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Frustrated Prosecutor Dusek Swats At Final Bug Expert: Westerfield's Soon Will BUG The Jury....
Court TV ^ | August 2, 2002 | Harriet Ryan

Posted on 08/01/2002 10:25:00 PM PDT by FresnoDA

Frustrated prosecutor swats at final bug expert

Photo
David Westerfield, seated in court Thursday, faces the death penalty if convicted in the slaying of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam.

SAN DIEGO — David Westerfield was sitting in the defendant's chair, but forensic entomology was on trial Thursday.

Prosecutor Jeff Dusek, whose seemingly unshakeable case against Westerfield for the murder of Danielle van Dam has been jostled by this tiny, somewhat obscure scientific field, poured out his frustration on the last of three insect experts to testify for the defense.

Like his colleagues before him, forensic entomologist Robert Hall of the University of Missouri told jurors that the age of bugs decomposing Danielle's remains suggests Westerfield could not have dumped the 7-year-old's body along a roadside last February.

Dusek, with sighs, long stares at the ceiling and a tone that often mixed disgust with disbelief, railed against Hall's methods and the inexact nature of the field, in which experts given the same bug samples and weather data can differ in their conclusions by days and even weeks.

In one exchange, Dusek asked bitterly, "If you give an X-ray of a suspected broken arm to four qualified experts, would you expect them all to read it the same?"

"I don't know. I'm not a radiologist," replied Hall, whose mild-manner and stammering answers contrasted sharply with the prosecutor's intensity.

Three of the nine certified forensic entomologists in North America have testified in the case, as well as a local expert who is well-respected but not certified. They each offered slightly different ranges for the first arrival of insects at the death scene. Most placed them in mid-February.

"How can everyone come to different numbers in your field?" Dusek demanded.

Hall said "biological variation" in the insects led to some differences in results, but he claimed there was an overwhelming and unusual "concordance" among the experts that Danielle's body was first infested in mid-February, when Westerfield has an air-tight alibi.

"My conclusion would be the estimates are more consistent than inconsistent," said Hall.

"Are you saying close enough for a murder case?" Dusek shot back

"No — ," Hall uttered before Judge William Mudd ordered him not to answer the question further.

Some of the jurors, who have heard days of testimony about maggots, blowflies and puparia, seemed bored by the exchange while others continued taking detailed notes. One male juror seemed to sympathize with Dusek and shook him head in agreement as the prosecutor became impatient with Hall's long-winded answers.

Hall may be the final witness the panel hears. Westerfield's lead attorney, Steven Feldman, said the defense will decide this weekend whether to call one more witness, a forensic anthropologist to testify briefly about the time of death issue. If the defense does not call that expert, lawyers will deliver closing arguments Tuesday. If they do, he will testify Tuesday and arguments will begin Wednesday morning.

Westerfield, a 50-year-old engineer who lived two doors from the van Dam family in the upper middle class suburb of Sabre Springs, faces the death penalty if convicted. Someone snatched Danielle from her canopy bed during the night of Feb. 1. Searchers found her body Feb. 27 on the trash-strewn roadway about 25 miles from her house. Her body was too badly decomposed to determine when or how she died, but prosecutors theorize Westerfield raped and suffocated her and then dumped her body during a meandering 560-mile road trip in his recreational vehicle the weekend after her disappearance.

The trial initially focused on significant trace evidence implicating Westerfield, including Danielle's blood, fingerprints and hair inside his RV, and on child pornography on his computers. But the insect testimony has dominated the later part of the trial. Dusek called his own bug expert Tuesday, but that entomologist made basic math errors in his calculations and ultimately gave findings that did not neatly fit the prosecution's theory.

Hall estimated that the first flies colonized Danielle's body, a process that can happen within minutes or hours of death, occurred between Feb. 12 and Feb. 23. Police began round-the-clock surveillance of Westerfield Feb. 5.

Hall also dismissed the prosecutor's suggestion hot, dry weather in February quickly mummified the exterior of Danielle's body, making it initially inhospitable to bugs. A forensic anthropologist testified for the prosecution last week that the flies and maggots may only have arrived after scavenger animals opened her body, skewing the insect evidence found at the scene.

Hall, however, said such a scenario was unheard of in forensic entomology.

"I'd expect fly activity to occur almost as soon as the body presented itself," said Hall, whose father, also an entomologist, wrote the textbook "Blowflies of North America. "

"Partial mummification has little or no effect on blowfly colonization," he added.

