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.

[Yeti]

When the main logic board (controller??) has the chips reseated it will not give an error on the first power-up, but fails after being shut off once.

I was hoping to find a defective chip. Sending the board off is too expensive.

OK, this one is consistent with intermediate EE skills, but inconsistent with thinking his time is worth anything. He is removing and reseating chips....

[the-gooroo]

FREEPERS ARE SO AWESOME!!! Do you think there's even ONE investigative reporter that is working half as hard as we are? You guys are great and I feel it's a priviledge to be a part of this group. That includes people on both sides of this issue. It's never boring in here that's for sure. :)

[pinz-n-needlez]

IIRC, the judge in the ph took both of the boys into his chambers without a court reporter and no other adults.

No idea what he asked or what their answers were. That was the judge, though, who said something to the effect that Dusek presented enough evidence to show dw could have done it.

[pinz-n-needlez]

Well stated.

Is anyone saving these threads so that the good info isn't lost when flamers come on and then get the threads pulled?

Did anyone manage to save the one from the other night?

[rolling_stone]

Hate to tell you I told you so, but that was my take when Mudd was "selected" for the case. Media sees what they want to see IMO. Lots more needs to be seen to be believed, like hiding discovery (don't know anything about this case, just in general)...Brady is being circumvented IMHO by not checking possible exculpatory evidence and at times hiding the ball. IMO it truly is an adversarial situation, and the search for the truth is not on the top of the list of priorities.

If anything really positive can come out of this case it is some changes in Investigation & Prosecution IMO. Do taxpayers want fairness or convictions? Looking at the different forums, you can see those that distrust the govt lean towards not guilty and those that believe everything put in front of them seem to lean toward guilty, JMHO, of course their are exceptions...

I can now better understand how certain groups of people have felt unfairly treated in the past, as it's perception(right or wrong)seems to have spread it's tenacles..

[dread78645]

I was thinking(uh-oh)...Give that DW is an EE, and given that his posts read like an electrical lay-person(doesn't know what kind of batteries will work with what, etc ...) I have to wonder...

ITYM PDvD. He is an EE and can't spell for shi+ (battry, akline ?).

[Krodg]

I probably missed a lot of them in the beginning, but I have the most recent ones starting sometime in June.

[Bluebird Singing]

Derek looks like a strong fellow, and at 10 years of age he's a bit taller that Danielle. He probably would have no problem with the RV door.

[dread78645]

Did anyone manage to save the one from the other night?

It's still there

[sawsalimb]

I noticed that too(the spelling). You know,can anyone check to see if VanDam is a registered professional engineer? I'm starting to think that he might have an EE degree,but just possibly has spent his career in a sales slot,or something like that. To me,he comes across as "sales",not "design". I know that the papers say he's an engineer working for a communications company,but just looking at the pictures of him,I say "sales."

[small_l_libertarian]

Brady is being circumvented IMHO by not checking possible exculpatory evidence and at times hiding the ball. Very good comment. I agree that the prosecution effectively "hid" exculpatory evidence, and got away with it. So sad.

[Yeti]

ITYM PDvD

You're right, I did...

But it wasn't until I reread my post and your response several times that I was able to infer the meaning of ITYM:)

[pinz-n-needlez]

Good thinking, K.

Kudos!

[Yeti]

You know,can anyone check to see if VanDam is a registered professional engineer? I'm starting to think that he might have an EE degree,but just possibly has spent his career in a sales slot,or something like that.

I thought he was the sales or management type also.

[dread78645]

I know that the papers say he's an engineer working for a communications company,but just looking at the pictures of him,I say "sales."

IIRC, he was contract QA.
Not normally the high-light of a engineering career.

[the-gooroo]

Good point! You can just imagine the scenario---a few of the neighborhood kids playing outside. 'Go in there and see what it's like" -- "No, you go" -- "Danielle, I'll open the door and you go in first. I dare you."-- "Only if you come with me"

[sawsalimb]

Just spent the past few minutes Googling up some PE associations,and couldn't get any hits. That probably doesn't mean much,since there are more professional engineers' organizations than a stick can be shaken at. I was under the impression that VanDam was an electrical engineer-can anyone confirm this,or correct me if my impression is wrong?(Am out of cigarettes and having nicotine fits-will be back shortly)

[dread78645]

But it wasn't until I reread my post and your response several times that I was able to infer the meaning of ITYM:)

Sorry, old habits and all ...

USENET is not dead, it just smells that way sometimes.
;->

[sunshine state]

First, I think we would need to find out if Damon's family lived in the Broward/Miami-Dade area back then. If you know his parents names you could do a search of the public records. Problem is, they probably aren't on line all the way back to the early 80s. The document # could be online, but the actual document probably hasn't been scanned. You'd have to go to the Courthouse and ask to look through the microfilm.

[mouser]

you may of hit the nail on the head
i have long thought the body had to be placet at dump site just after death because of bugs even a refrig with a less than perfect seal would not keep them out but cedar will naturally keep the bugs at bay

i see a new episode of "csi" comming up