Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Psychological Projection in Language





When we speak, we give ourselves away.  

Statement Analysis is the study of the words in order to discern deception from truth. 

The training begins with the simple and it moves to the complex. Early on, it can appear rigid, as the new analyst learns to adhere to principle. 

Yet, human nature is not simple. Its complexities eventually arise in training and the well disciplined analyst may now ask,

"Why is the subject choosing this word?"

The answer, if there is one, will likely be found in one of two sources:

1. Within the statement itself. 
2. In the "greater context", which includes information outside the statement itself. 

This is where the analysis of deception detection is complete and now the analyst moves on to questions to pose to the statement. 

Some will not have answers. 

The experienced analysts accept this. The answers may be posed to the statement and to the case, but some may need to be posed in an interview. 


Bob Barr - Rep Congressman from Georgia, sponsor of a "defense of marriage" act years ago spoke about his proposal. We listen to his words and we ask why some are chosen (as unique) and repeated (as increased in importance).

"The flames of hedonism, the flames of narcissism, the flames of self-centered morality are licking at the very foundation of our society, the family unit." 

Note the use of "flame" is 3 times as important (sensitive to him) and that these "flames" are associated with a "morality" that is selfish ("self-centered") in the subject's words (lesser context).

We note the order:

(1) hedonism
(2) narcissism 
(3) self-centered

These are words that come into discussion when discussing politicians.  

What are these "flames" doing? 

"The flames of hedonism, the flames of narcissism, the flames of self-centered morality are licking at the very foundation of our society, the family unit." 

Analysts are trained to ask questions and to accept incomplete puzzles or mysteries when presented with such.

The Greater Context

The "Greater Context" is the surrounding events and the subject's own experiences, which are not found within the statement.

In cases of politicians, celebrities or anyone who lives a public life, the information outside the statement may give insight to the words chosen.

Why "licking"?

Short of asking him, perhaps the external information answers the question.

Barr was married three times; paid for his second wife's abortion. He failed to pay child support to the children of his first two wives and while married to his third wife, he was photographed licking whipped cream off of strippers at his election party.


If you wish to enroll in Deception Detection Training, our "Complete Statement Analysis Course" is done in your home, at your own pace and come with 12 months of e support. Do a bit of research into the course and then email hyattanalysis@gmail.com to enroll.




40 comments:

Anonymous said...

OT

CT man Charles Hapgood killed a Caribbean man he says tried to rob him.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-hapgood-american-killing-anguilla-resort-worker-kenny-mitchel-was-crazed-and-desperate/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/nyregion/gavin-hapgood-kenny-mitchel-anguilla.html

John Mc Gowan said...

OT:

I sent this to Peter, given his busy schedule he must not be able to get round to it so thought i would see what you guys think?

This case has recently resurfaced.

Is there more to Adam Shacknai’s frantic 911 call than meets the eye?

Setting. Then Call transcript

Setting:

The death of Rebecca Zahau is a case that’s still shrouded in mystery.

The 32-year-old Burmese immigrant’s life was cut tragically short on July 13, 2011. She was found dead, hands and wrists bound, rope around her neck, on the grounds of the California mansion, where she lived with her millionaire boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai. She died mere days after Shacknai's young son, Max, got into a serious accident while under her care, and soon died of his injuries. Jonah's brother, Adam Shacknai, told authorities that he woke up that morning and, after he spotted Zahau hanging from a rope, cut her down and had already begun chest compressions by the time he called 911.

There has never been any mention of anyone else being on the grounds that morning besides Adam Shacknai and Zahau, but a new look into Adam Shacknai’s 911 call may add interesting wrinkles to his story. Brad Murphree, a forensic audio engineer featured in Oxygen’s “Death at the Mansion: Rebecca Zahau,” examined the frantic call and uncovered that there may be more secrets lurking in the audio file than most listeners would notice at first, and the implications appear to contradict Adam Shacknai’s version of events.

Thanks to the science of “voice fingerprinting” — or the idea that everyone has a voice as unique as their physical fingerprint — Murphree was able to detect what appears to be the sound of a second person present during Shacknai’s 911 call.

In a portion of the audio that previously seemed too garbled to make out, Murphree claims that Adam Shacknai can be heard saying, “Hold her still.” Such a statement suggests that Shacknai may have been speaking to someone else in the room — and after Shacknai allegedly delivers the command, Murphree explained, the audio reveals that there was someone else there “having the communication back to him.”

“It’s too low to make out exactly what he’s saying over the phone call,” Murphree said, explaining that the alleged second party is too far away from the phone’s microphone for their words to be understood. But the evidence of another person’s “voice fingerprint” on the spectrogram, or visual representation of sound, indicates the presence of “some other person in the room,” he contends.

Murphree also suggests that Shacknai can be heard rifling around in a kitchen area, possibly getting a knife to cut down Zahau with, something that Shacknai told 911 dispatchers he had already done upon seeing Zahau for the first time. He later said during police questioning that he could have called 911 either before or after finding her body.

