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Van Dam Case Witness Challenges Findings Of Defense 'Bug Expert': But...His Testimony Don't Add Up..
Union Tribune ^ | July 31, 2002 | Jeff Dillion

Posted on 07/30/2002 3:58:51 PM PDT by FresnoDA

Prosecution witness challenges findings of defense 'bug expert'



SIGNONSANDIEGO

July 30, 2002


Union-Tribune
Dr. M. Lee Goff
An insect expert testifying for the prosecution in the David Westerfield case said Tuesday that flies appeared to have colonized Danielle van Dam's body sometime between Feb. 1 and Feb. 14, far earlier than defense witnesses have estimated.

M. Lee Goff, an entomologist and chairman of the Forensic Sciences Department of Chaminade University in Honolulu, said his review of the crime scene photos, morgue photos, weather reports and other evidence suggest that Danielle's body was exposed to insects as early as Feb. 1 and no later than Feb. 14.

 


  • Judge says sequestering of jury possible
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  • Dr. Lee Goff says, using Singing Hills weather data, testifies that Danielle's body was dumped at the Dehesa site between Feb. 2 and Feb. 12.
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  • Goff says data assumptions used by Haskell would create a shorter timeline for Danielle's post-mortem interval.
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  • Goff says flies don't lay eggs on dry tissue.
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"We're working on an estimate. We're not running a stopwatch here," Goff said.

The defense has contended that there was no way Westerfield could have placed the victim's body where it was found in the East County community of Dehesa, because he was under close surveillance by police beginning Feb. 5.

Goff was called to the stand to rebut testimony from two forensic entomologists called by the defense who testified that Danielle's body could not have been exposed to insects any earlier than mid-February, nearly two weeks after Westerfield came under police surveillance.

Westerfield could face the death penalty if convicted of the kidnap and murder of Danielle. He also has been charged with possession of child pornography.

Danielle was reported missing from her family's Sabre Springs home on Feb. 2. Her body was found in a wooded area near El Cajon on Feb. 27 after a massive search drew national attention.

Westerfield, who lived two doors down from the van Dams, became an early suspect in her disappearance.

 

Insect evidence

When Danielle's naked body was found, investigators took extensive photos of it and its surroundings, then put bags over her head, feet and hands and wrapped the body in a sheet to preserve any evidence.

Law enforcement officials called in forensic entomologist David Faulker to study the signs of insect infestation on the body to try to gauge when Danielle had died.

But lead defense attorney Steven Feldman argued in his opening statement that scientific evidence would prove his client could not have killed Danielle. As it turned out, the prosecution never called Faulker to the stand and he was called by Feldman as a defense witness.

Early in the trial, San Diego County Medical Examiner Brian Blackbourne testified that the girl could have been dead from 10 days to six weeks when her body was found.

Faulkner testified July 10 that his analysis of the life cycles of the insects found on Danielle's body showed it wasn't available to insects until sometime between Feb. 16 and 18.

On July 22, a second defense expert, Dr. Neal Haskell, testified that Danielle's body couldn't have been exposed to flies any earlier than Feb. 12.

 

Insect rebuttal

Prosecutors began rebutting the defense insect evidence on Thursday by calling Dr. William C. Rodriguez III, a forensic anthropologist for the Department of Defense, who testified that Danielle's body was in "an advanced state of mummification" that would have delayed insect infestation.

On Tuesday, Goff reiterated testimony about insect lifecycles presented by the previous experts: You can calculate how long a body has been exposed to the elements by gauging the age of the maggots – fly larvae – growing on the body.

Flies are quickly drawn to dead bodies and will lay batches of eggs on them. The development of the eggs into different stages of larvae and adult flies is then affected by temperature, humidity and other environmental factors.

Using charts of known development rates, a forensic entomologist can look at the age of maggots found on a body and, factoring in the weather, can calculate when the eggs they hatched from had been laid. Generally, the warmer the weather, the faster the insects develop.

