Two months ago, Medicis Pharmaceutical ceo Jonah Shacknai suffered a double blow - his six-year-old son fell down the stairs and died at a hospital five days later. Two days later, his 32-year-old girlfriend was found hanging - naked, with her feet bound and wrists tied behind her back - in the courtyard of his California mansion from a rope tied to a bed in a second-story room (back story).
Since then, there has been nothing but speculation about what really happened in his Coronado, California home, creating quite a distraction. Even though the authorities have ruled out foul play in both deaths, the family of Rebecca Zahau has created a website to support their demand to have her case reopened (here is the website).
“Why would they say that? That she committed suicide? Our family is hurting. We’re a poor family. We can’t pay for investigators" her mother writes on the site. "...we know for sure, she wouldn’t ever kill herself. And she was very modest. It is our Asian way. She would never do a thing like that, and never without clothes on. But nobody will listen to us.”
And so Shacknai, who is angry the Zahua family insinuated he influenced the initial investigation that he threatened to file a lawsuit, has now written the California Attorney General to ask that her death be investigated. "...The unrelenting and often vicious speculation and innuendo in certain media outlets continue to bring further pain to everyone who has been touched by these tragic events.
"It is my hope that your review of Rebecca's death will serve the interests of justice by providing confidence, comfort and resolution not just to the families directly impacted by these tragedies, but also to the public at large, which has taken an interest in these highly unusual circumstances," the letter says.
One issue is a mysterious message that was painted on her bedroom door - 'she saved him can you save her' - before Zahau threw herself from the second floor. And the autopsy report that four hemorrhages between the scalp and skull on top of the head that were listed in the report may be inconsistent with the suicide theory, according to a forensic pathologist who spoke with CNN.
To what extent, if any, was her death related to the six-year-old? That remains unclear, although a CBS affiliate reports that her cell phone records confirm Zahau listened to voicemail on her cellphone for two minutes at 12:50 a.m. on July 13, about two hours before her estimated time of death. And police have said the message was that the Shacknai son was about to die (see this).
How might this episode affect Medicis? As Shacknai has noted, the events have become a distraction and, while the stock has largely recovered since the deaths first occurred, the ceo is now attempting to convince investors that he is focused on business. Of course, he may undermine that premise by filing a lawsuit. Either way, the Zahau family seems unwilling to go away quietly and Medicis investors and employees can expect their ceo to remain distracted a while longer.
13 Comments
I'm no CS investigator, but how one hangs oneself after binding one's feet and tying one's hands behind one's back remains a mystery to me.
JiMI - the use of slip knots to give an effect makes it possible - BUT there is a big gap between 'possible' and 'probable.'
We won't even (given current knowledge) even speak about 'a case that I would bring before a jury.'
Justice - I would agree, you are no CS investigator. And the answer to your question is obvious - effectively.
Additionally, she had a T-shirt stuffed in her mouth and blood on her thighs.
If all the above are true, how in the world was this ruled as a suicide?
Gents --
For what it is worth, the San Diego Sheriff produced these two videos (hands), and feet, to demonstrate how -- it is thought -- she was able to bind herself, and still jump a railing, while the red rope was anchored to a bedpost. [Not that it would explain away four separate bleed-inducing blows to the top of her skull.]
I am firmly in the land of skepticism, though, here:
What a practicved and trained CS investigator can do in a conference room (on video) may well bear little resemblance to what was possible in that bedroom, but someone not remotely versed in such tricks (accoprding to all reports), in those early morning hours on Coronado.
Tragic, all the way around.
Namaste
All-in, I think it pretty likely we will never know, whether -- as some now claim -- it was a ritualistic killing, or a particularly skilled suicide (maybe even staged to look like a homicide?!). . . all for reasons known only to the actors.
So, as I say -- tragic.
Namaste
Condor is correct. If you visit any of the well known BDSM (Bondage, Dominance and Submission, and Sadomasochism) web sites (for resrarch purposes only), you can find instructions on how to hogtie yourself. This may have been an atypical case of erotic asphyxiation gone bad, with the extra added twist of the rope around the neck, or as the Cajuns say, a little bit of "Lagniappe".
Suicide is out! Auto-eroticism is also out as both her hands and feet were tied. Nobody commits suicide like that and nobody writes a suicide note like that. This is a lady who had no suicide ideation let alone skilled at making nautical knots.
As Danno would say "Book him!"
Yolanda, having done time in the autopsy suite I can tell you that nobody intends to commit suicide by autoerotic asphyxiation. Unfortunately only a slightly higher level of cerebral anoxia that produces orgasm till tip over into death. Better known examples of folks that are known as "gaspers" include the former lead singer for INXS, Michael Hutchence, and the actor David Carradine. However, statistics show that there is at least one case of AEA each day in the US.
whoa, some of you know way too much about sado maso sex - past drug research trials that never unpublished results?
There are so so many discrepancies between the Sheriff's dept press conference and the evidence that was later made available. even search warrants required a court order. Mr Shacknai, through threatened law suits against the Zahau family, the hiring of most expensive PR firm around, his asking for a REVIEW of the investigation says he is uncomfortable with a new investigation.
I question why? Let the truth be known and proven without a reasonable doubt through an independent investigation with experts selected by the Zahau family. This would satisfy the family as well as the general public. It is this, and ONLY this, that will clear the Shacknais from innuendo and speculation.
Critic, to address your question I'm attaching an abstract of four cases of self-induced AEA, followed by death.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12111317