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.

[Rheo]

interview was taped

[Rheo]

Feldman had asked him if BVD told him scratch was on leg...Dusek now asked again....no, never told location...sd Danielle got very upset at scratch and BVD sent her to her room....subject to recall

[RnMomof7]

Give it a break and laugh a little..you scare me

[spectre]

Brenda got "very upset" when Danielle got scratched by the dog, and she SENT HER to HER ROOM!

What a witch of a Mother! Lots of compassion? I remember Brenda said that "Danielle made to big of a deal about that scratch"...paraphrased..

Cold, guys..Mom is a cold B*tch!

sw

[Rheo]

Jeffery Graham...latent guy again

[Karson]

It sounds to me like Brenda cared more about the dog than about her daughter. I would put the dog outside, not send my daughter to her room!!

[FresnoDA]

[Rheo]

area around door of Danielle door was hydrodoed on 2/14...7 latent prints prior or that day...can't hear this really well..to much background noise and witnesses are in tin can far far away

[JudyB1938]

(New York Website)

http://www.correctionhistory.org/northcountry/html/grandjury/thegrandjury3.html
When a witness testifies at the Grand Jury, the prosecutor asks questions first, then members of the Grand Jury can ask questions, so long as the legal and evidentiary rules are followed. Thus, it is a very interactive process, unlike a jury trial. Grand Jurors can also take notes during the testimony and legal instructions.

[Rheo]

putting up exhibits

[jacquej]

I have been suspicious of the dog scratch from the beginning. I remember Brenda emphasizing that it didn't bleed, but I know dog scratches. Have a lot of these from my furfaces, and they do not always break through all layers of the skin, but can hurt like heck.

So while they do not always bleed, they do form scabs within a few hours, even if they did not bleed at first.

Then kids pick scabs, and the scabs will bleed, and kids will wipe fingers on things...

[Karson]

post 344 -- GMTA

[RnMomof7]

What church was that?

[Freedom2specul8]

I thought she was sent to her room prior to bvd nursing it, IE: Didn't brenda later go up and take care of the wound? Did it bleed? I thought brenda said it did not bleed.

[Spunky]

Feldman had asked him if BVD told him scratch was on leg...

Two days later DVD was at Westerfield's home selling Girl Scout cookies. Where was the jacket? She and brother went outside. Went in Motorhome maybe?

Reasonable doubt had been made in this case so far.

[Politicalmom]

Brenda didn't care about the dog either. Damon even testified that the dog is neglected.

[Rheo]

court ex 23....doors...same pics we have seen

[Rheo]

partial of thumb from drywall area on 2 areas outside the door

[GoRepGo]

Brenda got "very upset" when Danielle got scratched by the dog, and she SENT HER to HER ROOM!

I have a sneaky suspicion that Danielle was seriously messing with Brenda's "buzz."

[ItsOurTimeNow]

BvD was probably either drunk, hung-over, feeming for pot, horny, or all four. That might account for her irrational behavior.

Yeesh, your kid gets hurt by the dog, and you punish the kid?

Mother Of The Year, she is not.