Until six months ago, David Westerfield hosted barbecues by his pool, fixed dinner in his remodeled kitchen and relaxed on white leather sofas in his four-bedroom house. Posted on 08/05/2002 8:59:13 AM PDT by FresnoDA
By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 5, 2002
Until six months ago, David Westerfield hosted barbecues by his pool, fixed dinner in his remodeled kitchen and relaxed on white leather sofas in his four-bedroom house.
He ran a business from home, logging onto one of several computers. He took his plush motor home on trips to the desert, where his children and friends played on his numerous sand toys.
Today, his Sabre Springs home is on the market for $480,000 and his Toyota 4Runner, motor home and computers are in police custody. No matter what the verdict in his capital murder trial, life as David Westerfield knew it will never be the same.
After he was charged Feb. 22 with kidnapping and killing his 7-year-old neighbor Danielle van Dam, Westerfield was incarcerated in the 17-story County Jail in downtown San Diego. Because of security concerns, he was placed in isolation on the third floor, the building's medical unit.
His cell is equipped with the basics. A television is the only perk. The floors are cold, hard concrete. So are the beds. Three inches of mattress cushions his back at night.
The cell is painted white and furnished with a tiny, built-in desk, a urinal and a sink that doubles as a water fountain. On days when court isn't in session, Westerfield doesn't see much else.
"There's little opportunity for him to do anything other than watch TV or read," said Sheriff's Capt. Ken Culver, who runs the jail.
Westerfield has limited contact with anyone other than the guards. He can leave his cell, with an escort, to make phone calls, and he gets visitors several times a week.
During his incarceration, his attorneys and their staff members have met with him more than 50 times. He's had six sessions with a couple of psychologists.
He's allowed two 30-minute visits a week from friends and family. His sister stopped by 10 times, and his ex-wife and two children have visited at least a dozen times.
After visits, he returns to his cell, where he eats his meals, reads books, writes letters, watches television and sleeps.
Westerfield was moved into an isolation cell not as disciplinary action but because he was threatened. His first day in the facility, inmates drew pictures of him with a noose around his neck and screamed that they wanted him to die.
"Since then there have not been any issues with him," said Culver, who noted that Westerfield is respectful toward deputies.
Culver said it's unlikely that other prisoners know where Westerfield is. He showers alone and occasionally is allowed access to a gymnasium, also alone. He hasn't been outdoors since he was booked.
His life is not only restricted to his cell, it is tightly monitored. Deputies and video cameras record his every move.
Inmates are awakened at 4 in the morning, and breakfast is served within a half-hour so those with scheduled court appearances can be transported to courthouses.
Lunch arrives between 9:45 and 10 a.m. and dinner usually is at 4 p.m. The lights are out by 10.
Meals are produced en masse in an Otay Mesa facility and delivered to the Front Street jail. The meals, which range from fried chicken to casseroles, are reheated on individual trays in a big oven, the way airline flight attendants heat in-flight meals.
Westerfield's meals are delivered to his cell, while most inmates eat with others in central dining areas.
On court days, he changes into a suit, which sometimes has been dry-cleaned overnight.
Beneath his jacket, he puts on a metal waist-belt that has chains that cuff his arms. Then he is escorted from his cell to a pedestrian bridge that stretches from the County Jail through the old jail next to the downtown courthouse, and then to the courthouse.
During the trial, his restraints are unhooked. Westerfield sits at the defense table in a suit and tie, laughing occasionally at the judge's jokes and smiling or waving at friends who testify.
At lunchtime, when his attorneys, the jury and court staff head off to lunch, he's locked in a holding cell behind the courtroom and handed a jail-packed sack lunch. It's typically a peanut butter or bologna sandwich, an apple or orange and a drink.
After the court proceedings, deputies lead him back through the crosswalk to the jail.
When he gets there, he changes out of his suit and back into his blue jail uniform. Then he's led to the sparse, white cell that, for now, is home.
We've already started our prayers this morning.
Your opinion is much appreciated.
sw
OTOH, I think the Jury was tuning in to "closed court" yesterday, so they heard it all...which flys in the face of all those who seem to trust the Jurors not to look into the cookie jar...so to speak.
sw
Lord, grant these twelve jurors great wisdom to understand all the testimony they have heard over the past two months, and the clarity of mind to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Give them strength to endure, and fill them with a sense of honor and integrity, and the desire to do what is right.
May You shine the light of truth into the darkness of their confusion, that the jurors will discern honesty from those who bear false witness against their neighbor.
Although You say "Justice is Mine," may You see fit to allow justice for Danielle here on this earth, that her death may not lead to the death of other innocents.
We pray that truth will prevail, and that the sword of justice will weigh heavily on those who would use it falsely to bring glory to themselves.
May Your will be done, in Jesus name.
Amen.
1. There is no evidence that she was raped.
2. How would you know?
I know. We have many posters just like you that don't care about reality. They refuse to admit the parents had any responsibility whatsoever in daily care for their child.
They did not kidnap, rape, and kill Danielle.
Most of the EVIDENCE that has been KEPT from the JURY shows that Damon most likely has been RAPING and PROBABLY KILLED Danielle because she was going to tell that he was doing so.
They are no more to blame for these events than Erin Runnion and her mother are to blame for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Samantha. Samantha's mother and grandmother weren't off at bars while their children were totally unsupervised. If you believe Damon was at home (like he says he was) while Brenda went out to the bars, you are just displaying your willingness to BELIEVE PROVEN LIARS. Makes you a DUPE.
Samantha's mother wasn't smoking pot, doing cocaine (I know, they didn't do that (bzzzzzt. Evidence suppressed), and LYING TO POLICE for 17 HOURS while her daughter suffered, but the VD's did.
I know you don't want to read any posts, except those that you agree with. I know you are not interested enough to really review the evidence and testimony in the case.
You, like many others, just want to spew your emotions about this case, because it is painful to see that someone killed an innocent little girl. Our society asks for the harshest punishment for those that harm our innocent children, and well it should.
But, our government, our justice system are set up to that we are supposed to find the alledged killer by putting together all the evidence, and when that evidence can prove who the killer is, we arrest and then try that person.
In this case, they arrested an alledged killer with an illegal warrant, without having results from evidence back, and then went about trying to 'find' more evidence, as what they had wasn't enough.
In the meantime, any evidence that might have pointed out the real culprit, was ignored or destroyed.
At this point in time, an innocent has been sacrificed. (Actually, dozens a day are sacrificed, but you don't care about that, do you?)
Now we are being asked to ignore our concscience, our laws, our values and sacrifice an innocent man to the worship of EVIL.
There are those that want him sacrificed to EVIL, no questions asked.
There are those that know in their hearts that something is weird about this (like the Ramsey's) but are going with the crowd.
There are those that chose to find out the facts from themselves and believe that he didn't do it and is being railroaded (sacrificed).
There are those that found out the facts and believe police/DA went to far too fast and now can't withdraw, so he is being sacrificed.
Your emotion makes you hate this man because of the girl's death. Evil is clouding your judgment and getting you to HATE, and HATE the wrong person. Evil will kill and rape again, because you are letting the real culprit go. You and others like you. Ones that ignore what the VD's were doing and how much they lied, and why BARB EASTON and BILL LIBBY, who were supposed to TESTIFY , did not.
You have made your 'uninformed, blind to reality, I just wanna see blood' choice.
May God forgive you.
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