During his cross-examination, Dusek alternated between dismissing the field outright and delving into the most minute details of forensic entomologist's work. He quizzed Hall about each of the different formulas the scientist had merged to determine the growth rate of maggots and pointed out that one approach, when taken alone, indicated Danielle's body could have been dumped in early February when Westerfield's whereabouts are unaccounted.

Hall acknowledged Dusek was right, but said taking into account the other data sets yielded the most accurate result.

Dusek also grilled Hall about the lack of insect activity in the head area. Hall and the other entomologists said bugs are usually drawn first to the ears, eyes, and mouth, but Danielle's remains showed infestation primarily in the chest cavity. The prosecution contends this supports their mummification theory, and Hall admitted he could not explain why the insects stayed clear of the head.

Westerfield seemed to follow the testimony intently, leaning close as his defense lawyers conferred on questions for Hall. Brenda and Damon van Dam, Danielle's parents, sat in what have become their usual seats in the last row of the small courtroom.



TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: bugguys; daniellevandam; davidwesterfield
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To: hoosiermama
I'm copying this from another post, so...

Juror #1 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 2 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 #3. 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 #4. 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 #5. 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 #6. 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 #7. 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 #8. 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 #9. 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 #10. 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 #11. 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 #12. 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."


I've been meaning to go an read Neal's testimony, I haven't had a chance. I think that when Feldman called the police officer to testify that Neal told him in an interview that he was looking at porn proves that Neal did lie on the stand. He was in a bad position,but he should have told the truth. The prosecution brought on the Porn charges and the defense has to rebutt it. Its not a nice thing at all.





681 posted on 08/04/2002 8:09:52 PM PDT by gigi
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To: fatima
...and also to try to guess at a password.

Thanks for the reminder about the laptop and Feldman's attempt to have Neal access one of those websites.

682 posted on 08/04/2002 8:10:47 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: I. Ben Hurt
Thanks, I've been out of the loop this weekend.
683 posted on 08/04/2002 8:15:48 PM PDT by gigi
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To: gigi
Thanks GiGI, GO to post 660 for a link to Neal's testimony. Scroll down to it.
684 posted on 08/04/2002 8:18:18 PM PDT by hoosiermama
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To: I. Ben Hurt
I've heard little to nothing on DW's daughter.
685 posted on 08/04/2002 8:20:13 PM PDT by gigi
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To: hoosiermama
Why do you find it suspicious? It sound pretty normal to me.

Well, there are several things that I think about this particular sequence of events and what Westerfield says and doesn't say when he talks to the police.

1) I don't find it odd that he would have his son check the house. Neal did, going in to actually put a flyer about Danielle in the kitchen. He said he left the house locked up.

2) DW tells the police he returns to the neighborhood after 3:30, talks to the neighbors, then goes to his house and decided to check the pool (fine) and then says the side door was unlocked. He hints "someone" (the cop asks if he thought maybe the little girl) could have gotten in his house. I think--is he setting up a reason any evidence in the house came to be there?

He further says that this (the "unlocked door") was a mistake but not unusual. I say, hmmmmmmm. Why isn't he telling the police about Neal locking the house, and why would a door supposedly be unlocked and DW says he doesn't intentionally leave the door unlocked but has in the past. See? Something is wrong here.

3) Calling his son to make sure the house is locked is the sign of a man who values security and, IMO, would be very unlikely to leave his MH unlocked while it was unattended during a long period of time. Long enough, say, for a neighbor to wander in and play.

Just my impression of that. John Jamieson thinks I'm analyzing it too much. I will be interested to see what Dusek says, if anything, about it in his closing argument.

686 posted on 08/04/2002 8:21:51 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: cyncooper
Cyn the call to the daughter was before noon:
10 Q. ARE YOU ABLE TO ESTIMATE ABOUT WHAT TIME YOU LEFT11 LYNN LANG'S RESIDENCE?12 A. 11:30.13 Q. AND YOU WENT DIRECTLY HOME?14 A. YES.15 Q. WAS ANYBODY AT HOME?16 A. YES.17 Q. WHO?18 A. MY SISTER.19 Q. HER NAME?20 A. LISA WESTERFIELD.21 Q. IS SHE OLDER THAN YOU?22 A. YES.23 Q. WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU GOT HOME, SIR?24 A. SHE WAS PREPARING FOR WORK AND I WENT BACK TO PLAY25 ON THE COMPUTER.26 Q. AT YOUR MOTHER'S HOUSE?27 A. YES.28 Q. WHOSE COMPUTER IS IT?

