CA - Rebecca Zahau Wrongful Death Revisited 2019

[Betty P]

No! RZ's brother-in-law was also on Tricia's episode and he said the new Sheriff is Kelly Martinez. He also thinks the best thing she could do for him and the family is to hand over the entire case file to the FBI. Seems to me Gore simply left too much bad energy at the department for this case. JMO

Kelly A. Martinez, Sheriff | San Diego County Sheriff

Good suggestion. There are probably a few people who still have loyalty to Gore or want to protect the status quo.

 

[Betty P]

12/19/23 --

New information about the Rebecca Zahau case from podcast Operation Dragonfly​

Also pointing out how outrageous and bizarre it was for investigators to leave RZ's body out in the open, nude, bound, etc. for hours and hours.

I've never seen anything like that before nor since. That was deliberate manipulation and tampering with the body and crime scene, as well as dehumanizing the victim. Why? Who gave the order to leave the body lying in the open all day?

 

[ilovewings]

Also pointing out how outrageous and bizarre it was for investigators to leave RZ's body out in the open, nude, bound, etc. for hours and hours.

I've never seen anything like that before nor since. That was deliberate manipulation and tampering with the body and crime scene, as well as dehumanizing the victim. Why? Who gave the order to leave the body lying in the open all day?

Good point- just dreadful disrespect!

 

[ilovewings]

Good suggestion. There are probably a few people who still have loyalty to Gore or want to protect the status quo.

The FBI doesn't take all cases that come to its attention.
The family can't just send records to the FBI. They would have to get an attorney to contact the FBI first to see if they were even interested in getting involved.

 

[Betty P]

Very good interview by Tricia. Glad I'm catching up to this, I've been so busy with the holidays, its the first time I've had to sit down and listen.

So much of this is so familiar and its so refreshing to hear other people validate all the same things we said, problems we had with the investigation.

Many of the comments, remarks, etc. that Ginger conveys from her work sounds so familiar. Things people told her, remarks made to her, excuses, etc. are almost word for word things posted here in WS years ago.

LoL, Tricia says what Jonah S says is "suspect".

Doug says Adam had help. People wanted to help, but were afraid to speak up. Neighbor of Spreckels mansion had very detailed description of what she heard that night. It didn't match SDSO excuses.

Ginger saying the same thing I pointed out above - DNA needs to be re-tested from the crime scene. Back then SDSO called it "mixed" DNA - they can find out whose DNA was there.

Back in 2011, when the 911 audio was first released there were WS members here who amplified the audio to hear someone besides Adam talking in the background. No one pursued that from LE.

Doug L says the neighbor to Spreckels who heard the commotion that night also confirmed there was a third person there that night (besides Adam and Rebecca). I remember how that neighbor's testimony about that night was heavily discredited by some here at WS and in the news media.

 

[mom2chloe]

IIRC Rebecca’s sister who is a member here retained PIs and attorneys. Can anyone remind me of her screen name here? Does anyone know if they requested the FBI to take a look at the case? I believe AS is guilty as sin and this family deserves justice. This is a truly haunting case and I would love to see some closure for her family and all the rest of us who have followed this from the beginning.

 

[minazoe]

a break in the case?????

 

[Betty P]

IIRC Rebecca’s sister who is a member here retained PIs and attorneys. Can anyone remind me of her screen name here? Does anyone know if they requested the FBI to take a look at the case? I believe AS is guilty as sin and this family deserves justice. This is a truly haunting case and I would love to see some closure for her family and all the rest of us who have followed this from the beginning.

Rebecca's brother in law, Mary's husband Doug, posts here regularly. He posts under the name @Burma

 

[arielilane]

During Episode Six (Operation Dragonfly/The Sheriff) Ginger speaks about a new witness came forward six months ago and spoke w/SDSO about the night Rebecca Zahau died. Thus far, there has been no news about this new evidence or a change to the death determination. Ginger will speak more about this in an (Episode Seven) upcoming episode.

 

[minazoe]

you guys I listened to the podcast and my jaw is on the floor. Did they test any of the evidence in this case? I am so disgusted. Did you ever hear before that Adam said that he thought Rebecca wanted him to see her (naked)? and that might be why she hung herself in the yard????

I'm burning mad about this whole bs. mOO

 

[Seattle1]

Also pointing out how outrageous and bizarre it was for investigators to leave RZ's body out in the open, nude, bound, etc. for hours and hours.

I've never seen anything like that before nor since. That was deliberate manipulation and tampering with the body and crime scene, as well as dehumanizing the victim. Why? Who gave the order to leave the body lying in the open all day?

They later excused this by saying the ME was attending a day conference and the body/scene could not be touched until the ME signed off on it. I think it was after 5pm when he showed up. This is the same Gore "rubber stamp" ME who refused to reissue the death certificate as "undetermined."

 

[Betty P]

They later excused this by saying the ME was attending a day conference and the body/scene could not be touched until the ME signed off on it. I think it was after 5pm when he showed up. This is the same Gore "rubber stamp" ME who refused to reissue the death certificate as "undetermined."

Of course, it was pointed out at the time that they could have put a tent over her body to protect evidence and privacy.

There was also a lot of questioning and criticism about why a ME couldn't arrange to leave the conference or have an assistant go to Spreckles. An excuse that lacks any credibility whatsoever. IIRC, early speculation was that they were hoping some evidence would be destroyed and that all the time in the sun might confuse the time of death. It was certainly an unprofessional, twisted decision.

It was all of those things they all did in the first hours of the investigation that really revealed what they were up to. The SDSO, the former prosecutor, Jonah's PR team and the news media were deployed very effectively. I recall members of Jonah's PR team were involved in writing and presenting the Sheriff's press conference, complete with the model who "re-enacted" RZ putting all those bindings on herself, wrapping the bindings around her head, gagging herself. That must have cost a lot of money.

 

[minazoe]

They later excused this by saying the ME was attending a day conference and the body/scene could not be touched until the ME signed off on it. I think it was after 5pm when he showed up. This is the same Gore "rubber stamp" ME who refused to reissue the death certificate as "undetermined."

ok a tent would be normal protocol. they are a disgrace. mOO

 

[WyomingSkyAngel]

The FBI doesn't take all cases that come to its attention.
The family can't just send records to the FBI. They would have to get an attorney to contact the FBI first to see if they were even interested in getting involved.

Thanks for posting this.

 

[Betty P]

The FBI doesn't take all cases that come to its attention.
The family can't just send records to the FBI. They would have to get an attorney to contact the FBI first to see if they were even interested in getting involved.

No, of course not. There are some cases where family members have been waiting a decade for the FBI to analyze DNA crime scene evidence.

It will be very helpful, though, if the family can get the new sheriff to request help from the FBI.

It's also a fact of life in the US that very wealthy, powerful people can exert a lot of influence over LE. It's very rare for a rich person to go to jail in the US.

 

[WyomingSkyAngel]

No, of course not. There are some cases where family members have been waiting a decade for the FBI to analyze DNA crime scene evidence.

It will be very helpful, though, if the family can get the new sheriff to request help from the FBI.

It's also a fact of life in the US that very wealthy, powerful people can exert a lot of influence over LE. It's very rare for a rich person to go to jail in the US.

So very true. Thank you for pointing this out.

 

[CarolNW]

Bc everything pointed to suicide.
Read up on her background.

The incident with Max Schacknai was the tipping point.

<modsnip - not an approved source>

I agree with you. It was suicide. That's what all the evidence said. No way Adam could have done it without leaving fibers, DNA, etc. Impossible.

 

[iluvmua]

I agree with you. It was suicide. That's what all the evidence said. No way Adam could have done it without leaving fibers, DNA, etc. Impossible.

I agree.

 

[Seattle1]

I agree with you. It was suicide. That's what all the evidence said. No way Adam could have done it without leaving fibers, DNA, etc. Impossible.

Provided appropriate tests were done but they were not! To be clear, not even the knife Adam used to cut RZ down or the rope area he touched when cutting her down tested positive for Adam's DNA. Only positive for RZ. Duh...

 

[ilovewings]

Provided appropriate tests were done but they were not! To be clear, not even the knife Adam used to cut RZ down or the rope area he touched when cutting her down tested positive for Adam's DNA. Only positive for RZ. Duh...

I believe there are many many questions about this case, that make it a suspicious death: several medical experts have commented that they believe this was not a suicide, but have suggested that at the very least this case deserves re-opening and further investigation. Why is that too much to ask, just re-open the case, have an open mind and see what comes out of that? But apparently this does not appear to be something that law enforcement wishes to do.