BREAKING: BRENDA VAN DAM DANCED WITH WESTERFIELD: (Modern Day Westside Story?)7-9-02 Trial Watch

KFMB ^ | July 9, 2002 | KFMB

[FresnoDA]

WITNESSES SAY BRENDA VAN DAM DANCED WITH DAVID WESTERFIELD

(07-08-2002) - Three defense witnesses testified Monday that Brenda van Dam and David Westerfield, the man accused of murdering 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, danced together the night before the girl was discovered missing.

"Mr. Westerfield and Mrs. van Dam were dancing," said Patricia LePage, describing the scene at Dad's Cafe and Steakhouse the night of Feb. 1.

Since the prosecution introduced hair and fibers found at the defendant's house and motorhome, the defense has tried to show the evidence could have been transferred in some other way, such as dancing.

The 50-year-old defendant would face the death penalty if convicted of kidnapping and killing Danielle van Dam, who lived two houses away in Sabre Springs. He is also charged with misdemeanor possession of child pornography.

In testimony near the beginning of the trial, Brenda van Dam told the court she did not dance with Westerfield.

But LePage said van Dam rubbed her hips and chest against Westerfield during several dances together, recalling the movie "Dirty Dancing." That was just part of what LePage described as "frisky" behavior exhibited by van Dam that night.

LePage said she was in a smoking lounge at Dad's with her daughter, Cherokee Youngs, when van Dam came in and struck up a conversation with the younger woman.

"Well, she did ask my daughter if she liked girls," LePage said when asked to describe the conversation. Van Dam, she said, asked Youngs if she wanted to come to her house for a party later that night.

Youngs testified about the encounter last week.

Duane Blake, a fisherman who said he goes to Dad's a couple times a week, said he caught a glimpse of the defendant dancing with van Dam.

Blake confirmed an interview with the District Attorney's Office, in which he described their dancing as, "huggy, huggy." He testified he even thought Westerfield might be trying to pick up on van Dam.

Earlier Monday, another woman testified she saw Westerfield dance with Danielle's mother.

Glennie Nasland, who began her testimony last week, said she was on the dance floor and saw the pair turn toward each other while dancing with other people.

Nasland, who described herself as a friend of Westerfield, said she watched them for 20 seconds before they turned away again.

In other testimony Monday, Dave Laspisa said that going to the desert to look for friends, and without bringing an all-terrain vehicle, was not an unusual activity for Westerfield.

The witness, a self-employed Poway man, said he's known the defendant for 15 years and has camped with him near the Imperial County community of Glamis for 10 years.

The witness was one of several people who testified as the defense began to move away from what happened at a Poway night spot the night before Danielle was discovered missing Feb. 2 to Westerfield's weekend wanderings.

Westerfield's attorney, Steven Feldman asked Laspisa to explain why someone would avoid Interstate 8 while taking a motorhome to the desert. Laspisa said high winds and black ice were common on that route, which traverses altitudes over 4,000 feet.

Heather Mack, a security guard at Coronado Cays, testified that she saw Westerfield drive his motorhome into the exclusive neighborhood in the afternoon or evening hours of Feb. 3.

Mack said Westerfield smiled and waved at her as he drove past her security kiosk, but she never saw him again.

The witness told Dusek that she originally told a police officer that she "vaguely remembered" seeing the defendant's recreational vehicle.

Glen Seebruch, an engineering manager at Nokia, testified earlier that Westerfield called him the morning of Feb. 1 and told him he planned to go to the desert that weekend.

Feldman, told Judge William Mudd that his case may be completed by the end of the week.

Insect expert David Faulkner is expected to testify about how long the victim's body may have been in the East County before volunteer searchers found it on Feb. 27.

Feldman has said Westerfield would have had no opportunity to dispose of the body because he was under constant police surveillance from Feb. 4 until his arrest Feb. 22.

[BunnySlippers]

Please avoid kindling another flame war, Kim.

Kim didn't throw the first shot.

[BunnySlippers]

May I ask, is it Court TV?

No cable via Real Audio. My cable company "ADELPHIA" stopped carrying CourtTV years ago so I can't watch Dominick Dunne's new show. :(

[UCANSEE2]

I think DW is absolutely vile for collecting this stuff.

Have you been watching each day's testimony, both the Prosecution and the defense?

Are you aware of the amount and how/where it (Child Porn) was found and what was determined in court as to whether it actually was CHILD PORN or NOT?

Do you think that someone that has PORN on their computer is worse than someone that molests and kills their own daughter ?

[BunnySlippers]

So it was a blanket indictment of the 'need more evidence' crowd? Like me?

No it wasn't at all. I sent you Freep Mail.

[fnord]

yeah, good advice. thanks.

[winodog]

Interesting. I wonder if someone has a cabin with a root cellar in the big bear area.

[cyncooper]

Then, why did he have to demand that fiber from her necklace today in court?

Grandstanding?

[cyncooper]

as in the Van Dams calling their social event a "Pizza Party"...

I don't believe the van Dams ever called it a "Pizza Party", that would be the folks here.

[UCANSEE2]

this thread is drifting ...

Help, the current is carrying me out to sea.......ahhhhhhhhhhhh. I see my life passing before my eyes !!!!!!!!

Anyone got a summary of today's TESTIMONIES ?!?!?!?!?!?

[BunnySlippers]

Do you think that someone that has PORN on their computer is worse than someone that molests and kills their own daughter ?

So here's the rub. I would say someone who views child porn on their computer and murders their neighbor's child is worse than someone who swings. I think you understand.

[Spunky]

Comment #904 Removed by Moderator

I believe this was the one BunnySlippers posted. An article telling about a European baby porno ring.

[hoosiermama]

I don't think he was grandstanding. I think he was making a point to the judge that ALL of the DA material has not been shared. Which is a must do in trials. Mudd was upset, but I do not think at the defense. Ask Greta!

[Freedom2specul8]

My post at 1015 was meant for you and not cyncooper..sorry..

[cyncooper]

I believe that Mudd was upset because the material had not been given to the defense.

I don't believe that is why he sounded irritated. He told the defense to make the request. They don't test and then send the item to the defense. Just the report. Then the defense can obtain the item to perform their own tests if they wish. Feldman was putting on a show and the judge knew it.

[Angelique]

I forgot about that. LOL Brenda is so credible.

[John Jamieson]

We both want to get Danielle's killer.

You think it's David Alan Westerfield because of a zip disk on his self.

I think it's some member of the swingers club because of their DEPRAVED SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, they have admitted to.

The physical evidence is so weak that neither can be proven.

[NatureGirl]

I think that the snowboard bag might be a bit small. The dimensions on one that I looked at were 71 x 13 x 7 inches.

How about a surfboard bag: Dakine Knit Surfboard Bag

[UCANSEE2]

...please accept my apology. Thank you.

What in the heck are you referring to????

If it was something back around post #42, well, uh, forget it. If you said something needing me to accept, consider it accepted. I am sure I probably need you to accept my apology also, then.

Join the convo. Contribute ideas, argue your view of this debacle, attempt to remain calm in the middle of a hurricane.

[Freedom2specul8]

That's three requests for unbiased summaries of todays testimony..come on, we're going through WITHDRAWALS!!

Was that begging enough. :)

[BunnySlippers]

It was me, Spunky. The child porn ring and description of the infants is on:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020702/ap_wo_en_po/internet_pedophiles_3