Rebecca Nalepa Zahau Found Hanging, Bound Mansion of Jonah Shacknai (Suicide)

[Puzzler]

Just had a thought.

What if:  Becky's footprints got on the balcony because she stepped on it to call to Adam who was in the guest house (and this balcony bedroom is in a wing that juts perpendicular from the main house and is the closest to the guest house).

She reportedly got a call from Jonah at 12:50 a.m. and it was news that Max was not going to make it.

Could Becky have stepped out onto that balcony to call to Adam to give him the news?

[Puzzler]

http://www.thehinkymeter.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=1342&start=250

Alessandra wrote:Yes. I don't believe that a person without boating experience could have tied those nautical knots. Also, the manner in which the rope was tied to the foot, and the frame of the bed, seems to have been done by someone with knowledge on how to properly and securely attach a rope.

From the autopsy report:

"The balcony from which she was hanging was attached to samll bedroom, and, the end of the rope was fastened in a slip loop to one of the legs and frame of the bed. The rope was attached to the bed in such a way that both ends of the rope were required to secure it."

Photo from the press conference:

http://www.sdsheriff.net/coronado/images/rz8714.jpg

notagrandma wrote:
Yea, I cannot even begin to figure out what that means. I would tie a knot at one end of the rope, so what does it mean that both ends were required? That sounds complicated to me. And if they are so certain she could do it, why don't we see a few demonstrations of how the bed knot was tied, the legs were tied, and the noose was tied. Why did they focus on showing how easy it would be for her to wrap her wrists with figure 8 loops, a complicated knot which could then be "drawn", loosened so her hand could slip in and out, etc. Bullshit.
Valhall wrote
In order to make a slip knot you have to draw the opposite end of the rope through the loop.     
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Me: Wait!  Does anyone know what kind of "knot" was tied around Becky's neck?
 
I thought it was a slip know - you know - one that get's tighter and tighter the more pressure that is put on it.
 
BUT...The pictures indicate a slip knot was around the bedstead - see Valhall's post above - slip knot requires "opposite end of rope through loop"....
 
With the slip knot on the bedstead, then it wouldn't be possible for a slip knot to be around Becky's neck. 
 
So, what kind of knot was it...was it the kind of knot sufficient to asphyxiate a person - or was a slip knot used and then removed and another knot tied to Becky's neck.
 
Confusing...sorry...in other words...staged?

[Puzzler]

Okay, I looked at Becky’s Autopsy Report and at the top of page 8, Neck, it says:

There is a rope ligature around the neck and over the decedent’s long hair. It is has two free ends extending from it and the knot is a “slip knot”.  The free slipping portion of the rope which passes through the knot extends 5 inches from it and has an additional 1-1/4 inch extension of frayed fibers.  A 22 inch segment of rope extends from the knot itself and is fixed to the knot.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/64114521/Reports


Me:  so the rope around the bedstead is a “slip knot” and the rope around the neck is a “slip knot”.  According to Valhall's post above, a slip knot requires that the "opposite" end of the rope be drawn through the loop.

HOW can there have been the "opposite end of the rope" pulled through both uses at the bed and the neck? (It was all one rope...3 pieces of rope...one around neck, one around wrists and one around ankles).

What am I missing?

[Puzzler]

Bringing over the post from Websleuths.

"Cynic"
Today  08:53 PM

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148961&page=3

Can't copy and paste as it include pictures.

Talks about whether or not Becky hit her head going over the railing and depicts a picture of approximate areas of 4 hits to the head on the right side.

My question is....Autopsy Report states a small amount of dirt of her "left" side...so if she went over the rail at an angular fall from the left side - how would it be possible to get 4 hits to the head on the "right" side?


 

[cartfly]

I had read early on that Adam lives in downtown Memphis, TN . I wasn't able to find where I read it the first time but here is an article mentioning the same thing with video at link.

http://www.wmctv.com/story/15091608/memphian-discovers-body-in-brothers-san-diego-mansion

 ::snipping2::


Memphian discovers body in brother's San Diego mansion

Posted: Jul 15, 2011 9:14 PM CDT Updated: Jul 15, 2011 10:46 PM CDT

Adam Shacknai lives in an apartment in Midtown Memphis.  His leasing agent neighbor, Robert Sanders, said he last saw him a few days ago.

"He said that he was going to have to go back out on the tugboat company he works for," said Sanders.

Instead, Adam Shacknai ended up in San Diego in a guest house in his brother's mansion.

Adam Shacknai said from San Diego that the police were questioning him but he did not have anything to do with Nalepa's death.

Investigators said Adam Shacknai and Nalepa were the only people in the mansion when the body was found.  His brother and ex-wife were at the hospital.
 ::snipping2::

[Monkey King]

Zahau was "very religious. She did believe if you commit suicide you go to hell," Bremner said. "The case is being prematurely closed."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/rebecca-zahau-autopsy-raises-questions/story?id=14451270

(This statement from Bremner is on page 2)

[Monkey King]

This is the first time I've come across anything stating Adam, Jonah's brother polygraphed and cleared:

 ::snipping2::

Who in the short two hours between the news that Max had taken a turn for the worse and the hanging could have accomplished this impossible feat? The sheriff has determined that cell phone evidence and video cameras at the hospital confirmed that Jonah Shacknai was at the hospital standing vigil for Max the entire time when Rebecca Zahau’s suicide occurred. Video cameras at the hospital also showed Dina was there during that time period. And Jonah’s brother Adam, who discovered Rebecca’s body, was polygraphed and cleared as well.

