Link to conference video:
Sheriff Bill Gore convened a press conference to disclose the, “results of a thorough review of the case and including a review of each of the theories raised during the civil trial.”
He noted that the review team consisted of a Sergeant from the Coronado PD and three Sergeants from the homicide division or the SDSO.
Along with Gore at the press conference were the following people:
Dr. Glenn Wagner, County Medical Examiner
Captain Laszlo Waczek, Coronado Police Department
Chief Chuck Kaye, Coronado Police Department
Michael Grubb, Sheriff's Crime Lab Director
Captain Mike McClain, Sheriff's Major Crimes Division
Lieutenant Rich Williams, Sheriff's Homicide Unit
Sergeant Paul Michalke, Sheriff's Homicide Unit
Sergeant Steve Bodine, Sheriff's Homicide Unit
Sergeant Alejandro Navarro, Sheriff's Homicide Unit
Sergeant Matt Mitchell, Coronado Police Department
The speaking was done by Gore and Williams. Grubb and Wagner chimed in on two questions.
It is patently obvious that despite the months that elapsed, precious little time was spent in seriously reviewing the case especially in light of evidence presented at the civil trial.
I have attempted to comment on most of notable portions of the presentation. A more complete critique would have required resources that I don’t have at my disposal such as trial transcripts.
Forehead Injuries:
Inexplicably, the light scratches on Rebecca’s forehead are described by Lt. Williams as the injuries noted in the civil trial which were significant enough to cause loss of consciousness.
The injuries to the top and side of Rebecca’s head – from blunt force trauma - were the injuries significant enough to cause partial or complete unconsciousness – not the scratches.
Message on the Door:
A comment was made that block print and brush strokes could not be used for handwriting analysis. While true in the strictest sense, it is nevertheless clear from the evidence presented at the civil trial that the writing was completely dissimilar to Rebecca’s but showed characteristics similar to Adam’s.
If Rebecca wrote a final message, it would presumably have the ring of a suicide note.
It is very unlikely it would be written in the third person and have a taunting tone.
It is even more unlikely that it be written in handwriting completely dissimilar to her writing characteristics.
The Balcony:
Williams makes mention of a seventeen inch, “area of disturbance,” on the balcony rail. There is no 17” area of disturbance in the dust on top of the balcony railing and it should be noted that in the 2012 press conference by the SDSO, the so called “area of disturbance” was described as 11 inches.
In reality, there are three small discontinuous areas - consisting of about 3 inches, 1.5 inches and 0.5 inches - where dust has been removed.
The 0.5 inch area is likely from the rope, and the other two may well have come from someone placing their hands on the railing.
Given that the area in question is not in line with the location of the toe prints but is in line with the officer who stepped out on to the balcony, perhaps he placed his hands on the railing and looked at the courtyard below.
It is simply not plausible that Rebecca would have somehow wrestled her body over the railing from the position of the toe prints without completely wiping clean a large area of the railing.
Moreover, there is no reason why anyone looking to commit suicide would bind their feet and thereby be forced to hop out to the balcony.
The Steak Knife:
The steak knife is mentioned as having blood on the handle, but no mention is made of the fact that blood is on all sides of the handle and it is this fact that suggests it was used in a sexual assault on Rebecca who was menstruating.
During Q&A, a bizarre explanation seemed to acknowledge that it was menstrual blood on the knife but that it arrived there by some other means rather than as a consequence of sexual assault.
“The fact is that we found blood in other places that were consistent with menstrual bleeding, Rebecca was naked. We found blood in other places at the scene that were not consistent with a bleeding wound, yet were definitely Rebecca’s blood. That’s the best theory we have. We believe that that blood at the scene was probably menstrual blood but it’s, it’s… we don’t have a wound, a bleeding wound to support any other theory that that blood came from anywhere else. So the fact that it is menstrual blood does not indicate that that knife handle was used in a sexual assault, if you follow what I’m saying. The blood could have been… it could have made its way to the knife through another means rather than an insertion of that”
The follow-up question that desperately needed asking should have been, “I don’t follow what you’re saying, please explain how you think the menstrual blood made its way to all sides of the knife handle?”
