Chapter 1: What led to the investigation of Violet Yacobi's death?
Welcome to Postmortem. I'm CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith filling in as host. And today we're discussing the death of 67-year-old Violet Yacobi. On October 10th, 2017, Violet was found dead in her Beverly Hills home. And responding officers initially suspected it might be a suicide.
But when the autopsy report determined she died from asphyxia due to neck compression or strangulation, her case turned into a homicide investigation. Joining me today is 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty, who reported on this case. It's always great to talk with you, Erin, and I'm excited to get your take on this.
Well, this is actually a case from your part of the country. And as you know well, there aren't a lot of murders in Beverly Hills.
Chapter 2: How did the 911 call reveal inconsistencies in Daniel's story?
The investigators assigned to this case actually had more experience investigating robberies and home invasions than homicides. But as it turned out, that experience gave them the skills they needed to crack this case. So it's a very interesting one.
I definitely want to dig into it. But first, a reminder to everyone, if you haven't watched or listened to this episode, Beverly Hills 911, go check it out now and then come back for our conversation. All right, let's get into it. On the evening of October 10th, 2017, Violet's son Daniel and daughter Dina arrived at their mother's home in Beverly Hills, California.
They discovered Violet on the floor of her entryway beneath a large curving staircase, and Daniel called 911. Let's take a listen to some portions of that 911 call.
Yeah, we're doing CPR.
Chapter 3: What evidence suggested Violet's death was a homicide?
You're doing CPR right now? Yeah. Do you need me to walk you through it, or does somebody know it? No, we're both doctors. You're both doctors? Okay. We have... Never mind. Okay, but you know CPR? Yes, we know CPR. How long ago did you, like, last see her?
Chapter 4: Why did investigators initially suspect suicide in Violet's case?
Like, how long has she been like that? Do you know?
No.
No, I have no... Okay, you're saying she's cold when you touch her? Yes. Okay. Our units are going there as fast as they can. Okay, hold on one second. Let me just get the paramedics going. Okay, thank you.
Chapter 5: What details about the Yacobi family were uncovered during the investigation?
Who's doing CPR? My sister. Your sister's doing CPR? Okay.
That was so good to start with that because this is really important. Because as you can hear, Daniel tells the operator that his sister was performing CPR. But then later that day, it's odd, he told detectives that he did CPR too. He said he did the compressions. Then when detectives talked to Dina, his sister, she said, no, she was the one who did CPR. And why does that matter?
Chapter 6: How did Daniel Yacobi's behavior raise suspicions?
Because to investigators, why from the very beginning is he changing his story? And they wondered if Daniel wanted to provide an explanation if in fact his DNA was found on his mother. On the other hand, Daniel was very willing to talk to detectives on the very day that they found Violet dead. And he told them why he and his sister had gone over.
According to Daniel, his uncle had called him that day asking if he had heard from his mother. His uncle said he hadn't heard from her all day, which Daniel and just about everybody else said was unusual. Daniel said then he called his sister Dina. And here's an important issue. He says they arrived at their mother's house at the very same time.
He said finding their mother was like a blur, which makes sense.
Chapter 7: What was the defense's argument regarding Violet's cause of death?
But he says he remembered doing CPR right away and then his sister doing CPR. What was interesting is, although first responders wondered if it was a suicide, Daniel actually told investigators that he saw bruising and maybe Violet had been strangled.
Wow. But initially, investigators believed Violet's death might have been a suicide. Why is that?
Well, Tracy, this is what is called an unattended death, that this widow is found alone on the floor of her home. When Beverly Hills Police Detective Mark Schwartz first got any information, he said he was told that Violet was depressed and maybe fell over the railing of the staircase. It was true that she had just marked the one-year anniversary of her husband's death. Her dog had died.
She had also canceled her cleaning lady.
Chapter 8: What was the outcome of Daniel Yacobi's trial?
All those things make you think that maybe she didn't want anyone to be around her on that day. And then there was another early thought. Violet was part of a close-knit Jewish community where suicide can be considered shameful and taboo. Detective Schwartz is also Jewish. So he brought up the possibility that Violet had taken her life and that her kids covered it up.
And as investigators dug deeper, what else did they learn about the Yacobi family?
Well, from the outside, the Yacobi family seemed to be very close, and they also appeared to be living the American dream. Violet lived in a multi-million dollar house in Beverly Hills, and Daniel was living nearby with his wife and new baby. Violet and her husband were immigrants. Her husband had been a successful doctor. Daniel also appeared to be very successful.
He pursued a medical profession as a dentist, and Dina worked in physical therapy.
You know, it sounds like they're living the American dream. Murders don't happen very often in Beverly Hills. So how did investigators begin to suspect foul play?
Well, Tracy, that's where that background in burglaries comes in, because These guys don't investigate a lot of homicides, but they do do burglaries. Detective George Elwell was one of the first detectives at the crime scene the night that Violet's body was found. And as he told us, he noticed dust still covered much of the staircase railing. And he didn't think,
that anything, including Violet, could have gone over the railing without disturbing that desk. Detective Elwell also said that when he looked down from the top of the railing, he couldn't see Violet's feet because they were under the staircase.
He said he wasn't an expert in physics, but he said he didn't believe that her body could end up under the staircase for a fall that she would have ended up further out. There was also no rope. or obvious weapon beside her, which is why Mark Schwartz wondered if she had taken her life if the kids had hidden it. And both detectives also felt that Daniel was acting peculiar when they met him.
Detective Schwartz said he had a nervous energy, that's how he described it, and seemed too eager to help with the investigation. But we still should note here, and I think you know this too, Tracy, that it's really hard to judge Daniel's behavior
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