For more details on the audio, tune into episode 3 of "Death at the Mansion: Rebecca Zahau" Saturday, 6/5c.

Zahau’s death was ultimately ruled a suicide, with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department re-opening the investigation later but reaching the same conclusion again in December 2018.

Zahau’s family has long contested the idea that she committed suicide, and have accused Adam Shacknai of sexually assaulting Zahau and then murdering her. Shacknai has maintained his innocence and denied having killed her after Zahau’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him. A jury initially ruled that Shacknai was responsible, awarding Zahau’s mother millions in damages, and Shacknai appealed, San Diego ABC affiliate KGTVreports. Zahau’s family ultimately reached a settlement with Shacknai’s insurance company.

https://www.oxygen.com/death-at-the-mansion-rebecca-zahau/crime-time/adam-shacknai-911-call-rebecca-zahau-death

John Mc Gowan said...

911 Operator: 911 Emergency, what are you reporting?

Adam: Yeah, I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house, of uh, it's on Ocean Boulevard across from the hotel. Same place that you came and got the kid yesterday.

Operator: Ok sir, what is the address?

Adam: I’m not sure. Uh, 19, I mean the back house is 1928 something. Uh, I’m not sure. Let me call you back.

Operator: Ok. Sir? Is she still alive?

Adam: I don’t know.

Operator: Ok.

Background noise

Adam: Inaudible.

Background noise

Operator: Sir, you there?

Adam: Inaudible.

Operator: Yes sir?

Adam: Did you get the address?

Operator: No sir. I need the address.

Adam: Doing CPR right now. You came here yesterday to pick up a little boy.

Operator: Okay sir, I wasn't working yesterday. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Adam: Check your records.

Operator: Sir, I checked all of the records yesterday. I can't find anything on Ocean Boulevard. Can you tell me what the address is?

Adam: I'm looking. Just start sending them towards us, towards the hotel.

Operator: Ok. I understand that. I just need the exact address. I can’t help you until I have the address.

Adam: Inaudible.

Adam: 1043 Ocean Boulevard.

Operator: 1043 Ocean. Ok. Is she still alive?

Adam: I don’t think so.

Operator: Ok. Let me get some Fire Department -

Adam: Inaudible.

Operator: Sir. Hang on. Let me get the Fire Department on the phone to help you. Ok. Hang on just a minute.

Connects to Fire Department:

Adam: Aw, F--k. Come on.

Operator: Fire and Medical Emergency.

Operator: Coronado with a Transfer. Go ahead sir.

Adam: A lady just hung herself.

Operator: What’s the address?

Adam: 1043 Ocean Boulevard.

911 Operator: 1043 Ocean Boulevard.

Adam: Yeah.

Operator: Ok. What’s wrong?

Adam: She hung herself – I just woke up.

Operator: Is it a house?

Adam: It’s a house, yeah.

Operator: How old is she?

Adam: She's about 30

Operator: 30? Okay. When's the last time you saw her?

Adam: Last night.

Operator: Ok. Is she beyond help?

Adam: Inaudible, I’m doing, I’m compressing her chest right now.

Operator: Ok. Hold on.

Adam: Inaudible.

Operator: So - what’s - what’s your name?

Adam: Adam Shacknai.

Operator: Ok. I have help on the way. What’s your cell phone number? Is it (901) 485 ...

Adam: (901) 485..

Operator: Ok. Listen to me. Help is coming right now, ok. And PD, you’re on the way?

Operator: Yes we are.

Operator: Ok. And you’re right there with her. Did you cut her down?

Adam: Yes I did.

Operator: Ok. Just stay with me. End call

A couple of observations

Note although he knows her, he never says Rebecca Zahau or the more familiar, Rebecca, she is a none person.
Note the the frustration of the operator in the lack of facilitation of information.
Note the dropped pronoun regarding Rebecca allegedly hanging herself in the guest house.
Note the element of time re hanging herself (just).
Note the "The Kid / Little boy" is also nameless.
Note possible alibi placement.

John Mc Gowan said...

"Death at the Mansion: Rebecca Zahau"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efc7ddo8WvE&t=7s

BallBounces said...

The word "flames" is repeated as a rhetorical device. Does statement analysis take account of rhetorical patterns, rhythms in its analysis? "Flames licking" is an expression. Dancing might be a substitute word to convey the quick, lively motion of the flames, but licking is the go-to expression.

skidmoresy said...

John McGowan,

Re: Rebecca Zahau, not only does Adam Shacknai not name "the girl" or "the kid", he does not give them relationship with himself To him they are not "my brother's girlfriend" or "my nephew." That's some serious distancing. Why the distancing from his brother's son as well as the girlfriend? Did he have something to do with the boy's death?