Self-binding Demonstration:
The ridiculous, and old, demonstration of a girl tying her own hands behind her back was once again shown during this press conference. When asked about evidence in the civil trial relating to the nautical nature of the knots found at the scene and the fact that this would point to Adam rather than Rebecca, Lt. Williams pointed back to the demonstration video. He then made the comment, “We saw in the demonstration that the same type of knot can be tied relatively easily by an untrained person.”
This was shown to be untrue at the civil trial by none other than the defense knot expert who said he had to practice tying that particular knot some 50 or 60 times.
The SDSO expects us to believe that Rebecca, who Jonah testified had no more experience tying knots than to tie her shoelaces, would have been able to tie the knot used around her wrists without the benefit of any research or training.
Notes from Rebecca’s Phone:
Despite being informed by the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit that there was insufficient material to make a forensic determination as to Rebecca’s state of mind, a number of excerpts from note on her phone were shown during the press conference. Showing these undated notes, which could be roughly characterized as centering on disappointment in Rebecca’s relationship with Jonah, served only to illustrate the bias of the review team.
Missing Fingerprints and DNA:
The lack of fingerprints and DNA where there would be a reasonable expectation to find them.
The paint tube is mentioned, but the central point is missed regarding this evidence.
The paint tube was purchased by Rebecca. She handled it at the time of purchase and subsequently. There is every reasonable expectation that both her fingerprints and DNA would be found on the tube from this fact alone.
If Rebecca wrote the message, she would have had to squeeze the tube some 20 or more times as estimated by attorney Keith Greer.
If Adam Shacknai wrote the message, similarly, he would have had to squeeze the tube 20 or more times.
Rebecca or Adam would have had to grip and use a paintbrush to write the message.
Rebecca would have no reason to wipe the tube clean of fingerprints and DNA. Only one print was found, (located on the lid,) and that print did belong to Rebecca, but not unusual considering she purchased the paint. The tube which would have been handled and squeezed numerous times was devoid of forensic evidence.
Rebecca would have no reason to wipe the paintbrushes clean of fingerprints and DNA.
Only someone who did not want their prints and DNA found would wipe these items clean.
Of course, Adam would naturally wish to not have his prints and DNA found on these or any items which would connect him to Rebecca.
The lack of DNA or fingerprints on the knife found in the courtyard that Adam claimed to have used to cut Rebecca down should have been a huge red flag that he must have been wearing gloves. Arguments that Adam may have had a natural propensity to shed very little DNA do not stand up to scrutiny with respect to this item in particular.
If his story is to be believed and he was running around during the 911 call, dragging a table over to near Rebecca and breaking one of the table legs in the process, climbing to the top of a now three-legged unstable table, gripping the body of Rebecca and cutting her down, Adam would have left DNA on the knife. Perspiration, grip strength, and contact time were all significant factors that should have resulted in Adam’s DNA being left on the knife handle, unless he was wearing gloves.
Subgaleal Hemorrhaging:
In reply to a question from a reporter at the press conference, Dr. Glenn Wagner said the following:
“Rebecca went face first over the railing and impacted – slid down the wall – breaking the foliage as well as leaving marks on the wall before the full length of the rope was reached, and in fact did hang herself.”
So many problems with this statement.
The most glaring error is stating that Rebecca “slid down the wall.” The balcony rail extended away from the wall a distance of two feet. How would it be possible for her to slide down the wall?
Continuing on, the ME doesn’t explain how, according to his theory of Rebecca going “face-first over the railing,” she could have done so without sustaining significant trauma to the front of her face from contact with the railing.
Similarly, his explanation offers no mechanism by which Rebecca would have sustained the four blunt-force injuries to the top and side of her head.
These head injuries are described as follows in the autopsy report:
"On the right superior parietal scalp there is a 2 x 1 inch subgaleal hemorrhage. On the right lateral frontal scalp there are two subgaleal hemorrhages measuring ¾ x ½ inch and ½ x ¼ inch. On the right lateral fronto-temporal scalp, there is a 3/8 inch diameter subgaleal hemorrhage."
These particular injuries were described by Dr. Cyril Wecht as forceful enough to have caused partial or complete unconsciousness.
I’ve attached a few pictures to help illustrate some arguments I’ve made above.
