Westerfield trial TV coverage lures viewers with lurid details

The San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | June 7, 2002 | Robert P. Laurence

[MizSterious]

Westerfield trial TV coverage lures viewers with lurid details

Remote Control

Robert P. Laurence

June 7, 2002

TV is about pictures, and the David Westerfield trial has not been a pretty picture.

Carried live on four local stations, and on cable's Court TV, the trial's pictures have been drawn in words, words like "sexual penetration" "putrefaction," "animal activity" and "decomposition" used in describing what might have happened to the body of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam before and after her death.

To many, the pictures, again drawn in words, of adults engaged in spouse-swapping, group sex and pot smoking have been nearly as repugnant.

But just as many are finding the whole spectacle of kidnapping, murder, kinky sexuality and everyday middle-class suburbanites pursuing a lifestyle usually associated with memories of hippies of the 1960s morbidly fascinating. (Some may be looking at the folks next door with new curiosity.)

Decisions of local TV stations have varied according to the expected newsworthiness of whatever witness has been on the stand. All carried the testimony of Damon and Brenda van Dam, Danielle's parents, Wednesday and yesterday.

KUSI/Channel 51 has been the most dedicated, carrying all the testimony live, and airing a nightly hour-long wrap-up of the day's activities at 9 p.m. For viewers who don't subscribe to cable, KUSI has been the only place to watch the entire trial.

KGTV/Channel 10 has aired most of the testimony in the first three days of the trial. The coverage airs sometimes on Channel 10, and always on KGTV's all-news cable outlet on Channel 15. KFMB/Channel 8 and KNSD/Channel 39 have been choosier, often skipping the testimony of technical experts.

Wednesday's ratings favored KGTV and KUSI, and Nielsen totals of how many people have been watching TV during the day were up as much as 12 percent compared to last week.

Some of the technical testimony has been the most gruesomely fascinating, including the descriptions of County Medical Examiner Dr. Brian Blackbourne of the condition of Danielle's body when it was found, and his listing of which body parts had been gnawed by animals and which had not. (Blessedly, the courtroom camera has eschewed close-ups of the pictures of the child's body. Those would be too ugly to bear.)

Just as fascinating in the context of the grisly scenario was Brenda van Dam's description of the now-painfully mundane routine of selling Girl Scout cookies, the route she and Danielle followed as they walked house to house through the neighborhood, and her statement that the home of defendant David Westerfield "was the last house we went to."

For those who have made up their mind that Westerfield is guilty, Court TV is the place to go. Anchors Nancy Grace and Sheila Stainback have all but declared themselves witnesses for the prosecution. Both have ridiculed potential defense arguments before they've been made in court, and Grace described Westerfield at one point as "looking pretty pasty right now."

Grace yesterday waxed long and righteously indignant because Damon van Dam wasn't allowed to stay in the courtroom while his wife testified, bemoaning that he wasn't being allowed "closure," but ignoring the fact that California courts don't allow witnesses to remain in court while other witnesses testify.

Local anchors have remained neutral and objective, but speculation has not been entirely absent. Lawyer Milt Silverman, analyst for KGTV, yesterday said he was wondering whether Westerfield had "figured out ways to defeat those locks" on the Van Dams' home.

Still, the most memorable pictures we've seen so far in the Westerfield trial were those of yesterday morning.

The first was the stricken look on Brenda van Dam's face when she was asked how many children she has, and her long pause as she deliberately decided to include Danielle: "Three."

The second was of Brenda van Dam, sobbing and daubing a tissue to her eyes as she listened to a tape of her first 911 call, and heard her own voice tell the operator, "My daughter's not in her bed this morning. She's only 7...

"Oh my God! ... I don't know where she could be."

[cyncooper]

Ok, you said I had decided he is guilty. I have, in fact, not stated such. Just asking why you made your statement.

[spectre]

Thank you :~)

All I want out of this, is for someone/anyone to confirm or deny that Dusek specifically mentioned Mit DNA blood evidence in his opening statement at the trial...sigh...

Anyone listen to it?...

sw

[John Jamieson]

Sure seemed that way from your acceptance of the police testimony, if not, welcome to more open minded club.

I have a hard time explaining it, but Westerfield just doesn't seem to fit the mold of childkiller and I'm usually considered a "hanging" judge type. I'd love for the real killer to be found and executed, whoever it is.

[Rheo]

Don't see how he could have entered between 1:45-1:56 and hid in Danielles room....DVD's bedroom door was open as BVD saw the light from the TV when she came home.

BVD and Denise went to the garage when they got home to check on the open garage door so don't see him hiding in there.

So he, this big guy who had never been in the home, after a night of drinking, enters a home, goes past the master bedroom, doesn't alarm the dog, enters Danielles room and what....carries the sleeping girl out of the house, without knocking the pile of stuff including a bean bag off her bed and leaves no trace evidence??..and he chooses this night to do it after he discovered that DVD was in fact not out of town but home...potential party after the bar, not knowing if any of the party goers may have crashed on a couch or something??.....so many questions.

