Wrongful death trial begins. Trial coverage and discussion

[Tortoise]

I think he said guest house because he wanted to say that was where he was when it happened, but his brain misfired owing to nerves.

 

[cynic]

Is the knife that had fingerprints on the blade the same knife that had blood on all four sides of the handle? TIA!

No. The large butcher knife had the prints. The smaller steak knife had blood on all sides halfway up the handle.

 

[Lezah]

Lezah’s reporting as a layman is far better than any of the “professional” reporting from the courtroom, IMO. It’s very informative, detailed, and truthful.

Thank you, Lezah!

Thank so much❤️

 

[Seattle1]

Fabulous post! Fills in some gaps beyond "Dude just doesn't sound right on that call," which is where I have been stuck for years!

Years ago, there was a post up-thread about how to know if the 911 Caller is the Killer.
One of the questions was whether or not the Caller's language is focused on getting the victim help. At one point AS tells the operator he'll call them back!

 

[Lezah]

Dear all, I posted a link yesterday to a manual of statement analysis, ( including 911) but it’s dissapeared...was it removed? Are we not allowed to post links to articles ( it’s just an internet link available free)...can someone let me know? I don’t want to break any rules! Also, I had a message, replied, but everything has dissapeared....oh dear! I’m a technightmare on here!! Any advice is welcome!

 

[Imp]

My first reaction was that RZ was strangled/killed in the guest house. If one listens to both AS entire polygraph/interview and 911 call, there's obvious disparity. I believe AS first conversation on this day was with JS and NOT 911 operator. Also think RZ was cut down before the 911 call and not during the call. Let's never forget the guest house was not considered the "crime scene" by investigators and no evidence collected.

Totally agree JS was called before 911. It also explains why AS supposedly texted JS to inform him of her death, and why JS was already spinning up the 'Asian honor' thing. The text was most likely a prop, or a confirmation she was dead after the initial call.

And whoa on the possibility the guest house was the crime scene! That could explain the lack of forensic evidence in the upstairs room and balcony. And if the "suicide" was actually almost fully staged down on the lawn, it would explain why there wasn't sufficient damage to RZ's neck for a 9'2" drop. It could also at least partly explain the weirdo note on the door. If the killer's primary objective was to make the room upstairs look like the place RZ prepared to kill herself ... to take the attention away from the guest house ... the note painted on the door would add an extra flair and point of interest for the investigators.

 

[Lezah]

Question for Mr Greer...( thanks for arranging the interview Tricia!)

*Could the plastic bag found have been used to asphyxiate RZ into unconsciousness?

*What purpose did the police believe the plastic bag had ( in relating to this being a suicide)

*********************************************************************

*For the forum only - background hypothesis

The tipped up chair in the bed room was over to it’s right side, consistent with the blunt force injuries on the right side (only) RZ's head. I hypothesized that the injury may be related to her struggling whilst ‘taped’ to the chair ( tape residue found on the lower legs) and the chair falling to the right where it was found? Her head may strike the carpeted floor likely resulting in blunt force injuries as described; particularly if there was a struggle.

In this scenario, the plastic bag may have been used to possibly asphyxiate RZ into a state of unconsciousness during this time ( note also the proximity of the bag to the chair, it’s final resting location)

RZ had a gag made of clothing, perhaps tape and clothing were utilized first, and the rope used ( and collected form the garage) later. I read on the forum some sort of bandage was indicated, could this be indicative of the perpetrator being influenced by autoerotic asphyxiation?

(I’m sorry, this is so brutal, and a horrible, horrible scenario - but it’s just trying to put the evidence remaining together in some sort of consistent fashion, so it makes sense)

 

[Imp]

bbm I don't think it needs an expert if AS is going to testify. It only takes a few questions from Mr Greer and the recording of the call placed into evidence and played to the jury.

Mr S, you were sure in your call that emergency services responded to your nephew "yesterday". Isn't it true that in your mind Max's accident happened "yesterday" because you did not sleep the night of Rebecca's murder? You went back to the guest house and waited for daylight to pretend that you discovered Rebecca's death.

Why did you need to say you took Ambien and you just woke up, if Rebecca's death was a suicide? Was it to impress upon everybody that you had been sleeping if they concluded she was murdered?

Those are the questions I would ask him.

I'd also ask him why he admitted to masturbating to on his iPhone. I've always wondered if he was worried his DNA (semen) would be found on RZ or one of the suicide props or elsewhere.

 

[Lolliknows]

Could it be that after Rebecca received the text from NR asking to talk to her, which she never answered, that she was upset and went to the guest house to talk to Adam? I’d like to have a playback of exactly what she did between the time she received that text (10:40 ish) and the time she was assaulted in the main house. The underwear in the trash can not being analyzed because Jonah stated his daughter and her friends stayed there the week prior seems bizarre! Doesn’t he have a cleaning lady that would have disposed of them prior to Adam staying there? I also recall that 2 wine glasses were found and never analyzed either. Adam could have tried to asssult her in the guest house, then she may have escaped to the main house, showered and then got attacked again when she came out of the shower. I can imagine Rebecca was upset over Nina’s texts and maybhsve wanted to talk to Adam, they shared some wine, and ...that may be why AS is confusing himself with the guest house comments on the 911 call. Thoughts anyone?

