[FresnoDA]

Jury reviews porn movies, photos

David Westerfield faces the death penalty if convicted of murdering 7-year-old Danielle van Dam.

By Harriet Ryan
Court TV

SAN DIEGO — Jurors deciding David Westerfield's fate have spent part of their deliberations reviewing pornographic movies depicting the rape of young girls.

The panel of six men and six women, who began their fifth day of deliberations Wednesday, requested the pornography evidence seized from Westerfield's home. The request was made Friday morning, according to court minutes, and 35 minutes later, the foreman sent a follow-up note asking for snapshots of Danielle L., the teenage daughter of Westerfield's former girlfriend.

Prosecutors suggested during the trial that jurors could find a motive for Danielle van Dam's abduction and murder in the pornography and in the pictures of the girl, identified as Danielle L., poolside in a bikini. The defense suggested. however, that the pornography belonged to Westerfield's 18-year-old son and the photos of Danielle L. were just innocent snapshots. When prosecutors played the rape movies during the trial, several jurors burst into tears.

Westerfield faces the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors alleged during the two-month trial that Westerfield was a budding pedophile who graduated from downloading child pornography to kidnapping, raping and killing his 7-year-old neighbor.

The notes, released Wednesday, are signed by the foreman, Juror 10, an accountant and father of an infant son. During jury selection, the foreman told lawyers he thought capital punishment was a deterrent to crime.

The panel asked Tuesday to rehear Westerfield's audiotaped interview with a police interrogation specialist.

[Jrabbit]

HELP! I'm stuck on this thread and I can't get off! Diggler has fallen and can't get up!

[SilentWitness]

A sunny hello from Poway, CA!

How was your weekend. Sorry it took me so long to respond; been busy.

I was thinking of Olive Garden Road here in Poway where we bought some things at a yard sale when we first moved here. However, I did locate William Libby ‘s house on 9750 Oviedo Road in Rancho Penasquitos a few miles away. Windows were open but no indication of “Embedded Inc”. Halfway up on Oviedo, we had to slow down and wait for a vulture to move off the road; too weird!

Did a drive by DW’s house on Mountain Pass. The door was open but no one came out to say hello (grin).

I have a question about the charge of possession of child porn. Doesn’t the DA’s office have to prove that any girl depicted was under the age of 18 at the time of the filming? How would a juror know that a girl just turned 18, 24 hours prior or 24 hours after? Take the example of “Passion”. He was an actor who honest to God looks like he was 10 years old. He was 20 (just passed away).

Thanks.

[VRWC_minion]

hen prosecutors played the rape movies during the trial, several jurors burst into tears.

Wow.

[carenot]

As I have said, I am new to this investigation. But I have not read this,Jurors deciding David Westerfield's fate have spent part of their deliberations reviewing pornographic movies depicting the rape of young girls.

Were there videos of girls or women being raped?