CA - Rebecca Zahau Nalepa - suicide or murder? #10

[PeteJ]

No, I'm not a medical examiner. Are you? I can only go by what the poster said about DS hiring investigators and believing her son was suffocated. I have no reason to disbelieve her. The autopsy report does note that the child's death was attributed to lack of oxygen for a significant period of time. To me, that is an indication smothering was a possibility.

Please enlighten all of us as to the "lot of ways" an ME can determine with certainty the reason for death was "smothering" in someone who lives another week after they've suffered the lack of oxygen, followed by a fall into a chandelier suffering blunt force trauma. Links would be helpful. Thanks.

JMO

Usually a smothering victim has petechial hemorrhages (sp).

 

[jjenny]

ITA. It does not add up. People who aren't breathing, are also not speaking.

What were the comments? Thanks.

JMO

He might have said a word then stopped breathing. It's called a "lucid period."

 

[MyBelle]

Usually a smothering victim has petechial hemorrhages (sp).

And maybe he did. The ME didn't examine him while the child was alive.

 

[jjenny]

Usually a smothering victim has petechial hemorrhages (sp).

RN had many. Even though she was a hanging victim. But her neck did not break despite the 9 ft long drop.

 

[Stella5]

I really doubt she hopped onto the balcony with bound feet and hands, noose on her neck, and then decided to close the door behind her (going with the suicide scenario, that is). By the way the rope expert on Dr. Drew believed it would be very difficult to do what LE suggested, such as bind hands in front, then pull one out and re-inset it into the loop behind back, so I really doubt she'd be doing that on the balcony and leaving only two sets of prints.

I didn't say she closed the doors... only that we have no idea what the scene truly looked like since we don't have the photos. All we have are a few screen caps from the heli's. As for the rope expert, is he kidding? There was a re-enactment done and that lady had no problem doing it. I had no problem doing it was well... I tried it after Beli(?) suggested it. It wasn't difficult. I used a thicker white tow rope that we happened to have here because my daughter stole it from the boat thinking she was going to hang a tire from a tree.

I think everyone got spoiled during the Anthony case and are accustomed to seeing every little word & picture and that just isn't the norm. What we have here is the norm, and unfortunately that is leading to accusations of shady police work, scene staging, cover ups, pay offs, etc... just because we, Joe Public, don't have every little detail in both of these deaths. IMO we're not entitled to them, especially if this was a suicide.

Like I said last night, I totally understand why her family doesn't want to accept it. They should get an independent opinion and not all these talking heads that haven't seen any more than we have seen. All these experts weighing in are only for their 15 minutes, IMO and only delaying their grieving process no matter which way this turns out if an independent opinion is done.

When Chris killed himself, LE wouldn't even let me see the police report right away because I was hysterical! It took almost a month before he finally sent it to me and for that I am grateful. The main Detective who dealt with me handled me with kid gloves and didn't give me all the information about the scene because he didn't want to upset me. I called him constantly all day every day until I went to Chicago and saw my brothers body and finally met the Detective. When I asked specific questions, he'd answer them... but he didn't offer the horrors of what he saw. The ME wouldn't let me see the body while in the morgue because he said it would be too traumatic. He died on a Wednesday and I finally got to see him on a Sunday after the ME released him to the Cremation place.... that entire time I was in denial that it was even my brother they found. I just knew it had to be a bum that stole his ID. So I get why LE isn't releasing every little thing to the public, and IMO they did show sympathy towards Rebecca's family. Suicide is a hard thing to accept (as is murder!).

 

[SunnieRN]

No, I'm not a medical examiner. Are you? I can only go by what the poster said about DS hiring investigators and believing her son was suffocated. I have no reason to disbelieve her. The autopsy report does note that the child's death was attributed to lack of oxygen for a significant period of time. To me, that is an indication smothering was a possibility.

Please enlighten all of us as to the "lot of ways" an ME can determine with certainty the reason for death was "smothering" in someone who lives another week after they've suffered the lack of oxygen, followed by a fall into a chandelier suffering blunt force trauma. Links would be helpful. Thanks.

JMO

No, I am not a medical examiner and you know that. He did not see a doctor after a week. He saw ems very soon after his fall and doctors upon his arrival at the hospital emergency department. Just as the ME got information from the police officers, they got information from Rebecca and the doctors.

EMS tried to get Max's heart going for twenty five, yes 25 minutes. This is where the brain damage occurred from lack of oxygen. Did you also read that Max had a heart murmur that was going to require further treatment?

So what injuries are you referring to, that don't 'fit' with the LE video? I am very interested in which injuries you are referring to.

As for not disbelieving DS, she is a grieving Mother. I do not know how Max's accident occurred and I have said that from the beginning of this, but that does NOT mean he was smothered. She lost her only child. How is she supposed to feel? What are her actions 'supposed' to be. You fault Rebecca's family for questioning her death, but accept what DS says without question, condemning Rebecca and her family in the process?


<modsnip>.

 

[PeteJ]

And maybe he did. The ME didn't examine him while the child was alive.

No, but nurses notes, physician notes on initial contact would have and may have. We just do not know. Every admission gets a thorough workup by nurses and another by the physician.

 

[Morag]

http://www.cbs8.com/story/15075598/...oCatNo=default&clipId=6051226&redirected=true

At about 1:20 of this video, you can plainly see that the doors are closed. But it also looks as though the rope was there- can't quite tell.

 

[Stella5]

And he was also at a loss as to why was it so important for her to have her hands behind her back?

Then obviously he hasn't studied ropes & hanging suicides. It's pretty common to have the hands tied, and tied behind the back. It prevents the person from trying to save themselves because your self-preservation instinct kicks in and you claw at the rope trying to free yourself whether you want to or not.

 

[elementry]

this is from RN's sister: [radaronline}

"Becky was extremely close with Max. They loved each other very, very much. Dina was jealous of that relationship between her son, and Becky,” Mary Zahau tells RadarOnline.com exclusively. “Max would spend so much time with Becky and then go home and tell Dina how much he loved Becky. If there was a school function or Max had a soccer game, Dina would sometimes demand that Becky not be there,"

The sister had been reported to say that she knew who did it. I guess we can figure who she thinks did the deed or had it done. The sister is struggling right now with everything that's been pent within her while waiting 7 weeks for the difficult LE explanation. Maybe she should let her attorney/attorneys and volunteering forensic experts take over to get a better look at things, and let up on the personal recriminations for now. The sister's got some emotional processing to do right now, just like the Shacknai's regardless of the particulars. Previous poster was correct that rags like Radar will play whatever sensational angles they can from whatever the sister might have actually said to them. The sister has vented in her way, now let the re-examined "science" speak. First the iron(clad) wall of LE dormancy has to get pierced. Perhaps that's the meaning of the aggressive media strategy at play by the long quiet Zahau's.

 

[MyBelle]

No, I am not a medical examiner and you know that. He did not see a doctor after a week. He saw ems very soon after his fall and doctors upon his arrival at the hospital emergency department. Just as the ME got information from the police officers, they got information from Rebecca and the doctors.

EMS tried to get Max's heart going for twenty five, yes 25 minutes. This is where the brain damage occurred from lack of oxygen. Did you also read that Max had a heart murmur that was going to require further treatment?

So what injuries are you referring to, that don't 'fit' with the LE video? I am very interested in which injuries you are referring to.

As for not disbelieving DS, she is a grieving Mother. I do not know how Max's accident occurred and I have said that from the beginning of this, but that does NOT mean he was smothered. She lost her only child. How is she supposed to feel? What are her actions 'supposed' to be. You fault Rebecca's family for questioning her death, but accept what DS says without question, condemning Rebecca and her family in the process?

As for links, put in signs of smothering in a google search. There is a lot of information available.

