As the civil case in the Rebecca Zahau trial continues into its third week, the question remains, “Who actually believes Ms. Zahau took her own life?” In 2011, news from the Spreckels Mansion on Ocean Boulevard rocked the island. First, with the accident of the then owner’s young son, Max Shaknai, who fell over a second story banister while in the care of his father’s 32-year-old girlfriend, which led to his death a few days later. According to the police report and witness reports, Rebecca was very upset, but there was no indication of her being suicidal; so it was a complete shock when she was found hanging from the second story balcony by Adam Shaknai, Max’s uncle, two days after Max’s accident, but before his death.
In the early morning hours before her death, Rebecca, who was reportedly alone in the home, received a voicemail from her boyfriend, Jonah Shaknai, supposedly letting her know that his son was not likely to recover from his injuries. This message was deleted from her phone so it is not known exactly what was said. During the next hours Rebecca is said to have found rope in the garage, cut two lengths with a kitchen knife, used a paintbrush and black paint to paint a cryptic message on the door of the bedroom, bound her hands behind her back, gagged herself, bound her feet and hopped over to the balcony edge to throw her nude self over the railing. She was found just before 7am by Shaknai’s brother Adam, who was staying in the back guest house opposite the courtyard of the balcony. Adam called 911 and reported, “I gotta girl…hung herself.” When asked by the 911 operator if she was alive, he responded: “Are you alive? I don’t think so.” He cut the rope, letting the body fall before police arrived.
There is no question that the death is surrounded by questions and suspicions. The investigation was led by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. The autopsy which was performed on July 14, 2011, listed the cause of death as suicide. Three days after Rebecca’s death, Max Shaknai succumbed to his injuries from the fall.
While the law enforcement agencies determined that neither death was criminal in nature, Rebecca Zahau’s family does not believe that. She is described by her sister and mother as a very faith-filled woman, energetic, outgoing and in no way did she sound suicidal when her sister spoke with her the night before. The family hired attorneys, private investigators and filed a civil lawsuit in hopes of proving what they believe — that Adam Shaknai is responsible for her death and that Rebecca did not take her own life. The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount of monetary damages.
The office of the family’s attorney trying the case, C. Keith Greer, indicated no statements will be made until the conclusion of the trial. In response to the question of a botched investigation, the SD County Sheriff’s office responded, “We completed a comprehensive and professional investigation and stand behind it. We have no further comment about this civil lawsuit. You can find many resources [on our website]. Thank you.”
The civil trial is expected to last about a month. The Coronado Times will follow up with a story when the trial is concluded and the jury has made its determination.
The property on Ocean Boulevard has undergone extensive renovations since 2011, 
to the tune of about $2.4 million after it was sold in 2013 for $9 million to a Robert Harris, the owner of a private aircraft company in Utah who also is the owner of two homes in Coronado Cays. Shacknai bought the home for $12.5 million in 2007. The property was listed by Scott Aurich of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty. While much of the community knows of the history of the home, the disclosure of any death on a property is required by law for only three years so a new buyer need not, by law, be informed.
