Spreckels Mansion Mystery: Jonah Shacknai's Girlfriend Was 'Shaken' By Events Before Death
An autopsy performed on Rebecca Nalepa, whose body was found nude, bound, and hanging from a historic Coronado mansion balcony, has been completed - but the results will not be released until the medical examiner performs further lab testing, Coronado Patch reports.
Nalepa, 32, was the girlfriend of Medecis Pharmaceuticals CEO Jonah Shacknai, who has not made any public commments since his brother discovered Rebecca's body on Wednesday.
Jonah's brother Adam told investigators he cut Nalepa down from the rope suspending her over a courtyard. She was naked, and both her ankles and wrists were bound.
Adam Shacknai lives in a guest house on the property.
This is a very bizarre death, there's no doubt about it, San Diego Sheriff's Capt. Tim Curran told reporters.
There are some very unique ways people can take their own lives, Curran added. If it was determined to be a suicide, people will do some very bizarre things.
Mary Zahau-Loehner spoke to ABC News about her sister Rebecca's state of mind before the gruesome discovery, saying that when the sisters spoke on Tuesday night, things with Rebecca did not seem out of the ordinary.
She was normal, fine, just getting ready to go to bed, Zahau-Loehner said.
On Monday, Jonah Shacknai's six year old son suffered serious injuries due to a fall.
The boy had fallen from stairs and was not breathing and did not have a pulse, Coronado Police Chief Louis Scanlon said Thursday. As of that day, the boy was in critical condition.
At this time, we have no information that would lead us to believe this is anything other than a tragic accident with the child, Scanlon added.
A San Diego kennel owner who spoke to Nalepa on Tuesday said the woman was shaken by the recent events at her home.
It is believed that Jonah Shacknai was not home during his son's injury nor when Rebecca's body was found.
There has been no explanation yet from the medical examiner's office about how Nalepa might have hung herself while her wrists and ankles were bound; nor has there been any information disclosed about the material used to bind them.
Land records show that Shacknai, 54, whose Scottsdale, Arizona-based company is maker of the acne treatment Solodyn and wrinkle-filler Restylane, purchased the 27-room landmark property known as the Spreckels Mansion in October 2010.
From 1977 to 1982, Shacknai served as chief aide to the House of Representatives committee with responsibility for health policy, and in other senior legislative positions.
He was also a member of the Commission on the Federal Drug Approval Process, and the National Council on Drugs.
On Thursday, Medicis had its sharpest decline in stock price since February.
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