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Anatomy Of A Murder: Westerfield vs. Van Dams (A Mother's Story)
San Diego Online ^ | June 27, 2002 | Kevin Cox

Posted on 06/27/2002 6:47:45 AM PDT by FresnoDA

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To: shezza
It was my understanding from an LE who works with a dog, that the scent would be "hitable" for up to two weeks in an enclosed area. Also the cadaver dogs are trained for something else. If the cadaver dog hit on the shovel, it is possible the shovel came in to contact with something dead in the sand for the dog to have "reacted", if that is infact what happened.
701 posted on 06/29/2002 8:48:11 AM PDT by Jaded
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To: Karson
I've heard much speculation that DW thought Brenda had a baby-sitter for the kids that night.

Just to clarify, it is not speculation. It is DW's statements to the media and to the police (see interview with Det. Redden, for example).

702 posted on 06/29/2002 9:51:48 AM PDT by cyncooper
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To: sbnsd
Do they want their 5 mins. of fame, too? If they knew anything, they should've come forward in February/March, not in June right before the prosecution rests.

To be fair, we don't know when these witnesses were found. The prosecution gets a rebuttal to the defense and it sounds like these witnesses would be to rebut any assertations presented by the defense.

(What's wrong with witnesses testifying when called by the prosecution? they could claim their "five minutes of fame" by coming forward on behalf of the defense. Unless they are testifying to "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...")

703 posted on 06/29/2002 10:01:18 AM PDT by cyncooper
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To: cyncooper
Just to clarify, I should have said there has been much speculation that DW would have been less hesitant to enter the VD house due to thinking Brenda had a baby sitter.


704 posted on 06/29/2002 2:02:01 PM PDT by Karson
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To: Karson
Thanks.
705 posted on 06/29/2002 2:25:48 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: Jaded
Hey, maybe you should work for his defense team....Seems to me, the blood on his clothes from that poor little girl...needs to be explained...

There is plenty of circumstancial evidence, the man is guilty as sin...Problem is, California has a real problem securing evidence...

How do you know he has NO HISTORY of child molestation? That evidence is usually suppressed...and you know it...

706 posted on 07/01/2002 6:43:05 AM PDT by KLT
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To: RnMomof7
That jacket is a big piece of evidence...not to mention his behavior on the days in question...I believe he's guilty...now if they can only prove it beyond a reasonable doubt....
707 posted on 07/01/2002 6:45:59 AM PDT by KLT
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To: KLT
Well, gee, I don't live in KA, and I have no burning desire to do so, earthquakes don't excite me. Besides, Team Feldman hasn't called and asked for my assistance. So I guess we both lose.

You know you would have thought that LE in Southern California would have learned something over the last 10 years, particularly those working for Pfingst, after his mis-steps, but no. Even Woody Clarke's experiences in LA County have not made an impression.

I do wonder if LE bothered to try to find out who belongs to the unidentifed prints in the VD house or the unidentified DNA that was on Danielle's blanket. No, musn't have that, it might raise more questions....

Have a nice day!!
708 posted on 07/01/2002 7:08:29 AM PDT by Jaded
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To: Rheo; Karson
In fact, it's noticable to me how little Brenda and Damon both talked about Danielle's activities on that last day and evening.

it's a good thing those pizza people were over or we wouldn't know if she actually disappeared at noon on Friday.

Herein lies the reason the stories of Brenda and Damon differ. Brenda takes off to go get 'pizza' (whatever that means). Damon comes home after work. Was Danielle there Friday evening ? Is everything a lie to cover this fact up ? Damon says pizza was from NOON, to cover for Brenda not really being gone to get pizza. The kids were left alone. Maybe Danielle took off then. The story of Brenda being in the shower when Barb/Denise arrive, then the story that Brenda/Danielle SURPRISED Barb by jumping out from behind another vehicle to surprise them. Why. Again, because Danielle wasn't there.

I think Danielle disappeared sometime Friday between NOON and 5:30pm. Damon and Brenda are covering up for this because Brenda was in a hurry to go OUT with friends and they both thought Danielle would SURELY show back up sometime. I think maybe the reason Damon wanted to get the partiers to go home early, is that he had to tell Brenda that Danielle never showed up. Then they had to work on cover stories, to keep it from looking like they were bad parents.

