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.

[Jaded]

That's disgusting. Beyond words disgusting.

[John Jamieson]

We have Brenda's word on who in the area was the biggest sexual preditor and the biggest threat to Danielle and that was Barbara.

"KEEP HER AWAY FROM DANIELLE"

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Ditto to your post #930.

There are a couple of people interested in this topic that are so disgusting and irritating, I sometimes avoid the thread. One in particular seems to rarely sleep and feels the need to share everything she's doing at any given moment with people who I feel certain don't care to hear about it.

Excuse me, I have to run and stir my homemade soup and answer the phone. Be back later. Hugs and giggles. I really mean that.

Oh wait. My granddaughter just smiled and I think my grass grew a fraction of an inch today.

[winodog]

You know dam good and well what is a lie! The fact that you stated that many on this thread think swinging is worse then child porn. Noone has ever stated such a thing and I would hope they would be banned from Fr for saying such a thing. You are a troublemaker and are deliberatly starting trouble on this thread again.

[Jaded]

When who finished?

[Freedom2specul8]

LOL You mean you use your brain for the ignore feature? :)

[Krodg]

Thanks. I think I can handle it now.

[BunnySlippers]

Highlights without bias?? I'd hate to see it with bias.

No different than bias from the other side ... except that the other side states it as fact (without "presumably").

[FresnoDA]

TAKE 2 (Click and go to post #11)

Hmmmm.....

Wonder if it could have been the Orange Sweater????

[UCANSEE2]

P
O
S
T
9
5
5

[Spunky]

Hahahahahahahahaha! My finger just kept bobbing up and down uncontrolably.

[UCANSEE2]

P
o
s
t
9
5
5

[BunnySlippers]

Wow. I have been posting on these threads since day one. Can you please point me in the direction of any posts that indicate anyone here has stated or believes that swinging is worse than child molestation or pedophilia?

Gee whiz. I've been here since Danielle was abducted. These threads run about 1,000+. How many posts are you willing to look through?

[UCANSEE2]

My finger just kept bobbing up and down uncontrolably.

Now I know how you got your screen name. (eeeewwww)

[UCANSEE2]

BTW, no offense intended. Just too easy of a joke to pass up.

[spectre]

What's a lie?

You flat-out accuse people on this forum of endorsing child pornography over swinging, and then go on to CYA to post about something you read over the news-wire?

You never mentioned a "news article" untill now...What's wrong with you?

sw

[EllaMinnow]

I saw it, too.

[John Jamieson]

Do you know if the vanDam's were really involved in that European ring or not? They were just leaving for Europe I think.

[UCANSEE2]

Red Alert. Red Alert. Attack of the POD PEOPLE !

[BunnySlippers]

You know dam good and well what is a lie! The fact that you stated that many on this thread think swinging is worse then child porn. Noone has ever stated such a thing and I would hope they would be banned from Fr for saying such a thing. You are a troublemaker and are deliberatly starting trouble on this thread again.

Are we talkiing about the child pornography ring in Europe? You haven't clarified. I assure you that it is absolutely disgusting and ABSOLUTELY true but why are you unable to believe it? And why, if someone points out that these people were busted, that that person is lying?