The Coronado Mansion Deaths Mystery

On July 13, 2011, Adam Shacknai found Rebecca Zauhau gagged, bound, and hanging from a second-story balcony in his brother's Coronado, CA, guesthouse. A rope tied to a metal bed frame secured her.Zahau was found nude, bound, and hanging from her balcony.She was fashioned into a noose.A noose hung on the other.Adam ran to get a knife on the other.Adam ran to get a knife.to cut her down and tried CPR.Her hands were tied.behind her back, and her legs were also bound. Rebecca was the 32-year-old girlfriend of Adam's brother Jonah Shacknai, though Jonah had not been home overnight. He reportedly stayed with his son Max, who was hospitalized after a bad fall days earlier. Rebecca was the 32-year-old girlfriend of Adam's brother Jonah Shacknai, though Jonah had not been home overnight. He reportedly stayed with his son Max, who was in the hospital after a bad fall days earlier.

Two days before Zahau was found hanging, Max Shacknai, Jonah Shacknai's six-year-old son from a previous marriage, was at his father’s Coronado home. Zahau watched Max and his sister on the night of July 11, 2011, while their father was away on business.

Zahau watched the kids before; it was not a big deal. But while she used the restroom one evening, she heard acrash.She ran to check and found the boy crumpled at the bottom of the stairs.The boy crumpled at the bottom of the stairs.Police filed a report that night. In a strange accident, Max tripped over the stairs from the second-floor landing, hit the chandelier, and fell to the floor unconscious. Max never woke up and was declaredMax Shacknai was brain-dead.Two days later, this happened.

Investigators first thought Zahau committedZahau committed this.painted message Zahau did this due to her overwhelming guilt from Max’s accident. Several reasons suggest this is suspicious., “She saved him. Can he save her?” A handwritingexpert testified that the message was most likely written by a right-handed, six-foot-tall male, not the shorter five-foot-three Zahau. Authorities found this evidence inconclusive regarding a suicide note from Zahau or anything related to the case.A note was found on a door.The note stated:“She saved him. Can he save her?” The handwriting showed this.expert testified that the message was most likely written by a right-handed, six-foot-tall male, not the shorter five-foot-three Zahau.testified that the message was most likely written by a right-handed, six-foot-tall male, not the shorter five-foot-three Zahau. Authorities said it was inconclusive to believe this was a suicide note from Zahau or anything related to the case.

Multiple conspiracy theories surround Rebecca Zahau’s death. Many focus on Max Shacknai’s alleged accidental death two days before and how it connects to Zahau’s death. Initially,A major theory exists about how Max's and Rebecca's deaths connect.was that Dina and Nina came over, attacked Zahau, and Adam Shacknai threw her over the balcony. Evidence showed the two women could not have been there, so that theory failed.

Another theory exists.This theory links Max's and Rebecca's deaths.One theory proposes this.Dina Shacknai proposed this theory., suggested Max was purposelybeaten and murdered, and Zahau was killed to keep her quiet. A biomechanics expertAn expert in biomechanics indicated Dina Shacknai murdered Zahau to keep her quiet; Zahau was killed.An expert in biomechanics indicated this.The boy could not have fallen over the railing because of its height. He most likely fell on the landing instead. Someone tossed or pushed him over the railing to the floor.Zahau’s part in his murder is questionable.This is questionable at best.

Zahau's family rejects the suicide claim. After years of prep and private investigation, they filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2018, alleging thatZahau was murdered.The civil wrongful death suit claims revenge for young Max Shacknai’s death.It claimsAdam Shacknai, Jonah Shacknai’s brother, assaulted and murdered Zahau to silence her. Jonah Shacknai found Zahau and cut her down. After proof showed Dina and Nina could not have been at the mansion during Zahau’s death, the suit focused only on Adam Shacknai.

Evidence shows Adam Shacknai cut her down before police arrived, tampering with evidence.

The knots binding her are serious knots, not just random rope ties or self-tying. They matchdock knot tying.Adam Shacknai is a tugboat captain. He has the skill to make those knots. Adam Shacknai was the only other person in the house that night.

Authorities report a strange lack of DNA at the crime scene. This suggests someone entered and cleaned up.