Goff, author of "A Fly for the Prosecution: How Insects Help Solve Crimes," said he calculated the "post-mortem interval" date from the maggots on Danielle's body using temperature records and charts from a 2000 fly study.

He said Faulkner appeared to have made his calculations using a chart of insect development from a study that used 80-degree temperatures, far higher than the rates in the San Diego mountains in February.

Haskell appeared to have calculated his dates assuming that the activity of the "maggot mass" on the body would have raised the temperature of the mass, speeding up their development.

In both cases, Goff said, the other entomologists estimated that the maggots would have developed much faster than he did, giving a much later date for the exposure of Danielle's body to the elements.

Goff was scheduled to resume testifying – and to face cross-examination by the defense – after a lunch break.

 

Fiber evidence


DAN TREVAN / Union-Tribune
San Diego Police Department Detective Maura Parga testifies during the trial of David Westerfield Tuesday.
None of the orange shirts worn by the investigators who searched David Westerfield's house after the disappearance of Danielle van Dam could have been the source of the orange acrylic fibers found in Westerfield's laundry and on Danielle's body, a fiber expert said today.

A series of shirts and other orange-colored items brought to the San Diego Police Department crime lab were made from either nylon, cotton or a polyester-cotton blend, criminalist Tanya DuLaney testified.

"Did the fabric of any of these items consist of acrylic in any manner?" assistant prosecutor Woody Clarke asked.

"No," DuLaney replied.

Prosecutors called DuLaney back to the stand in response to defense suggestions that investigators could have inadvertently cross-contaminated the two crime scenes with the orange acrylic fibers, which became a key piece of prosecutor evidence linking Westerfield with Danielle's body.

On June 25, police criminalist Jennifer Shen testified that an orange acrylic fiber tangled in Danielle's plastic necklace at the time her body was found was similar to orange acrylic fibers found in laundry inside Westerfield's home and on bedding in his bedroom.

On July 24, lead defense attorney Steven Feldman introduced into evidence several still images from television that showed police investigators wearing orange or orangish shirts as they entered and left Westerfield's house on Feb. 4 or 5.

In response, the district attorney's office identified all of the police and search-and-rescue personnel shown in the photos, collected anything orange-colored they were wearing at the time and gave the clothing to the crime lab.

That evidence consister of two orange long-sleeved shirts, an orange short-sleeved shirt, four reddish polo shirts, an orange rope, an orange strap, a black-and-red backpack, an orange hat and an orange dog vest, DuLaney said.

Under microscopic and infrared examination, none of the fibers taken from those items contained any acrylic material, DuLaney said.

 

Trial's end in sight

At the start of today's session, Superior Court Judge William Mudd told jurors that there will be no testimony on Wednesday, but that testimony will resume Thursday and could conclude on Monday.

"It appears to me that next week you'll hear closing arguments and be in deliberations," Mudd said.

The judge said that he had not yet decided whether to sequester the jurors during deliberations.

Mudd also warned jurors not to read or view any material about the Westerfield case or the Orange County kidnap-murder of Samantha Runnion, in which the girl's mother blamed a previous jury for failing to convict her daughter's accused murdered in a previous sexual abuse case.

"The fact is the case is not similar in any way, shape or form," Mudd said.



TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: 180frank; crime; danielle; dejackaled; kidnapping; molestation; threadjackals; vandam; westerfield
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To: cyncooper
He is right, the transcript spelled it wrong.

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381 posted on 07/31/2002 3:50:10 PM PDT by VRWC_minion
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To: Krodg
HE WAS GOING TO LEAVE FRIDAY, AND THEY WERE GOING TO RETURN ON SUNDAY.

BUT, libby wanted to go on Sunday, so Damon delays the trip??? Why???

I would say "see ya when ya get there".

Damon saving his gas money?

382 posted on 07/31/2002 3:53:49 PM PDT by demsux
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To: UCANSEE2
DW told police it was a spur of the moment trip. First, we must know exactly when this statement was made, and where in the conversation it occurred.