WHAT HAPPENED TO DANIELLE? Most likely case is that she wandered around the neighborhood, got picked up by a known sexual offender, then killed and dumped at a later time. Police did not have the means to investigate this possibility, because they are trying to follow leads that stem from her disappearing FROM THE HOME, LATE AT NIGHT on FRIDAY. If not true, and she disappeared early in the day, it would take a whole different manner of investigation. So , now , we may never find out what truly happened, because the parents have been trying to hide their mistakes.

709 posted on 07/01/2002 1:15:05 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: UCANSEE2
Curious as to...what time she was pulled out of school...what time the passport picture was taken..what did the Meryvns receipt show as time...what time on Friday did the VD's talk to the new neighbor?...what does Dominoes show as time pizza ordered and how many?

And what about that dang dog bed???...where did it end up and what from what kind and color of fabric was it made?

Good post!

710 posted on 07/01/2002 1:22:18 PM PDT by Rheo
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
Two days after Danielle disappeared, Westerfield denied being involved in her disappearance, but a police interrogation specialist was "convinced he was deceptive when he stated he was not in any way responsible for Danielle's disappearance," court papers state.

Doesn't this statement just about sum up the WHOLE of the police departments case against DW ??????

711 posted on 07/01/2002 1:25:59 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
I think people who think he did it are as clueless as people who think Damon did it. :) tee hee

I think KIM has made an important point here, that everyone on the DW threads should READ and UNDERSTAND.

We all get so wrapped up in this, and sometimes we take it out on each other. Those that think DW did it, and those that think DAMON did it, and even those that think someone other than DAMON or DW did it, all have exactly the same proof.......NONE WHATSOEVER, NOT A CLUE, NOT A SINGLE PIECE OF IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE, OR RELIABLE EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY.

And yet we all continue to ARGUE so STRONGLY with each other.

712 posted on 07/01/2002 1:32:26 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: UCANSEE2
Putting all suspicions about police honesty aside... I'm telling you, they can sniff out suspects.

Have you ever went on a ride-along with cops? (riding in patrol cars for an entire shift?) They sit in their cars for what, 6-8 hrs EVERY DAY just driving..they have been trained to see things you and I can't see, won't see or just simply don't see. It's AWESOME to watch them see and catch things other drivers don't see. During my coursework, for extra-curricular activities..I went on ride alongs in the innercity..mind you, I need to try it in nicer neighborhoods, but it would be oh so boring. I was shocked when I heard a cop turn on the local rock station. I had no idea they could listen to rock/music during their jobs. (gosh, naivete at it's finish..20 somethigns have so many preconceived notions about cops anyway) You'll be riding along, chitchatting with officer friendly, trying to be aware of your surroundings, thinking *you're* scoping out neighborhoods, thinking *you're* noticing things, "like I did" and then all of a sudden the cop could just swing in a parking lot cuz he sees guys playing craps against a wall drinking maddog 20/20. I'm like WOW! Where'd they come from...

So, yes, we want to assume Officer Friendly is doing his job..and is well trained enough so that he can detect things we would not. Do you remember the post I posted about the dog's ability to ''smell fear'' on suspects? I think some, not all but some cops do the same thing.

713 posted on 07/01/2002 2:09:55 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: Rheo; UCANSEE2
Great questions about the dog bed. I'd think if the dog bed was a color relevant to the case, surely feldman would have pointed it out during the criminalists testimony.
714 posted on 07/01/2002 2:13:11 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: Jaded
I don't live in KA, myself...but here in NY..we don't need earthquakes, we are bombed, anthraxed, and over-run by wacko libs....

I did hear on FNC they found the child's DNA in Westerfield's closet...Hmmmmmm..wonder how that got in there...The man is guilty as sin...maybe he'll get convicted..even in crazy in KA...

A good Independence Day to you and your's, Jaded....Great minds can disagree even on FR...

