Rebecca Nalepa - suicide or murder? #1

[Linda7NJ]

How so? A witness to her death? That makes no sense to me, Linda.

imo

I agree the way it's written it sure sounds like SOMETHING ....but in my experience following this case thus far....it's probably NOTHING more than LE asked her where she was & when, etc....

 

[IzzyBlanche]

How so? A witness to her death? That makes no sense to me, Linda.

imo

The quote didn't say a witness "to" her death, but a witness "in" her death.

I think what Linda means is that they are referring to her as a witness the same way they refer to anyone who testifies in a trial as a witness in the trial, even if the person didn't actually see the crime take place.

 

[Carrington]

I don't know how she could be a witness, she was supposedly at the hospital with JS.
If she would go anywhere, I would think home to shower and change, not to his house. WOW- If she was there.
Maybe this is where the security cameras come into play.
IMO

 

[Linda7NJ]

The quote didn't say a witness "to" her death, but a witness "in" her death.

I think what Linda means is that they are referring to her as a witness the same way they refer to anyone who testifies in a trial as a witness in the trial, even if the person didn't actually see the crime take place.

Exactly and thank you

 

[mrsu]

Talk of rope, possibly cords, bound, hanging, cut down, found the victim.
In light of the above, this disturbed me:

He [AS] lives in Memphis, and has worked on a tugboat, according to the city's WMC-TV station.

http://coronado.patch.com/articles/all-eyes-have-turned-to-coronado

Also from the article...

Rumors, some dire, continue about the boy's condition. Local San Diego 6, the CW affiliate, is reporting that the child, 6, is brain dead. They cite anonymous sources.

His mother, Jonah Shacknai's ex-wife Dina, has been identified by detectives as a witness in Zahau's death.

Huh?? This has to be incorrect, right?

 

[K!tty]

Joining in here for the first time. I haven't read through all posts but have been following fairly closely. A few thoughts:

1) If this was a murder staged to look like a suicide, why leave the bindings on the ankles and wrists? - If she was, say, tied to a chair and held against her will for a period of time, maybe the thought process would be that the bindings would have left marks on her ankles and wrists and if removed before being staged to look like a hanging/suicide, the ME would likely still be able to determine that she had been bound by the wrists and ankles in some way prior, even if they had been removed.

2.) Loud music/party - Maybe the loud music was used to cover potential screaming/cries for help.

3.) Max was still alive when RN was found, but prior to Max's passing, he was established brain dead, right? Likely on life support and probably didn't just "pass away". The family probably had to make the decision to remove him from life support and likely would have been faced with making that horrible decision in the day and/or hours leading up to the next incident. You see where I'm going with that?

This is so bizarre, I can't form a theory. On the one hand, it seems possible that JS blamed her for the accident and had her murdered as retribution, but wouldn't it be just as easy for someone with his money and power to have her "vanished" or "disappeared"? Why an elaborate scenario like the staged hanging, nudity, etc.? I don't know what to think, but I will say I don't believe for a minute that she did this to herself.

 

[scorekeeper]

I have some random questions, not necessarily going anywhere in particular. Have any answers to these been reported in the MSM?

1. Is there any witness besides the brother who actually saw Rebecca hanging from the balcony?

2. Did the brother say where he cut her down from? If from the ground, wouldn't he have had to stand on something? What?

If from indoors, wouldn't he have had to go through the house, and wouldn't the outside doors have presumably been locked for the night? I guess he could have had a key though.

3. What did he cut her down with, and where did he obtain this item?

Just brainstorming. Or maybe braindrizzling.

Easy to answer :floorlaugh::floorlaugh:

No, No, No information on any of your questions!!

 

[Paladine]

I clicked on your link and it takes me to one pic. It is not blurred very much. I am not trying to be too graphic or gross, but her legs are stiff and bent. In that position, her legs would have been together if the body was not in rigor.

There appears to be a blue material tied around her neck. The hands are behind her body. With there being the orange extension cord running out from her body, her feet bound, and the blue material around her neck, I think she had been hogtied. The blue material appears to have been tied around her neck over her hair. In other words, she would have been either standing or sitting upright with her hair hanging down when the blue material was tied. The blue material is also going out to the side. Odd position if she had tied it herself, IMO. Her right hip appears to be broken and the bone is somewhat jutting out. That could have happened when she hit the table. There is too much going on here for it to be a simple suicidal hanging, IMO.

The brother was probably set up to find her. I really don't think he murdered her, but I do think it was murder.

Just my :twocents:.

MOO

Her knees appear to be APART, yet she is lying on her side? Now, if she died while hanging by the neck, wouldn't her knees be closer together, straighter? This rigor thing confuzzles me...

 

[oceanblueeyes]

The quote didn't say a witness "to" her death, but a witness "in" her death.

I think what Linda means is that they are referring to her as a witness the same way they refer to anyone who testifies in a trial as a witness in the trial, even if the person didn't actually see the crime take place.

Have they mentioned her whereabouts the day Rebecca was found.

I know they mentioned that Jonah wasnt home at the time, iirc.

IMO

 

[Linda7NJ]

Have they mentioned her whereabouts the day Rebecca was found.

I know they mentioned that Jonah wasnt home at the time, iirc.

IMO

all the MSM places her at the bedside of her son

 

[oceanblueeyes]

This is what I'm leaning towards too. I assume she would have bound herself to keep from fighting for her life by instinct.

Yes, that is what the ME told the family of my daughter's friend. They bind themselves so they have no way to grab the rope once the rope cinches up.

But I still think it can go either way.

The scene should line right up if it was a suicide though. Could it have been a forced act I wonder? Someone who made her take her own life and jump off the balcony?

Just somethings running through my mind.

imo

 

[MsFacetious]

I wonder if the blue cloth could have been a gag? That would explain it being over her hair. If she were hog tied it would have been easier to throw her off the balcony too.

