Damon Van Dam Testifies Tearfully, Fends Off Lifestyle Attack:Day 3 of Westerfield Trial

CourtTV ^ | June 6, 2002 | CourtTV

[FresnoDA]

DAY 3: Westerfield On Trial

[bvw]

To your view, what evidence so far presented establishes beyond any reasonable doubt that DW killed Danielle?

[Politicalmom]

THERE IS NO PROOF OF MURDER. NONE. You are either lying or being disingenuous.

There is evidence that the child was in the RV and the Westerfield home. Nothing else.

[Amore]

I believe I happened to catch a glimpse of that on CTV this a.m. just before leaving for work. My impression was that the objection was sustained. Which, for those of us who want to know all, is frustrating. Again, while I see no evidence pointing to anyone other than DW, it certainly is significant if Brenda, having personal knowledge of this woman's bi- proclivities wanted her away from her daughter. I probably agree with the judge that it's not legally significant, though.

[Jaded]

We haven't gotten to the defense yet. Feldman in his opening statement said that there is forensic evidence that proves his client could not have done this. On this thread Feldman is being called a liar with out the benefit of seeing the proof he offers.

[UCANSEE2]

but don't you mean the trial of VD's? *snicker snort*

We already had that trial and they were found guilty (/sarcasm). (snicker, snicker)

[Amore]

It's called circumstantial evidence and drawing reasonable inferences. It's permissible, legal, and proper. Sorry, but the jury CAN conclude that she was murdered. And probably will be able to decide (though it might not) that she was both kidnapped and murdered.

[RnMomof7]

There is a tendency to have a spilt personality on abuse in the family...there is usually 1 identified "client" one kid that acts out...but then you have the other children playing different roles..

In Alcoholism treatment we always looked at it as the elephant in the living room. It is HUGE put no one admits it is there. To believe that every child that is abused physically or sexually acts out is false. I have a good friend that was abused sexually as a kid ,she blocked it out of her consious memory ..but she was an overweight achiever..several graduate degrees..(she also went into the convent).....she was a dream child ...

[Amore]

Sorry, not enough coffee this a.m. don't understand #159. If you mean the truth of the statement that Brenda wanted Barb away from her daughter, certainly wouldn't surprise me. And I don't know what "KA" is either.

[bvw]

Pretty scrimpy defenses mandated by the court are railroading. In a case like this, absent direct evidence or witnesses to murder, the question of who else could of done it is valid, as are the risks and dangers that the "parents" activities caused that could contribute to exposure to some other bad actor. Some stuff draws flies, and somehow in this case flies were drawn.

Now if the parents had quiet lives and didn't have the scum of the neighborhood over every way from Sunday, then the wee bit of evidence so far presented would weigh more heavy. But they did invite the bad winds in, and the wee little evidence can not be used to hang a man.

[Jaded]

I lived next door to this couple growing up. Everybody thought that they were perfect with perfect kids. Did all the little league, dancing, nice clean home, mom was room mother and all that. They were happy well-adjusted kids. On the surface they looked great. Much later I found out that the husband/father cheated on his wife since weeks after they were married. His own mother abetted him in this. He also beat his wife, sometimes after drinking, sometimes not. He caused their first child to be miscarried. He always made a point not to hit her where it would be seen. Later on he would hit is daughter. As I said, outwardly they were what every family would like to have been.

[RnMomof7]

How can they have evidence if they didn't bother to look for it in the first place? They didn't, you know. They'd cleared everyone but Westerfield before Monday. Breakneck speed. 184 houses in the neighborhood, 13 registered sex offenders, the "pizza" party goers, the parents, and oh, yes, all those barflies at Dad's who were invited back to the "pizza" party. The San Diego PD must have literally thousands of investigators who were devoted entirely to this case to have really investigated and cleared all of those people.

But there was no light on in DW's house so that made him a suspect...everyone buy a night light or two.....

