Crime & Safety

Few New Details in Deaths at Spreckels Mansion

Police say it could be weeks before the cause of death for Max Shacknai is released, while detectives look into the history of the victim and witnesses in Rebecca Zahau's death.

Investigators continue to release little information as they appear to be settling in for the long haul in the cases of the two deaths on the Spreckels mansion property.

Rebecca Zahau, 32, was found nude and bound July 13 by homeowner Jonah Shacknai's brother Adam, who said he spotted her hanging from the oceanfront mansion's second-floor balcony.

Two days before Zahau's death, Jonah Shacknai's son Max, 6, fell down a staircase in the residence. His parents announced his death Sunday.

Coronado police said Tuesday that it will be a couple of weeks before they receive a complete report from the Medical Examiner's Office on what killed the child.

“Unfortunately we just are not going to have anything for a while,” said Lea Corbin, a department spokeswoman.

Police are looking into the boy's death, while a San Diego County Sheriff's Department homicide unit was called in to take over the Zahau case the morning of her death. They have yet to officially label her death a criminal matter or rule out suicide as the cause.

The squads are consulting regularly, said sheriff's Sgt. Roy Frank.

Arizona authorities reported Monday that Max's divorced parents, Jonah and Dina Shacknai, had a history of violent confrontations that required police intervention.

The one-time couple issued a statement saying the reports don't reflect “the totality” of the events or how they had worked through them.

Frank said detectives will be looking into those sorts of details as they sift through the backgrounds of any victim or witness linked to the deaths.

To this point, investigators have said that the deaths, despite the timing, are not linked. They have not named any suspects or persons of interest in the case and say they are treating Jonah, Dina and Adam Shacknai as witnesses.

Adam Shacknai was the only other person identified as being on the property when Zahau died. Zahau and her 13-year-old sister were present when the Shacknai boy fell.

“We would look into anybody's past history that could be associated with this event,” Frank said.


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