John Mc Gowan said...

skidmoresy

Hi,

i agree

John Mc Gowan said...

Man Accused in Suspicious Hanging Death Testifies in Civil Trial

His denial

“I never did anything to Rebecca Zahau,” .

https://www.courthousenews.com/man-accused-in-suspicious-hanging-death-testifies-in-civil-trial/

John Mc Gowan said...

Adam: A lady just hung herself.

The word "just" can be used to compare, minimize or determine an approximate time.

Here it speaks of time. Eg, they "just" left the building, 5 / 10 / 20 mins ago. So, if we go by this, how did he know she "just" hung herself when rigor had set in in Rebecca's jaw when paramedics had arrived at 7am shortly after the call.

Rigor mortis starts at around 4–6 hours after death so she can not have "just" (time) hung herself, (in his words), in the time he found her, made the call and paramedics arriving. Otherwise there would be no rigor. So it would have had to happen well before he says "A lady just hung herself.
If he had said iv'e "just" "found" a lady hung and it was true, then this would be the correct usage of "just" in this instance, even if rigor had set in. There is a big difference between "a lady just hung herself and iv'e just found a lady hung. He is lying.

Alex said...

I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house

Move the comma to alter the statement. I got a girl hung, herself in the guest house

I got a girl hung, (Then he adds) "herself" in the guest house

Why take possession of hung girl by saying, I got a girl hung? Sounds sort of like, "I got a politician in trouble when I published a photo of him licking ice cream off of a stripper."

Tania Cadogan said...

off topic

Four teenagers have denied harassing two women in a homophobically-aggravated attack on a bus.

Melania Geymonat, 28, and partner Chris Hannigan were on a night bus in Camden, north London, on 30 May when they were allegedly targeted by the boys.

Two 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old allegedly demanded they kiss and perform sex acts when they discovered they were a couple, Highbury Corner Youth Court heard.

They will stand trial on 28 November.

All four are charged with using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm, or distress.

It was alleged the boys threw coins at the women, who were both taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries after the incident.

The 16-year-old boy, from Wandsworth, admitted stealing a handbag but denied handling her stolen mobile phone.

The 15-year-old, from Kensington and Chelsea, also denied handling a stolen bank card.

One of the 17-year-olds, both from Kensington and Chelsea, also denies a charge of possession of cannabis.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-49421076

Tania Cadogan said...

Suicides don't tie themselves up first before committing suicide, they just do it the way they want to go such as hanging etc.
Why would they do such a thing?
For one it makes it rather difficult to either get themselves up onto whatever thay are going to jump/fall from or rather difficult to do once they are in situ.
This smacks of homicide.

We have a motive.
We have opportunity
We have the means

Minerva said...

Could he be projecting
His fear
Oh hell
As well as projecting
Sexual innuendo?

Fern said...

(off topic) Have any of you read this story? It is SO SKETCHY and I immediately thought of Peter's blog when I read it.

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/08/18/us/child-predator-mistaken-identity-trnd/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F

Autumn said...

OT: Rebecca Zahau 911 call

(below is a copy-paste of my off topic comments under blogpost of May 28, 2019)

- the first sentence starts with "I got a girl hung herself". I think the bold words could be a subconscious confession. He doesn't say "I found a girl hung" or "a girl is hanging ..." but "I got a girl hung". "I got" may imply that he was involved in the process of hanging. He "got" it done.
- Why does he say "a girl". Wasn't she the girlfriend of his brother? Why not say that? It's as if he is distancing himself from her.
- He repeatedly says she hung herself. How would he know? The way she was hung was incredibly strange. Not at all an obvious suicide i.m.o.(on the contrary). He clearly feels a need to convince the listener that she hung herself. Why would that be important to him?
- He says "She hung herself - I just woke up". It's as if he is defending himself against the accusation of hanging her (as in: "I couldn't have done it, I just woke up, she did it herself.") However, nobody accused him of hanging her at that point. So why the need to defend himself? Does he feel guilty? The "I just woke up"-line is a variant of the "I was asleep" / "I was taking a nap"-phrase that popped up in various cases on this blog lately. Apparently that's his priority: to make the listener believe that he couldn't have done it, that she did it herself.
- He doesn't ask for help. Clearly that's not a priority to him.
- He is reluctant to give the address.
- Why does he refer to his nephew as "the kid", "a little boy"?
- "Doing CPR right now" -> he leaves out "I am". He doesn't commit to it. I don't believe he was doing CPR.

Darlene said...

I would like to take this class.

frommindtomatter said...

OT

Rebecca Zahau

[I got] a girl, [hung herself] in the guest house

“I got” – He takes possession of what follows, “a girl”. He is taking possession of a corpse which is something most people would not do. Look to what he does not say and we see that he will not say that he found her. If he is responsible for her death then to say he found her would be a lie as he would have been responsible for putting her there. So he is not lying and we should believe his words. He did not find her but he has got a girl.