A jury decided in April 2018 thatthe family was right.They ruled Adam Shacknai likely killed Zahau and ordered him to pay Zahau's family $5 million.

Right afterJonah Shacknai's son had an accident.Jonah Shacknai heard the news and rushed home. He saw the ambulance taking his son to the hospital. Zahau’s sister Xena needed stitches.Xena needed stitchesafter she tried to clean glass from the fallen chandelier. Zahau was upset but tried to help. She visited Max at the hospital, picked up his aunt at the airport, dropped off Xena at the airport, and picked up Shacknai’s brother, Adam Shacknai, who had just flown into town.

Later, Zahau, Adam, and Jonah ate dinner. Jonah then left for his son. Zahau and Adam Shacknai returned to the mansion; Adam was staying in the guest house.Adam was stayingThat was the last time Zahau was seen alive. Her sister said they spoke at 9:50 pm that night. While Zahau wasZahau washer sister did not think it was the end. Zahau also checked a voicemail at 12:50 am, but detectives could not recover the deleted message. Jonah Shacknai told police he left her a message about Max’s poor condition and the real possibility of him dying., her sister didn’t feel that it was over the top. Zahau also allegedly checked a voicemail at 12:50 am, but the message was deleted, and detectives could not recover it. Jonah Shacknai told police he left her a message about Max’s declining condition and the real possibility of him dying.

The investigation moved fast towardsuicidebut many questions remained unanswered. Evidence contradicting suicide seemed ignored. Zahau was bound, gagged, and naked, but she had a t-shirtstuffed in her mouth, had defensive wounds, and tape residue was found on her legs.The Coronado police department made apresentationEvidence at the scene mostly disproved the suicide claim, showing how Zahau could have tied herself with the ropes, but Zahau had...Zahau had four blunt trauma injuries on her scalp.These injuries happened before she died.Abrasions were present.These abrasions looked like defense wounds.

Jonah Shacknai hired a major PR firm called "King of Spin" to protect his pharmaceutical company before the suicide ruling, fueling rumors police pressured the decision."King of Spin"King of Spin"This firm protected his pharmaceuticals company before the suicide ruling, fueling rumors police pressured the decision.

Several suspects came out during the investigation.The Zahau wrongful death civil suit. Allegations included that Dina Shacknai—Jonah Schacknai’s ex-wife and Max’s mother—and her twin sister, Nina Romero, were involved in Zahau's death, along with Adam Shacknai, Jonah's brother.Dina Shacknai, Jonah Schacknai’s ex-wife and Max’s mother, and her twin sister, Nina Romero, were involved in Zahau's death with Adam Shacknai, Jonah's brother.

Security camera footage from the hospital where Dina’s son was cared for eliminated her as a suspect, and several witnesses gave Nina an alibi. After she was dropped from the suit, Dina...Dina admitted...She admitted she did not believe Zahau’s death was a suicide; more investigation needed.Jonah Shacknai was never considered a suspect because he was at his son’s bedside the night Zahau was murdered.Jonah Shacknai was in the hospital at his son’s bedside the night Zahau was murdered.

Rebecca was 32 years old.Rebecca was.Zahau was born in Myanmar.She faced a hard childhood because of political unrest. Her family moved to Kathmandu, then Germany, and finally Austria. In Austria, she met her first husband, Neil Nalepa, and moved to the US.She workedas anShe works as an ophthalmic technician. Her first marriage failed. Through her job, she met Jonah Shacknai, a 54-year-old pharmaceuticals mogul who was recently divorced. At the time of Max’s accident, Zahau and Jonah had dated for two years. They were summering at his Coronado mansion near San Diego. This has been an otherwiseAt the time of Max’s accident, Zahau and Jonah had been in a relationship for two years and were summering in his mansion in Coronado, near San Diego. It had been an otherwise summer, with Jonah’s other children from his previous marriage and Zahau’s 13-year-old sister Xena visiting.

Adam Shacknai was the only other person in the mansion and the one who found Zahau hanging from the balcony. He was interviewed and agreed to takea lie detector test.The lie detector test results were.Inconclusive.The police thought Shacknai told the truth and did not order more testing. The polygraph operator still recommendedfurther testing.The polygraph operator recommended further testing.

A trial started.The trial for Zahau's wrongful death suit began in February 2018.