In taped interrogation, Westerfield tells police 'my life is over'

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | January 7, 2003

[TomB]

In a videotaped interrogation with San Diego police detectives four days after Danielle van Dam was kidnapped, an exhausted David Westerfield says "my life is over," seemingly coming close to an admission that he murdered his 7-year-old neighbor.

"As far as I'm concerned my life is over, the life that I had, the life that I was living is over," Westerfield says in the interrogation conducted the evening of Feb. 5, 2002. Danielle was last seen the night of Feb. 1.

"But you can't blame anyone but yourself, Dave," answers one of the police detectives.

"And I have no problem with that," Westerfield replies.

In the tapes released Tuesday, Westerfield admits "unusual" sexual encounters with his wife, denies anything improper about his alleged use of binoculars to watch neighbors and says the child pornography found on his computer was simply something he downloaded along with a lot of other pornographic images and that he had no sexual interest in children.

Superior Court Judge William Mudd agreed Monday to unseal the videotape along with hundreds of pages of transcripts, documents and recordings in the Westerfield case, as well as transcripts of police interrogations and court hearings conducted in secret.

Some of the material – audiotape and videotape of Westerfield being interrogated during the early stages of the investigation – was released Tuesday afternoon.

The remainder of the material, which ranges from transcripts of closed-door court hearings to motions regarding potential evidence, will be released Monday, Mudd ruled.

The ruling Monday came three days after Mudd sentenced the former design engineer to death for kidnapping and murdering 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, his neighbor in Sabre Springs.

Monday's court hearing came in response to a request by The San Diego Union-Tribune, which has been seeking access to the information for months. The San Diego-based 4th District Court of Appeal has ruled that Mudd must release the information.

The San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists made a donation to the legal costs.

Westerfield, who attended Monday's hearing, is scheduled to be moved within days to death row at San Quentin State Prison outside San Francisco.

During earlier court appearances, Westerfield was always dressed in civilian attire, but he appeared in court Monday in a green jail jumpsuit. He sat in a holding area so he couldn't be filmed by a television camera.

[UCANSEE2]

I'm not the one who debated in high school.

Yes. I apologize. It was Kim and Cync. My mistake.

[UCANSEE2]

You haven't answered any of the mentioned questions either.

And apparently, you took a comment by a poster and tried to pass it as what was in the original article.

Isn't that the truth?

[UCANSEE2]

I will say that after a multitude of questions by myself and other posters, you did mention that IT (the idea that the jury acquitted for Christmas) was a post by someone. You did not ever come back and say it was not part of the original news article or really clarify, even though asked repeatedly.

Do you see why I question what you say? When you (most likely UNINTENTIONALLY) mislead us?

And remember, As a person, and fellow FR poster I give you my respect. I attack the things you say, and do not want you to believe I am attacking you. When what I say comes off as attacking you as a person, I am sorry. That is my fault.

[EllaMinnow]

In my original post, I stated someone else's post as a fact. I later stated that that was how I remembered it from a thread.

That person works with the victim's brother.

I seem to recall something was taken as gospel truth by pro-Westies because "Someone who works with Damon" said it. Remember, cyn?

[UCANSEE2]

As you may be busy with dinner, family, and I want to go home, I will say Good evening and God Bless all of us here on FR.

Please, Red, don't back down from your stance on this case or let me keep you from responding in any way. You have a right to your thoughts, your opinions, and no one can tell us those are right or wrong.

I will do my best to make sure when I post, that the difference between those things, and facts of the case are very clear.

Good night everyone!

[EllaMinnow]

Why would you be more likely to believe it true if it came from the MEDIA?

You consistently bash me for posting MEDIA articles and listening to the radio.

[UCANSEE2]

ONE LAST THING.

brainteasers FOR THOSE THAT KNOW ALL

Which planet doesn't have rings around it, SATURN or URANUS ?

Which of these people helped frame and write the CONSTITUTION of the US ? Thomas Jefferson, or Charles Manson?

[EllaMinnow]

To: Valpal1

David Westerfield is SCUM. Sleazy, vile scum.


