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In taped interrogation, Westerfield tells police 'my life is over'
San Diego Union Tribune ^ | January 7, 2003

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.


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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
Does this mean you have "reasonable" doubt? Or would you like to tell me your reason for following this thread? That way I wouldn't have to make the logical assumption.
1,481 posted on 02/03/2003 8:47:54 PM PST by demsux
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
I've not seen you participate in the bs that goes on.

Actually, the only bs I see here is when someone tries to discuss the case and the whole VanDamClan shows up to hurl insults.

1,482 posted on 02/03/2003 8:48:54 PM PST by countess
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To: redlipstick
(I'm just relieved they haven't guessed that I'm actually David Westerfield's 1st ex-wife!)

Westerfield was married to Nancy Grace?????

1,483 posted on 02/03/2003 8:50:06 PM PST by demsux
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To: demsux
Are you saying that only people who have reasonable doubt can post here?

I don't check the thread daily anymore..haven't a long time.

I do want to follow the case, but my motives have changed.. It use to be because I believed he was more guilty than not guilty..but I wasn't 100% positive. Now i want to figure out why others don't see what the jury saw. You don't see me in here cramming my opinions down your throat.
1,484 posted on 02/03/2003 8:50:49 PM PST by Freedom2specul8
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To: demsux
I can see it's time for the hourly post.
1,485 posted on 02/03/2003 8:52:38 PM PST by countess
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
Are you saying that only people who have reasonable doubt can post here?

Nope, just can't understand why you, cyncooper or reddipstick do...

1,486 posted on 02/03/2003 8:54:28 PM PST by demsux
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To: countess
As ucansee2 and some others have pointed out.. there is need for discussion between both sides..but something keeps getting in the way.
1,487 posted on 02/03/2003 8:56:03 PM PST by Freedom2specul8
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To: demsux
From my standpoint...

"i want to figure out why others don't see what the jury saw. "

G'nite...


1,488 posted on 02/03/2003 8:57:16 PM PST by Freedom2specul8
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
BTW, go ahead and post any freepmails from me.

Mighty cowardly friend you have there, kimmie...allows his/her freepmail to be posted, but doesn't have the nads to own up to it...very classy

1,489 posted on 02/03/2003 8:57:39 PM PST by demsux
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To: countess
Can't do the hourly post right now, Courtv coming on!
1,490 posted on 02/03/2003 9:00:19 PM PST by demsux
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To: demsux
Dems, if that person revealed it, then that person would have been out of the loop. That person didn't want to be out of the loop.
1,491 posted on 02/03/2003 9:00:28 PM PST by Freedom2specul8
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
Like I said, classy freeper
1,492 posted on 02/03/2003 9:01:05 PM PST by demsux
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
I've not seen you participate in the bs that goes on.

What a wimpy little mole. Obviously, you like people like that.

1,493 posted on 02/03/2003 9:03:23 PM PST by countess
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To: demsux
Depends on your definition of class I guess. I would suggest that the messages he was receiving were classless.

G'nite for real!
1,494 posted on 02/03/2003 9:04:38 PM PST by Freedom2specul8
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To: countess
see my last post..

g'nite
1,495 posted on 02/03/2003 9:05:00 PM PST by Freedom2specul8
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To: demsux
btw, I used the pronoun he in the generic sense..
1,496 posted on 02/03/2003 9:06:13 PM PST by Freedom2specul8
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
Good night!
1,497 posted on 02/03/2003 9:07:29 PM PST by countess
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
FWIW, I don't care about your sophmoric freep mail exchanges, but remember this...you lay down with dogs and you will get fleas.

AND I still think your "source" is a spineless, cowardly, butt-kisser...

Nite

1,498 posted on 02/03/2003 9:11:21 PM PST by demsux
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To: demsux
She's probably making it up.
1,499 posted on 02/03/2003 9:12:22 PM PST by Jrabbit
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To: demsux
One thing I've never understood was the area where Danielle's body was left. As I picture it, it's at the top of a steep cliff that would have been very difficult to climb on your own and nearly impossible carrying a body. Plus the obvious chance of being observed. I read there's a dirt (bike) path at the top that had a big motor home been driven up there, it would have had to back the entire way to the main road. Why, with all the other places more convenient and possibly the body never discovered, would DW put it there. Makes no sense. One of many questions I still have.
1,500 posted on 02/03/2003 9:13:17 PM PST by I. Ben Hurt
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