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]

Are you saying you didn't know that he was using it for sexual purposes?

[Freedom2specul8]

Very True.. :(

[Valpal1]

The light dawns, UCANSEEAFTERALL. Have you figured out that he is a sexual deviant yet?

[UCANSEE2]

see 418. I misunderstood your qoute about the light.

[Freedom2specul8]

NEW LINK FOR THE NEW DOCUMENTS.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/danielle/20030109-9999-docs_index.html

[UCANSEE2]

I haven't read that document yet. All I saw was your qoute and got "black light" then "didn't know they were being taped" as a mental picture. That is why I made that comment.

[Freedom2specul8]

Yeah, I figured that out..kind of funny ...

[UCANSEE2]

He seems to have some perversion based on insertion of objects. Sexually deviant, I would say yes, based on two instances that we seem to know of, so far. One self-admitted or ex-girlfriend statement, the other on tape. What document was this in. Well, it doesn't really matter, I trust you both on this.

[Valpal1]

It's okay, you naive and nice person. Just shows you've been staying out of the gutter.

It was excluded for being prejudicial. An excellent judgement call.

[Freedom2specul8]

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


and don't forget his fingers in his niece's mouth.

[UCANSEE2]

Well, I just read it. Wonder who the woman was? Seems like she is a sexual deviant also. No one mentioned that.

Also more proof of proclivity for voyuerism. Supportive but not unconditional proof of murder.

[Freedom2specul8]

ha...does that mean we've been in the gutter? :)

[Valpal1]

It is in a motion to exclude as prejudicial. Kim posted the link a bit earler.

Then there's the tooth rubbing of his neice, and Danielle's missing teeth.

And the shocking scope and content of his "collecting for congress".

[Freedom2specul8]

All adds up to serious character issues.

[Valpal1]

If you want to describe the research we've done and the slogging it out on these threads for the past 11 months as a gutter, yes.

My family can hardly wait for this to be really, really over.

[Freedom2specul8]

I can relate! I've had to "hide" it from family until last night. (just kidding of course)

I really do try to avoid dealing with it when they're around..but last night and tonight was an exception cuz I listened to the tapes on RR's show.

[Freedom2specul8]

I'm outta here for now...cya tomorrow..

[CW_Conservative]

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?

The prosecution was trying to show that Dave had "spied" on Danielle and learned how to get in the house without detection.

Supposedly, they have a 8mm tape of DW "attempting" to insert a "black flashlight" in somewhere. Whether or not he was successful is not stated.

But they somehow conclude that the women knew nothing about being videotaped or DW's use of a flashlight.

Since DW was secretly taping this woman, as well as taping another woman "apparently" drying off after a shower, the prosecution says he could have secretly taped Danielle.

No tape of Danielle, no tape of children, only tapes of ADULT WOMEN, no tapes of the Van Dams backyard, frontyard or home.

Oh, I almost forgot, the pros. wanted to include a baseball bat as evidence, as well. Get it, "black flashlight", "baseball bat". But that evil judge wouldn't allow it, depriving the witchy-poos of a great visual to cackle over.

This is nonsense for consumption of the soap opera, jerry springer set, who feed on this crap for twisted reasons of their own.

[Freedom2specul8]

Good set of links... http://www.cdc.state.ca.us/issues/capital/drphotos/index.htm

[Freedom2specul8]

If you're insinuating that the info gets freepers off you are frickin crazy.