I don't think this clarifies the "spur of the moment" much but here it is in context:

REDDEN: Okay. Alright, so, ok, so, Saturday, what time did you go get that thing then?
WESTERFIELD: Um, let’s see. I got up, I’m guessing about 10 after 7.
REDDEN: Saturday morning?
WESTERFIELD: Saturday morning.
REDDEN: Okay.
WESTERFIELD: Went downstairs and opened the front door and turned off the front light, looked around. And got dressed, took a shower, got dressed. Then I left to get the motor home.
REDDEN: Okay, so was this spur of the moment or something you had planned?
WESTERFIELD: No, it was spur of the moment. Because I had a, you know, I had made a commitment to Gary to be at the bar on Friday night. And I knew that I had nothing really planned for today. So it was going to be Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

383 posted on 07/31/2002 3:55:08 PM PDT by nycgal
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To: nycgal; All
My point is that DW saying 'spur of the moment', 'good place to hide a body', etc,etc. are not proof he kidnapped and murdered a child.

It seems the media and the police used these statements as HYPE to get the public excited about their bringing home the BIG FISH.

They committed tons of YOUR money, and LE's time (more your money) to going after DW.

Once committed, there is no backing out.

Most people do not understand, even if the police find during the investigation that you are totally innocent, they have no obligation to testify/provide this info in court. IF they arrested and charged you, YOU Have to defend yourself, and if you can't, TOO BAD.

384 posted on 07/31/2002 4:01:01 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: UCANSEE2
Those are great UCANSEE2!
385 posted on 07/31/2002 4:01:04 PM PDT by Lanza
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To: nycgal
I would assume that an owner of an RV would be using it most weekends and that only the destination would be spur of the moment. Therefore, unless Westerfield specified the presise trip he might be considered to be referring to the destination and not a trip in general.
386 posted on 07/31/2002 4:02:55 PM PDT by VRWC_minion
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
What part of the CTV transcript is inaccurate? I downloaded the transcript in pdf format and it looks okay to me. Granted I haven't read through it completely yet.
387 posted on 07/31/2002 4:05:52 PM PDT by nycgal
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To: nycgal; All
I see this case not as a CONSPIRACY, but as a SNOWBALL that once it started rolling downhill, picked up in size and speed and then COULDN'T BE STOPPED.

Notice that police/media didn't make a big deal out of catching two CHILD/PORN/RAPISTS that lived within miles of Danielle, and one of whom wasn't even arrested until a few days after FEB 16th.

Is is POSSIBLE these two were involved in Danielle's abduction/death? SURE it is.

For all we know they may have even confessed to it by now.

BUT, the SHOW MUST GO ON. Sure, If Feldman had access to that info, he could present it. But, he must know it exists, and then get proof.

If it would embarrass the police, IT WON'T HAPPEN. If you believe otherwise, you have a lot to learn about this world.

388 posted on 07/31/2002 4:06:00 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: VRWC_minion
phenylthaline is another presumptive test for BLOOD that reacts to 100's of substances including drool, and even horseradish. It only narrows down a wide area search to the best areas. The real test for human BLOOD is called the Precipitin Test, which they did not run on these "stains" .... however they did run this test on stains in the stairwell to prove that they were NOT HUMAN BLOOD.

Interestingly of course the DNA match in whatever it was was perfection beyond belief, even the stain that no one could see on the jacket that had been dry cleaned.
389 posted on 07/31/2002 4:08:56 PM PDT by John Jamieson
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To: nycgal; cyncooper; ~Kim4VRWC's~
So, if this is the text that KIM and CYN and whereever they got the idea from, then it was NOT DW saying (originating) the statement SPUR OF THE MOMENT.

It was him responding to REDDEN stating 'SPUR OF THE MOMENT'.

IN court this would be called LEADING THE WITNESS.

DW then clarifies why he would agree to SPUR OF THE MOMENT.

So, my point all along has been that those that say DW LIED TO POLICE are trying to take what he said OUT OF CONTEXT, and I believe I am right.

