BREAKING: BRENDA VAN DAM DANCED WITH WESTERFIELD: (Modern Day Westside Story?)7-9-02 Trial Watch

KFMB ^ | July 9, 2002 | KFMB

[FresnoDA]

WITNESSES SAY BRENDA VAN DAM DANCED WITH DAVID WESTERFIELD

(07-08-2002) - Three defense witnesses testified Monday that Brenda van Dam and David Westerfield, the man accused of murdering 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, danced together the night before the girl was discovered missing.

"Mr. Westerfield and Mrs. van Dam were dancing," said Patricia LePage, describing the scene at Dad's Cafe and Steakhouse the night of Feb. 1.

Since the prosecution introduced hair and fibers found at the defendant's house and motorhome, the defense has tried to show the evidence could have been transferred in some other way, such as dancing.

The 50-year-old defendant would face the death penalty if convicted of kidnapping and killing Danielle van Dam, who lived two houses away in Sabre Springs. He is also charged with misdemeanor possession of child pornography.

In testimony near the beginning of the trial, Brenda van Dam told the court she did not dance with Westerfield.

But LePage said van Dam rubbed her hips and chest against Westerfield during several dances together, recalling the movie "Dirty Dancing." That was just part of what LePage described as "frisky" behavior exhibited by van Dam that night.

LePage said she was in a smoking lounge at Dad's with her daughter, Cherokee Youngs, when van Dam came in and struck up a conversation with the younger woman.

"Well, she did ask my daughter if she liked girls," LePage said when asked to describe the conversation. Van Dam, she said, asked Youngs if she wanted to come to her house for a party later that night.

Youngs testified about the encounter last week.

Duane Blake, a fisherman who said he goes to Dad's a couple times a week, said he caught a glimpse of the defendant dancing with van Dam.

Blake confirmed an interview with the District Attorney's Office, in which he described their dancing as, "huggy, huggy." He testified he even thought Westerfield might be trying to pick up on van Dam.

Earlier Monday, another woman testified she saw Westerfield dance with Danielle's mother.

Glennie Nasland, who began her testimony last week, said she was on the dance floor and saw the pair turn toward each other while dancing with other people.

Nasland, who described herself as a friend of Westerfield, said she watched them for 20 seconds before they turned away again.

In other testimony Monday, Dave Laspisa said that going to the desert to look for friends, and without bringing an all-terrain vehicle, was not an unusual activity for Westerfield.

The witness, a self-employed Poway man, said he's known the defendant for 15 years and has camped with him near the Imperial County community of Glamis for 10 years.

The witness was one of several people who testified as the defense began to move away from what happened at a Poway night spot the night before Danielle was discovered missing Feb. 2 to Westerfield's weekend wanderings.

Westerfield's attorney, Steven Feldman asked Laspisa to explain why someone would avoid Interstate 8 while taking a motorhome to the desert. Laspisa said high winds and black ice were common on that route, which traverses altitudes over 4,000 feet.

Heather Mack, a security guard at Coronado Cays, testified that she saw Westerfield drive his motorhome into the exclusive neighborhood in the afternoon or evening hours of Feb. 3.

Mack said Westerfield smiled and waved at her as he drove past her security kiosk, but she never saw him again.

The witness told Dusek that she originally told a police officer that she "vaguely remembered" seeing the defendant's recreational vehicle.

Glen Seebruch, an engineering manager at Nokia, testified earlier that Westerfield called him the morning of Feb. 1 and told him he planned to go to the desert that weekend.

Feldman, told Judge William Mudd that his case may be completed by the end of the week.

Insect expert David Faulkner is expected to testify about how long the victim's body may have been in the East County before volunteer searchers found it on Feb. 27.

Feldman has said Westerfield would have had no opportunity to dispose of the body because he was under constant police surveillance from Feb. 4 until his arrest Feb. 22.

[Politicalmom]

I have another question.

Does a person have to touch the ground to leave a scent?
I doubt anyone who would take a child like that would let them walk.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

She should take offense. A married mother of 3 in her mid-30's acting like a hormone charged teenager? She ought to be ashamed of herself.

Note to Brenda: Go home, clean your act up, be a parent to your kids, get your head out of the clouds, lay off the pot and booze, be a Mom and grow the f**k up.

[spectre]

Well, we ordered a LARGE Domino's Pizza and paid particular attention to the Slices...There were eight slices.

