not taking about it, and seemed odd. Maybe Rebecca said something to Adam on the way home about how she felt. We don't know. He may not have really seen the bindings when he first saw her...he cut her down while on the phone with 911. I think most people would think a hanging victim was a suicide...unless your in 1920's Mississippi and the victim is black...
3. My guess is Adam's text also said a policeman was coming to Rady's to talk to him...just a guess.

CG, do you have link/s for the bolded items above? Did they really eat at McD's? That would be helpful. RZ's stomach was empty at autopsy, and that might explain why. She was a health food enthusiast, who may not have wanted to eat the food at McD's. Because, from these comments, it seems that perhaps you speak as an insider. And that's great if you are, but a verified insider has more validity than someone who speculates idly. Such as the speculation in #3.

IMO, that text message was more confirmation of an outcome, than new information. Potentially, an expected outcome, IMO.

Just MY opinion.

 

[jjenny]

Stomach empties itself out through the process of digestion.
If her stomach was empty all it proves that some time passed between her eating and time of death. The time depends in part on what kind of food she ate, but most meals empty within a couple of hours.

 

[K_Z]

I've been a volunteer at a RM House for years. Space in a RM House is very limited and it would not be at all unusual for the two parents to share a room/bath. The rooms usually have multiple single beds.

JMO

I understand family crisis. I also have observed JS to be a very guarded person who does not readily concede his privacy.

I also am familiar with the RMD House. I cannot imagine, in such a crisis, that JS would not have wanted a private hotel room or suite to retire to. That is a real disconnect for me, IMO.

The RMD house is an intermediary-- JS could easily afford a nearby private room. As could Dina. Their choice to use RMD, in light of everything else that is known about how they value their privacy, makes that choice seem puzzling to me. Not to mention that RMD Houses are typically overburdened with families who have no financial means to rent private hotel rooms.

Perhaps it was a valid choice, but a very unusual choice, given their means, and their expressed desires for privacy.

 

[freespeech]

IMO, and from what I recall, Dina and Jonah took shifts with Max, so they were never in the RMH together. They went there to rest when the other was in the ICU room with Max.

BBM

If they took shifts then who was with Max on July 12, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.? Dina claims she was at home resting on July 12, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. However, Jonah claims that Dina relieved him from 6:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. so he could go to dinner with his brother and Rebecca.

So why the 2 hour gap? Why don't their stories match?

Dina and Nina drove to the hospital together in Dina's car. They arrived at 8:00 p.m. Did they meet up with Jonah then? How long did Nina stay? Why did Jonah decide Nina should drive his car rather than Dina's? When and where did Jonah give Nina car his keys? Were his house keys on the same key ring?

Did Dina and Jonah both stay at Max's beside together from 8:00 p.m. July 12 until 1:00 a. m. on July 13? Jonah purportedly turned in at the RMH at 1:00 a.m. on July 13. I presume that the surveillance tape shows him entering the RMH at this time. Correct? Apparently he left the RMH and returned to Rady at about 7:00 a.m.

So apparently Jonah was at the RMH when he received Adam's text on July 13 at 6:48 a.m. So he was up early perhaps to relieve Dina from the night rotation? He got the text at 6:48 a.m. threw his clothes on and called Dina at 7:00 a.m. to tell her. That's odd. Why not tell when he saw her. He'd be with her in a minute or so, no?

I guess what really shocks me is that he gets this text and he doesn't seem surprised at all. The whole thing seem to be handled very matter of fact. I agree with Mrs. Holmes that it seems like Jonah already knew something and was not surprised and that he casually called Dina to let her know it was a done deal.

He never called his brother back to question why Adam said she killed herself. Didn't Jonah even want to know how or when? Did he call Adam to ask what he saw, heard or knew? No, but why not? I would think an innocent person would be in shock and have a bunch of questions. I think Jonah's reaction implicated him somehow.

 

[K_Z]

Stomach empties itself out through the process of digestion.
If her stomach was empty all it proves that some time passed between her eating and time of death. The time depends in part on what kind of food she ate, but most meals empty within a couple of hours.

Correct. The stomach takes about 4-6 hours to empty a light, low fat meal. Higher fat meals take in excess of 6-8 hours.

What time did she allegedly eat at McD's? What was she observed eating?

I would think that would be easy for LE to establish. We may not know the answer, but I hope LE does.