I know this railing was probably better made than ones I am used to in residences. Aside from the ones in cabins, those are 6 inch logs and would withstand a lot.

But really, if you tied someone to this railing... then THREW them off... that 120lbs + the force of gravity and momentum involved in the throw and drop... that wouldn't break the railing?

I can see if someone just hung there after kicking a table away...or if someone was lowered down slowly and left to hang there.

But the throwing and the sudden jerk of weight at the end, I would think that would break some part of the railing she was tied to.

Not to mention I think that would be obvious from her injuries. It almost certainly would have broken her neck and left rope burn if she was thrown. If she just hung her neck may not be broken.

 

[matou]

I clicked on your link and it takes me to one pic. It is not blurred very much. I am not trying to be too graphic or gross, but her legs are stiff and bent. In that position, her legs would have been together if the body was not in rigor.

There appears to be a blue material tied around her neck. The hands are behind her body. With there being the orange extension cord running out from her body, her feet bound, and the blue material around her neck, I think she had been hogtied. The blue material appears to have been tied around her neck over her hair. In other words, she would have been either standing or sitting upright with her hair hanging down when the blue material was tied. The blue material is also going out to the side. Odd position if she had tied it herself, IMO. Her right hip appears to be broken and the bone is somewhat jutting out. That could have happened when she hit the table. There is too much going on here for it to be a simple suicidal hanging, IMO.

The brother was probably set up to find her. I really don't think he murdered her, but I do think it was murder.

Just my :twocents:.

MOO

OK I'm looking at the photo right now, and there is no way she was hanging and have her legs in rigor mortis in a bent position and knees apart as was noted on here. This scene was staged and the ME will be able to determine that, I'm confident. The only way would be if she was hogtied or hanging from separate ropes from her feet, hands and neck (three ropes). I think she was tied to a chair or tied up in the tub. Something that has her legs bent and apart. Could she hang herself while kneeling on something? I doubt it.

 

[Betty P]

Daily Mail says Jonah Shacknai's ex-wife reported she had a "violent marriage" with him.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2016550/Rebecca-Nalepas-lover-Jonah-Shacknai-violent-marriage-ex-wife-Dina.html

Ex wife Dana had to call the police on him 3 times as their marriage was breaking up.

Quote:

After one incident, Ms Shacknai told Arizona police she was frightened of what her husband was capable of doing to her, claiming he deliberately angered the family dog so it would attack her.

 

[Quester]

I think Maxie's death was a terrible tragedy that sparked another terrible tragedy.

In 2 years of being around Maxie I believe Rebecca had come to love him as if he was her own child. Imo, she felt responsible. Riddled with guilt that she could have prevented this in someway even though accidents can happen without warning.

I think she was even thinking about suicide when she ask that her dog be taken care of. She felt that this would have a profound affect on the man she loved. She knew what Maxie meant to Jonah, imo. Maybe she was told it was best she didn't come to the hospital to see Maxie because his mother was so upset and she felt totally cutout.

I suppose I would have never believed this could actually be a suicide if I hadn't had the unfortunate experience of learning about another suicide over 3 weeks ago. One of our daughters best friends for 25 years hung herself. She didn't jump off of the balcony but she did bind her feet and hands and hung herself while naked from the chandelier in their foyer. Her bathrobe was on the floor. She had been married to a doctor for 28 years and they had argued the week before she died about him wanting her to go to a treatment center to get off of prescription drugs. She still had meds in the home but she chose this as her way out. Why did she decide to do it this way? Only she knows.

Maybe suicide victims that strip naked think they came into this world naked and they need to go out the same way. It is hard to get into the mind of someone determined to do this but they can be very creative and create many mysteries for those left behind.

So imo, Rebecca decided this was the best way to make all of her guilt and pain to go away. She knew her life would never be the same again.

IMO

@oceanblueeyes

I’m very sorry for your loss!

I have an indelicate question that might help us understand dynamics in this case. You are, of course, under no obligation to answer.

Do you know what material your daughter’s friend used to bind her wrists and ankles?

This is a pertinent issue in this very case.

Thank you either way!

 

[cluciano63]

I would have thought LE would know by now if the knots were ones Rebecca could have tied herself and been able at least to rule out suicide if it would have been impossible for her to do. But they haven't ruled out anything as yet, have they? If they can't tell by the knots, I am afraid they won't be able to tell at all. This sounds like such a project for either a person to do to oneself or for another person to be able to do it. Wouldn't she have been struggling? Even if someone has taken meds, instinct usually kicks in at some point and it would be difficult to tie someone up who does not want to be tied up. Unless of course we are talking someone much stronger. Okay I am rambling but have been reading this thread for days without comment because I don't know what to say, and also because I thought for sure there would be a death determination by now...

 

[Kat]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43817089

Is this article on this thread already? If so please ignore.

 

[tiredblondy]

I suspect that when referring to Dina as a witness it would be either documenting JS's alibi and telling where she was also.

 

[Betty P]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43817089

Is this article on this thread already? If so please ignore.

The new article at the Daily Mail link above reports the same and has copies of the photos showing his ex-wife's injuries.

Interesting. He uses his dog to physically assault this partners. No wonder Rebecca wanted to kennel their dog the day after his son was injured.

 

[pferrin]

I have never heard this before. Has anyone else?

His mother, Jonah Shacknai's ex-wife Dina, has been identified by detectives as a witness in Zahau's death.:waitasec:

Ocean..sorry to hear about the sadness you have been dealing with.

In the comments from the article you mentioned the author of article says that the police use that term to mean person of interest..she claims that jonah and adam are also considered witnesses http://coronado.patch.com/articles/all-eyes-have-turned-to-coronado