Family of Rebecca Zahau says she was murdered, files $10 million lawsuit

The family of a woman whose nude, bound body was found hanging at a California mansion has filed a $10 million lawsuit claiming she was murdered.

The suit was filed Friday in federal court by the family of 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau and seeks general and punitive damages. Zahau was found hanged at a Coronado mansion in July 2011. Her death was ruled a suicide.

Rebecca Zahau

Zahau’s family always believed her death was suspicious. The lawsuit claims Adam Shacknai and Dina Shacknai, the brother and ex-wife of Zahua’s boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai, and Dina Shacknai’s twin sister, Nina Romano, were responsible for the woman’s death. The filing of the lawsuit was first reported by U-T San Diego.

The lawsuit doesn’t provide any specific evidence against the three, but alleges “defendants planned and prepared to batter and murder Rebecca and did thereafter brutally, and with malice aforethought, stalk, attack, choke, bound and hang” Zahau at the mansion belonging to her billionaire boyfriend. Jonah Shacknai was not named in the lawsuit.

“Defendants intentionally, willfully, wantonly and maliciously threatened to cause immediate physical harm to Rebecca by threatening to stalk, attack, choke, gag, bound, and hang her at the premises,” the complaint said.