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Zahau Civil Trial: Mother testifies in wrongful death lawsuit

Testimony continued Thursday in a lawsuit connected to the death of a woman found hanging in a Coronado mansion nearly seven years ago.

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — Testimony continued Thursday in a lawsuit connected to the death of a woman found hanging in a Coronado mansion nearly seven years ago.

Rebecca Zahau's family is suing her boyfriend's brother - the only other person said to be at the home when she died.

Zahau was found naked and hanging from a second-story balcony of her millionaire boyfriend Jonah Shacknai's Coronado mansion in July 2011.

Officials ruled Zahau's death a suicide, but her family believes she was killed by Jonah's younger brother Adam Shacknai.

On Thursday, Rebecca Zahau's mother Pari Zahau took the stand and cried throughout her testimony.

During Wednesday's opening statements, an attorney for Zahau's family said Adam Shacknai hit Zahau over the head four times before binding her hands and feet, putting a noose around her neck and throwing her naked body off a second-story balcony.

An attorney for Adam Shacknai said no evidence supports the claim that Zahau was killed and four law enforcement agencies all agree Zahau's death was a suicide.

The first witness to testify following opening statements on Wednesday was Zahau's sister Mary Zahau-Loehner.

Zahau-Loehner and her mother are the two plaintiffs in the wrongful death lawsuit.

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