[cyncooper]

Well, whatever the DNA testing was, the odds as sited above are pretty definitive (in my mind) that the blood is Danielle's. I did listen to the opening statement, but missed a few parts here and there-----you know how it goes. John said I had decided Westerfield is guilty. I am leaning that way, but I do believe I'm keeping an open mind. Now, I must go read the Sunday show thread to see how the media (mis)behaved today!

[Jaded]

Yep, you understand the problemo. It raises so many questions. Full disclosure by the parties involved would help answer many, but no, there's already an accused. JMO

[spectre]

Never said the blood WASN'T Danielle's, only that it could be someone else on her Maternal side.

The perception is there that you think DW is guilty. Nothing wrong with that, if you take the evidence as it looks, as the gospel truth.

Some of us, are digging abit deeper into it, and the waters are very muddy.

As of today, the trial has not shown the jurors anything I can see as "negative" toward DW, only that the parents and their friends were not on the up and up that evening.

We wait.

sw

[VA Advogado]

:>)

Absolutely amazing. Satan working his magic.

[John Jamieson]

It's interesting that so much of the evidence against Westerfield has been exagerated or missrepresented in the press.

Press reports of sexual molestation have no basis in fact, the body was not burned as stated by many.

The porn is reported as 68,000 pictures of child porn on his computer. One investigator claims to have reviewed all 68,000 in an hour and a half (most have very fast computer), no child porn. Turns out only less than 100 pictures on his computer, rest are on CD's and zips in an evelope near his computer, all dated 1999. Of the less than 100 on his computer none have been confimed by FBI agent "Youngfleash" as being real kiddy porn, but cartoons instead as the judge called them. A guy obsessed with porno that hasn't updated his collection in 3 years, give me a break!

His "unusual" drive in the RV, turns out to be quite usual for Westerfield.

The guy is a 50 year old neatnick, computer nerd with three patents for medical appliances to help people. No record of violent crime of any sort. Married twice, raise two kids, putting them through college.

Not one person has come foward to say that they know this guy and he is any kind of pervert. In fact, several have come forward and said, no way!

[BARLF]

Jaded, in you #1 where PDvD got up at 1:45 AM to let the dog out--he also said he left the dog downstairs or where ever because he knew Brenda would be home in a few minutes, he went back to bed. So I doubt DW was in the house at that time.....eh?

[BARLF]

Why do we try to figure out HOW DW got into the VD house when there is ZERO evidence he was EVER in that house. Brenda vD and two kids were in DW's house.

[Jaded]

That's one of the stories they are selling. Doesn't make much sense. Also DvD was restless that night up and down alot. Don't see how the weimaraner would not have alerted to an intruder by the nature of their breed.

[Jaded]

Because the way to prove a theory is to try to disprove it. Nothing is working out so far. So I'm going back to the Stealth Ninja Dave (SND) in catsuit and ruby red slippers complete with dust rag and febreeze. Lock in that visual. It doesn't add up so far. I have no idea if Dusek has anymore, but not according to the opening statement. Or not much.

[irish guard]

RE your query on why the dog didn't bark. Even protective dogs won't bark if they know an intruder.

[BARLF]

Didn't Feldman say in his opening statement there was no evidence to show DW was ever in that house or something close to that? Dusek may prove different but was not in his opening.

[spectre]

That was a very good review of DW's history.

The motive and the ONLY motive they can come up with is that DW was so turned on by the porn, he went crazy and did this terrible thing.

There were some "turned-on" people in the van Dam house on that date, but as Jade says...we just can't prove DW was in that house...zip, nothing...nada!

Tomorrow, JJ...review of the trial starting at 8am (usually) and then another day of testimony.

Justice for Danielle...

sw

[It's me]

No you goofball! It isn't me!!

[DWSUWF]

O.K.

Just Checking...

[demsux]

Also DvD was restless that night up and down alot.

DVD actually confirmed that in the prelim. hearing. He was asked if he was restless and he said yes. That is where my thinking about cocaine came from...not just the 3 am pizza people.

[sbnsd]

BTW, off topic, doesn't anyone ever wonder why the perverted, pedophile, Westerfield, did not invite the whole van Dam family over to his house to swim in his pool? Sure would have been a great opportunity to see abit more of Danielle....remembering, that he has been accused of lusting after her since the initial meeting a year ago.

I find this kind of odd, too. They're claiming that he's lusted after her for a year, without making ANY attempt at talking to her when she was out playing, trying to get to know the family, or inviting her or other kids over to play in his pool. Seems kind of a passive sort of lust.

Are there NO other little girls on this street? Have they ever tried to establish that he's ever tried to form any kind of "friendship" with ANY girl or child?

If all that they're claiming is somehow true, then he sure takes a LONG time to act on his lust.