Mudd Letters Opened To Public: Van Dam Jurors Continue to Mull and Ponder Westerfield's Fate! 8-15

Union Trib ^ | August 15, 2002 | Union Trib

[FresnoDA]

Letters to judge opened to public

SIGNONSANDIEGO

August 14, 2002

The judge in the trial of David Westerfield today allowed reporters to see court log entries of notes from jurors, as well as letters to the judge from the public about the murder of Danielle van Dam.

The letters from the public included a variety of theories about the case.

Jurors ask to review pictures, interview

One letter-writer sent the following theory to Judge William Mudd: "Danielle van Dam killed herself.''

A nearly illegible postcard with a Spokane postmark alluded to at least one ex-wife "with a drinking problem (who) lives in Spokane.''

 

DAN TREVAN / Union-Tribune

Some of the folders of documents made public by Judge William Mudd.

The writer failed to indicate whether the reference was to ex-wives of Westerfield – who has been married and divorced twice – or someone else connected with the case.

The postcard was unsigned.

Another missive came from a man who referenced another high-profile murder trial – that of O.J. Simpson.

"The O.J. Simpson case was a miscarriage of the state's justice mainly because Judge (Lance) Ito was too lenient with the actors defending O.J.,'' the man wrote.

There was no news Wednesday afternoon about the status of deliberations, but Mudd announced he was holding a sealed hearing 9:30 a.m. Thursday to consider an unspecified defense motion in the case.

Wednesday was the fifth day of deliberations. The prosecution concluded its closing arguments last Thursday.

Westerfield is accused of kidnapping 7-year-old Danielle van Dam from her Sabre Springs home and killing her.

He could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted of murder with special circumstances.

He has also been charged with misdemeanor possession of child pornography.

The log entries show that on Friday, the jury requested ``all available evidence of pornographic images'' and a photograph of a teen-age daughter of the defendant's ex-girlfriend.

[FresnoDA]

Closed fists also cause nose bleeds...ask The Demon...

[hoosiermama]

So does running into Demon's shin. Ask Layla!

[the Deejay]

Yeah, I do think I have quite a visual of Demon.
I do think he's a hothead. He confirmed my suspicions
of this, by his actions that got him 86'd from the
courtroom.

[small_l_libertarian]

Could Ott have planted the blood on DW's jacket? He was at the cleaners (the clerk testified that he was there around that time), we see that there's all this info all over this receipt (picture from Preliminary Hearing, not trial), but the receipt Torgersen identified at the trial didn't have any identifying marks on it at all.

Ott told him to go to Twin Peaks, after he had already spent a day driving around. Was it after Ott was there Who found the receipt in the SUV? Was Ott at the VD's?

My head is spinning and I can't think straight. Was Ott in the MH?

[NatureGirl]

Never mind. I looked it up. I should have known it was Kosh, but it seemed like a lot of words for him to say!

Nice to see another B5 fan here.

[Rheo]

No one would ever come out and say Ott was in the MH...couldn't recall, can't remember who was all there, etc.

[small_l_libertarian]

What do you think of my half-baked theory?

[KnutCase]

I missed yur half-baked theory. What's the post # ????

[demsux]

Denise said the dope was barbara's....fwiw

[connectthedots]

I am a-beginnin' to wonder...thats all one hears is 'going for the "win"'. Do these people have consciences?

My vote for rhetorical question of the year!

[hoosiermama]

BUT Barb wasn't the dealer in the group?

[small_l_libertarian]

My revelation is at #541. I think Ott could have planted the blood on DW's jacket. I need to know whether he was in the VD home, though, to have access to Danielle's blood (in her room). Rheo says no one ever said whether he was in the MH. I think Torgersen had a different receipt than what was actually found in the SUV (need to know who found it, or if Ott was there to know about it). Torgersen testified in court that the receipt had no identifying marks on it, but I found a photo of DW's receipt from the Preliminary Hearing with everything on it - need to check the testimony to see how it's identified.

I NEED for someone to poke holes in this thing. After my revelation, my heart is pounding and my head is spinning. Can't think straight at all.

[demsux]

Patricia Lee Kuzara, 7, of Putney Road in Poway, was walking home from her baby-sitter's house the evening of Sept. 28, 1974. Her body was found in a field off Midland Road the next day. The day after that, the 40-inch-long piece of iron used to bludgeon her was found near Community Road. Her killer was never found. Doesn't Bill Libby live off Community Road?

[the Deejay]

"Denise said the dope was barbara's"?????

H'uh? BVD said it was from the sucker coach.

[Rheo]

I still have many questions surrounding Ott and the dry cleaners.

Ott is at the dry cleaners sometime in this period....DW's stuff is entered into the system sometime after DW left..she can't remember when she really did it....his clothes are assigned to some other person for a period of time...the printer doesn't work right, then it does....a blank receipt is given to the customer while the internal ones have all the info....Ott tells Torgerson it is Twin Peaks cuz he recognizes a receipt with NO info??

You may be right....Ott had opportunity and means...and he has a past of creating false evidence.

But why not plant something on DW for which there could be no explanation??..pj's in his house or a toy of hers or something??

[RnMomof7]

AND LET'S SEE. LITTLE LEAGUE COACHES, like one of the pizza partiers !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??! The one that had the POT ?



Hey ya never know????

[Rheo]

But Brenda testified she got it from Rich but couldn't remember exactly when.

[domestice]

Hi! Are you NatureGirl on refugee too, or a different name?
My brain gets confused sometimes...:-)

Yes, I do recall that on the refugee board. I had thought that too. However, It crossed my mind that one of the reasons DW went ahead w/ the speedy trial, is that he felt his life may have been in jeapordy...and sitting around in jail for months, maybe years, waiting for trial to begin.......who knows what would happen.

I was speculating as to why DW would have wanted a speedy trial since, evidentally, the lack of time for preparation, caused problems getting all of the evidence.

I think on both the prosecution & defense camps.

Were you the one who did the (wink wink)...I had to borrow that!! thanks!

[the Deejay]

Oh me, if Layla could only talk. This case would
have been solved long before DW came home that
weekend.

Layla knows exactly what happened that night.

[domestice]

Thanks for the info..don't know if I can take it either!