390 posted on 07/31/2002 4:09:52 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: UCANSEE2
"saying 'spur of the moment', 'good place to hide a body'"


So, one should *never* use these terms? Like these terms go along with having/using bleach, unrolled hosed, & a host of other things that placed suspicions on DW?

(I can't even begin to guess, how many times in my lifetime, I've used those same terms, at one time or another. And not thinking anything of it.) LOL
391 posted on 07/31/2002 4:10:50 PM PDT by the Deejay
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To: UCANSEE2
If DW was the perp, he would have been trying to conceal as much as possible from the police in the interview. Well, it would have been so easy to say, "I planned the trip ____ago." Right?
392 posted on 07/31/2002 4:13:48 PM PDT by the Deejay
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To: VRWC_minion
I would assume that an owner of an RV would be using it most weekends and that only the destination would be spur of the moment. Therefore, unless Westerfield specified the presise trip he might be considered to be referring to the destination and not a trip in general.

I don't believe he had been using it much over the winter. He had made PLANS to go SOMEWHERE. He asked a friend to go, and that friend had other plans. (per testimony). His son was asked to go, but he had other plans (per testimony).

DW went to where he planned first, but that sucked, so he went several other places searching for a better time. He went to where his 'sand buddies' usually go and they weren't there.

So, it was a planned trip, but where he went was SPUR OF THE MOMENT. A few posts back is the actual quotes from the REDDEN interview so you can read what REDDEN said, what DW said, and DW's explanation of why he agreed to REDDEN's Statement that it was SPUR OF THE MOMENT, for yourself. (best way)./

393 posted on 07/31/2002 4:15:27 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: UCANSEE2; ~Kim4VRWC's~
Nobody was "hyping" the "spur of the moment" comment. Kim picked up on it when CTV played the tape this morning, and in the wake of Neal's testimony and the friend who said DW had planned to be gone, put two and two together by herself. That being, why did DW say it?

Notice Westerfield underscores it by the italicized portion:

WESTERFIELD: No, it was spur of the moment. Because I had a, you know, I had made a commitment to Gary to be at the bar on Friday night. And I knew that I had nothing really planned for today. So it was going to be Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

end excerpt

Plus Neal said their weekend camping trips were usually Fri thru Sunday.

Nobody is saying the statement and the statement alone are proof of murder, but it is foolish to just cast it aside without giving it some thought.

394 posted on 07/31/2002 4:18:37 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: the Deejay
So, one should *never* use these terms?

Unless you like being hung in the village square.

395 posted on 07/31/2002 4:19:40 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: UCANSEE2
"Unless you like being hung in the village square."


Sure looks that way in the SD Village Square.


