Ep. 075 - 076 Rebecca Zahau
Rebecca Zahau was found dead on July 13, 2011, at the Spreckels Mansion in Coronado, California. She was discovered hanging, bound and gagged, in what authorities ruled as a suicide, but many - including her family - have long believed the circumstances suggested foul play, sparking years of controversy, lawsuits, and public debate about whether she truly took her own life or was murdered.
SOURCES:
ABC News. (2011, September 5). Rebecca Zahau autopsy reveals startling details. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/rebecca-zahau-autopsy-reveals-startling-details/story?id=14442013
Another Mark’s Skewed View. (2013, August). The death of Rebecca Zahau – My theory. Mark’s Skewed View.
CBS 8. (2011, September 16). Family attorney releases 200 pages of Zahau’s phone records. CBS 8. https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/family-attorney-releases-200-pages-of-zahau-phone-records/509-5aa46e43-cb5b-4df3-bc13-9c3b1b7b50a2
CBS 8. (2011, September 16). Records reveal final cell phone calls to Rebecca Zahau. CBS 8. https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/records-reveal-final-cell-phone-calls-to-rebecca-zahau/509-cb9d0b4c-472b-4d45-b18b-f251b82b2ad8
Elder, S. (2018, April 4). The mysterious deaths that rocked a wealthy Southern California enclave. Town & Country. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a13795756/shaknai-deaths-mystery-coronado-california/
Gavin Fish. (n.d.). Rebecca Zahau. https://gavinfish.com/cases/rebecca-zahau/
Los Angeles Times. (2018, February 22). Japan’s shame culture may explain high suicide rates, experts say. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-japan-suicide-20180222-story.html
Media Assets 10News. (2012, October 6). Rebecca Zahau crime scene photo. https://mediaassets.10news.com/photo/2012/10/06/Rebecca-Zahau-Scene-14-29063532_220381_ver1.0_640_480.jpg
Oxygen. (2019, June 1). Were Rebecca Zahau’s last text messages suicidal? Oxygen. https://www.oxygen.com/death-at-the-mansion-rebecca-zahau/crime-time/were-rebecca-zahau-s-last-text-messages-suicidal
Pelisek, C. (2024, November 23). A boy and his dad’s girlfriend were found dead at Calif. mansion days apart. Was her death a suicide or murder? People. https://people.com/rebecca-zahau-california-mansion-mysterious-death-murder-suicide-8750428
Pruitt, S. L. (2019, May 21). Who was Rebecca Zahau? A look at the Burmese immigrant’s life before her mysterious death. Oxygen. https://www.oxygen.com/death-at-the-mansion-rebecca-zahau/crime-time/who-was-rebecca-zahau
Psychology Today. (2018, November). Asian shame. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minority-report/201811/asian-shame
Tron, G. (2019, May 28). How did Max Shacknai die in Rebecca Zahau case? Oxygen. https://www.oxygen.com/death-at-the-mansion-rebecca-zahau/crime-time/tragic-accident-max-shacknai
Vigil, J. (2011, September 1). Update: Family rejects suicide as cause of Zahau’s death at mansion. Patch (Coronado, CA). https://patch.com/california/coronado/family-rejects-mansion-suicide-finding
Websleuths. (n.d.). Rebecca’s cell phone records. Websleuths.com. https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/rebecca-zahau-cell-phone-records.147361/
Wikipedia. (2025, July). Death of Rebecca Zahau. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Rebecca_Zahau
YouTube. (n.d.). Rebecca Zahau case documentary. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THa8mMpMsbA
Oxygen. (n.d.). Evidence from the Rebecca Zahau scene that raises questions. Oxygen. https://www.oxygen.com/death-at-the-mansion-rebecca-zahau/crime-time/evidence-from-the-rebecca-zahau-scene-that-raises
Oxygen. (n.d.). The bondage evidence in the Rebecca Zahau case. Oxygen. https://www.oxygen.com/death-at-the-mansion-rebecca-zahau/crime-time/bondage--rebecca-zahau-case
Oxygen. (n.d.). Rebecca Zahau’s death and Asian honor suicide. Oxygen. https://www.oxygen.com/death-at-the-mansion-rebecca-zahau/crime-time/rebecca-zahau-death-asian-honor-suicide
