Posted on 03/15/2002 6:08:11 PM PST by The Right Stuff
Disquieting Disclosures -
The Unbearable Sadness of the Danielle Van Dam Story
by Jennifer King, Senior Editor
March 15, 2002
"The Heretical Housewife"
There should be no quarter given to those who abuse and defile the trust placed in them by an innocent child. Child molesters are heinous creatures, destroyers of the future who themselves deserve to be dispatched in the most hideous way possible. Whoever murdered Danielle Van Dam (right), whoever dumped her soft little body into dirty scrub brush by the side of the road to be mauled and desecrated by the fangs of wild animals, deserves to die an equally painful and inglorious death. And, Danielle’s parents, Damon and Brenda Van Dam, deserve our heartfelt sympathy for the disastrous loss of their little girl in such a horrid manner.
However, disquieting revelations have been floating around this case since Danielle disappeared on February 1st, 2002. First disclosed by radio talk-show host Rick Roberts, these rumors have been linked to an unnamed San Diego Law Enforcement Officer (LEO). The rumors alleged that the Van Dam’s were “swingers”, who had a special room set up in their garage - with inside locks - where eager participants had orgies replete with heavy drinking and pot smoking.
The Van Dam’s, on their appearances on Larry King Live and America’s Most Wanted, seemed evasive, dodging questions about their personal lifestyle. They also almost immediately hired a PR firm, whose spokesman likewise deflected this line of questioning without denying it outright.
Thursday, in court hearings, both Brenda and Damon Van Dam seemed to verify some of these allegations. At the very least, the Van Dam behavior and home life can be said to have been highly unusual.
Brenda Van Dam (left) gave some staggering testimony. Among the stunners were the revelation that she had left 7-year old Danielle alone, trying on clothes, in Mervyn’s, while she hunted down her 5 and 10-year old sons who were “at other stores” in the same mall. Then, Brenda admitted that she had noticed her neighbor, David Westerfield (right), the accused killer, at a Poway bar, “Dad’s”, the previous Friday, January 25th. Van Dam, who was with two friends, Barbara and Denise, admitted under questioning, that the three women had been dancing together, suggestively, with Barbara even attempting to fondle Brenda’s breasts.
According to testimony, the following week, Brenda Van Dam, Danielle and her brother went over to Westerfield’s house in order to sell him some Girl Scout cookies. Westerfield asked Van Dam why she hadn’t introduced him to her friends, who, he allegedly said, “looked really fun“. She also testified that Westerfield had told her that he often had “adult BBQ’s”, at which, according to Van Dam, he said, “He would provide the salad, but everyone had to bring their own meat.“ Van Dam testified that she told Westerfield to meet her and her friends at "Dad’s" the following Friday, and she would then introduce him to her friends.
On February 1st, the day Danielle would disappear, the following events transpired, according to Van Dam’s testimony. Brenda returned with the kids at approximately 5:30, then went out to pick up pizza for dinner, leaving the children alone in the house. After dinner, her two girlfriends, Denise and Barbara, came over and stayed about 15 minutes. The three women each had a beer, then they and Brenda’s husband Damon, met in the garage, where they smoked part of a joint (marijuana cigarette).
At approximately 8:30 p.m., the three women went to “Dad’s” where they met up with Westerfield. Westerfield bought them all drinks (Brenda testified that she had three cranberry-vodkas, one shot of tequila and one Red Bull). Westerfield says he danced with Van Dam, she initially denied it, but testified under oath that she “couldn’t recall.” She did admit to “slow dancing” with an older man, and testified that Denise and Barbara were “sexual dancing” with each other and with other women in the bar.
Van Dam also testified that the girlfriends met up with two men named “Rich and Keith.” Rich was alleged to be the pot connection, in later testimony given by Damon Van Dam. Supposedly, Keith was very interested in Barbara, and confided to Brenda that he had “popped a “V”, apparently referring to a Viagra pill. He allegedly asked Brenda to facilitate a tryst between the two.
At 2:00 a.m., when closing time was announced, the three women got in Brenda’s truck (allegedly taking hits from the same joint they had smoked earlier) and the two men drove in another vehicle to the Van Dam home. Damon, who was allegedly asleep in his underwear in his own bed, was awakened by Barbara, who climbed on top of the bed. Damon admits to “kissing” Barbara, and “rubbing her back”.
Brenda Van Dam came upstairs about 15 minutes later, informed the couple that they were being “rude” and that they should join the rest of the ensemble downstairs. Yet, after pizza, the remaining guests allegedly left. The Van Dam’s assert that they went to bed at approximately 2:30 a.m. They did not consider checking on their children then, and did not realize that Danielle was missing until approximately 9:30 a.m. the next morning.
Danielle’s naked and decomposed body was found by volunteer searchers on February 27th.
Whether her parent’s lifestyle had anything to do with her death is debatable. Surely, the Van Dams love their children, aged 10, 7 (Danielle) and 5. Yet the Van Dams appear to have engaged in a lot of activities which could be directly and indirectly injurious to their family. There aren’t too many families, for example, where the mother leaves her young children alone while she runs out to pick up dinner. There aren’t too many devoted mothers who routinely spend Friday nights dirty-dancing at the local bar. Wise parents who exercise sound oversight do not partake in the heavy drinking and pot smoking which appear to have occurred on a regular basis in the Van Dam household.
