In taped interrogation, Westerfield tells police 'my life is over'

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | January 7, 2003

[TomB]

In a videotaped interrogation with San Diego police detectives four days after Danielle van Dam was kidnapped, an exhausted David Westerfield says "my life is over," seemingly coming close to an admission that he murdered his 7-year-old neighbor.

"As far as I'm concerned my life is over, the life that I had, the life that I was living is over," Westerfield says in the interrogation conducted the evening of Feb. 5, 2002. Danielle was last seen the night of Feb. 1.

"But you can't blame anyone but yourself, Dave," answers one of the police detectives.

"And I have no problem with that," Westerfield replies.

In the tapes released Tuesday, Westerfield admits "unusual" sexual encounters with his wife, denies anything improper about his alleged use of binoculars to watch neighbors and says the child pornography found on his computer was simply something he downloaded along with a lot of other pornographic images and that he had no sexual interest in children.

Superior Court Judge William Mudd agreed Monday to unseal the videotape along with hundreds of pages of transcripts, documents and recordings in the Westerfield case, as well as transcripts of police interrogations and court hearings conducted in secret.

Some of the material – audiotape and videotape of Westerfield being interrogated during the early stages of the investigation – was released Tuesday afternoon.

The remainder of the material, which ranges from transcripts of closed-door court hearings to motions regarding potential evidence, will be released Monday, Mudd ruled.

The ruling Monday came three days after Mudd sentenced the former design engineer to death for kidnapping and murdering 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, his neighbor in Sabre Springs.

Monday's court hearing came in response to a request by The San Diego Union-Tribune, which has been seeking access to the information for months. The San Diego-based 4th District Court of Appeal has ruled that Mudd must release the information.

The San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists made a donation to the legal costs.

Westerfield, who attended Monday's hearing, is scheduled to be moved within days to death row at San Quentin State Prison outside San Francisco.

During earlier court appearances, Westerfield was always dressed in civilian attire, but he appeared in court Monday in a green jail jumpsuit. He sat in a holding area so he couldn't be filmed by a television camera.

[EllaMinnow]

The Rick Roberts show. He's playing it without commentary. Link here:

http://www.760kfmb.com/

[cyncooper]

Rick Roberts radio show is playing a newly released tape made by Paul Redden who interrogated and administered the polygraph to Westerfield. A portion of the interrogation was played for the jury, but obviously anything pertaining to the polygraph was omitted. Link to the radio program here:

http://www.760kfmb.com/

[BunnySlippers]

Arrrgh! Sould I stop viewing the interrogation for it?

[Freedom2specul8]

Oh poop, dinners just going to have toburn. :)

[EllaMinnow]

Seems Dave is a self-admitted SWINGER - back when he was married to Jackie and had young children...also smoked pot...says John Neal was a pothead...

[UCANSEE2]

1. Red found it convenient to refer back to the one thread where she posted parts of the article and didn't say anything else. I wasn't referring to that particular post. (Tactic: I didn't steal anything from THAT store, therefore I don't steal)

2. The hair had a root. Yes, on one end. So what.

3.It is a fact that Westerfield took a polygraph and failed miserably. Sorry, I haven't yet found that information, or had a chance to view the tapes myself.

What I got, so far, was that somewhere in the tapes, a reference was made to the polygraph. It also seemed as if it was another opinion call. Please prove me wrong if you will , but with facts, not with nods of the head.

[wimpycat]

Thanks, I'm listening, but it's extremely annoying to listen to someone BS and prevaricate.

[EllaMinnow]

It's hard to hear, but it's much more informative than the interview.

[cyncooper]

Seems Dave is a self-admitted SWINGER - back when he was married to Jackie and had young children...also smoked pot...says John Neal was a pothead...

I missed it and will miss the next 20-30 min. I'm sure this will be available on the internet as well.

[EllaMinnow]

I am listening to the polygraph tape right now. You can listen to it by using the link at post #122.
Then you can make your own judgment call.

DW and Redden are doing the pre-polygraph chat.

[EllaMinnow]

I'm going to miss it now, too. The spaghetti is ready!

[Freedom2specul8]

What? Dear Dave was a swinger? Are you sure? I'm not getting any feed right now..is there a pause on yours?

[Freedom2specul8]

Red, is the polygraph tape on rr live now? I'm listening to RR"s how live. I'm hearing full conversations not question and answers.

[EllaMinnow]

Dear Dave says his sex life with Jackie wasn't satisfactory for her, therefore she cut down on the frequency, and, you know, a man has "needs."

[cyncooper]

What I got, so far, was that somewhere in the tapes, a reference was made to the polygraph. It also seemed as if it was another opinion call. Please prove me wrong if you will , but with facts, not with nods of the head.

Did you see the posts above referring to the Rick Roberts show? He is going to play the polygraph. It was stated by Clarke and Dusek on Court TV today that Paul Redden administered a lie detector and that Redden's conclusion was that he failed--miserably.

As stated above, Rick Roberts is playing newly released taped of the Redden interview and Roberts announced he will play the actual polygraph exam as it was given.

BTW, a root on a hair would only be found on one end---the end that comes out of your head! You had wondered if part of THAT hair was still on her head!

[EllaMinnow]

It's the pre-polygraph interview. They'll start the real polygraph soon.

[cyncooper]

Now they are at the part of the tape that was played for the jury.

[Freedom2specul8]

Oh Heck.., Did he use the term swinging? Sounds like Horndogging to me.

[EllaMinnow]

No - I used the term "swinging."

Says he broke up with Susan L - didn't she dump him?

[Freedom2specul8]

Yes, she said she dumped him numerous times because of his drinking. It's a male ego thing I bet.