[FresnoDA]

DANIELLE VAN DAM'S FATHER TESTIFIES

( 06-06-2002 ) - Danielle van Dam's father acknowledged smoking marijuana the night his daughter disappeared and having extramarital affairs, but said his behavior was irrelevant to the 7-year-old's kidnapping and killing.

Damon van Dam, 36, acknowledged he kissed and "snuggled" in bed with Barbara Easton when she returned from the bar with Van Dam's wife, Brenda, and another woman the night of Danielle's disappearance.

He also admitted that he once had sex with Easton in his bedroom while Brenda and Easton's husband were in the room, and that he has had sex with the other woman who was in his home the night Danielle disappeared.

He said he and his wife smoked marijuana with the two women earlier in the evening but didn't tell police right away.

"I didn't think it mattered and I didn't want to get in trouble," Van Dam said in response to a question from prosecutor Jeff Dusek.

Source

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Just one question folks....are we also getting the "light" version of this story from The Demon?? 

He has lost all credibility, because of his lying.

If, and this is a big if, the VD's are not involved....

.....they have cast an incredible pall over themselves, by attempting to cover up "The Lifestyle"...

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What cracks me up about these.....liberal promiscuous drug users....is that they get around a bunch of sycophants who say, yeah, you are right...it is nobody's business....you can do whatever you want, when you want....who cares what society thinks!!!

BUT....shine the bright lights of public exposure upon them, and they scurry like (cock) roaches for the darkness.....

POINT BEING!!!  Even these Hardcore Swingers KNOW that what they promote, permit and participate in.....

IS WRONG.....

And OKcity, or whatever his/her name can put that in his bong....and smoke it....

MAD AS A HORNET IN FRESNO!!!!! (DA)

[Amore]

Ya gots to admit, it must not have been easy to admit that kind of lifestyle, especially on FR!

Maybe. I guess. In my dealings with him, he's pretty contentious and not shy about sharing his opinions. I think we tangled on a smoking thread. Now, I stay away from those guys. Life is just WAY too short for that.

[Jaded]

California and the dx. It's just another cell to spend the rest of your natural life.

KA=CA, Kalifornia

[RnMomof7]

Good point on the hair. And I agree that if he was supposedly hiding in the closet for hours, there should be something. But unless it's actually inconsistent with the prosecutions' evidence, I still hold to the theory that he was in and out quickly. As I said, I read true crime books, I watch the true crimes shows, fascinated by forensics. But I'm really not interested by my thoughts or indeed any layman's thoughts on this issue.

They have said the man perspired alot under questioning..would not he have also perspired alot under the stress of hiding in a closet? Seems there should be some DNA in that closet

[MizSterious]

I know. I've already checked my nightlights, lest my neighbors think I'm up to something and call the cops. And--should you ever be approached by a policeman for any reason, don't cooperate: lawyer up. Otherwise, you're obviously guilty of something. Personally, I'm also thinking of getting rid of my Clorox. Obviously, it's a sign of sinister intentions.

[RnMomof7]

Their lifestyle choice does not suggest pedophilia incest and infanticide

Swingers are by defination perverts.They are looking for pleasure above all else.Moving from one "experience" to the next....needing more and more "excitement"

I would note that the males (and females) tend to prefer the womans pubic area shaved..to look like a little girl??

[Politicalmom]

Don't forget the binoculars you use for stargazing, birdwatching, sports events....

AND any ads for furniture, and pictures of your children doing ANYTHING. (Remember, extensive collections of pictures of young children is BAD, whether they are pornographic or not. I better dispose of the hundreds of pics of my kids since they were babies, especially those [horrors]bathtub pics.)

[UCANSEE2]

DW's behaviour (and route of travel) became erratic after he picked up and started loading his RV. Is it possible that he discovered evidence or a body left by his son (or someone else) in the RV and panicked?

A good theory, and one that no one else has stated before. It deserves real consideration.

[Valpal1]

Jaded, he also said there was no signs of animal activity on the face, and thus felt animals being responsible for the missing teeth unlikely.