Prosecution's Bug Expert Struggles On Stand:08/01/2002 Westefield Trial Nears Finish Lap!

Court TV ^ | August 1, 2002 | Harriet Ryan

[clearvision]

From a crime investigation website:

In sex offenses, assaults, and some other cases, it may be possible to indicate or demonstrate contact between two individuals or between one other individual and some other object, such as a car seat, by comparing fibers. Such examinations are only of value when it is known no contact occurred between the two individuals or an individual and some other object prior to, or subsequent to, the offense. Extra care must be taken to keep each article of clothing of each individual or other object separated. Each garment should be-laid on a clean sheet of paper, and separately rolled up in the paper after marking the exhibit. If the clothing of one subject touches the clothing of another, or if it is laid down on the table of placed on the car seat contacted by the clothing of the other suspect, the comparisons may be of no value.

[Karson]

I agree. It's just that when you mentioned dog bed, it reminded me how much Damon talked about the dog chewing up her bed that night -- and him putting it downstairs -- as if that was gonna be a large factor in this case. Fizzled out I guess.

[John Jamieson]

They never explained the burned idea, they just said that it was not burned. They also said the body showed no evidence of frezzing. Most refigerators don't have a big enough frezzer compartment but the regular cooled volume would be big enough on most.

[demsux]

Some of the "old timers" will recall that I pegged "viagra boy" as the likely perp, long ago.

"Viagra Boy" was hopped up on viagra, wanting to "hook up" with Brenda, unfortunately Brenda "hooked up" with Damon.

What's a guy with "increased libido" to do? He lives nearby, he's single, probably leaves his hose out, unrolled at that.

Drop Rich Brady off at his home and head back for some "action".

[John Jamieson]

My 3 sisters and 1 brother are all UTA, or UT. Several masters, too.

[JudyB1938]

http://www.courttv.com/trials/westerfield/jurors.html

Here's the jury's profiles ...

Juror #1 in the pool. A woman who works as a welfare-eligibility worker for San Diego County. During jury selection, she expressed concerns about the behavior of Brenda van Dam, the victim's mother.

Juror #51 in the pool. A Hispanic father of four who has two granddaughters, ages 10 and 2. One of his children works in daycare. He was drafted into the Army as a young man and believes in the death penalty.

Juror #65 in the pool. This 83-year-old white male retired from a 32-year military career as an Army colonel. He has a 7-year-old granddaughter, and takes medications for back problems, blood pressure, and arthritis. He expressed concerns about the death penalty because he has a mentally handicapped son, and knows some states execute regardless of mental capacity.

Juror #34 in the pool. An older white female born in Germany, she is a supporter of the death penalty. She takes care of her husband, who is ill, and works at a German cultural center. She has a friend who is a retired prosecutor.

Juror #33 in the pool. A white female who takes the anti-anxiety drug Paxil. She listens to conservative talk radio, including Rush Limbaugh, and believes in the death penalty.

Juror #85 in the pool. A white male who studied theater arts and now works as an insurance claims adjuster. He says he considers his position of the death penalty a five on a scale of one to 10, and says that if someone is arrested, there must be facts to support it.

Juror #61 in the pool. An older white woman who works as a county probate examiner, she has served on two juries previously and also worked for a criminal defense attorney at one point. She supports the death penalty.

Juror #38 in the pool. A black female who suffers from stress. She believes pornography is "sick" and "immoral," and hopes to get a masters degree in Christian education.

Juror #74 in the pool. An older black female who was born in Panama, she has one child and two grandchildren, ages 13 and 5. She has served on two juries in the past, including one that ended in a hung jury. She says she has never seen pornography before, but says, "I'm an old lady, nothing would shock me." She supports the death penalty.

Juror #95 in the pool. A male who has a 7-week-old child and works as a certified public accountant. He believes the death penalty is a deterrent in certain cases and a legitimate means of punishment.

Juror #70 in the pool. A white male who is the father of a 9-month-old child and works as a software engineer. He spent some time in the military working in naval intelligence, and his father was a state trooper for 25 years. He believes this case is a big responsibility. He considers himself a strong supporter of the death penalty, was brought up Christian, and believes in "an eye for an eye."

Juror #80 in the pool. A married male who has taken classes at a local college for business management. He expressed his desire to be on the jury and believes that a defendant should testify, but says he has an open mind concerning the case. He says the death penalty is fair and believes in an "eye for an eye."

The Alternates

Alternate #1 Juror #119 in the pool. An older white male, he opposes the death penalty but would consider it in certain cases. Watches the television show, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

Alternate #2 Juror #115 in the pool. A middle-aged, Asian-American woman who works as a public health nurse and investigates allegations of abuse against the elderly and disabled populations. She has reservations about the death penalty, but supports it in cases that involve heinous crimes.

Alternate #3 Juror #96 in the pool. A white woman who lost her job after September 11, she has been to the same bar where the defendant and victim's mother had a chance meeting the night of Danielle van Dam's disappearance. She says she can impose the death penalty in certain cases.

Alternate #4 Juror #125 in the pool. A white woman who supports the death penalty and also regularly watches "CSI."

Alternate #5 Juror #121 in the pool. A female who says she "isn't really for or against the death penalty."

Alternate #6 Juror #120 in the pool. A white woman who has a 4-year-old child, she thinks the death penalty is sometimes warranted for first-degree murder.

[juzcuz]

burned body--

How about dehydration from a sauna. It gets incredibly hot, water pours from the skin after 10 min. A person could certainly dehydrate in one and smother (asphyxiate) if somehow locked in one. -Just a wild thought-

[Spunky]

little Danielle's own mother and father, Barbara and Damon Van Dam.

Now we all know Damon sleeps around but do you really think Brenda was raising Damon's and Barbara's daughter. ;-)

[John Jamieson]

Could be, probably wouldn't even need 10 days!

[John Jamieson]

Barbara would have to have given birth at 42 or so, but it's possible. I certainly think Damon hated that little girl, based on little but gut feelings.

[Jrabbit]

Interesting about the military members. Beth on CTV today said one juror who is retired military really seemed to like Dr.Hall and smiled at juror #1 during Halls testimony. Of course, CTV is not the best source. Also glad to see a comp. software engineer.

[juzcuz]

Sauna's--
Alot of ski resorts feature them. I still wonder about Billy's cabin and how well equipped it is. Who knows he might have a sauna, hot tub, the works...

[John Jamieson]

Looks like there's a couple that can explain the math to the others if they want to know.

[John Jamieson]

A lot of the swingers were in Realestate and would access to all the above, including empty houses with friges.

[JudyB1938]

I hadn't read the jury profiles before. It made me feel better to know that most of them have had higher education, and a few are already familiar with the judicial system.

[I. Ben Hurt]

To Spunky...back at post 591 (sorry, don't know how to link and it's long) a guy testified that it appeared the body had been placed and then drug under the tree where it remained and decomposed. There's another issue of dogs dragging off entrails of the body. (I'm a newbie, but hope that helps.)

[Spunky]

I don't think the fibers came from anything owned by DW. Someone, like his family or ex would have remembered it

I think you are right. The prosecuter would surely have pushed Susan L. Danielle L. or Neal to say that David owned something brite orange. Blanket, Jacket, Sweater, etc.

[Jrabbit]

The VD's have a hot tub. Damon said it was the 1st place he looked for her. Hmmmmm...

[demsux]

The VD's have a hot tub. Damon said it was the 1st place he looked for her. Hmmmmm...

I have wondered about the "clumps" of hair and the few fibers found on the body.

Drown in the hot tub while DVD away? Would the scalding water make her dehydrate?

[Jrabbit]

My biggest worry is that porn emotion will overcome all logic. I also think it's the biggest issue for appeal, if it comes to that.