396 posted on 07/31/2002 4:23:21 PM PDT by the Deejay
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To: John Jamieson
John, off topic, but do you know if sur-rebuttal is in answer to the DA's rebuttal? If so, can't Feldman bring in his own fiber expert on sur-rebuttal?
397 posted on 07/31/2002 4:25:23 PM PDT by Jrabbit
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To: cyncooper
Q. HOW LONG COULD THAT FIBER HAVE BEEN THERE? A. WELL, I THINK THE FIBER CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN THERE FOR AS LONG AS THE BODY WAS IN ITS RESTING LOCATION. THINK IT'S UNLIKELY THE FIBER WAS THERE FOR MUCH PRIOR TO THAT BECAUSE IT WAS TANGLED IN SUCH A LARGE WAD OF HAIR ON THE NECKLACE. SO I THINK THAT THE FIBER GOT ONTO THE HAIR ON THE NECKLACE AT SOME POINT CLOSE TO WHERE IT WAS WHERE THE BODY WAS PLACED WHERE IT WAS FOUND. Q. ARE YOU GUESSING? A. I THINK THAT IS A REASONABLE INTERPRETATION. Q. IS ANOTHER REASONABLE INTERPRETATION THAT THAT FIBER HAD BEEN WRAPPED AROUND PREVIOUS TO THAT TIME, AND THAT DANIELLE HADN'T BEEN MOVING FOR A WHILE? A. SHE HADN'T BEEN MOVED? THAT CERTAINLY IS POSSIBLE. Q. IF SHE HAD BEEN KEPT IN A PARTICULAR LOCATION, SAY FOR TEN DAYS, IT COULD STAY THERE, COULDN'T IT? MR. CLARKE: OBJECTION, ASSUMES FACTS NOT IN EVIDENCE. THE COURT: SUSTAINED. YOU NEED NOT ANSWER. BY MR. FELDMAN: Q. ASSUME HYPOTHETICALLY THAT THE BODY WASN'T PLACED IN ITS ULTIMATE RESTING LOCATION UNTIL APPROXIMATELY FEBRUARY THE 16TH AND FEBRUARY THE 18TH. A. OKAY. Q. AND ASSUME THAT FOR A FEW DAYS OR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THAT THERE HADN'T BEEN MUCH IN THE WAY OF MOVEMENT OF THE BODY. COULD THE FIBER HAVE BEEN THERE? MR. CLARKE: OBJECTION, ASSUMES FACTS NOT IN EVIDENCE. THE COURT: SUSTAINED. BY MR. FELDMAN: Q. HOW MANY DAYS PRIOR TO FEBRUARY THE 16TH, IF YOU HAVE AN OPINION, COULD THAT FIBER HAVE BEEN PLACED OR LOCATED WHERE ULTIMATELY YOU IDENTIFIED IT? MR. CLARKE: SAME OBJECTION. THE COURT: OVERRULED. YOU MAY ANSWER THAT, IF YOU KNOW. THE WITNESS: IF THE VICTIM WAS NOT MOVING OR PARTAKING IN ANY NORMAL ACTIVITIES AS FAR AS PERSONAL HYGIENE, THEN CERTAINLY THE FIBER COULD HAVE BEEN ATTACHED AND REMAINED ATTACHED THROUGH THAT TIME. BY MR. FELDMAN: Q. AND IF ON YOUR HYPOTHESIS WITH REGARD TO YOUR ANSWER, ASSUMING ALL OF WHAT YOU'VE JUST ARTICULATED IS THE CASE, HOW LONG COULD THE FIBER HAVE BEEN --

There is no testimony to Danielle having a bath that evening and her hair did not look groomed for her passport picture, so this witness cannot say that the fiber was there at the time of death. I don't see Feldman conceding anything, he was just shut down by the judge.

398 posted on 07/31/2002 4:26:52 PM PDT by Krodg
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To: the Deejay
If DW was the perp, he would have been trying to conceal as much as possible from the police in the interview. Well, it would have been so easy to say, "I planned the trip ____ago." Right?

Right. The media and police and Prosecution have tried to make mountains out of molehills, by taking statements out of context to try and imply guilt.

WHY?

I believe it is because they saw just how weak their case was, and that they realized DW was not a member of the LOCAL #510 CHILD/PORN/RAPIST/KILLER club run out of SD and Poway, that they had others suspects which were more likely the bad guys, but BRENDA/DAMON had already put them on DW,and it was already in the news, and the DA wanted to ROLL on it.

It has been so obvious by DW's behavior,statements, bothering to drive the police all over hell for how many hours ?????? in an effort to cooperate, and those are the reasons they give for assuming his guilt.

HE WAS TO NICE, HE COOPERATED WITH POLICE, HE HAD NOTHING TO HIDE.

uuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!~

399 posted on 07/31/2002 4:27:23 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: UCANSEE2
It was him responding to REDDEN stating 'SPUR OF THE MOMENT'.

Read it again. Redden asks if it was planned or spur of the moment:

"REDDEN: Okay, so was this spur of the moment or something you had planned?"

snip

Look, I never said DW "lied", I do think he misrepresented the trip if he did tell his friend and Neal he was planning to go camping.

What is this leading stuff? You don't think DW was capable of saying "I was planning on going but originally planned on going to the desert and changed my mind and went to the Strand, but that didn't work out after all".

400 posted on 07/31/2002 4:27:56 PM PDT by cyncooper
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