Whatever you “got” you had to go get first, otherwise it would not be yours to take possession of. How did he get a girl?

We have the distancing language of “a girl”, he will not connect to her by giving her a proper introduction. It is not his brothers girlfriend, it is not Rebecca, it is “a girl”. Also it is interesting that he calls her a girl and not a woman, both would be distant but in his mind she is a girl. What is a girl in his personal dictionary?

“hung herself” – It is important for him that we know she did this to herself. Note he does not commit to his words by saying “she” hung herself. We must consider he may know different, that she did not hang herself and it is this which causes him to omit the pronoun from his language.

We expect an innocent person to be weak in their assertions. “It looks like they have hung them-self” is what I would expect from someone who has just discovered the scene. How can he be so sure she hung herself yet not commit to it by omitting the word “she” from his statement?

In his few words he speaks volumes.

Adrian.

John Mc Gowan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Willow said...

When a grown-up man calls an adult female a girl in this context it isn't to be understood as an endearing or humorous manner of speech.

Here, it is more like an inappropriate way to downplay, belittle the person from an angle of gender. To call the deceased a girl here is to emphasize the gender, to stay in the scope of gender while looking down on the deceased.

The gender was important for him to express, to tell the dispatcher. It was a woman, whom he chose not to respect by introducing her in proper terms. He needed to disparage her by calling her a "girl".
He specifically belittles a woman because of who she is, he looks down on her because of her gender that she was born in and cannot help but carry.

He could have eliminated gender by calling her a person, but he didn't.

Anonymous said...

Willow,

Does that also apply to race? When one calls a person a "black man" instead of using the man's known name; is that an indicator of racism?

Foolsfeedonfolly said...

As Tania Cadogan said above, suicides don't tie themselves up before hanging themselves. I'd like to add to that suicidal people intent on hanging themselves don't "go out" nude and bound either. Nor do they gag themselves because they have no intention of screaming for help. Why would she need a gag? So no one would hear her scream/cry out. Who might possibly hear her? Rebecca and Adam were the only two people on the estate and they both knew it. Nor do they wind a gag on the outside of the noose, after the noose is already around their neck. The purpose of a gag is to silence. The noose itself would silence the person, cutting off airflow and potentially snapping the neck. The order of those two items is wrong. Nor do a suicidal person bent on hanging themselves show off their knot-tying knowledge and expertise with behind the hands knot tying skills. Nor do they bind their feet. Why would they need to, if they're voluntarily jumping off something feet first? It's not like they're planning to catch themselves with their feet. Nor do they hang themselves in a fairly obvious, easily visible place (generally speaking). If Rebecca Zahua was following the atonement principle (my life, for Max's life), she had no need to be nude (and I would expect her to have jumped and hung herself from the staircase where Max's fatal injuries occurred).

John McGowan above had an excellent point on the time frame of using "just" as a time marker (the hanging being reported to 911 in the context of it just happened-currently). The state of the body was incompatible with Adam's statement to 911.

LOCATION

Adam repeats to the 911 dispatcher that:
"I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house." (Note:location)
"A lady just hung herself." (Note: location missing)
"She hung herself- I just woke up." (Note: location missing)
- Operator: "Is it a house?
-Adam: "It's a house, yeah." (Note: While the 911 dispatcher is likely trying to determine if this is a house as opposed to an apartment building, the location is no longer "the guest house"). The Shacknai estate has both a physical main house and a guest house, so which one is Adam calling from?

The location matters because "Shacknai, a tugboat pilot from Memphis, Tennessee, was staying in the mansion's guest house after arriving in California following his nephew's injury."

According to Dina Shacknai (Jonah Shacknai's ex-wife)"Adam agreed to sleep in the guesthouse."

Then, according to his [Adam Shacknai's] deposition, he [Adam] wished her[Rebecca Zahua] good night, called his girlfriend, took an Ambien, and went to sleep around 8 p.m.". Early the next morning he decided to get some coffee in the main house. But when he walked toward the mansion he saw Rebecca’s naked body hanging by a red rope from a second-story balcony.
------------------------------
Remember, Adam told the 911 Dispatcher: "I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house."

But Rebecca was found outside the main house.

I think whatever happened, happened (or began) in the guest house in Adam's verbalized perception of reality...and Adam places himself in the guest house, with only he and Rebecca Zahua on the mansion grounds.

Foolsfeedonfolly said...

Something else...

The first thing Adam tells the 911 Dispatcher after "Yeah. I got a girl..." is "she hung herself." When he's transferred to the Fire and Medical Operator, the first thing he says is "A lady just hung herself." When the Fire and Medical Operator asks, "Ok, what's wrong?", Adam responds with, "She hung herself-I just woke up."

Priority: establishing that a girl/a lady/she hung herself
-Injured person has no name.

-He does not ask for help for either her or himself.

