Family of woman found bound and dead in CEO’s mansion objects to suicide finding

Madison Ruppert, Contributing Writer
Activist Post

When this issue first broke I covered it immediately, as I saw it as a perfect example of the preferential treatment afforded only to the ultra-rich and powerful.

In moments when any average American would be arrested, promptly taken to jail and likely brutally beaten in the process, Jonah Shacknai was given the benefit of the doubt to the point of absurdity.

Now, in a completely unsurprising turn of events, the investigation into Rebecca Zahau’s death has determined that despite all of the blatantly fishy circumstances, Zahau committed suicide.

Keep in mind that Zahau was found hanging with her hands tied behind her back and her feet bound. Just tying your hands behind your back is no easy task but binding your feet, tying your hands behind your back and then successfully hanging yourself is a bit of a tall order.

Accordingly, Anne Bremner, a Seattle lawyer acquired by Rebecca Zahau’s family this week, called the finding “ridiculous” and also said that the San Diego Sheriff’s Department investigation’s finding “doesn’t pass the smell test,” according to USA Today.

Bremner told USA Today that “there is no precedent for a woman committing suicide in the manner in which San Diego authorities content.”

Indeed, I find it highly questionable and the fact that Zahau’s boyfriend and owner of the home, Jonah Shacknai, had his 6-year-old son Max Shacknai suffer a fatal “accident” just two days before in the same home adds another layer of mystery.

Like I was saying since I first read about the series of events, the Zahau family lawyer Bremner said, “It’s ridiculous on the face of it.”

Bremner also aptly pointed out, “This would be the first case in the history of the world that a woman killed herself like this.”

While one could argue that there is a first time for everything, I would like to see them perform the necessary steps required to kill themselves in this manner. I just can’t see it being done.

If Zahau really wanted to just off herself, why would she go through the effort of binding her hands and feet? It doesn’t take a detective to see that most suicidal individuals are not going to bind themselves before killing themselves. It simply makes no sense whatsoever.

Killers often tie up their victims in order to restrain them and restrict their ability to escape or fight back. So, why would someone who is going to kill his or herself going to do this? I fail to see any logical explanation for this but I would love to hear from readers if they can provide one.

To make matters worse, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department had already come to their decision before Zahau’s relatives were even able to meet with them in the flesh.

To further poke holes in the San Diego Sheriff’s findings, Bremner said that the alleged suicide note recovered by police was not in Rebecca Zahau’s handwriting.

Furthermore, Bremner said that the note was “ambiguous in meaning” while pointing out that the authorities did not even conduct analysis of the handwriting in the note.

Bremner said that the San Diego Sheriff’s department needs to engage outside sources to review the evidence collected, not only including a handwriting analysis which seems like a no-brainer but also polygraph testing of “those closest to the victim,” likely including Jonah Shacknai himself.

Why were all of these avenues not explored before the Department decided it was a suicide? Are CEOs really that entitled that a reasonably thorough investigation into the death of a girlfriend under highly suspicious circumstances can be ignored?

Bremner said that Rebecca Zahau never displayed any symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts, behavior or tendencies. Even more importantly, Zahau never indicated to others that she held herself at fault for the death of Shacknai’s 6-year-old son Max.

Zahau was in the shower at the time of the accident that lead to Max’s death, according to Bremner, and two of Max’s teenage siblings were present at the time.

Bremner said that before her death, Zahau had sounded upbeat in a nighttime telephone conversation with members of her family.

Bremner said, “I really hope they will reconsider and really fully investigate this case,” and I couldn’t agree more. Since the news first broke I have been highly skeptical that this could possibly be a suicide, and the lack of thorough investigation just reinforces my intense skepticism.