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.

[hoosiermama]

Black boots---brown boots
Orange thread---Red thread
Blue/grey---Blue??

DID ANYONE TEST THE SDPD FOR COLOR BLINDNESS???????

[spectre]

Well, if Wendy does post, I'd like to ask her if she still has her Clinton Knee Pads on? I'm sure she's gone thru a couple of pairs by now.

sw

[UCANSEE2]

I'd really like to know (as I think many here would) why two abductions would be treated in such an opposite fashion.

Well, now you opened a can of worms. If they blamed Jahi Turner's stepfather, and I felt he was not guilty I would be defending him also. I don't see that to be the case.We have Jahi Turner threads over on the FR REFUGEE BOARD, if you want to join up and explore them.

I would venture to say that some of the posters on here who so vehemently defend the VD's and want to hang DW without a trial, don't know who JAHI is and don't really give a snit! It would seem all their emotion, and anger is directed at DW, and PORN, and they pretty much are forgetting other facts. Like HOW MANY CHILDREN A DAY ARE KIDNAPPED. HOW MANY DISAPPEAR, EACH DAY. HOW MANY, all over the world, ARE SOLD AS SEX SLAVES.

It is easy to also understand why they/we can't deal with it all. That is why we sometimes have to lock onto one thing and stick with it. But it is very revealing about our society in general. Especially since the VD's hooked-up with the TURNER's (to help or get more publicity). Well, we know why. Once the milk started turning sour, the VD's RAN LIKE HELL! What media gives a snoot about a little missing black boy? Now Danielle, and Elizabeth Smart, they care about. WHY? Cause, it sells ads, in newspapers, on TV, in magazines. ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY and to HELL WITH THE CHILDREN.

That is why we will soon (I believe, anyway) see the events predicted in the bible unfold before our very eyes.

[Spunky]

I accidentally typed in WHite house. com instead of WHite House.gov and got all kinds of porno spam

My daughter used my computer one time and went to a chat site. She logged on under my name. Ever since then I have been spamed with porno e-mails.

[juzcuz]

Yes --

The gray blue fibers were similar not a match. DW could have a nylon blue/gray travel bag or other items of nylon that are of similar blue/gray fiber that is washable.

When LE and their experts 50K testing services can prove a 100% MATCH with what they have, then I'll give it more weight.

[UCANSEE2]

Hey, ever noticed that certain posters are like fireworks?

Let me know if I need to finish the thought.

[hoosiermama]

I seriously wonder if there is a computer used for more than a year that doesn't have some kind of porno on it? And yes, I did consider saving it to a disk. Being a novice to the internet I had no idea how or why and was planning on taking it to the police. My son enlightened me...before I made a TOTAL idiot of myself!

[jacquej]

I think you just might be a true prophet, in the biblical sense. But given the commercial group assembled here, I would, if I were you, hide my little light under a bushel, lest it be cast, like pearls, before swine...


With that, I will head to the porch, to cuddle under the stars, with my dogs, who are God's lovely creations.

To All Who Believe... Good Night, and His Blessings...

[bvw]

Thanks for that reasonable post. Too many speaking about this case have made porn -- child porn -- into a direct precursor to rape and murder. It ain't, or we'd have an epidemic of child rape and murder.

[BunnySlippers]

DID ANYONE TEST THE SDPD FOR COLOR BLINDNESS???????

The articles you have listed are largely missing. Don't you mean the defense witnesses are colorblind?

[UCANSEE2]

For all those that want someone to hang, here it is. Course, he didn't have any PORN so I guess he isn't GUILTY.

REAL MEN DON'T NEED PORN

[BunnySlippers]

Thanks for that reasonable post. Too many speaking about this case have made porn -- child porn -- into a direct precursor to rape and murder. It ain't, or we'd have an epidemic of child rape and murder.

Do you honestly think child porn is that pervasive?

[BunnySlippers]

For all those that want someone to hang, here it is. Course, he didn't have any PORN so I guess he isn't GUILTY.

Strange. Are you suggesting that people can't murder without porn? Weird!

[UCANSEE2]

To All Who Believe... Good Night, and His Blessings...

Why, thank you and God bless you also.

[bvw]

Yes.

[pinz-n-needlez]

Sorry. :-)

[bvw]

Some magazine news show on NBC is discussing the Westerfield trial now. Why does the Van Dam "lifestyle" need to be discussed -- that's their focus.

[the Deejay]

"That is why we will soon (I believe, anyway) see the events predicted in the bible unfold before our very eyes."

Oh my word, I've been thinking the same thing for quite some time.

[hoosiermama]

Please take good notes and give us the information. Thanks!

[UCANSEE2]

Why does the Van Dam "lifestyle" need to be discussed -- that's their focus.

Post #1163, next to last paragraph, last line.