SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Two people whose deaths are connected to a Coronado mansion have been laid to rest. Thirty-two-year-old Rebecca Zahau was found naked and bound, hanging from a balcony at the home owned by her boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai. She was buried in Missouri on Saturday.
Funeral services were held last Wednesday for Shacknai's six-year-old son Max, who died after falling down a staircase.
Zahau's family released a statement to News 8, saying in part:
"There are no words in any dictionary or language to describe the full beauty, love, compassion, selflessness, generosity and kindness of Rebecca."
Zahau's family says "Rebecca was very intelligent and achieved anything she set her mind on. Rebecca valued her life and lived her life to its fullest."
Her Missouri-based sister Mary Zahau-Loehner described her as a devoted friend and athlete who was never afraid to take on new challenges.
"Rebecca lived a life in motion and was always full of energy. She focused on wellness in both body and spirit. She loved to take on the most challenging workout regiments such as hiking the Grand Canyon. One friend wanted to run a triathlon. Rebecca signed up for the triathlon even though she did not know how to swim. She then took swim lessons determined to support her friend," Zahau-Loehner said.
Two days before Zahau's death, Shacknai's six-year-old son Max died after falling down a staircase in the mansion, reportedly while in Zahau's care. A source close to the pharmaceutical tycoon's family confirms Max was laid to rest last Wednesday.
With investigations still pending in both cases and two families left grieving, Zahau's family says "Her legacy will continue to live in our hearts."
News 8 has obtained the death certificates for both Rebecca Zahau and Max Shacknai. Neither document reveals any new information on a cause of death.