In taped interrogation, Westerfield tells police 'my life is over'

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | January 7, 2003

[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.

[Freedom2specul8]

Isn't that a bit unprofessional for him to do that?

[UCANSEE2]

That would be the most logical.

[UCANSEE2]

Did you read the whole thing?

[Valpal1]

Yes, no, maybe, He's just a liberal, anti death penalty, pro dope smoking hippy lawyer.

I found it quite funny, displaying sardonic humor, reminding them that this capital case requires prompt and complete discovery.

[UCANSEE2]

george johnson told police he heard stomping, banging, screaming and yelling and noises from a young girl coming from the parked motorhome. He said he then saw westerfield sitting on the edge of the drivers seat, pale and breathing heavily

Turns out this witness was not a credible witness as multiple credible witnesses place DW at a different campground at the time Mr. Johnson said he was witnessing this at Coronado Cmpgrnds. The intent of Prosecution was to put this in later to inflame the jury emotionally due to the description of stomping, yelling, etc of a young girl. In otherwords MORE BULLSHIT, designed to INFLUENCE the case with INVALID information. Anyone care to tell me that is not exactly what that document says?????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[UCANSEE2]

reminding them that this capital case requires prompt and complete discovery.

And yet....

[Freedom2specul8]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/danielle/documents/SCN_20030109150457_001.pdf


Prosecution believes that westerfield is a peeping tom
wants the binoculars introduced into evidence.

His 2nd wife thought he was a peeping tom--and that he probably did so at least 10 occasions

Neighbor lady suspected him of watching her doing treadmill
cuz he mentioned it

several 8mm homemade tapes seized: one tape shows the bathroom window of a neighbor lady

another tape is where he secretly recorded himself having sex w/a woman..he is attempting to use a "black flashlight" on the woman. *iick* The woman did not appear to know she was being taped.

police noticed the window screen bent

[Freedom2specul8]

I should have wrote that defense thought that prosecution wouldn't want to use them because of the differing time lines..

[UCANSEE2]

You kinda mentioned that in the last sentence of your paraphrased or summarized qoute. I just thought it was unclear and wanted to restate it with my own clarification.

[UCANSEE2]

Ok. I'm gonna play ignorant.

another tape is where he secretly recorded himself having sex w/a woman..he is attempting to use a "black flashlight" on the woman. *iick* The woman did not appear to know she was being taped.

Just where can I buy one of these black flashlights? One that enables me to take videos without the person knowing?

[Freedom2specul8]

I wish I had a piece of paper... outlinea showing ALL the timelines. DW's timeline.. the cops time line, the van dam's time line... the witnesses timeline to compare.

No one knows the exact time of death...

[Freedom2specul8]

You dork... lol

[UCANSEE2]

Kim. can you give me link and page. Wanna look see.
Thanks.

[UCANSEE2]

snarf, snarf.

[Valpal1]

That was bad, so bad. Shame on you.

This man is a pig, and a child killer.

[UCANSEE2]

No one knows the exact time of death...

So far two possibilities.

1. George Johnson. 10:30am Saturday.

2. The two Mexicans, one wearing a white hat, both in a red truck.

[Freedom2specul8]

here's a pic just for you

[UCANSEE2]

Am I getting this information mixed up. I haven't read the document. Kim's remark was about using a black flashlight, I thought she meant using some kind of UV light to be able to videotape in the dark. Are you saying he used the flashlight for sexual purposes?

[Valpal1]

No one knows the exact time of death...

DW knows, and God knows. On judgement day DW will find Danielle sitting on God's lap. That is the only consolation in this sordid case.

[Freedom2specul8]

One thing for sure...his character is bad and he enjoys doing things in the dark, under "stealth".