Sheriff Bill Gore convened a press conference to disclose the, “results of a thorough review of the case and including a review of each of the theories raised during the civil trial.”
He noted that the review team consisted of a Sergeant from the Coronado PD and three Sergeants from the homicide division or the SDSO.
Along with Gore at the press conference were the following people:
Dr. Glenn Wagner, County Medical Examiner
Captain Laszlo Waczek, Coronado Police Department
Chief Chuck Kaye, Coronado Police Department
Michael Grubb, Sheriff's Crime Lab Director
Captain Mike McClain, Sheriff's Major Crimes Division
Lieutenant Rich Williams, Sheriff's Homicide Unit
Sergeant Paul Michalke, Sheriff's Homicide Unit
Sergeant Steve Bodine, Sheriff's Homicide Unit
Sergeant Alejandro Navarro, Sheriff's Homicide Unit
Sergeant Matt Mitchell, Coronado Police Department
The speaking was done by Gore and Williams. Grubb and Wagner chimed in on two questions.
It is patently obvious that despite the months that elapsed, precious little time was spent in seriously reviewing the case especially in light of evidence presented at the civil trial.
I have attempted to comment on most of notable portions of the presentation. A more complete critique would have required resources that I don’t have at my disposal such as trial transcripts.
Forehead Injuries:
Inexplicably, the light scratches on Rebecca’s forehead are described by Lt. Williams as the injuries noted in the civil trial which were significant enough to cause loss of consciousness.
The injuries to the top and side of Rebecca’s head – from blunt force trauma - were the injuries significant enough to cause partial or complete unconsciousness – not the scratches.
Message on the Door:
A comment was made that block print and brush strokes could not be used for handwriting analysis. While true in the strictest sense, it is nevertheless clear from the evidence presented at the civil trial that the writing was completely dissimilar to Rebecca’s but showed characteristics similar to Adam’s.
If Rebecca wrote a final message, it would presumably have the ring of a suicide note.
It is very unlikely it would be written in the third person and have a taunting tone.
It is even more unlikely that it be written in handwriting completely dissimilar to her writing characteristics.
The Balcony:
Williams makes mention of a seventeen inch, “area of disturbance,” on the balcony rail. There is no 17” area of disturbance in the dust on top of the balcony railing and it should be noted that in the 2012 press conference by the SDSO, the so called “area of disturbance” was described as 11 inches.
In reality, there are three small discontinuous areas - consisting of about 3 inches, 1.5 inches and 0.5 inches - where dust has been removed.
The 0.5 inch area is likely from the rope, and the other two may well have come from someone placing their hands on the railing.
Given that the area in question is not in line with the location of the toe prints but is in line with the officer who stepped out on to the balcony, perhaps he placed his hands on the railing and looked at the courtyard below.
It is simply not plausible that Rebecca would have somehow wrestled her body over the railing from the position of the toe prints without completely wiping clean a large area of the railing.
Moreover, there is no reason why anyone looking to commit suicide would bind their feet and thereby be forced to hop out to the balcony.
The Steak Knife:
The steak knife is mentioned as having blood on the handle, but no mention is made of the fact that blood is on all sides of the handle and it is this fact that suggests it was used in a sexual assault on Rebecca who was menstruating.
During Q&A, a bizarre explanation seemed to acknowledge that it was menstrual blood on the knife but that it arrived there by some other means rather than as a consequence of sexual assault.
“The fact is that we found blood in other places that were consistent with menstrual bleeding, Rebecca was naked. We found blood in other places at the scene that were not consistent with a bleeding wound, yet were definitely Rebecca’s blood. That’s the best theory we have. We believe that that blood at the scene was probably menstrual blood but it’s, it’s… we don’t have a wound, a bleeding wound to support any other theory that that blood came from anywhere else. So the fact that it is menstrual blood does not indicate that that knife handle was used in a sexual assault, if you follow what I’m saying. The blood could have been… it could have made its way to the knife through another means rather than an insertion of that”
The follow-up question that desperately needed asking should have been, “I don’t follow what you’re saying, please explain how you think the menstrual blood made its way to all sides of the knife handle?”