-He does not verbalize any urgency, yet he came upon a girl/a lady/ she hanging.-Verbally, the injured still hanging.

-He stalls with the address, saying "Uh, I'm not sure. Let me call you back".- Delaying help. He's on a cell phone that can be triangulated and he wants the Operator to believe that he doesn't even know the street name. He's a tug boat captain, someone who's profession is very dependent on directions, location, destination.

-He repeatedly stalls with the address.

-He tells the 911 Dispatcher he's "Doing CPR right now."-Dropped pronoun and he hasn't told to the Dispatcher that she's injured, much less in need of CPR.- Need to be seen as being helpful.

-Still stalling over the address, when the Dispatcher asks, "Can you tell me what the address is?", he responds, "I'm looking..." (Who stops CPR on a person who's hung themselves to look for an address?)

*** At this point, the 911 Dispatcher's insistence on the address seems to be almost designed to see if it provokes any urgency from the caller for the injured person.

-He seemingly expresses anger/annoyance that he's being transferred to Fire and Medical, but no verbalized urgency for the injured person.

-When the Fire and Medical Operator asks, "Ok. Is she beyond help?", he responds, "[inaudible] I'm doing. I'm compressing her chest right now."- This is a yes or no question, even an opinion question ("I don't think she's breathing/She doesn't seem to be breathing/I think she's dead/etc.). Remember, he's already said he's "doing CPR" and "compressing her chest". He should be able to tell if her chest is moving or she is breathing. As a tug boat captain, it's highly likely he's CPR/First Aid certified (OSHA regulations).

-He does not offer/relay any details of her physical condition, injuries, or even her location outside of where she "hung herself", "Doing CPR.", and "I'm compressing her chest right now."

-The Fire and Medical Operator is forced to actually ask if he cut her down. It's impossible to do CPR or chest compressions on someone who's hanging from a balcony. He never verbalized cutting her down.

-He never verbalizes/evidences the strong emotional response to the trauma of finding someone hanging, any concern for potentially injuring the person in the cutting down process or concern for the injured at all.- He has no need to be concerned. Adrenaline in an actual emergency demands urgency.

**Bonus information: He responds that he cut her down, was "doing CPR", and compressing her [nude] chest, but he verbally didn't untie her hands first? Also, the autopsy did not find his fingerprints on her body. How did he manage that?

Foolsfeedonfolly said...

Could it be that Adam Shacknai "I got a girl, hung herself" and "she hung herself" because he was there, forcing her to hang herself? I'm wondering if that would explain the glaring lack of his DNA on her body.

He responded to, "Did you cut her down?" with "Yes, I did." The lack of his DNA on her body suggests that if he did indeed cut her down, he made no effort to catch her as she was falling. Why? I would expect a person to instinctively react to break the person's fall and at the very least be concerned about injuring them further-unless maybe you were worried about either contaminating a crime scene or you didn't want your DNA found on the person. But if you were cutting them down, trying to save them (implied), I expect you'd tell the Dispatcher that you did that and you'd tell the first responder on the scene. It would be a given/expected that your fingerprints would be on the person.

Foolsfeedonfolly said...

And then there's this:

On the inconclusive police polygraph, Adam was asked and responded "no" to:
-"Did you yourself do anything to her that resulted in her death?" (Terrible question-too broad)
-"Were you in the guest room that she was found hanging from at any time during the night?"

**If he forced her to hang herself, he could technically answer no to the first question. What is his definition of "do anything to her" versus something specific he may have done to her? A better question/follow-up question might have been, "Did you force her to do anything?"

**The second question hinges on the technicality "at any time during the night". Technically,"any time" leaves room for a liar to slip through, if he was there at a specific time. What is Adam's definition of "night" versus "early morning"/"morning"? Maybe a better set of questions would have been: Were you in that room that evening? That night? Early the next morning? The next morning?

WHAT ELSE ADAM SAID:

“Funny, when I watch legal proceedings, it’s almost like a bedrock thing, ‘Hey, you can’t make someone prove a negative,” Shacknai said. “But this is 100 percent, there is no circumstantial evidence other than me being in that house and finding her.”

“If you value evidence, we made a good case,” he continued. “If you don’t value evidence, I guess we failed.”

“A lot worse things have happened to a lot better people, so this is nothing to me. I’m disappointed, but I got plenty of fight in me.”

"I'm standing tall," he said. "I'm not afraid of these posers."
----------------------------------------------------------------
Adam Shacknai was being accused of murder and did not say "I did not kill Rebecca Zahua.", "I did nothing to her.", or "I was not there when she hung herself."

Instead, he repeatedly references the evidence, knowing there's a pronounced lack of his DNA on her or the crime scene...even though he repeatedly said he did CPR and performed chest compressions [on her naked body] (911 Dispatcher, Fire and Medical Operator, the police).