And, most parents simply do not invite a group of drunken, pot-addled barflys over to their home at 2 o’clock in the morning, while their innocent children sleep only a few rooms away. One wonders whether either Damon or Brenda’s “friend” Barbara, ever considered what the children would think should they awaken and find their father with a woman who wasn‘t their mother rolling around on their parent’s bed.
Many dark theories abound as to what might actually have transpired between the Van Dams and David Westerfield. According to the defense attorney, witnesses have offered to come forward to testify that, not only DID Brenda Van Dam dance with Westerfield, but she did so exclusively and in a suggestive manner. Nevertheless, Westerfield may indeed be solely responsible for the murder of Danielle, and if he is found guilty than he should fry.
However, the Van Dam’s do appear to have fostered, at the very minimum, a home environment where the least suitable people would often be around their most precious assets. Their little girl, unfortunately, was the one who paid the price. ***
© 2002 Jennifer King
COPYRIGHT © 2002 BY THE AMERICAN PARTISAN. All writers retain rights to their work.
Since we don't seem to have a border any more, it's hard to say it just happens in "mexico." Last time I was in San Diego, about 20 years ago, it was already Mehico del Norte. I'[m curious about condition of Danielle's body.....if ritual killing involved, there should be some clues. Manner of the burning might be a clue in itself.
This poor kid was vulnerable, must have looked like an easy target to all kinds of potential perps, those who knew her parents' lifestyle and others, who knew how to read the signs.
And, you can be sure a lot of dirt is going to be dredged up at this trial...
Her trademark necklace/choker was still around her neck, as well as her earings. The body was nude otherwise.
If the kidnapper/killer was DW, you'd think he would have made more of an effort to hide/destroy the remains.
For that reason there is some doubt in my mind that he did this.
Other things, like doors open at the Van Dam house and leaving pornography on his computer prevent me from focusing exclusively on Westerfield.
Westerfield would have observed in advance about the van Dams dog, but I have trouble imagining him carrying out what amounts to a commando rain on the van Dam house to abduct a little girl. There is not a lot of evidence against him, and none of it is constrained by time.
Plus, we have dope heads (van Dams and cohorts) deciding for police what is and isn't relevant information.
I've known single Mothers who wouldn't ALLOW a boyfriend sleepover, if their children were in the home. These people have values.
The van Dams are being excused for "locking" the garage door, but Damon had another woman in his bed when it was possible one of their THREE children could have walked in on them?! Outrageous.
I would love to know who spilled the beans about the "viagra" pill and why? Don't think it came from the Van Dam camp, does anyone else?
sw
I hadn't thought about that. It seems he would have erased the computer of porn and erased any disks ---he had to be at least that smart. Maybe he isn't the killer. Or maybe he just thought he couldn't become a suspect.
This is easily explained. Bodies do, sadly, darken over time. How much so, how quickly so, depends upon humidy and temperature, etc. The searchers who found the body were not experienced with what happens to a body over time and naturally assumed the blackening was due to burning. That's quite believable. I'm sure the searchers had no idea how a body which was actually burned SMELLS even after a long, long, time.
My guess is mama is stoned most of the time.
If the parents walked around acting like teens all stoned and crazy, then yeah..the kids knew they were doing something and probably attributed it to beer. Does that lessen the parents neglience? NO!
The kids are still pretty young to know what pot is although kindergarten's are taught what it is by school counselors these days. (remember the days of kids in brown coats? This is often compared to it..)
Remember, they said the lock on the garage door was put there to prevent the kids from catching them in whatever they were doing 'behind closed and locked doors..BUT...I don't disagree with you..it IS extremely innapropriate. To me, smoking pot KNOWINGLY in front of kids literally means..the kids being in the same room.The mom said the lock was from the inside of the garage so the kids couldn't walk in on them..they'd have to knock.. Let's pray the counselor will catch it if they did smoke pot in front of the kids.
Regardless, I hope they have the right guy..the trial is about to happen. I can't wait to see westerfield explain away the dna, handprints etc.. It will be very enlightening..
I'm NOT making excuses for the parents behaviour..if I did, I would be saying..well, the parents were probably libertarians, or they may feel pot is not bad just because society says it is, OR beer and alcohol are worse then pot.. I haven't done that because I don't know what they thinking.. Speculating about it doesn't help. Why they did it we may never know.. I tell you this because so many of us who are focused on the criminal who did this, the pedophile..are told that we are "vd" apologists. frankly, I am more concerned with getting a crazy pedophile killer off the streets...
If the boy's counselor and the other professionals find them in danger, we'll know it soon enough. I'm praying that they (the professionals) will be given the knowledge needed to make that decision. Why? Because we live hundreds of miles away and can't do anything, except maybe make a phone call to that particular county and ask them to rule out abuse, negligence etc.. That's all we can do. Sorry this was such a long post.. I've been offline all day..guess I had to catch up. (LOL)
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