Neal went with his mother to do some errands afternoon and didn't get back until five o'clock. It IS possible that Westerfiled actually got back to the house BEFORE Neal got there to check the doors. He and his mother went to Michaels (I can spend hours there) and stopped other places before going to WD house.

Neighbors testified to talking to Wd around 3:30. Neal and mother only made one more stop, bookstore before getting home at 5:00.

I too think you may be reading in something that just isn't there, but I'm not certain why you think it is important...Sorry
687 posted on 08/04/2002 8:32:34 PM PDT by hoosiermama
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To: cyncooper
PS. Remembering to lock a door is an insurance thing if you have a pool that can be accessed thru it. When two or more adults come and go in a house, door get unlocked (and locked*) when they shouldn't. I often leave my house unlocked if I'm just out-and-about; but lock it if I know I'll be gone a couple of days. I don't have any value one way or other on security. COuldn't tell you right now if my doors are locked.Know it "Should be locked" but often forget, therefore I see nothing suspicious about his testimony.

* Don't ask how many times one of us has crawled through "the second story window" LOL
688 posted on 08/04/2002 8:43:28 PM PDT by hoosiermama
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To: hoosiermama
I too think you may be reading in something that just isn't there, but I'm not certain why you think it is important...Sorry

Fair enough.

(I enjoy Michael's too, though I'm not a "craft" person, I like their frames and baskets)

689 posted on 08/04/2002 8:44:34 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: I. Ben Hurt
Neal is well alibi'd for that night. The porn is what remains in question.
690 posted on 08/04/2002 8:45:24 PM PDT by Jaded
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To: FresnoDA
Hey Fresno,

How about a prize for our 666 winner tonight?

691 posted on 08/04/2002 8:47:33 PM PDT by demsux
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To: cyncooper
Frames? Do you paint? I do. Prefer to buy old baskets or ones that I know the weaver. Lot's of Amish ones nearby. I have a ladder full of "fanny baskets"
692 posted on 08/04/2002 8:48:22 PM PDT by hoosiermama
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To: cyncooper
I have two boys and unfortunately have had the experience with them looking at porn. One of them typed in sex in a search engine and they explored from there. My husband caught them.
It wasn't pretty....

Plus a day before this happened, I was bragging to a friend that our computer was in the family room, and the boys didn't have a computer in their room, so there was no way they could be looking at that kind of stuff. Well they were!! Right under my nose!! How embarrasing!!! My Angels!! HAH!

Because they were doing that, "Teen Sluts" found it's way into one's email. I'm not sure what my husband did, but he put a "guard" on our computer. It didn't work too well because I typed in a web address and a porn page came up.
I always thought you had to pay to see anything... well I was WRONG!!! and disgusted at what I saw.
UGG!!
693 posted on 08/04/2002 8:48:28 PM PDT by gigi
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To: hoosiermama
* Don't ask how many times one of us has crawled through "the second story window" LOL

Heheh

694 posted on 08/04/2002 8:48:43 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: I. Ben Hurt; gigi
The daughter is 20 or 21, in college, has her own place. Well she did. Don't think she enters into any current or recent custody arrangements. Other than that no one has really heard anything about her. The divorce was final in 1996.
695 posted on 08/04/2002 8:48:50 PM PDT by Jaded
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To: demsux; FresnoDA
I have cross ready to ricochet it back to you!
696 posted on 08/04/2002 8:50:32 PM PDT by hoosiermama
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To: cyncooper
But it did. SOme of it was found on Neal's computer. Some of it was accessed through Neal's hot mail account. He's a normal 18 year old. The only thing Feldman did, or rather didn't was cross Neal and prove he perjured himself. I would assume, that was David's orders regarding Neal.
697 posted on 08/04/2002 8:51:19 PM PDT by Jaded
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To: hoosiermama
Michael's GooooD!!! I can spend hours there too. Especially with the holidays coming.
698 posted on 08/04/2002 8:53:25 PM PDT by gigi
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To: hoosiermama
Isn't it eerie...
699 posted on 08/04/2002 8:53:27 PM PDT by demsux
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To: hoosiermama
Frames? Do you paint?

Other than wielding a spray can or roller, no, LOL.

I like their assortment of finished frames and mats.

Oh, and I don't bake alot either, but my in-laws are truly artists when it comes to cakes and cookies, so I love shopping for their Christmas presents there. All the coloring pastes and cake molds and stuff.

700 posted on 08/04/2002 8:54:17 PM PDT by cyncooper
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