I didn't condemn Rebecca or her family but I did criticize them for involving themselves in Max's family privacy so please refrain from accusing me of condemning them. I did no such thing. You certainly are applying a double standard. RN's family are grieving and believe she was murdered, and that's okay but it's not okay to believe Max's parents because, hey, they are grieving. I don't think that is fair.

It is my choice to believe DS. The fact that she is a grieving mother is no reason to discount her opinion. If she believes he was smothered, I respect her opinion.

JMO

 

[tiredblondy]

Then obviously he hasn't studied ropes & hanging suicides. It's pretty common to have the hands tied, and tied behind the back. It prevents the person from trying to save themselves because your self-preservation instinct kicks in and you claw at the rope trying to free yourself whether you want to or not.

He was a forensic rope expert and had had experience with hangings. It was the manner of the way her hands were tied and the mariners knots that concerned him. He also stated that there was no reason for her legs to be tied.

Now granted I was doing several things at once but this man appeared to me to be gravely concerned.

 

[MyBelle]

No, but nurses notes, physician notes on initial contact would have and may have. We just do not know. Every admission gets a thorough workup by nurses and another by the physician.

I realize that and also know Max's parents have access to those reports. We do not.

JMO

 

[Salem]

~Respectfully snipped~

One only has to read the autopsy report to know that the version of events LE said RN told them do not match the boy's fatal injuries. Plus, some of the specific details RN added such as his being in the kitchen and saying "ocean" is the type of detail a liar would add in order to cover up what happened. If she lied to the cops, no surprise she lied to her sister.

JMO

If we are going to discuss Max's autopsy report - it needs to be linked or posted. Has that been done?

Thanks,

Salem

 

[revampz]

See, that is where you and I differ. :crazy:

You assume she DID love Maxie, and I do not. She may well have, but I do not know for sure if she did, or if she just wanted to marry his father.

still catching up....Katydid I agree with you. Sorry I am a realist and a stepmother and have kids/nieces/nephews with stepmothers/fathers. She was his girlfriend for 2 years! I know alot of you think that is a lot of time, but I dont! I am not sure of the custody arrangements in this case, does anyone know? But if he was only staying there on weekends or lived there half time that is not a long time at all. First of all in that two years you really arent yourself for the first six months at least, trying to impress the other party etc. So to me I find this quite a short time to develop that parently bond with someone elses child, not fully anyhow.

I am not also convinced that the truth was told to the police in the first place so people getting all worked up about "but she was in the kitchen, or in the bathroom, and he was here or there".......it really is what has been told, none of us on here know the truth.

I am not blaming RN for his death, but I am certainly being open minded. Personally I think a few people have told porkies from the start of this whole tragedy.

 

[MyBelle]

?????

If he was smothered, he would not have been alive.

And he wasn't. His heart was restarted. He was then tethered to devices that kept him alive until it was determined to be futile.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

~Respectfully snipped~

If we are going to discuss Max's autopsy report - it needs to be linked or posted. Has that been done?

Thanks,

Salem

It has been linked. My opinion is being questioned, not the AR.

 

[sorrell skye]

And he wasn't. His heart was restarted. He was then tethered to devices that kept him alive until it was determined to be futile.

JMO

According to the AR, the reason for respiratory & heart failure was due to a spinal cord injury.

Not because he was smothered.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...DctZGRjMy00ODVkLTk1YWItODAxZjAxMzE5OTVl&hl=en

 

[Salem]

It has been linked. My opinion is being questioned, not the AR.

Thanks - I'm not questioning your opinion, I just wanted to be sure the AR had been published and was available for review.

THANKS!

Salem

 

[MyBelle]

According to the AR, the reason for respiratory & heart failure was due to a spinal cord injury.

Not because he was smothered.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...DctZGRjMy00ODVkLTk1YWItODAxZjAxMzE5OTVl&hl=en

Evidently his mother questions that conclusion.

JMO