 ::snipping2::


http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/09/10/roy-black-max-shacknai-babysitter-rebecca-zahau-s-death-no-murder.html

[Monkey King]

 ::snipping2::

According to reports, Zahau, who moved to the United States from Burma 10 years ago, began dating the pharmaceutical mogul about two years ago. Shacknai had divorced Dina Romano , a clinical psychologist, in 2008 . He has two children from a previous marriage to a woman named Kimberly James. Zahau quit her job as an ophthalmic technician last December to spend more time with Shacknai and his family.

 ::snipping2::

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/09/02/rebecca-zahau-death-ruled-a-suicide-shacknai-mystery-s-sad-ending.html?obref=obinsite

I wonder if this was after he started seeing Rebecca.  Some reports have them together for 3 years, for two years and others at over two years.

[Monkey King]

OK< I just found these posts on another forum.

When I attempted to locate this statement in the actual transcripts, I couldnt locate it.

Perhaps I over looked it and someone else can read through them, I've got a busy afternoon!

First post from forum:
http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=27&nav=messages&webtag=ab-crime&tid=23667

Post # 23667.28 (28 of 44) Reply to 23667.26

::SNIPPED::
 Her family said the note appears to be written by a right handed person and Rebecca was left handed. They went on to say it was not her handwriting, but 'block lettering' which she didn't 'use'. All this on JVM tonight.
::SNIPPED::

Second post# 23667.31 (31 of 44) Reply to 23667.28 :

OK.  Thanks for the transcript, and leaving so many more questions, that need to be explained.
Mixed dna, she was left handed, and the note was written by someone right handed.????  Much more I'm sure. I can't imagine all this being a suicide.

Money was exchanged in this case,  or there was someone else in the house. 
----------------------------------------------

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Mansion Death Ruled a Suicide; Murderer Allegedly Creates Trip Cover Story for Victim`s Family

Aired September 2, 2011 - 19:00:00   ET

LINK:  http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1109/02/ijvm.01.html

[Puzzler]

Very interesting reading:

http://www.thehinkymeter.com/2011/09/14/rebecca-zahau-case-the-geometry-in-rebeccas-fall/
 

Rebecca Zahau case: The geometry in Rebecca’s fall

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Valhall

[Monkey King]

Very interesting reading:

http://www.thehinkymeter.com/2011/09/14/rebecca-zahau-case-the-geometry-in-rebeccas-fall/
 

Rebecca Zahau case: The geometry in Rebecca’s fall

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Valhall

Very, very good blog.

How, in the scientific community, can anyone dispute this formulation showing how physically impossible (and ridicuous) it would be for Rebecca to go over the railing as it has been relayed to us, the public, based on photographic evidence at the scene on the railing itself and footprints/toes prints.

[Puzzler]

Jonah notified the family very soon that Rebecca died of a suicide.

Official determination of cause of death wasn't issued for about 7 weeks.

Autopsy Report:


DOD 7/13/11

Date of autopsy 7/14/11 - ruled a suicide (so "WHY" did it take until September to release the information to the public - they kept saying they were investigating to make a determination; however, autopsy of 7/14/11 says suicide????   Geesh!  That's a red flag to me.)

Medical Examiner Investigator signed off on 8/21/11

Deputy Medical Examiner signed off on 9/2/11 - LE couldn't release until then????

Note last page of report:  SPECIMENS
There were no specimens taken of the blood on her big toe or the blood on her fingers - HELLO??? That blood was noted in the autopsy, WHY don't they want to know where that blood came from?


http://www.scribd.com/doc/64114521/Reports

[Puzzler]

Well worth the read:

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011/sep/14/citylights2-rebecca-zahau/
Edit to fix link.  MB

The True Heart of Rebecca Zahau

[Puzzler]

Well worth the read:

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011/sep/14/citylights2-rebecca-zahau/
Edit t fix link MB

The True Heart of Rebecca Zahau

(snip from above linked article)


“I don’t know. It would have to be whoever was involved. We don’t know if it’s one or two persons. We don’t know.”

It takes a moment to absorb the intriguing possibility. Two persons? After all, there were two paint brushes and two knives left at the scene.

[Puzzler]

There are also "comments" - you might really be interested in the first comment written by Fred Williams
former member San Diego Crime Commission

[texasmom]

Thanks Puzzler, interesting indeed.

I hope the truth eventually comes out about this, I don't believe it was suicide.

jmo

[Monkey King]

Just had a thought.

What if:  Becky's footprints got on the balcony because she stepped on it to call to Adam who was in the guest house (and this balcony bedroom is in a wing that juts perpendicular from the main house and is the closest to the guest house).

She reportedly got a call from Jonah at 12:50 a.m. and it was news that Max was not going to make it.

Could Becky have stepped out onto that balcony to call to Adam to give him the news?

My guess would be no- not enough footprints.

One boot print, 2 heel prints, and alleged toe prints.

[Puzzler]

A WS poster by the name of Cynic has posted some visual aids - pictures of injuries to Rebecca's head and necks, based on the Autopsy Report.

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148933&page=3

Post #54
Yesterday, 03:09 AM

9/16/2011

[Puzzler]

Thoughts?

First picture (at the link above) shows there are "two" lines (one thin) with pallor inbetween the two lines - it "is" noted in the Autopsy Report.

How did THIS happen?

[Puzzler]

Records reveal final cell phone calls to Rebecca Zahau

http://www.760kfmb.com/story/15485069/records-reveal-final-cell-phone-calls-to-rebecca-zahau

(snip) The cell phone records confirm Zahau listened to her voicemail for two minutes at 12:50 a.m. on July 13, about two hours before her estimated time of death.  (snip)

Me:  Okay, I'll admit I'm jaded on this one.  To me the cell phone records "confirm" that SOMEONE listened to the voice mail - there is NOTHING to confirm that Rebecca was the one who listened to the voicemail IMO.