557 posted on 01/11/2003 11:42 AM EST by Jaded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 552 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

[EllaMinnow]

Main Entry: vile Pronunciation: 'vI(&)l Function: adjective Inflected Form(s): vil·er /'vI-l&r/; vil·est /-l&st/ Etymology: Middle English, from Old French vil, from Latin vilis Date: 14th century 1 a : morally despicable or abhorrent b : physically repulsive : FOUL 2 : of little worth or account : COMMON; also : MEAN 3 : tending to degrade 4 : disgustingly or utterly bad : OBNOXIOUS, CONTEMPTIBLE synonym see BASE - vile·ly /'vI(&)l-lE/ adverb - vile·ness noun

[EllaMinnow]

Main Entry: 1scum
Pronunciation: 'sk&m
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle Dutch schum; akin to Old High German scum foam
Date: 14th century
1 a : extraneous matter or impurities risen to or formed on the surface of a liquid often as a foul filmy covering b : the scoria of metals in a molten state : DROSS c : a slimy film on a solid or gelatinous object
2 a : REFUSE b : a low, vile, or worthless person or group of people
- scum·my /

[cyncooper]

I seem to recall something was taken as gospel truth by pro-Westies because "Someone who works with Damon" said it. Remember, cyn?

Yes, I remember. Even that story about the dog "hitting" on the neighbor's house was dragged up again today. Never mind that the dog's reaction in DW's garage was used to get a search warrant (all part of the record and not deemed illegal or inapproriate, but in fact, compelling,) is ignored, buttressing your earlier point about irrelevancies given ascendancy over pertinant details.

[Jaded]

You missed the point. As usual.

[Rheo]

Ott's notes even stated that the dog did NOT hit at DW's...and there were several items in the affidavit for warrant that were false.

[I. Ben Hurt]

Thanks UCANSEE2 for your posts and some of them do cause me to grin. I'm thinking your planet question may be a trick one, so I'll pass but will tell you that on clear nights we see the Space Station very well here in SE Kansas. Amazing.

I'm thinking I probably wouldn't like DW much but I'm still not convinced there was enough credible evidence to convict him of murder. I'm hoping there's enough in the just unsealed info about his treatment to get him a new trial.

One thing for sure if you, Redlipstick, cyncooper, BARLF, C_W Conservative and Jaded were ever on the SAME side, there would be no stopping you.

Thanks again. Good night.

[cyncooper]

Ott's notes even stated that the dog did NOT hit at DW's...L

I didn't say the dog "hit", I said the dog's reaction--and that was true and was used in the search warrant affidavit. They took pains to say the handler said he couldn't call the reaction a "hit", but it was a reaction of interest.

The dog also reacted (not hit) upstairs, but I don't recall seeing that in the affidavit.

[BARLF]

Dave McNally, 36, had just bought the house between the van Dams and the neighbor who has been questioned repeatedly by police Jan. 31. McNally met the van Dams the next afternoon, hours before the second-grader disappeared.

"They came over to the house, brought Danielle with them, sold us Girl Scout cookies," McNally said Saturday. "The next day, he (Damon van Dam) came running over here, asked us to check our house, because she's known to sleepwalk."

McNally, who hadn't moved into the house yet, said that they didn't find the missing second-grader at that time. Since then, police have searched his home as well as others. McNally's lawn is crushed where the mass of media have stood on it while the van Dams made brief

From an article, (I believe NC.) Confirms Rheo's memory served her well(above).

We know PDvD was out on Sat. AM Feb.2 asking neighbors if they had seen Danielle. The McNally's lived just across the street from DW. Why did PDvD not run the few extra steps to DW's house or MH and ask DW if he had seen Danielle? Ask to look in the pool,the MH, the house? This will always seem strange to me.

[Rheo]

And to me too...plus Brenda had his card..could have called him.

[BARLF]

You stated long ago on these threads that you don't have much faith in the "dog science", a tool but not one you would take seriously.(paraphrased of course)

Have you now a changed mind on that subject?

BTW, as I have stated many times: If the dogs had hit anywhere the police wanted them to hit it would have been used by Dusek in the trial. They didn't ,he didn't.

[BARLF]

Rheo I read where there were 5 affidavids used to support search warrants during the investigation of DW. These affidavids were released at the S.D. Courthouse.

Have you read all 5 ?

[BARLF]

HEY! Nice to see you. Are you getting any of Kim & UCANSEE2' snow tonight/today? It is susposed to get us by morning. I hate snow

Good night my friend.