715 posted on 07/04/2002 8:01:54 AM PDT by KLT
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To: KLT
What is FNC? To my knowledge, Danielle's DNA has not been found in his closet. That would have been a HUGE issue during Prosecution.

We also have the problem about where the kids were in his house. David said the kids were running all over the house while Brenda and David were conversating about knobs and such in the kitchen. Brenda, OTOH, says they looked at the pool and stood by her side. However, she did say that when they were outside she yelled at the kids for running off an playing on a neighbor's rocks. This from a mother who according to her hawks her kids every move they are never unsupervised. Yet, she left them alone a different stores in the mall and left them at home to run and fetch pizza. Also a mere 2 weeks ago the 6 year old, Dylan was outside in the street unsupervised. A neighbor left her house to stop traffic and escort the little one across the street. Brenda has learned nothing from her experience.

IMO there is more to the relationship between DW and BvD. It needs to come out as do the things the VDs and their friends are hiding.

So, we agree to disagree.

Hope you and yours have a safe and happy 4th.
716 posted on 07/04/2002 10:10:56 AM PDT by Jaded
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To: Jaded
Fox News Channel....

fox news channel

At any rate..I have no doubt Mrs. Van Dam is and was a terrible Mom...But regardless....Westerfield is guilty as sin...

Hope your summer is great...

717 posted on 07/10/2002 7:45:26 AM PDT by KLT
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To: cyncooper

Brenda revealed, on Larry King Live on December 3, 2002, that their babysitter was a teenage boy.


718 posted on 08/10/2012 7:28:07 AM PDT by Mr Information
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To: KLT

#706 “Seems to me, the blood on his clothes from that poor little girl...needs to be explained...”
#707 “That jacket is a big piece of evidence...not to mention his behavior on the days in question...I believe he’s guilty...”

That bloodstain was small and faint. It wasn’t seen by the dry-cleaners, and there’s no report of anyone seeing it until the jacket had been in police custody for nearly a week. The stain itself wasn’t sent to an outside laboratory to confirm the DNA results, only extracted DNA. One of the detectives who attempted to violate Westerfield’s constitutional rights was also a customer at that dry-cleaners. For these and other reasons, there has to be a question mark over that evidence.

His behavior? He only left home several hours after the kidnapping, and returned home twice that day, supposedly bringing Danielle back with him - extremely risky. He first went to the beach, where he was in close proximity to other people (but they heard nothing suspicious); and then to the desert, where there were several people hanging around his RV while its curtains were open, so they could look inside if they wanted to (and one person did, without seeing anything suspicious). These were both places he frequented (so this was normal behavior for him) and where his friends might have been, so it’s unlikely he’d have gone there with a kidnapped child.

#706 “How do you know he has NO HISTORY of child molestation? That evidence is usually suppressed...and you know it...”

So guilty, no evidence required.

#715 “I did hear on FNC they found the child’s DNA in Westerfield’s closet...Hmmmmmm..wonder how that got in there...The man is guilty as sin...”

There was no testimony that her DNA was found in his closet.

No trace of him was found anywhere in the van Dam home. A profusely sweating man, who was supposedly inside that house for over an hour, yet the search dogs couldn’t detect his scent there. That alone is “reasonable doubt”. And no trace of him at the body dump site either: the best the forensic people could do was some fibers there that were similar to fibers in his environment, but these could all have come from clothing the van Dams were wearing when they visited him earlier that week - incredibly, the criminalists didn’t investigate that possibility. And there were many other fibers with the body, including with her fingernails, that couldn’t be linked to him and therefore excluded him. The insect evidence also excluded him. That alone is also “reasonable doubt”. And no evidence in his house or vehicles of a sexual or even physical assault: the best they could do was two small bloodstains in or from his RV and none in his house - far less than one would expect if he were guilty, and far more consistent with an innocent explanation: Danielle was a headstrong, adventurous child, who could easily have snuck into his RV while it was parked unlocked outside her home, leaving behind that small amount of evidence.

These factors, and many more, are discussed in the book “Rush to Judgement”: http://tinyurl.com/6bzzyf4.


719 posted on 08/18/2012 4:46:57 AM PDT by Mr Information
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