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A recent book by Caitlin Rother, Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case, covered the deaths of Rebecca Zahau and Max Shacknai, which were ruled out as suicide and accident, respectively.
But lately, the cases have garnered significant media attention due to the manner of the deaths and several ominous things around the mansion where the two died. For one, the two seemingly unconnected deaths took place only a couple of days apart.
Rebecca Zahau was the long-term girlfriend of a wealthy pharmaceutical company's CEO and lived at a beautiful mansion with him. Maxfield Shacknai, nicknamed Max, was the son of Rebecca's millionaire boyfriend. He allegedly fell off the stairs and died from his injuries while under Rebecca's care. But as the child was fighting for his life, Rebecca reportedly killed herself by bounding her hands and feet and hanging herself.
The entire case is composed of stunning details that led the media to brand this case as sensational. Here are five such details from the famous case.
Five quick facts about Rebecca Zahau and Max Shacknai's deaths
1) Rebecca Zahau was found dead in an odd way
Two days after the accident that left Max Shacknai critically wounded, Rebecca was home with Jonah Shacknai's brother Adam. That was the same day that Rebecca's teenage sister left.
The morning after Rebecca's sister left, Rebecca was found hanging at the Spreckels Mansion in Coronado, California. A report stated:
"Rebecca was nude, her hands and feet were bound with red rope...There was also red rope tied around her neck and a blue cloth tied around her neck."
Adam Shacknai found her hanging.
2) There was an ominous message at the door that drew suspicion
Apart from the fact that her hands and legs were bound, there was also a suspicious message on one of the mansion's doors. It read:
"She saved him. Can he save her?"
This led her family to question the authenticity of the suicide claim.
3) Max's death also aroused the suspicion of medical examiners
Though Max's death was ruled out as an accident, with claims that the child tripped over a toy or a bike, medical examiners allegedly did not share this view. A trauma doctor who examined the child before his death and autopsy claimed that his injuries were inconsistent with someone who fell from the stairs.
Reports may have also suggested prior strangulation in the 6-year-old's death.
4) Members of Zahau's family disputed the claim of suicide and took Adam to the civil court
Zahau's family sued Adam Shacknai for $10 million for wrongful death. The jury found Shacknai guilty and awarded her family a $5 million judgment for loss of love and companionship. However, Adam Shacknai later appealed the judgment with the defense, resulting in a settlement worth $600,000.
5) Rebecca Zahau was an unpredictable person
Rebecca Zahau was a very complicated person, resulting in the case becoming more unpredictable than one would like. This is one of the things that Caitlin Rother explores in her book about the case. Rother said:
"The person she showed to Jonah was very different I think than the person she showed to her family, so he was actually surprised by some of the information I told him that other people had said. We count it as a learning experience for both of us."
Max's death is still ruled out as an accident.
