>> San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore says his office fans behind its original determination in the depth of 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau. He is open to reviewing any new evidence however. To we have met with lawyers for the Zahau family -- >> We have met with lawyers for the design how -- for the Zahau family. We are always open to more evidence and information that the Zahau family or their attorneys might have. We are trying to keep an open mind. It's a very difficult case, I think. Seven years ago San Diego officials ruled that the hanging death of Zahau was a suicide. Yesterday a San Diego civil jury said that Adams check now -- Adam shock night was responsible. There's a lot of speculation about what happened inside the Spreckles Mansion -- Spreckles Mansion. >> You have been covering the civil trial over the last six weeks. What was the scene like when it was wet the when the verdict was read out loud? >> I think it was expected given that seven years ago her death was ruled a suicide. Her sister Mary was there and she broke down in tears and was pretty tearful throughout the whole morning talking to the press as was her husband Doug who himself is a police investigator which is an interesting twist. Adam, the man who was held liable for her death, he didn't seem to have much reaction that I could see in the court room. It's my understanding that they plan to appeal the decision that came out today. >> A majority of the jury members answered yes to most of the questions they had to answer in the civil case. What were the relevant questions before the jury? >> It was a civil wrongful death suit basically. The jury found that he, Adam Shacknai caused a battery on Rebecca, but he basically touched her prior to her death and that touching is what caused her death. In doing so, the jury also awarded her family $5 million hundred $67,000 for past and future financial support that they lost from Rebecca dying. >> The younger, take us back to 2011. Zahau's death happened a couple of days after her boyfriend's son had fallen and later died. Talk more about some of the odd circumstances surrounding the crime scene and her death. >> Her body was found hanging from a second story balcony off the Spreckles Mansion. She was naked and her hands and legs were bound pretty tightly, tightly enough that there were bruises on her ankles. She was also gagged with a long sleeved T-shirt. Anyone looking at the case wondered how could someone really killed himself with those circumstances. That is really what has generated a lot of questioning about how the medical examiner and Sheriff's department and other agencies from San Diego, investigating her death, could come up with a ruling of suicide. >> Was there anything new revealed during this civil trial that we hadn't heard before. --? >> That wasn't necessarily new information. There was a competing term the interpretation of evidence that police collected. There were 29 experts and witnesses that testified. Many of them were law enforcement officials who investigated her death as well as experts called by both sides, experts who testified about the knots that were tied. Her family maintained that the type of knots used to bind her were not to call and Mr. Shacknai has a tugboat connection. They said that was a connection to him as well as experts that testified about handwriting. There was a very cryptic message scrawled on the bedroom door that said she saved him, can you save her. Many felt that was a comment on the six-year-olds fatal accident -- six-year-old's fatal accident a few days before. >> In regard to the curious death of Rebecca Zahau, her family doesn't think she committed suicide because of some personal reasons. Tell us about that. >> Her family has maintained, since her death in 2011, that she has a strong Christian faith, that she would never kill herself, that even when times got tough, she could fall back on her face. Sheriff's department a medical examiner suggested that she would have committed suicide or died by suicide because of some risk factors and would have been upset over the accident with Max a couple of days ago -- before that. >> Did motive, in this trial? >> That's interesting. The sheriff department another the cicadas of -- and other investigators said that if she died by suicide, which was there finding, the accidental death of Max would a contributing factor. That didn't, in trial. Both said she really saved the child and did everything she could to help him. Her family's attorney suggested that this was the oldest motive in the book which was six. They suggested it was a sexually motivated crime and that it was basically an encounter gone awry between Adam and Rebecca. >> Sheriff Bill Gore says he's willing to meet with the family and review any new evidence but he also said he hasn't seen nor heard any new evidence resulting from this trial. How strongly does law enforcement stand behind the original ruling of suicide? >> I would say pretty strongly. They do stand by the medical examiner's findings. It's become a touchtone issue for the Sheriff's election this year. Kennedy Dave Myers was on Twitter last night and said that if he's elected sheriff he will reopen the investigation. Seven years later this case really hasn't been resolved -- candidate Dave Myers was on Twitter last night and said that if he's elected sheriff he will reopen the investigation. Seven years later, this case really hasn't been resolved. >> I am speaking with the Anke Brunel. Thank you -- be Anke -- Bianca Bruno .
A San Diego jury Wednesday awarded more than $5 million in damages to the mother of a woman who authorities said committed suicide by hanging herself at a Coronado mansion in 2011, determining that the brother of her boyfriend was liable for her death.
Rebecca Zahau, 32, was found dead two days after her boyfriend Jonah Shacknai's 6-year-old son, Max, fell from a second-story landing at the Spreckels mansion. The boy died five days later.
Zahau's mother, Pari Zahau, and older sister, Mary Zahau-Loehner, rejected the suicide finding and filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2013 against Shacknai's brother, Adam, claiming the defendant confronted and battered Zahau the day after his nephew fell.
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The attorney for the plaintiffs, Keith Greer, alleged that Adam Shacknai delivered four blows to Zahau's head, rendering her partially or fully unconscious. Greer also claimed the defendant sexually assaulted Zahau, tied her hands and feet, put a noose around her neck and threw her body off a second-story balcony.
Greer said a phrase scrawled on a bedroom door with black paint that read "She saved him, can he save her," was written by Adam Shacknai.
After less than a day of deliberations, jurors found that the 54-year-old defendant touched and battered Zahau before her death with the intent of harming her.
Jurors awarded Pari Zahau more than $5 million for loss of comfort and companionship and loss of money that the victim would have given to support her mother.
Greer said a second phase of trial in which the jury would consider punitive damages might not be necessary.
The attorney called on the San Diego County Sheriff's Department to reopen its investigation into Zahau's death.
"We know that Rebecca did not commit suicide," Greer said outside court. "We knew right away."
A statement released late this afternoon by the department asserts that it "stands by the findings of the Medical Examiner's Office and our investigators."
"These findings were supported by forensic evidence and medical examinations," the statement said.
However, it adds that sheriff's officials "are always open to reviewing any evidence that could impact our conclusions" and are "willing to meet with the Zahau family to look at any new evidence that came out of the civil trial."
“We'll sit down and meet with him again and go over the evidence that he thinks proves that adam had some role in this. We’re trying to keep and open mind,” said Sheriff Bill Gore.
The Zahau family's attorney described those court proceedings as a way to get the truth in front of the public.
"It's not about money," he said. "It's never been about the money."
Zahau-Loehner told reporters she was in "shock" upon hearing the verdict.
RELATED: Zahau Family Expected To File Suit Against San Diego Sheriff’s Dept.
"For seven years, we had to fight to prove she didn't commit suicide," she said. "My sister was brutally murdered."
Zahau-Loehner said she is holding out hope that someday Adam Shacknai will be criminally charged in the case.
The defendant testified that he had nothing to do with Zahau's death. He said he was staying in the guest house at his brother's mansion the night of July 12, 2011, after traveling to San Diego from his home in Memphis to be with his brother after Max's accident.
Adam Shacknai said he emerged from his room early the next morning and saw Zahau's nude body hanging from the balcony. He said he called 911, cut Zahau down and tried to give her CPR, then called his brother to tell him his girlfriend was dead.
Jonah Shacknai — a pharmaceuticals tycoon from Arizona — testified during the six-week trial that it was "inconceivable" that his younger brother had anything to do with Zahau's death.