 

[Lezah]

Totally agree JS was called before 911. It also explains why AS supposedly texted JS to inform him of her death, and why JS was already spinning up the 'Asian honor' thing. The text was most likely a prop, or a confirmation she was dead after the initial call.

And whoa on the possibility the guest house was the crime scene! That could explain the lack of forensic evidence in the upstairs room and balcony. And if the "suicide" was actually almost fully staged down on the lawn, it would explain why there wasn't sufficient damage to RZ's neck for a 9'2" drop. It could also at least partly explain the weirdo note on the door. If the killer's primary objective was to make the room upstairs look like the place RZ prepared to kill herself ... to take the attention away from the guest house ... the note painted on the door would add an extra flair and point of interest for the investigators.

I agree with you guys. I do believe 911 calls are a key piece of evidence also.

I would hypothesize that RZ likely died in the guest house. I believe she died in a hog tied position, and was left in this position for several hours, when the unexpected problem of rigor had set into her body - discovered only at the time the two connecting ropes were cut. I beleive she was probably staged on the grass rather than found hanging due to the fact she was fixed in her knees bent position.

I would speculate that she was probably unconscious when eventually moved from the bedroom room to the guest house. * I noticed the heavy gauge pipe work on the ceiling in the guest house storage room in one of the house plan photos. It’s a low ceiling, but if you were hog tied the ceiling height would be less relevant....

 

[Lilibet]

Dear all, I posted a link yesterday to a manual of statement analysis, ( including 911) but it’s dissapeared...was it removed? Are we not allowed to post links to articles ( it’s just an internet link available free)...can someone let me know? I don’t want to break any rules! Also, I had a message, replied, but everything has dissapeared....oh dear! I’m a technightmare on here!! Any advice is welcome!

I was the first to reply to your link and my post is gone too, perhaps because I quoted it? It seemed OK to me, because it was stating the results of a study of 911 calls, but there must be something I’m missing. Perhaps because it’s a book and not mainstream media. :dunno: Why don’t you either contact a mod or alert on this post and ask.

 

[Lezah]

If I get enough notice I will take time off and attend court during AS testimony and post details....

 

[Lezah]

I was the first to reply to your link and my post is gone too, perhaps because I quoted it? It seemed OK to me, because it was stating the results of a study of 911 calls, but there must be something I’m missing. Perhaps because it’s a book and not mainstream media. :dunno: Why don’t you either contact a mod or alert on this post and ask.

Thankyou very much for that, it must have been an issue. It’s fine, I will leave it as is. Glad you got to see the details of the way the calls are analyzed! It’s really interesting! Thanks for taking the time to help me.

 

[Lilibet]

If I get enough notice I will take time off and attend court during AS testimony and post details....

:loveyou: Can’t wait!!

 

[Lilibet]

Thankyou very much for that, it must have been an issue. It’s fine, I will leave it as is. Glad you got to see the details of the way the calls are analyzed! It’s really interesting! Thanks for taking the time to help me.

Thinking about it more, Lezah, I don’t believe that “statement analysis” is an approved source on WS. I had forgotten that in my enthusiasm for your source. Although this was a well-researched chapter in the book, so often statement analysis is not. Neither is body language analysis, and whether someone’s facial expression “leaks” lies. Thankfully, WS tries to stay on the side of provable facts, which makes it a great atmosphere, rather than “anything goes” sites. Hope that helps. (But I did enjoy reading that link. Food for thought.)

 

[Lezah]

Thinking about it more, Lezah, I don’t believe that “statement analysis” is an approved source on WS. I had forgotten that in my enthusiasm for your source. Although this was a well-researched chapter in the book, so often statement analysis is not. Neither is body language analysis, and whether someone’s facial expression “leaks” lies. Thankfully, WS tries to stay on the side of provable facts, which makes it a great atmosphere, rather than “anything goes” sites. Hope that helps. (But I did enjoy reading that link. Food for thought.)

Really, that’s interesting...good to know. Thanks for the feedback💐

 

[Verboten]

If I get enough notice I will take time off and attend court during AS testimony and post details....

That would be AWESOME!!

 

[Verboten]

So, how does it work when the podcast/interview is available? Does Tricia post a link here or do we just keep refreshing her Blog Talk Radio page? Presumably, she doesn't do these interviews live... I'm very eager to hear what Atty. Greer has to say!

 

[Tricia]

Just got off the phone with Mr. Greer. I'm editing the interview now but a heads up because it's a bit out of order: Tomorrow it will be a witness from Adam's side. An investigator from the Sheriff's office and on Monday Adam takes the stand. I

 

[Betty P]

So, how does it work when the podcast/interview is available? Does Tricia post a link here or do we just keep refreshing her Blog Talk Radio page? Presumably, she doesn't do these interviews live... I'm very eager to hear what Atty. Greer has to say!

She'll post a link here in the thread.