Now, we also got a Large thin crusted Pizza at the same time, and they cut it in little squares..There were more little squares then if cut in Slices...but actually LESS Pizza dough to fill a person up!

So ONE Pizza for Two grown adults and three growing children SHOULD have been devoured in about 10 minutes or less...no left-overs and the kids still hungry. (For those who are wondering why we are hung up on the Pizza Party, it was just an excuse the VD's used for PR...to "swing".

Feldman should send one large Domino's Pizza into the Jury room for them to eat, (around dinner time,) while they are trying to reach a verdict..I promise you, it won't be enough to go around.

Fresno DA would..:~)

sw

[Politicalmom]

I don't think the VDs have a relationship with the One who handled the loaves and the fishes. : (

[Jaded]

Well said.

[jacquej]

I do not think they know Him either, but am praying that they will discover Him, and repent of their foolish ways, for those two little boys' sakes, as well as their own souls.

[spectre]

Good post, kcvl! A picture is worth a thousand words!

Mom, I don't know, I don't think so??

Kim, you should stop your attempt at damage control...Just drop it, we all can read.

sw

[Freedom2specul8]

I know it was on this great bang list
but since it's not.. I had to try different avenues. I know the title is "Good-bye cruel free republic" ..that parts easy. It was a letter written to Jim Rob who in turn posted it. I put it in the search engine..but the thread is not there either. It I run across it, I'll let ya know. It made interesting reading.

[Valpal1]

My complaint about FresnoDA

I have two orders of business regarding FresnoDA. Before examining the present situation, however, it is important that I beat FresnoDA at his own game. Malicious, hectoring clericalism is the shadow cast on society by his editorials, and as long as this is so, the attenuation of the shadow will not change the substance. I assume that he is unaware of his obligation not to treat anyone who doesn't agree with him to a torrent of vitriol and vilification, as this unawareness would be consistent with his prior displays of ignorance. He will probably never understand why he scares me so much. And FresnoDA definitely does scare me: His ideals are scary, his put-downs are scary, and most of all, his shenanigans will have consequences -- very serious consequences. And we ought to begin doing something about that. If he continues to erode constitutional principles that have shaped our society and remain at the core of our freedom and liberty, crime will escalate as schools deteriorate, corruption increases, and quality of life plummets. As I noted at the beginning of this letter, FresnoDA's allegations are geared toward the continuation of social stratification under the rubric of "tradition." Funny, that was the same term that his supporters once used to force women to live by restrictive standards not applicable to men. On a closing note, I hope that this letter, while incomplete, informal, and having no authority except its own inner strength and conviction, has clearly demonstrated to you that FresnoDA's macabre opinions may have serious repercussions, even beyond the issue of fetishism.

COMPLAINT GENERATOR

[Freedom2specul8]

G'mornin spec!!

[pinz-n-needlez]

You're just going to have to get up the nerve and ask the girl out! You are clearly obsessed. You were probably hoping for a law suit thinking she would be at the depostions so you could meet her in person! LOL

I love your pictures and captions. My family thinks I'm nuts sitting here giggling alone.

[pinz-n-needlez]

That's the name! Couldn't think of it this morning. No mea culpas necessary. We all have way too many facts and names floating around in our heads. The least we can do is to help one another sort them out.

If only Dusek had friends like ours!

[kcvl]

Just tell them that I am laughing with you! Fres has me cracking up!!!

[ThinkingMan]

That Complaint Generator is cool! I tried making a complaint about myself and darn if I wasn't royally PO'd at myself by the time I got done reading it!

[Politicalmom]

Some people have NO sense of humor!!

[FresnoDA]

Sooooooooooo why would Brenda be upset? Maybe her breasts are leaking ? I can not come up with a reason

Granted...the thread is young, and the day is long...but I would like to nominate RNmomof7 for our VD thread....

Post

Of

The

Day!!

[Jaded]

DITTO.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Oh, but wait...I thought their pastor said they were "members" of their local church, not just regular visitors...MEMBERS. Remember that? About 2 days after Danielle went missing? Their pastor came up and said what wonderful people they were.

I wonder why the pastor isn't speaking up now? (sarcasm off!)

[L,TOWM]

"Everlasting Gopstopper" Brand Pizza Ping.

[Jrabbit]

That's OK. I thought you were referring to VD threads.