Side Note: If she had "just hung herself" as he reported to the Fire and Medical Emergency Operator, rigor would not have had time to set in and she would have had fresh bruising visible on her chest from those compressions when EMS and LE responded. His failure to verbalize that he untied her hands (the details are out of order)would have meant he would have created marked bruising by pressing on her chest with her hands behind her and her shoulder blades off the ground.

I don't think he was using "A lady just hung herself" in a time frame context. I think he was using it in a deflective context. In the greater context of the conversation, he's been distancing himself from her since the second through fifth words of the call. Rebecca is a "a girl", "a lady", and "she"-anything to keep from having to say her name or how he knows her (even though it's his brother's live-in girlfriend, he and his brother are admittedly close, and Adam had dinner with Jonah and her the night before and would have definitely known her name). But he gives it away with both the continual change in language, and saying "A lady..." instead of "Some lady...". He's trying to imply that some lady he doesn't know, just decided to up and hang herself at his brother's house/guest house (as if she had no reason to hang herself). If he didn't know her, how would he know she "just" hung herself? He's trying to sound incredulous and not realizing that he sounds incredulous (def. not disposed to admit the truth to what's related).

John Mc Gowan said...

Burma
Verified Brother-In-Law of Rebecca Zahau (Websleuths)

I would like to add that Adam stated I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house. Now if your not familiar with the house there actually three separate residences on the property. There is the main house in the front that is L shaped. In the back above the garage is the caretaker quarters then then the right is the guest house. Adam stated IN THE GUEST HOUSE however when LE arrived Rebecca was outside in the courtyard with a rope hanging from the main house balcony. Adam verbalized a different location than where Rebecca was found, and he was the only person to say she was suspended. There is no other evidence that she was actually suspended other that what Adam said. SDSD assumed the crime scene was in the courtyard and the room where the roped was tied. They really did not process the guesthouse where the suspect told them to look, they failed to conduct a proper investigation. After using all the resources they did it was still horrible.
Like I said in a early post, over 20,000kb of data was deleted/removed from her phone, 2 calls to her voicemail after she was murdered and while her phone was in evidence.
Burma,

Autumn said...

One of the weirdest things about the 911 call is that Adam Shacknai doesn’t mention his brother AT ALL. I would expect his first reaction to be: “OMG my poor brother has just lost his son and now also his girlfriend of many years”. I would expect his heart to overflow with empathy and sadness for his brother and for those feelings to be reflected in the 911 call. Instead, Adam seems to meticulously avoid mentioning his brother. It’s not his brother’s boy, it’s not his brother’s girl, it’s not even his brother’s house. Instead it’s as if he appropriates his brother’s girlfriend (“I got a girl”) and house (“the guest house“ = house of the guest = Adam’s house). As soon as in the first sentence of the 911 call. Therefore, if Adam murdered Rebecca, I’m not sure that the motive was (what happened to) Max. Maybe the fact that he leaves his brother Jonah completely out of the picture means that he was deep down jealous of his brother and wanted to take his place (or wanted to cause him pain)? Did he want to stage a chain of suicides (Rebecca, Jonah) and inherit his brother’s houses and fortune?

Another interesting aspect of this case is the message painted on the door of the room leading to the balcony below where Rebecca’s body was found: "SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER". The fact that it is in 3rd person also points to murder i.m.o. Who is "you”? Is it God? Is it her husband? I think the message has a very nasty and mocking undertone. Whoever killed Rebecca knew that “you” couldn’t save her life.

Maddie said...

This happened in my area. Sketchy as he ll. All of it.

Maddie said...

Can you do a short analysis of the Arizona woman who left her infant in the hot car? I don’t hear any remorse or responsibility from her, only irritation she’s being questioned.

C5H11ONO said...

Somewhat off topic, although the rule of "if you didn't say, we don't say it for you may apply here. Below is statement of Anne McCaine, astronaut accused of first space crime. "There’s unequivocally no truth to these claims. We’ve been going through a painful, personal separation that’s now unfortunately in the media. I appreciate the outpouring of support and will reserve comment until after the investigation. I have total confidence in the IG process."

John Mc Gowan said...

Re Rebecca Zahau OT

The Seven Major Mistakes in Suicide Investigation:

Caveat: Contains 3 graphic photographs of a hanging disguised as suicide.

Introduction:

There may very well be miscommunications, which result in serious errors that affect the outcome of the case due to the various responsibilities uniform officers, detectives, medical examiners to forensic experts, prosecutors as well as others in the process. This is especially true in the investigation of suicide.

Mistake#1 Assuming the Case is A Suicide Based on the Initial Report:

Explanation in link.

Mistake#2 Assuming “The Suicide Position” At the Crime Scene

Explanation in link.

Mistake#3 Not Handling “The Suicide” as a Homicide Investigation

Explanation in link.

Mistake#4 Failure to Conduct Victimology

Explanation in link.

