Jury begins deliberations -Prosecutor says victim has pointed to her killer (keep it civil)

UNION-TRIBUNE signonsandiego.com ^ | August 9, 2002 | Alex Roth

[dread78645]

Jurors in the David Westerfield trial began deliberating yesterday after hearing a final statement from the lead prosecutor, who beamed a photo of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam onto the wall and urged the jury to focus on the physical evidence.

Finishing closing arguments in the two-month murder trial, prosecutor Jeff Dusek called a blood spot on Westerfield's jacket the "smoking gun." And Dusek imagined what Danielle might tell the jury if someone could bring her back to life "just for a moment" so she could answer the question, "Please tell us who did this to you."

"I've already told you," Dusek said the girl would tell the jury. "I've told you with my hair and where you found it. I've told you with the orange fiber that you found on my choker, and where you found it.

[small_l_libertarian]

The only things I can find about Damon's friend are that he's from Florida and is a high school friend of Damon's.

Haven't found a name. Have only found 3 articles so far about Damon's Wild Ride at all.

Question, though. Why would a high school friend help you dump a body?

[small_l_libertarian]

You're going to like my tentative answer, but I have to go figure out a way to zoom in on this map.

South out of Poway (right past Dehesa) to I-8 to Ocotillo.

I'm gonna go see if I can get closer on the map.

[John Jamieson]

1 hour and 48 minutes, Poway to El Cajon to Ocotillo. 83 miles, right past Dehesa!

[hoosiermama]

Maybe they were involved in something else when young. They could trust each other to not tell (lie)or the other would open up to the LE about other matters. Now what could that be?

[Politicalmom]

I believe the working theory is, these high school kids had something to do with the death of Adam Walsh, so the friend HAD to help Damon dispose of Danielle.

[sawsalimb]

According to my 2 year old edition of "Streets and trips",Poway to Ocotillo is a 1 hour and 27 minute drive,with a shade over 60 miles on I 8.

[John Jamieson]

Needed money or a late model van? Maybe the guy just got out of jail and needed a fresh start? Maybe he and Damon had done jobs together in the past.

[hoosiermama]

I keep hearing that theory, but haven't seen any thing to back it up. Is there evidence somewhere?

[Krodg]

How do we know when Damon actually left home that morning?

[the-gooroo]

I don't think I heard any objections, hope I'm wrong. In fact I remember screaming at Dusek on TV while he was pounding on the table and wondering why Feldman wasn't up doing the same. If Feldman had tried a stunt similar to that (like accusing vd's of something) Mudd would have jumped in and stopped it with no prodding from Dusek.

[John Jamieson]

We don't know the exact time, but we do know that he couldn't have made in Ocotillo in time to put up the banner, unless he left at or before sunrise. The press said he started "pre-dawn".

[John Jamieson]

Saturday was the 16th, not the 15th.

[Politicalmom]

I am not following it, but the list of people who have been near the Demon who have gone missing is staggering.

Remember those people who were pointing out some other little girl that went missing somewhere near DW? ("What are the chances of that happening TWICE to the same person?" More stupid statistics....)

Well, since the Demon list is growing longer and longer, I haven't heard a peep out of them.

[small_l_libertarian]

Dehesa is just south of I-8. I think this link will take you to a pretty good view (I hope!).

http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&addr=dehesa&city=El+Cajon&state=CA&csz=El+Cajon,+CA&slt=32.782300&sln=-116.876200&mlt=32.756823&mln=-116.921825&zip=&country=us&BFKey=&BFCat=&BFClient=&mag=7&cs=9&name=&desc=&off=w&poititle=&poi=&ds=n

CA-67 is the road south out of Poway - you'll find it at the top of this map.

[John Jamieson]

Got it!

[small_l_libertarian]

Ooooooh. The Adam Walsh thing just gave me goosebumps. I'll withdraw my question - there are good reasons to help a high school friend hide a body. (Of course, we have no idea that this is true, just that it would be a reason that someone would help hide a body.)

[Krodg]

Perhaps the friend was staying at a motel in El Cajon and met Damon after he dumped Danielle.

[small_l_libertarian]

Oh, dear heavens. The mind boggles, doesn't it? I had pretty much convinced myself that Damon and Brenda were only guilty of being self-absorbed jerks, but now I'm not so sure (again).

[pinz-n-needlez]

Have you read the article on unposted.com about the teens playing video games at Sears? I wonder if any of them were named Damon, or were the name of his high school buddy.

Such a coincidence would sure explain a life and death pledge of silence, AND help in dumping a body.

[John Jamieson]

We know Damon loves video games.