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.

[cyncooper]

Well, I just got back and see the old chestnut about "you are just like the democrats and the media" has been hurled at those who know Westerfield is guilty.'

If anything could be further from the truth and more aptly applied to the (formerly??) Westerfield is innocent (now "they're all scum") side it is that description.

In particular, it is democrats who have a problem with statements of pure fact.

There is such a thing as objective truth, regardless of one's opinion. Either Westerfield did it or he didn't.

[Freedom2specul8]

I think truth_seeker's reply was great. I would add that DW is a sick pervert, who enjoys watching children be in pain. There is no way you CW can convince me of otherwise. Try as you might, no matter how much you defend DW..you will never convince me that he felt anything but intense interest in seeing kids in pain. In fact, his interest in it grew so much he had to experience it.

[wimpycat]

Oooh! Just dropped in for a moment to scan the updates. Viagra, films of the neighbors, flashlights, swinging, etc. Yuck!

From what I gather, it looks as though DW's life was on a downward spiral...two failed marriages, girlfriend breaking up with him, peeping on the neighbors, films, photographs of his sexual escapades, internet porn, internet kiddie porn, drinking, middle-age crisis, plus his self-admitted emotional problems. It seems he was always on the lookout for higher sexual "highs" that became increasingly perverted. I'm convinced that if they didn't catch him after Danielle, that he would have done it again.

The Van Dams? I bet they'll be divorced within a couple of years.

[truth_seeker]

"Many of us actually have other things to do."

Statement from the person who has, maintains, sponsors, pays for the "David Westerfield Advocacy website" otherwise known as stealth ninja dave.

That was supposed to be "funny." A cleverly devised name, a soundbite (like a democrat?).

How do you feel, now? Do you still find personal satisfaction for all of your time invested in the website, now that you know much more about the man?

As a woman, would you have invested so much of your time, in support of a man with his ideas and actions about women?

Do you believe Clinton or Juanita Broadrrick? Do you believe Westerfield, or all of the stories by females about him? YOU are the one that is like a democrat.

You still have the site. You still make quips against folks with reasoning capacity vastly greater than yours.

[Valpal1]

I think you have summed it up pretty well. And are probably correctt about the Van Dam marriage.

Prayers for the surviving brothers of Danielle. Repentace=Redemption, lets hope their parents figure it out.

[CW_Conservative]

I would add that DW is a sick pervert, who enjoys watching children be in pain. There is no way you CW can convince me of otherwise. Try as you might, no matter how much you defend DW. In fact, his interest in it grew so much he had to experience it.

My posts are not efforts to convince you. I'm posting examples of why I have doubts. Considering the magnitude of the punishment sentenced in this case, I don't see why that should trouble you so.

[CW_Conservative]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that ping pong balls, flashlights, homemade movies of neighbors, child-porn collections, or previously being accused of rape of an adult, are evidence of murder of a child.

But when coupled with blood, dna, various fibres, a strange and untimely desert journey, and four failed polygraph tests, it does add up, boy doesn't it though, to law enforcement, the DA, the preliminary hearing judge, twelve jurors, and reasonable folks.

(Or else all of the abovementioned factors result from a strange coincidence, coupled with some pretty cleverly administered conspiracies.) ** The mathmatical probability of which is vitually the same as the concept of zero.

Thank you for posting what the "reasonable folks" think.

Interesting how the "reasonable folks" view is precisely the same as the government's and their media whores.

I continue to have serious doubts, nonetheless.

[CW_Conservative]

Hate to break it to you, but there was nothing, absolutely nothing, new in that statement, except what those of us with a brain had guessed...

You do not possess the ability to interpret evidence correctly. That much is clear from what little I have read of your "analysis" of the case. Probably because you often twist the facts, put emphasis on the irrelevant, or outright lie.

Always nice to hear from one of "those of us with a brain". Try using it for a purpose other than calling me a liar, without first actually reading more than a "little" of my posts.

[BunnySlippers]

But is he guilty scum or innocent scum. Or just case unproven scum?

I think in the last few days that some feel Westerfield has taken a giant fall into the "scum" category. Yet I think they feel that the Van Dam's are scummier than Scummy Dave.

Remember how they used to think he was kinda cute? The prayer circles to get him out of jail? The welcome home parties they would plan? The public outpouring of support for a Big Time Dirt Bag?

[Freedom2specul8]

"My posts are not efforts to convince you. I'm posting examples of why I have doubts. "

Posting why you have doubts shouldn't be a problem at all. I have no clue where you got the idea that posting a different opinion should bother me. The way you are wording your posts indicated a different agenda. I will keep an open mind with your posts..after all, you are obviously wanting to share and exchange info with us. I'm sure you don't mind that we we disagree with your positions. Right now, DW is looking worse every time more info comes out about him.. All it does it makes him look more guilty rather than less guilty.

[Freedom2specul8]

BTW, I'm still trying to figure out how you can equate brenda who was having consensual sex (although she didn't want to according to her statement..I did notice you left that part out) equates with peeping toms, rape videos and child porn...

[Freedom2specul8]

Yes I know those weren't your exact words..but you seem to think the van dam's behaviour outweighs DW's behaviur. Look, just stop beating around the bush. What is your exact opinion of everything that has been revealed about DW. That's all *I* want to know.

[Greg Weston]

What is the story about sicko Dave's peeping and videotaping unknowing persons having sex with him? I missed the details on that.

[Freedom2specul8]

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


Prosecution believed that westerfield was a peeping tom
and wanted the binoculars introduced into evidence. Explained why:

His 2nd wife thought he was a peeping tom--and that he probably did so at least 10 occasions. She caught him on numerous occasions sneaking back in the house with binoculars.

Neighbor lady suspected him of watching her using her treadmill cuz he mentioned knowing her as the "treadmill" lady.

several 8mm homemade tapes seized: 2 of neighbors.. one tape shows the bathroom window of a neighbor lady..of her getting in the shower and of her drying off.

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

His has pics of himself getting BJ's and also has pics of young looknig females, giving adult men bj's..

[fatima]

We had 3 peeping sicko's,this might be hard to beleive .All 3 were for my daughter Sherry,very beautiful,first tried to grab her at bus stop,2nd climb the drainpipe of our house,3rd,I saw,he was looking in her bedroom window when she went to sleep,she was 12 years old,,the last one was caught.I went after the creep and chase him for a few blocks barefooted.

[Greg Weston]

This guys sick pervertions seem endless. If one good thing came of all this it's knowing that he can't victimize anyone else. It's beyond any reason that he still has some people defending him. I'll never understand it.

[BARLF]

Westerfield tells police 'my life is over', ~Kim4VRWC's~ wrote: BTW, I'm still trying to figure out how you can equate brenda who was having consensual sex (although she didn't want to according to her statement..I did notice you left that part out) equates with peeping toms, rape videos and child porn...

Brenda had consensual sex against her will? Then how would it be consensual? I don't understand what you are saying here. With her husband or others?

[Ditter]

I wasn't able to use your link. Who did Dave say this to & when?

[Freedom2specul8]

I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back.. I'm in the midst of a few homespun projects.. (and getting over a sinus infection) According to her statement to the cops, damon's dad died..and he went through some kind of selfish crisis phase. He wanted to leave the marriage so he could be a swinger for awhile. She didn't want him to leave, so "reluctantly" agreed to have sex w/him and friends...on a few occasions. She said she didn't like it etc.. That's what I meant. This is one of those women who will do anything to keep her marriage intact apparently. :-p

[Freedom2specul8]

Well, I never heard it and no one has been able to confirm it. Supposedly it was on one of the interview tapes. Sorry I couldn't be more help.