Mourners gather at site where Danielle's body was found
Posted on 03/01/2002 4:04:47 PM PST by FresnoDA
Mourners gather at site where Danielle's body was found
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 By Seth Hettena ASSOCIATED PRESS March 1, 2002
"The memory of her soul compelled me to come down here and say a last goodbye," Davis said Friday, cradling her 7-month-old daughter and wiping away tears. "To actually see the place where her innocent sweetness was lying under a tree." Davis, 26, added white flowers to a growing memorial of messages, bouquets, a pink teddy bear and a stuffed blue bunny that marks the place where authorities believe a neighbor dumped Danielle's body weeks ago. Dental records confirmed Thursday that remains found by a rural roadside 25 miles east of San Diego were those of the little girl, who vanished from her bedroom Feb. 2. The cause of death could not immediately be determined – and may never be – because of the body's state of decomposition, said Police Chief David Bejarano. Further tests were under way. Danielle's parents, Brenda and Damon van Dam, said the unflagging efforts of more than 2,500 volunteers who searched a vast area stretching from the ocean to the desert left them with "an overwhelming sense of gratitude and closure." "With love for an innocent child and for one another, the community has brought her back to us, and for that gift we offer our most sincere and heartfelt thanks," the van Dams said in a statement. "Even though the final outcome is horrible, we could not have imagined the rest of our lives without this closure." A memorial service is expected later this month. A neighbor, David Westerfield, 50, was charged Tuesday with murder, kidnapping and possession of child pornography. He has pleaded innocent and is being held without bond. Authorities said they found traces of Danielle's blood in Westerfield's motor home and on an article of his clothing. The self-employed engineer spent the weekend of Danielle's disappearance traveling in his motor home, stopping in the desert east of the city, authorities said. A hunch led volunteers to the area – the remote road was one Westerfield might have taken the weekend Danielle disappeared, said Bill Garcia, a private detective who coordinated searches. Nearby residents said they were unsettled by the discovery of Danielle's body so close to home. "It kind of sickens us," said Charles O'Neill, 28, who lives about a mile away. "We've been driving by this road every day for the past month and knowing she's that close is something we never would have imagined." |
A simple cross is fine, but these roadside shrines with signs, teddy bears, flowers, etc. are a distraction to safe driving.
http://video.uniontrib.com/news/metro/danielle/index.html
Yep !!!
Now let me zip up my asbestos suit here before I say the following.
Maybe the van Dams are completely innocent in Danielle's abduction and murder. Perhaps the lifestyle is nothing more than a very sad coincidence.
Maybe.....just maybe the loss of their child is not as devastating as it would be to more devoted parents.
We are judging by the limited view from the sidelines, but it seems like the kids may have not been priority one. As awful as it is, there are parents who would rather not be bothered and regret having had children.
I find it odd that no one checked on this child for all those hours. Parental instinct seems to be lacking. I checked on my kids if I got up to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It's just that protective part of motherhood.
Could it be that this loss is sad to them but not to the degree that some of us would feel it? It's an unkind thought but it is certainly possible.
Thank you Luis for your excellent summary.
That's one of the bests posts I've seen you post. That's all I was trying to point out.. Not to keep your view too narrow.. Thank you!
From an article that has been posted on this thread twice. Apparently LE think they know
Within hours of receiving a frantic 911 call from Danielle's parents the morning of Feb. 2, police knew the 7-year-old Sabre Springs girl did not wander off. Detectives determined she had been kidnapped after she had been put to bed, although they will not say what led them to conclude that so early. Immediately, they sealed off Danielle's pink and purple bedroom to preserve a critical crime scene.
I might add that here in the San Diego area, we are seeing much more of it than elsewhere.
Though we have argued much amongst ourselves, the bottom line is that we all feel such sadness for what has happened to this precious little girl. We want the truth to be revealed and the right person(s) punished.
Most of this conversation is born of frustration and a natural desire to know how this kind of thing can occur.
Yes --your post sums it up pretty well. The parents may be completely innocent and their lifestyle was just a coincidence unless they did in fact invite the killer into their home. It's possible he wasn't one of the invited and just took advantage of knowing about the parties in the garage. The Van Dams might really have cared a lot about their daughter but care a lot about their appearance in front of cameras too. They are different than most people for sure.
Nerves, stage fright, I'd be shaking in my shoes. In fact, I don't think I could do it.
Well stated. That's what many of us see that is puzzling and raises eyebrows.
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EL CAJON – Laura Davis said she felt drawn to the quiet patch of shade under an oak tree where searchers this week found the body of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam.