How did a wealthy widow wind up dead below a staircase in her mansion?

When Beverly Hills Police Detective Mark Schwartz was called to investigate the unattended death of 67-year-old widow Violet Yacobi, he initially considered it a possible suicide due to reports of her depression and recent personal losses. Violet was found by her children at the base of a staircase, and early suspicions pointed to a fall. However, Detective George Elwell, upon examining the scene, doubted this theory. He noted that the dust on the staircase railing was undisturbed, suggesting Violet had not fallen over it. This observation led the detectives to seek a search warrant, as they found the circumstances increasingly suspicious. The case highlights the importance of thorough investigation in determining the true nature of such incidents. QUESTION: How might the initial assumptions about Violet Yacobi’s death have changed the investigation if Detective Elwell had not noticed the undisturbed dust on the railing?