Late in the day Wednesday, jurors heard two female acquaintances of Westerfield contradict the testimony of Danielle's mother, Brenda, concerning her behavior the night of the abduction.
The van Dams admitted earlier in the trial that they engaged in swinging with other couples, but said the practice had nothing to do with their daughter's murder. Brenda van Dam specifically denied that she was combing a local bar for sex partners and said she never danced with Westerfield that night.
But Cherokee Youngs, an acquaintance of Westerfield, and Glennie Nasland, who described herself as his "good friend," offered different portraits of Brenda van Dam's conduct.
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| Cherokee Youngs |
Youngs said one of van Dam's friends, Barbara Easton, was hitting on her so aggressively that she grabbed a male stranger and announced that he was her "official boyfriend" for the evening just to ward off the woman's advances.
Brenda van Dam also showed interest, Youngs said, inviting her and the man back to her house and saying of them, "I wouldn't mind taking these two home."
Youngs said she declined, telling Brenda van Dam, "Sorry, I don't share."
Nasland, who has known Westerfield for four years and smiled broadly at him from the witness stand, said she also had sexually charged conversations with the women. She said she and Westerfield talked with Brenda and her friends for 10 minutes and, at one point "for a few seconds" the housewife and Westerfield danced with each other.
Brenda van Dam said she barely knew Westerfield and only briefly spoke with him at the bar. She never mentioned being introduced to Nasland.
Nasland's testimony may have hindered the defense in the end. On cross-examination, she acknowledged that Westerfield was very drunk that night and upset about the end of his year-and-a-half relationship with girlfriend Susan Lelec, to whom Nasland had introduced him.
"He was sad that it didn't work out," said Nasland.
She also said she was certain that Westerfield left the bar just before midnight, but he told police he left at 10:30 and other witnesses have given similar testimony. She also said he was dressed in black that night. Previous witnesses have not described his clothing, but the employee of a drycleaner testified that the day Westerfield was first questioned by police, he brought in an all-black outfit and asked for rush service.
Danielle van Dam's blood was found on another item of clothing he took to the same cleaner.