Posted on 01/08/2003 9:24:19 AM PST by TomB
In a videotaped interrogation with San Diego police detectives four days after Danielle van Dam was kidnapped, an exhausted David Westerfield says "my life is over," seemingly coming close to an admission that he murdered his 7-year-old neighbor.
"As far as I'm concerned my life is over, the life that I had, the life that I was living is over," Westerfield says in the interrogation conducted the evening of Feb. 5, 2002. Danielle was last seen the night of Feb. 1.
"But you can't blame anyone but yourself, Dave," answers one of the police detectives.
"And I have no problem with that," Westerfield replies.
In the tapes released Tuesday, Westerfield admits "unusual" sexual encounters with his wife, denies anything improper about his alleged use of binoculars to watch neighbors and says the child pornography found on his computer was simply something he downloaded along with a lot of other pornographic images and that he had no sexual interest in children.
Superior Court Judge William Mudd agreed Monday to unseal the videotape along with hundreds of pages of transcripts, documents and recordings in the Westerfield case, as well as transcripts of police interrogations and court hearings conducted in secret.
Some of the material – audiotape and videotape of Westerfield being interrogated during the early stages of the investigation – was released Tuesday afternoon.
The remainder of the material, which ranges from transcripts of closed-door court hearings to motions regarding potential evidence, will be released Monday, Mudd ruled.
The ruling Monday came three days after Mudd sentenced the former design engineer to death for kidnapping and murdering 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, his neighbor in Sabre Springs.
Monday's court hearing came in response to a request by The San Diego Union-Tribune, which has been seeking access to the information for months. The San Diego-based 4th District Court of Appeal has ruled that Mudd must release the information.
The San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists made a donation to the legal costs.
Westerfield, who attended Monday's hearing, is scheduled to be moved within days to death row at San Quentin State Prison outside San Francisco.
During earlier court appearances, Westerfield was always dressed in civilian attire, but he appeared in court Monday in a green jail jumpsuit. He sat in a holding area so he couldn't be filmed by a television camera.
My problem with the dog hair was that Dulaney found over 100+ in MH..that were not similar to layla...she found 20+ she thought were similar, but only sent 2 to the lab..no DNA test done...and those 18+ she thought looked similar...she did not compare against Cielo, Precious or Donner, the other dogs that had been in the MH and could have gray/brown hairs with large ovoid hairs.
She did not testify that there are no other dogs but a weimaraner that could have that hair.
The parents lied to and misled police for the first 17 + hours after their daughter was reported missing.
A 60+ pound dog AND alarm system in the home.
TESTIMONY revealed that the Van Dams were involved in wife swapping, with at least one occassion taking place in the master bedroom, just down the hall from Danielle's bedroom.
Damon Van Dam admitted having sex with Barbara Easton at Easton's apartment...Damon also admitted that Barbara Easton came up to the master bedroom, got on the bed and "cuddled" with Damon at about 2:00 am ON THE NIGHT DANIELLE DISAPPEARED.
Two people at the bar, Cherokee Youngs (female) and Ryan Tyrol (male), complete strangers to the Van Dams, testified, under oath, that Brenda Van Dam invited them back to the Van Dam home ON THE NIGHT DANIELLE DISAPPEARED...they felt that it was for sex...btw, either Barbara or Brenda asked Cherokee "if she liked girls?".
The Van Dam's drug dealer and his ex-brother in law came over to the Van Dam home at about 2:00 am, after the bar closed.
The bug evidence indicated that the body was placed at Dehesa Rd. closer to Feb. 15-16, than Feb. 2-4. Westerfield was under constant surveillance BEFORE the 4th.
The lead detective was "not aware" that blood was discovered in the Van Dam stairwell and garage, until the preliminary hearing.
A spent bullet shell casing was found on the floor of the girls room one day after the room was thoroughly searched.
NO evidence of Westerfield in or around the Van Dam home.
Unmatched DNA mixed with Danielles DNA on the cuff of her pajama's. Westerfield excluded.
Unidentified fingerprint on bannister in the Van Dam home. Westerfield excluded.
Unidentified hair on Danielle's body. Westerfield excluded.
Pot use and drinking by the parents on the night Danielle disappeared.
Location of body: somebody wanted this body found...not buried or hidden...an illegal dumpsite...more like a serial killer...Westerfield was all over the county and desert and could have buried her in the desert.
International child porn ring broken up at virtually the same time as this event, with one of the perps living within walking distance of the bar, in POWAY.
Really, can you direct me to TESTIMONY or sworn affidavit (sp?) that says Damon passed the poly, or for that matter, Barbara, Rich or Keith?
Point out where these FACTS are exaggerated and/or hyped.
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