Mistake#5 Failure to Apply the Three Basic Investigative Considerations To Establish if the Death is Suicidal in Nature

Mistake#6 Failure to Properly Document any Suicide Notes


Mistake#7 Failure to Take Each Factor to its Ultimate Conclusion

Explanation in link

Conclusion

http://www.practicalhomicide.com/Research/7mistakes.htm

Nadine Lumley said...

Flames.....


Makes me think of flaming as in homosexual gay men.

.

John Mc Gowan said...

Re Rebecca Zahau OT

Can an "Embedded Admission" stand up when someone is relaying what another person has said to them.?

I was watching a programme about the death of Rebecca, Marcia Clark Rebecca Zahau Part 1

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ii1we

Listen to what to Rebecca's sister says AS (Adam Shacknai) said to her @approx 24:30. Rebecca's sister wants to know what happened to her. So she spoke to AS on the phone and said "i need you to tell me exactly what happened?
He replied. "It's not a good idea i don't want to push somebody else over the edge"

So, although it's Rebeccas sister telling us what he (AS) said (and i guess them words would be imprinted on her brain) can this be considered an "Embedded Admission"? Or do we need to hear them words come from him in the free editing process?

Autumn said...

OT: anonymous NYT op-ed piece

Could general James Mattis have written the anonymous NYT op-ed piece of September 5, 2019? He has recently written a lengthy essay in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). I can´t access the essay but snippets thereof are published on https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mattis-swipes-at-trump-warns-of-storm-clouds-gathering-amid-fractured-alliances. See below. The tone and tenor of these snippets remind me of the anonymous NYT op-ed. Just like the anonymous op-ed writer, Mattis talks about Trump’s “divisiveness ”, “tribalism”, not respecting “allies” and being a danger to “democracy”. Just like the NYT writer, Mattis uses shipping terms like “looming” and “storm clouds gathering”. According to Peter’s analysis the NYT writer was likely humiliated by president Trump; in his essay Mattis writes that he resigned because Trump didn’t take his concerns seriously.

PART OF THE ABOVEMENTIONED FOX NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT MATTIS’ WSJ ESSAY:

”In the essay, Mattis suggested he left his post as secretary of defense amid concerns about “keeping faith with our allies,” warning that America “cannot go it alone.”

“Nations with allies thrive, and those without them wither. Alone, America cannot protect our people and our economy,” Mattis wrote. “At this time, we can see storm clouds gathering.”

He pointedly added: “A polemicist’s role is not sufficient for a leader. A leader must display strategic acumen that incorporates respect for those nations that have stood with us when trouble loomed.”

Mattis said he “did as well as I could, for as long as I could” as secretary of defense.

In one section, he essentially wrote that he resigned when he felt his concerns about those alliances were not being taken seriously.

When my concrete solutions and strategic advice, especially keeping faith with our allies, no longer resonated, it was time to resign, despite the limitless joy I felt serving alongside our troops in defense of our Constitution,” Mattis wrote.

Mattis went on to note his deepest concerns “as a military man,” noting they are “not our external adversaries; it is our internal divisiveness.”

We are dividing into hostile tribes cheering against each other, fueled by emotion and a mutual disdain that jeopardizes our future instead of rediscovering our common ground and finding solutions,”
he wrote. “All Americans need to recognize that our democracy is an experiment—and one that can be reversed. We all know that we’re better than our current politics.”

He added: Tribalism must not be allowed to destroy our experiment.”

Autumn said...

^^I mean September 5, 2018 of course :-)

Nic said...

Hi all, It's been a long while. Happy Labour Day!

Apropos to Peter's topic, following is what my estranged husband said to me when I first declined his marriage proposal 19 years ago:

"Nic, this, is a good guy!" He said smiling/convincingly, while "drawing" a frame around his head and shoulders with his hands, indicating a portrait of "a good guy".

Red flag parade! Need to persuade. Dropped pronoun. Distancing (understatement). Projection/frame of a good guy/what "a" (unknown) good guy "looks like” (2-dimensional copy).

This is not the first time I posted this on Peter's blog. The first time was probably six years ago (or maybe even longer?); but, the context was very different -- and my post went unchallenged. :0) Long story short, I couldn't see the forest for the trees, then, but I do now!

Nic said...

My ex had another saying: "You're safe.” 20/20 hindsight = Major red flag!