Self-binding Demonstration:
The ridiculous, and old, demonstration of a girl tying her own hands behind her back was once again shown during this press conference. When asked about evidence in the civil trial relating to the nautical nature of the knots found at the scene and the fact that this would point to Adam rather than Rebecca, Lt. Williams pointed back to the demonstration video. He then made the comment, “We saw in the demonstration that the same type of knot can be tied relatively easily by an untrained person.”
This was shown to be untrue at the civil trial by none other than the defense knot expert who said he had to practice tying that particular knot some 50 or 60 times.
The SDSO expects us to believe that Rebecca, who Jonah testified had no more experience tying knots than to tie her shoelaces, would have been able to tie the knot used around her wrists without the benefit of any research or training.
Notes from Rebecca’s Phone:
Despite being informed by the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit that there was insufficient material to make a forensic determination as to Rebecca’s state of mind, a number of excerpts from note on her phone were shown during the press conference. Showing these undated notes, which could be roughly characterized as centering on disappointment in Rebecca’s relationship with Jonah, served only to illustrate the bias of the review team.
Missing Fingerprints and DNA:
The lack of fingerprints and DNA where there would be a reasonable expectation to find them.
The paint tube is mentioned, but the central point is missed regarding this evidence.
The paint tube was purchased by Rebecca. She handled it at the time of purchase and subsequently. There is every reasonable expectation that both her fingerprints and DNA would be found on the tube from this fact alone.
If Rebecca wrote the message, she would have had to squeeze the tube some 20 or more times as estimated by attorney Keith Greer.
If Adam Shacknai wrote the message, similarly, he would have had to squeeze the tube 20 or more times.
Rebecca or Adam would have had to grip and use a paintbrush to write the message.
Rebecca would have no reason to wipe the tube clean of fingerprints and DNA. Only one print was found, (located on the lid,) and that print did belong to Rebecca, but not unusual considering she purchased the paint. The tube which would have been handled and squeezed numerous times was devoid of forensic evidence.
Rebecca would have no reason to wipe the paintbrushes clean of fingerprints and DNA.
Only someone who did not want their prints and DNA found would wipe these items clean.
Of course, Adam would naturally wish to not have his prints and DNA found on these or any items which would connect him to Rebecca.
The lack of DNA or fingerprints on the knife found in the courtyard that Adam claimed to have used to cut Rebecca down should have been a huge red flag that he must have been wearing gloves. Arguments that Adam may have had a natural propensity to shed very little DNA do not stand up to scrutiny with respect to this item in particular.
If his story is to be believed and he was running around during the 911 call, dragging a table over to near Rebecca and breaking one of the table legs in the process, climbing to the top of a now three-legged unstable table, gripping the body of Rebecca and cutting her down, Adam would have left DNA on the knife. Perspiration, grip strength, and contact time were all significant factors that should have resulted in Adam’s DNA being left on the knife handle, unless he was wearing gloves.
Subgaleal Hemorrhaging:
In reply to a question from a reporter at the press conference, Dr. Glenn Wagner said the following:
“Rebecca went face first over the railing and impacted – slid down the wall – breaking the foliage as well as leaving marks on the wall before the full length of the rope was reached, and in fact did hang herself.”
So many problems with this statement.
The most glaring error is stating that Rebecca “slid down the wall.” The balcony rail extended away from the wall a distance of two feet. How would it be possible for her to slide down the wall?
Continuing on, the ME doesn’t explain how, according to his theory of Rebecca going “face-first over the railing,” she could have done so without sustaining significant trauma to the front of her face from contact with the railing.
Similarly, his explanation offers no mechanism by which Rebecca would have sustained the four blunt-force injuries to the top and side of her head.
These head injuries are described as follows in the autopsy report:
"On the right superior parietal scalp there is a 2 x 1 inch subgaleal hemorrhage. On the right lateral frontal scalp there are two subgaleal hemorrhages measuring ¾ x ½ inch and ½ x ¼ inch. On the right lateral fronto-temporal scalp, there is a 3/8 inch diameter subgaleal hemorrhage."
These particular injuries were described by Dr. Cyril Wecht as forceful enough to have caused partial or complete unconsciousness.
I’ve attached a few pictures to help illustrate some arguments I’ve made above.
Attachments
Last edited:
