Judge's level of secrecy in proceedings raises questions from experts

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 9/24/02 | Greg Moran

[John Jamieson]

"Only by ignoring the defense testimony could the jury come up with this verdict of guilty."

I thought the prosecution had shot themselves in the foot enough times (family life style, crazy dogguy, and hours of proof that DW did exactly what he said he did that weekend) to create "reasonable doubt" without the defense. The jury had to ignore lots of prosecution testimony, like the two bug guys paid for by the state.

[Jaded]

The FBI was involved in Runion from the beginning. It may have been more that it involved a child. IMO. I know nothing.

[John Jamieson]

Somebody ratted on Whitmore and Rowland; the FBI had their photos but didn't know who they were. A phone tip on 1/25 put Whitmore in jail but his sex buddy Rowland had two more weeks to get even for both of them before spending the rest of their lives in jail. If, the phone tip came from DW or the vDs, Rowland killed Danielle for revenge and seeded DW's motor home with a little evidence.

[Jaded]

It was the steering committee (aka the media circus) Mudd is a FOOL if he thinks the jurors weren't influenced by it.

On the SND site... UPDATES... in the Trial Evidence section...

Trial Exhibits 41-60, 61-80, 81-100
Closed Hearing Summaries 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9

http://users3.ev1.net/~2ntense

[John Jamieson]

Yes, it was the most once sided, dishonest coverage I've ever seen. Also, CourtTV did more than their share. If DW is ever cleared, he could get his personal wealth back just going after these people.

[dread78645]

Somebody ratted on Whitmore and Rowland; the FBI had their photos but didn't know who they were. A phone tip on 1/25 put Whitmore in jail but his sex buddy Rowland had two more weeks to get even for both of them before spending the rest of their lives in jail. If, the phone tip came from DW or the vDs, Rowland killed Danielle for revenge and seeded DW's motor home with a little evidence.

That'll work for a Alfred Hitchcock afternoon short movie.
I can't see where DAW was involved.

I've heard rumors of cut video cables in the van Dam's home ... I'd like to find more about this.

Westerfield, at most, might be guilty of having under-age porn on his computer, I can't say for sure, I don't have the evidence.

If Whitmore & Rowland were responsible, I'll go with it. I'd hope there is more evidence than was presented against Westerfield.

My own personal belief is DPvD put Seconal in the bedtime milk, Danielle rolled over and suffocated on the pillow or beanbag chair.

[John Jamieson]

There is one more little piece of evidence.

DW said he had no interest in the porno files, he was compliling and organizing them for someone else. Could it be W&R?

Don't forget that Rowland was arrested at midnight on 2/15, Danielle dump day? Did Rowland make the 2/15 call to the vDs to torcher them?

[CW_Conservative]

Also, CourtTV did more than their share. If DW is ever cleared, he could get his personal wealth back just going after these people.

From Larry King Live, August 20, 2002 - The night before the verdicts were reached in the Westerfield trial.

NANCY GRACE, ANCHOR, COURT TV: ... I don't care what an entomologist has to say about what a bug may have done last February. That does not negate the DNA evidence.

Spoken like a true Stalinist. What a dream job for this pathetic creature, anchoring and providing biased commentary for Court TV's latest show trial.

[John Jamieson]

And the blood covered interior of the motor home and a blood covered David Westerfield and Danielle's orange fiber covered body, ad sickum.

"What we need here, is a few more white middle class men on death row."

[Jaded]

There was speculation at one time that it was a side business. I'd think if it was there'd be more. Someone could have asked him for it... to share with someone she knew. (that's out there)

Where was this tidbit? Have a link?

[John Jamieson]

It was in the quotations from his video tape. Not on the part to released to the public but stolen by RR. I don't have the link, but I read the article. Same one where he says, "As far as I'm concerned, I didn't do it".

[dread78645]

DW said he had no interest in the porno files, he was compliling and organizing them for someone else. Could it be W&R?

I don't recall that DAW said this.

Did Rowland make the 2/15 call to the vDs to torcher them?

Interesting question. The law can ask a court order for:

tap -- record the time of a call.
trace --record time and calling number.
record --record conversation, time and calling number.

Minor drug busts are usually a 'record'.
And the biggest child-kidnapping in SD history only rates a 'tap'.

Just one more 'Hmmm ...'

[John Jamieson]

Oh, and one more little bit of flakey evidence that fits my story: DW was supposed to have failed a lie detector question like, "Do you know what happened to Danielle?", but NOT, "Did you kill her?" or even "Did you kidnap her?"

