Title: Death on Ocean Boulevard : Inside the Coronado Mansion Case
Author: Caitlin Rother
Publisher: Citadel Press
Release Date: April 27, 2021
Genre(s): Unsolved murder, hanging
Page Count: 368
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
The image of the Spreckels Mansion is an apt metaphor for this true crime story of death and terrifying loss. At first glance the historic mansion looks impressive, but inside there is mold on the bathtubs, the carpet is in need of replacement, the decor is somewhat dated - appearances can be deceiving.
On the surface, Rebecca Zahau was living the good life with her millionaire boyfriend Jonah and his teenage kids, as well as sweet adorable six-year-old Max. But on July 11, 2011, Max falls face-first from a second story staircase onto the floor below and is taken to the hospital in critical condition. Two days later, Rebecca is found dead .... nude, bound in red rope, hanging from an exterior balcony. Max dies of his injuries on July 16, 2011, having never regained consciousness.
What happened those summer days in Coronado have never been fully solved, despite a jury in a civil case finding Jonah's brother Adam responsible for Rebecca's death, and the San Diego Sheriff's department declaring Rebecca's death a suicide. And ... Max may have simply tripped and fell over the bannister, although a trauma doctor believes he was suffocated prior to his fall.
Caitlin Rother begins by sharing her husband's 1999 death by suicide, as well as some unsettling events from Rebecca's past which creates a framework of sorts for the larger mystery. As Dr. House would say, "everybody lies" and with that unsteady foundation in place, we move on to investigate the case.
Rother's narrative at times is a bit unclear and while she gives us brief sketches of the major players, at times I found myself trying to remember exactly who some of those players were. There is also a lot of repetition along the way. But then again, there are a lot of details about the case, most of which are still highly disputed. As Sheriff Gore stated: "Sometimes family members hear what they want to hear" or as Rother says:
"What comes out in a trial is not a single truth. Each side tries to win its case by presenting witnesses who offer conflicting interpretations of the same evidence [...]. I came away convinced that the whole truth had not come out - from either side."
Rother's book provides some new information and theories of the case and overall, I felt she did a good job of balancing all the various "truths" about what happened those summer days in 2011. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the case and anyone seeking to learn more about the inner workings of investigation and analysis. 4 stars.
I recieved an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
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