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Zahau family requests formal reclassification of 2011 mystery death

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host

Contributors: Harrison Patiño / Producer, KPBS Midday Edition

Published July 11, 2022 at 1:56 PM PDT

This story was published more than 2 years ago.

Keith Greer, the attorney for the family of Rebecca Zahau, addresses the media with Rebecca's sister Mary Zahau-Loehner by his side on Aug. 14, 2019.

The true-crime mystery of the 2011 death of Rebecca Zahau in Coronado took another turn late last week.

The Zahau family dropped its lawsuit requesting unreleased documents about the case from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.

Instead, family members say they are now preparing to formally request the Medical Examiner to reclassify the death of 32-year old Zahau from suicide to homicide or undetermined.

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Zahau’s nude, bound body was found hanging from a balcony of the Spreckels mansion in Coronado just days after an accident that claimed the life of her boyfriend’s 6-year-old son.

San Diego true crime writer Caitlin Rother is the author of the book "Death on Ocean Boulevard, Inside the Coronado Mansion Case."

She joined Midday Edition on Monday with the latest details of the case.

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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