Dina Shacknai wants Max's death reopened; gives ICU pic to media

Status
Not open for further replies.

K_Z

Verified Anesthetist
Joined
Nov 8, 2010
Messages
6,657
Reaction score
2,496
Dina shacknai is requesting Max's death investigation be reopened. As part of that request, she has released a photo of Max taken in the ICU from just before he died. It is unknown if Jonah Shacknai has approved the release of this picture.

More than a year later, a pathologist working for Max's mother Dina claims the little boy was killed, and "all support Zahau's direct involvement." Dina Shacknai announced on Monday in a statement that a team was hired to conduct their own investigation that began last year.
Source: Dina Shacknai Asks to Reopen Mansion Death | NBC 7 San Diego

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Dina-Jonah-Shacknai-Max-Shacknai-Rebecca-Zahau-165197206.html

(Bold emphasized by me.)

http://www.10news.com/news/31335409...nd_break&ts=T&tmi=sand_break_1_04450108062012

http://www.cbs8.com/story/19209102/dina-shacknai-asks-to-reopen-sons-death-investigation

Thread for discussion. More links forthcoming.
 
Dina shacknai is requesting Max's death investigation be reopened. As part of that request, she has released a photo of Max taken in the ICU from just before he died. It is unknown if Jonah Shacknai has approved the release of this picture.


Source: Dina Shacknai Asks to Reopen Mansion Death | NBC 7 San Diego

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Dina-Jonah-Shacknai-Max-Shacknai-Rebecca-Zahau-165197206.html

(Bold emphasized by me.)

http://www.10news.com/news/31335409...nd_break&ts=T&tmi=sand_break_1_04450108062012

http://www.cbs8.com/story/19209102/dina-shacknai-asks-to-reopen-sons-death-investigation

Thread for discussion. More links forthcoming.

The crucial phrase there is "working for Max's mom." As one of my highly trained psychologist friends once told me, "You can get anyone to say anything in court for the right price," and he said that there are psychologists and other "experts" who do nothing but testify in cases exactly the way they are asked!
 
Regarding Max Shacknai-"the manner of death is not accurate. It would be more accurate to certify that manner as homicide, where homicide is defined as death by the hands of another. He was assaulted and as a result of the assault Maxfield Shacknai moved or was moved over the railing causing him to fall to the first floor level, and as a result of his contact with the first floor, he sustained his skull fracture."-KFMB TV San Diego
R.I.P. Little Maxie, GOD BLESS Dina
 
I remember when this case just happend man it was a hot debate every night almost on weather this was suicide or murder ...I kinda thought we hadn't heard the ending to this case yet...
 
I think she is a mother who has no child, and wants to know what happened. It is bad enough to lose a child, but to know the truth of how he died is absolutely her right. she probably released the photo to get someone to listen to her, maybe a desparate measure, but something she needed to do. Try putting yourself in her mind for just a moment...something was hinky, and she HAS to find out. Even if it means releasing a photo. (it's not an autopsy photo, btw) I see it as a grieving mother who needs to know for her own sanity, more like screaming from the rooftops, and not as vile, disgusting, or obscene.


JMO and all that jazz.
 
Okay, I only know a brief outline of the case, and I have no prior opinion on Dina, or what happened to Max. But I don't think we can assume that she sold the picture. From what I understand, the first website that it appeared on was a local news site. I doubt they have much money to be buying pictures. It's possible that Dina decided to release the picture so it would spark outrage. The public would see it, and demand that the case be re-opened. I know that Emmett Till's mother had an open casket funeral for him so people could see what his killers did to him. Dina might have the same mentality, that people need to face what happened to Max so they don't shove it under the carpet.

Also, there have been many times on the news when I have seen a picture of someone in the ICU, which were obviously released by the family. What's the difference?
 
I think it's a safe bet that RZ's estate doesn't have money. I am not sure what the goal is either. The woman (RZ) is dead after all. Even if something could somehow be proven, it's not like she can be punished.
 
For the record, I doubt if money exchanged hands for the pic of Max in ICU. That wasn't the goal--shock value was the goal. Some kind of a push for sympathy and support for Dina's cause, otherwise, why release it NOW? I think it was purely the wrong thing to do whether or not money exchanged hands.

I would like to know if Jonah approved releasing that picture, or even knew about it?

I would like to hear from the media source who published the picture how they obtained it. As well as who took the picture. To splash it up without any context, or commentary about why it was displayed, source, verification, etc, is irresponsible journalism, imo, in a highly charged, emotionally wrenching case.

As a health care professional, I have seen and cared for plenty of patients in ICU, ER, and the OR-- my objections are not the medical equipment, or condition of the patient, but that the release of the picture is a supreme violation of his privacy, and used for exploitative purposes, when the picture does not add any value to her allegations. Everyone following the case knows Maxie died in the hospital. Release of that picture lends only to lay people to speculate about what they see. There is no context or interpretation provided by any medical professional. No family members are in the picture WITH Maxie. For that reason, I feel it was demeaning to Maxie and his memory-- not to take the photo for personal memories, but to release it to the media.

It will be interesting, and very telling if Jonah has any public comment about Dina's recent actions, either the press conference at the nonprofit roll out, and yesterday's media blitz with Dina's independent investigation. My bet is he will remain media silent-- at least or until he has to defend himself against some accusation. He certainly hasn't been standing by her side at the press conferences.

Does Jonah agree with what Dina is doing, and how she is going about it?
 
I don't think the photos even look shocking (they were shown in the video). He didn't appear to have serious injuries to the face or back-only a number of abrasions. I don't know how he could get these from assault.
They looked like scrapes to me.
 
Dina is proposing that Max was assaulted and his death a homicide. She is presenting the photo as evidence of such, and probably hopes others will see the same from the report and photo and exert pressure to ensure the investigation is reopened.

I followed the case for a long time. I haven't seen anything to this point that would indicate Max's death was anything other than an accident. Rebecca's death on the other hand definitely appears to be a homicide, IMO.

Seems it's past time for some state or federal agency to step in and reopen both investigations, IMO, to reevaluate evidence and either affirm or refute the initial findings.

Regarding Dina's experts, anytime someone brings in their own paid experts, the reports should be viewed with skepticism, IMO. It'd be good to see them vs the full LE/ME reports and compare.

Regarding Dina, I have only one child, a son not much older than Max was. He's my world. I can't imagine the pain she's in. So sorry for her loss.

That said, we've seen that Dina & Jonah had an unhealthy, physically aggressive relationship, and it's clear she didn't like Rebecca. Idk if that was jealousy, resentment, or with cause. You'd think if there were very specific concerns re: Rebecca, she'd just state them, so it may be the dislike was more a trickle over from Dina & Jonah's combativeness.

As WS is victim-friendly though, and Dina did lose Max, seems while we examine the case, we should avoid over the top character assassination and insults, IMO.
 
Boy, my first thought is that I can't imagine taking a picture of my child in ICU, knowing that he or she was for all practical purposes already gone, let alone releasing it in a news extravaganza. I don't think the picture provides any evidence of some murder occurring and it just feels exploitative to me. My sister died in the hospital when she was 9, from a brain tumor. I wouldn't want pics of her like that in the family photos. So, my thought is, why were they taken in the first place?

Did Dina ever demand a second autopsy on Max?
 
Good question. Do they do that on demand?
 
Good question. Do they do that on demand?

I don't know. I don't think the county has to pay for a second autopsy, but I thought it was fairly easy to get and pay for a second one. You may have to go through some legal paperwork. At the very least, I don't think it would be refused to have someone look at the body, it's released to the family anyway isn't it? And, to have someone review findings instead of proceeding with donation of organs and burying/cremating.
 
Attention Please!

I would like to remind you all that Websleuths is a victim friendly community and that goes for everyone connected to the tragic events that happened at the Shacknai mansion that took the lives of a young boy and then a young woman.

Up to this point, LE has deemed the events as an accident and a suicide. There are family members who don't agree with the findings of public officals and additional investigation has been done privately. LE has now been requested to review their findings. Until there is evidence of contradiction from LE, all family members are considered victims and deserve to be treated as such.

No one wants to believe their loved one would commit suicide. Now add in the unanswered questions of how Max could have possibly fallen as determined. This family just wants answers, that's all.

fran
 
Good thing she has her "charity" all set up and ready to receive contributions. These experts aren't cheap.
 
Since this thread all goes to th e cause of death, I would like to repost something. I believe it was posted here and came from HM once again - now defunct so the link does not work.

http://www.thehinkymeter.com/2011/09/10/rebecca-zahau-case-max-shacknai-autopsy-review/

"So, what the hell happened to Max? Why did he die? Why couldn’t the specialized doctors in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit save him?

No one could save Max, once he fell. The fatal damage was done before anyone even found him. You see, Max suffered a tragic, somewhat rare injury that was not fixable. Somewhere, during his fall, he sustained a neck hyperextension injury that essentially “unplugged” his spinal cord from his brainstem. The injury didn’t sever the cord– or cardiac arrest would have been irreversible. But the hyperextension injury stretched Max’s spinal cord in such an extreme manner, that he essentially almost unplugged his spinal cord from his brainstem. This produced the cardiac arrest at the scene. There is no amount or quality of CPR or advanced care that can overcome a shredded spinal cord at the junction of the brainstem. The fall set in motion the series of events that lead to his death 4 days later. The autopsy report confirms this. And for those who are conspiracy theorists…no assassin is that lucky; no way. It was an accident."
 
Since this thread all goes to th e cause of death, I would like to repost something. I believe it was posted here and came from HM once again - now defunct so the link does not work.

Yes, he had a severe spinal cord injury without actual damage to the spine.
 
Do we know if she took the photos? I know he was in ICU, with limited visitors, so I'm going to say yes. If my son was in the ICU from a tragic accident, I would take pictures just in case they were needed at a later date. I don't find anything wrong with it. There's a poster here whos mom took pictures of her son in a coma and dedicated a FB page to it. It could be part of a memorial, part of healing IMHO.

MOO

Mel
 
Since this thread all goes to th e cause of death, I would like to repost something. I believe it was posted here and came from HM once again - now defunct so the link does not work.

Time, I was never a part of THM, but in response to the quote you brought forward, I respectfully disagree. There is no such thing as "unplugging of the spinal cord" (This is physically impossible). Max absolutely did not suffer clinical death on impact, he died in the hospital. The fatal damage was not done before anyone found him, the time in between the fall(which I do not believe was the primary insult) and help arriving is what later caused his fatal damage. With the hospital being only two minutes away I do not believe help was called for right away because of the pronounced damage that had already occurred on admission to the hospital- The doctors initially thought they could save him. Remember that his brain herniated much later (in the hospital), as a result of the swelling in his brain, not on impact, Max's spinal cord injury was not severe enough to cause the chain reaction that happened. It was a flexion/extension injury-There is no stretch injury to the cord which causes immediate death. Max's spinal cord was not "shredded at the junction of the brainstem" on the autopsy report- the cord looked the way it did on the autopsy report because of tonsillar herniation( herniation of the cerebellar tonsils out the foramen magnum, because the pressure in his skull became so high due to lack of oxygen).
All my opinion
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
166
Guests online
1,096
Total visitors
1,262

Forum statistics

Threads
589,940
Messages
17,927,978
Members
228,009
Latest member
chrsrb10
Back
Top