(Need to persuade!) Yet today I live with a video security system inside and outside my home. My kids are not allowed to own a key to my home because then he would have access to it and do like he did earlier this spring - access my home when I'm at work and beat my dog with a hammer. He managed to evade the video surveillance *inside*, which is why I had to step up security to the outside/approach. The reason I had video surveillance inside my home in the first place was because, aside from my GSD running away and cowering from me when I came home from work, (sudden negative association to a known/trusted member of her pack,) he was doing things only I would know. Like taking a dirty plate out of the dishwasher and slipping it in-between the clean ones in the cupboard, going into my recipe book in the pantry, which is sectioned and alphabetized, and "mixing up" a section, changing the settings on my washer so that everything was set on the hottest/longest cycle, going into my ensuite bathroom medicine cabinet and pouring out half the contents of, i.e., a brand-new bottle of mouth wash, tampering with the ceiling fan over my bed, so I had it ripped out and a new one installed, etc. Notice where he was and all things associated with his activities? Water/washing/dirty/doors/dark/light when accessing places, I suspected a whole lot of "ick" around the ceiling fan (nanny cam)/pictures! It makes me sick walking through his psyche. The police were very clear, had "the intruder who hurt my dog" been unknown, they would have gone for the brand-new TV which is 12 feet straight ahead of my front door, and two steps up, ergo they would have broken the beam/been captured on video). He dropped by (and stayed at the entry) the day before/Mother’s Day with the kids so noted my phone not “chiming”/the beam not breaking while they were at the door waiting for me.) Nothing of value was stolen except for the brand-new hammer, (!) anchors and multi-head screw driver I borrowed from our old place which were stored in a plastic shopping bag on the floor of the powder room which, is located by the front door. My GSD has mended physically,(cracked/chipped scapula,) but she has turned into a 70lb termite, gnawing the door/trim when I have to go to work/I am out. So I crate her now. The "upside" to what happened was that he slipped and revealed his true self [to the police]. My kids can hardly wrap their heads around him hurting the dog. Or that he would (did!) tamper with my car. (!) Cognitive dissonance is a b!tch! The police deemed the B&E a "domestic incident" but couldn't press charges because he evaded detection. They were however, clear that he is on their radar and they will not wait the half hour they usually wait if my alarm goes off.

I'm not a psychiatrist, but, IMO, based on my knowledge and experience of him, and what I have read about cluster B personalities, he's a psychopath/is a (altruistic) narcissist. Classification aside, imo, it's "safe" for me to say, he is not "a good guy" and I'm anything buy "safe" from him.

Foolsfeedonfolly said...

O/T- I have a few questions on language as it relates to Domestic Violence cases.

I understand the principle of personal pronouns and verbally taking possession of a family member is generally a positive thing, like in the context of a 911 call (introducing the injured as "my wife, Nancy, [stated injury with request for help for the injured]).

I understand the principle of "If a person tells you something, believe him."

So, what does personal pronoun usage sound like in an abuser's language? If the abuser comes from a family culture of violent language, does that factor in? I'm thinking that it's just being in someone's language at all is a huge red flag.

Context: I have a relative who comes from a seriously dysfunctional family-his parents had a terrible marriage (daily violent arguing with threats of divorce, both parties cursing, wife often demeaning husband, and husband often threatening physical violence-which he did not act upon). This relative has a history of anger issues, manipulation,and deception. While he was always close to his father, he did strike him several years ago during an argument.

This relative has been emotionally abusing his wife for many years and began escalating to threats of physical violence. His wife left and reluctantly filed a restraining order (she didn't want him to have a record), but allowed it to expire. He began anger management counseling and states he recently has become a Christian. In recounting "what happened", he minimized the escalating behavior, but freely admitted the anger management issues. He's repeatedly crossed the boundaries she's been establishing (via her counselor) and recently threatened her again. He volunteered in conversation that he had recently "lost his temper because he's frustrated at not seeing his children regularly" and threatened one of her relatives (with his children present) and later, her.

Relative's recent statement to me: "I need my wife back. I've changed and everybody who knows me can tell you. I need her to help me understand, to walk this out (growing as a Christian). I want to save our marriage. She won't even talk to me, take my calls, answer my texts. I can't get her to just sit down with me. I know our marriage can be saved."

In context with his past minimizing, I keep repeatedly "hearing" what HE needs... his needs seem to be his primary focus, not her needs or what her experience has been because of him. I'm concerned that in the context of his language, the "my wife" is possessive in a controlling abuser way. I didn't like "I need her to...". I'm concerned that he's trying to persuade family and friends (and ultimately his wife) that he's changed, but he hasn't actually done the work of changing. He seems to be majorly lacking self-awareness, as far as his children go (although he says he loves them). I'm also concerned because he indicated that he told his wife he would "fight for his children" (they've been unable to workout a custody arrangement). I believe him and am concerned for his wife's safety should she be awarded sole custody.

John Mc Gowan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John Mc Gowan said...

Hi, Nic

In part maybe he was trying to "Gaslight" you, re changing and moving things.

Anonymous said...

Foolsfeedonfolly,

Jeff Crippen is a pastor who has researched domestic violence and has a very different message than most. He sides with the victim, and explains why we should not expect change out of an abusive person. He is excellent, and he like a breath of fresh air to those of us who just once would like to see an abuser take responsibility. I would recommend his blog and sermons on sermon audio to anyone dealing with the issue of abuse!


https://unholycharade.com/