For example, if she died at 3:00 am, and possibly had a few bites of hamburger, or a few bites of yogurt parfait at 9:00, that could potentially produce an empty stomach with a tsp of bile. But if she ate the big mac with fries, it's unlikely her stomach would have only a tsp of bile if she died at 3:00 am-ish.

So, reports about her "last meal" witnessed could be VERY helpful to know. I hope those "in the know" will substantiate their comments. We have heard McD's now several times without links or corroboration.

 

[justice be served]

BBM

If they took shifts then who was with Max on July 12, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.? Dina claims she was at home resting on July 12, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. However, Jonah claims that Dina relieved him from 6:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. so he could go to dinner with his brother and Rebecca.

So why the 2 hour gap? Why don't their stories match?

Dina and Nina drove to the hospital together in Dina's car. They arrived at 8:00 p.m. Did they meet up with Jonah then? How long did Nina stay? Why did Jonah decide to give Nina should drive his car back to Dina's house rather than Dina's? When and where did Jonah give Nina car his keys? Were his house keys on the same key ring?

Did Dina and Jonah both stay at Max's beside together from 8:00 p.m. July 12 until 1:00 a. m. on July 13? Jonah purportedly turned in at the RMH at 1:00 a.m. on July 13. I presume that the surveillance tape shows him entering the RMH at this time. Correct? Apparently he left the RMH and returned to Rady at about 7:00 a.m.

So apparently Jonah was at the RMH when he received Adam's text on July 13 at 6:48 a.m. So he was up early perhaps to relieve Dina from the night rotation? He got the text at 6:48 a.m. threw his clothes on and called Dina at 7:00 a.m. to tell her. That's odd. Why not tell when he saw her. He'd be with her in a minute or so no?

I guess what really shocks me is he gets this text and he doesn't seem surprised at all. The whole thing seem to be handled very matter of fact. I agree with Mrs. Holmes that it seems like Jonah already knew something and was not surprised and that he casually called Dina to let her know it was a done deal. He never called his brother back to question why Adam said she killed herself. Didn't Jonah even want to know how or when? Did he call Adam to ask what he saw, heard or knew? No, but why not? I would think an innocent person would be in shock and have a bunch of questions. I think Jonah's reaction implicated him somehow? Does anyone think so too?

Yes, i totally agree. It seems everyone continues to beat around the bush on Jonah telling Dina that Rebecca killed herself and Adam texting Jonah that Rebecca hung herself. Those are simply bizarre reactions. None of this passes the smell test yet SDSO ignored the smell test completely and rested on funny science instead which is why the public is still questioning the entirety of both of these terrible death investigation results.

 

[K_Z]

I agree free speech. I have long thought that AS's text was more "confirmation" than surprise revelation.

The message was just too casual for that kind of notification, even for heavy users of text messaging.

Very, very strange. Like getting a text your Mom died, with no follow up call right away. Baffling. Unless it was expected by the recipient, IMO.

 

[jjenny]

From what I can find, it would take a couple of hours to empty stomach. So she didn't have to die at 3 am for her stomach to be empty.
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/stomach/emptying.html

 

[freespeech]

But you have no proof that's how Dina felt, do you?

No I don't.

However, Dina does seem more obsessed, in specific, with finding Rebecca guilty of harming Max than just looking for answers about what could have happened. She almost seems to have a vendetta against Rebecca which makes Dina appear like a woman scorned. So to me she give the impression that she hasn't gotten over losing him to another woman.

 

[freespeech]

From what I can find, it would take a couple of hours to empty stomach. So she didn't have to die at 3 am for her stomach to be empty.
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/stomach/emptying.html

That's a good point. I tend to think that she died closer to 1:00 a.m. than 3:00 a.m.

 

[CuriousGeorgia]

CG, do you have link/s for the bolded items above? Did they really eat at McD's? That would be helpful. RZ's stomach was empty at autopsy, and that might explain why. She was a health food enthusiast, who may not have wanted to eat the food at McD's. Because, from these comments, it seems that perhaps you speak as an insider. And that's great if you are, but a verified insider has more validity than someone who speculates idly. Such as the speculation in #3.

IMO, that text message was more confirmation of an outcome, than new information. Potentially, an expected outcome, IMO.

Just MY opinion.