There is lots more to this story and lots more people involved.

[John Jamieson]

Found it! It's supposed to be in SD Magazine this week:

I am not going to transcribe it because it will be on their website in a few days. (http://sandiegomag.com/)

There are a few new pictures, including those of some of the detectives who never testified and I will scan them and send to Hergus and ACandyRose.

Here are the highlights of the article:

The detectives said to DW:"I know you had something to do with it. Let's help Danielle's family. Let her go to heaven in peace. Get her a proper burial".

Westerfield said "As far as I'm concerned, my life's over." Keyser says" Help us get Danielle back. Have the common decency to help us. Show a little remorse and help us get her back."

Westerfield said,"As far as I am concerned I didn't do it."

The article states that's as close as Westerfild comes on the video --not quite a complete denial but far from a confession.

They told him Jackie told them about his deviant sexual behavior. Westerfield answered" Deviant? In your opinion." Jackie told them he would come home late at night carrying binoculars. She also said he would cut off her underwear while she was sleeping.They also told him what about the ping pong ball. Westerfield replied "we got it stuck and didn't do it anymore. We were just experimenting."

When Keyser walked out DW asked him to leave his gun with him. Keyser said "that's silly." DW said "that's silly in your opinion."

On the child porn he said: "itw as perfectly innocent. I know it looks bad but I would tell you it's not something I'm directly interested in. All I was doing was documenting it." For who, Ott asked. "I can't answer that, I wasn't paying attention to what was going on there."

[John Jamieson]

See 134.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Amen to that pinz. We live on the East Coast, and my wife's family is in the midwest (Indiana). When vacation time rolls around, we rent a luxury car (for about the same price as ONE plane ticket), and make the 12 hour drive. The one time we flew, we had to switch planes in Chicago, and land in Indianapolis, which is a good hour and a half away from where her folks live...total time airport+flight+drive from airport = approx 8 hours.

For 4 more hours, we drive in comfort, at our own pace, stopping whenever we chose. We are not at the mercy of high-school drop-out screeners and drunk pilots.

[pinz-n-needlez]

I may be wrong, but I don't think fbi was involved in Danielle's case from the beginning. I don't recall seeing references to fbi there at the house on Saturday, just SDLE.

And SD had it classified under Robbery, didn't they, for the first day or so? Only later it became a kidnapping/homicide investigation. I don't recall any mention of fbi from the vd's side of the case.

Someone one correct me if I'm wrong, we need as much accuracy as possible here.

[pinz-n-needlez]

If the first arrest was a wake up call to the neighborhood, and cables were removed from the house, how much of a leap is it to wonder is a snowboarding trip was canceled to finish cleaning up a porn studio set-up and transform it into an upper middle class family garage with lots of expensive toys and tools?

The pictures of the garage did not indicate a marijuana smoking liar.... not even an old couch to sit on. They smoked standing up on the concrete, if they did at all! But the story of smoking a joint conveniently set up an open door for a ninja to enter the house through.

Although why they never investigated the blood in the garage is beyond me.

Could Danielle have been one more piece of evidence to be cleaned up and disposed of that evening? The descriptions by DP of Damon's attitude toward her and treatment of her are chilling, if accurate. Wonder if her image will show up on film in further porn ring investigations..... Poor baby.

[bvw]

The pics of the garage I saw -- concrete and a setp ladder -- that's not a place you hang with friends for anytime at all. Yet the door was reversed locked and the pizza munchers all said that's where they hung out. Something doesn't ring the ol' truth bell there. Surely there were other furnishings -- some table, some seating, a rug even. Where did they go?

Why didn't Feldman subpeona Easton to testify?

[Jaded]

Personally, I'd rather see something independent of RR. He has a habit of misrepresenting things. I recall seeing this on a different forum, but I don't remember which one. This has not been published by a "reputable" source. Even the UT for all it's failings is a few steps above RR.

Anyway here is the quote about "as far as I'm concerned". It came out in the article about being denied a phone call and such.

"You're asking me to admit to something," Westerfield told two police detectives during one of the interviews, according to the documents. "As far as I'm concerned, I didn't do it. I know that you're adamant that I did."

And there's this other tid bit from the story: "At least two officers expressed concern about Mr. Westerfield's emotional stability as a result of the interview process," attorney Robert Boyce said in court documents filed in San Diego Superior Court.

UT 4/3/02