The death of Max Shacknai, the child who died last year , should be labeled a homicide, not an accident, according to experts hired by his mother to look into the case.
Dina Shacknai retained the services of Dr. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist, who said “it would be more accurate to certify (the) manner (of death) as a homicide, where homicide is defined as death at the hands of another."
Shacknai issued a news release detailing the findings of the nine-month private investigation into her 6-year-old son's death Monday.
Her contentions echo those of Rebecca Zahau's family, who have long argued that the woman who died two days after Max's fall was a homicide victim. They have asked that the state re-open both cases.
Zahau, 32, was found nude and bound outside the mansion July 13. Detectives from the San Diego County Sheriffs Department . Max died July 16.
, Shacknai announced that she had questions about the case and requested a meeting with the Coronado Police Department, which investigated the boy's fall. At the time Angela Hallier, an attorney for Shacknai, said they only that Shacknai questioned the scenario put forth by the pollce department, but declined to elaborate.
In her Monday statement, representatives for Shacknai said officials from the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office were present at the meeting with Coronado police.
Her team also includes Dr. Robert T. Bove Jr., an engineer who studies “injury biomechanics.”
“An assault scenario is the only scenario that Dr. Bove and Dr. Melinek, in collaborative consultation, could identify that accounts for the multiple planes of injuries on Max's body and the scene findings,” Hallier said in the statement.
Dina Shacknai is the ex-wife of Spreckels owner Jonah Shacknai, an Arizona pharmaceuticals mogul. Zahau was Jonah Shacknai's girlfriend.
Coronado police have said that only Zahau and her adolescent sister were at the home when Max fell. Jonah Shacknai's brother found Zahau's body.
He was the only person on the property when she died, though Nina Romano, Dina Shacknai's twin sister, conducted an interview last year in which she admitted to being at the mansion late on July 12, hours before Zahau's body was discovered.
Where does it say they investigated the death of Rebecca Zahau as a homicide? They never classified the probe as a homicide investigation. http://coronado.patch.com/articles/all-eyes-have-turned-to-coronado
Someone in the house is a murderer and it was not dena or jonah as they were at the hospital with little Maxie continuously. Rebecca was murdered. Maxies was an accident. He was so cute how could anyone hurt him intentionally. What a joy what a doll. Very tragic for all involved as both Jonah and Rebecca were really kind people. Everyone spoke very well of them. But was the brother investigated. Hmm finds a body at 6 am and he doesn't work. What was he doing up and at thier house so early. The da and pd down there is really inadequate. A woman with a head injury cant kill herself. The way this occurred probably is not possible without a head injury. Anyway there is really no need to bad mouth Dina or Jonah or Rebecca. Ridiculous. If you just have to bad mouth people, badmouth the incompetant pd. down there. They should of taken Jonahs brother in and investigated him. Oh no they do not do that though to people who have money. The police are too scared the rich will turn on them. This was discrimination. If it would of been a poor person who found the body at 6 am then they would of been interigated at the pd for hours.
Speaking of the Zahau case, Gore please explain how the toxicology, DNA and footprints proved it was suicide? Where is the suicide note, history of depression, suicide ideology, or witness statements. Where is the proof that it could not have been 1.) premeditated and carried out by 2.) an educated person 3.) wearing gloves with 4.) time to stage? Those items are not a stretch as they all exists here and none were ruled out.