The information about McDonald's comes from here:

http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-suspicious-deaths-of-max-shacknai.html

That she was quiet was reported by the guy who picked up the dog, and Nina. I've posted those links before, but let me know if you want them again and I will find them.

As for #3, that's just what I would image the cops would tell Adam to relay to Jonah.

I'm not an insider. Just my opinion based on facts I've read.

 

[CuriousGeorgia]

No I don't.

However, Dina does seem more obsessed, in specific, with finding Rebecca guilty of harming Max than just looking for answers about what could have happened. She almost seems to have a vendetta against Rebecca which makes Dina appear like a woman scorned. So to me she give the impression that she hasn't gotten over losing him to another woman.

Dina has repeated said during interviews that it is up to the police to find who hurt Max. If Rebecca is guilty, will that still make Dina "obsessed"? If only XZ and Rebecca were there, it had to be one of them, IMO.

 

[MyBelle]

No I don't.

However, Dina does seem more obsessed, in specific, with finding Rebecca guilty of harming Max than just looking for answers about what could have happened. She almost seems to have a vendetta against Rebecca which makes Dina appear like a woman scorned. So to me she give the impression that she hasn't gotten over losing him to another woman.

I think it is pretty normal that a parent who believes someone harmed their child would have complete and utter contempt for that person no matter their relationship with the child's other parent.

JMO

 

[Stella5]

I understand family crisis. I also have observed JS to be a very guarded person who does not readily concede his privacy.

I also am familiar with the RMD House. I cannot imagine, in such a crisis, that JS would not have wanted a private hotel room or suite to retire to. That is a real disconnect for me, IMO.

The RMD house is an intermediary-- JS could easily afford a nearby private room. As could Dina. Their choice to use RMD, in light of everything else that is known about how they value their privacy, makes that choice seem puzzling to me. Not to mention that RMD Houses are typically overburdened with families who have no financial means to rent private hotel rooms.

Perhaps it was a valid choice, but a very unusual choice, given their means, and their expressed desires for privacy.

Their choice to use RMD is very simple... it is ON campus of Rady's, which means they could easily run or walk back to Max's ICU room in case Max took a turn for the worse when they were away and they had to get back ASAP.

There are no hotels very close by which would have provided the same easy access to get back quickly. The closest one is north of the hospital, and if you've ever been to San Diego, you'd know that sometimes it can take a long time to just go a few blocks because of all the traffic.

 

[K_Z]

The information about McDonald's comes from here:

http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-suspicious-deaths-of-max-shacknai.html

That she was quiet was reported by the guy who picked up the dog, and Nina. I've posted those links before, but let me know if you want them again and I will find them.

As for #3, that's just what I would image the cops would tell Adam to relay to Jonah.

I'm not an insider. Just my opinion based on facts I've read.

Thank you for the link, but that is a summary blog posting, unsourced, and unreferenced. So I can't accept that as a fact. It may be true, it may not.

I still think it would be helpful to know where they went to dinner, what time, and what Rebecca ate. I hope the police have that information.

 

[*Lash*]

The information about McDonald's comes from here:

http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-suspicious-deaths-of-max-shacknai.html

That she was quiet was reported by the guy who picked up the dog, and Nina. I've posted those links before, but let me know if you want them again and I will find them.

As for #3, that's just what I would image the cops would tell Adam to relay to Jonah.

I'm not an insider. Just my opinion based on facts I've read.

The information and source you have provided in not from the MSM. The source you have provided is another blog site. Do you have a statement from SDSO or something in a search warrant or media interview? I do not believe this source is credible in verifying facts.

 

[K_Z]

Dina has repeated said during interviews that it is up to the police to find who hurt Max. If Rebecca is guilty, will that still make Dina "obsessed"? If only XZ and Rebecca were there, it had to be one of them, IMO.

The police determined no one "hurt Max", that his terrible injuries were as a result of an accidental fall.

Just as they determined Rebecca committed suicide. And that's why we are all still talking about these 2 tragedies today. Many people question those conclusions.

But here is food for thought. What if one, or BOTH cases are reopened, reinvestigated, and the conclusions are STILL accident and suicide? What if the accident remains an accident, and the suicide is reclassified homicide? What if the accident is reclassified undetermined, and the suicide is is reclassified homicide? What if both cases are reclassified homicides?

That will make your head spin with all of the ramifications for all of the involved parties.