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.

[Spunky]

That has always seemed strange to me with him shaking so.

My step-mother always shook like that. She tried to tell the doctors that most of the people in her family shook like that. The doctors told her she had Parkison's but since it never advanced they backed off that diagnosis.

[JudyB1938]

My question is going to be gross, so y'all please excuse me for it. If her hands could be rehydrated for fingerprint retrieval, couldn't her vagina have also been rehydrated to check for sexual abuse?

But even if it could, it's impossible now - since the VDs "conveniently" had her poor little body cremated. They have sure done a good job of wiping out all possible traces to themselves!

[Spunky]

New Witness: Went to Westerfield's for a barbeque. Westerfield took them across the street to show them the motorhome. She said it was not locked and Westerfield did not lock it when they left.

[RnMomof7]

The labia major and minor and the vagina were missing..supposedly eaten by an animal..but could they have been removed by someone covering his abuse tracks??

[Spunky]

Prosecution: What year was that. Witness: 2001. Prosecution: "Were you expected." Witness: "Yes we were invited to a barbeque." Prosecution: "Did you open the motorhome door? Witness: "No. Prosecution: "So you don't know if it is hard to open or not."

[mommya]

I liked it when Dusek was trying to get Gonzales to say that DW's office was his own private room - but she said she went in there and Neal went in there.

[connectthedots]

I am beginning to think that Feldman is going to call Barb Easton as his last witness and immediately induce her to assert her 5th Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Feldman will then ask a series of follow-up questions which will force her to reassert her 5th Amendment rights. His direct examination of Easton will be brutal and when he has made his point to the jury, he will rest his case, it will be submitted to the jury, and the jury will find DW 'not guily' in short order. The prosecution must know this is how it is going to play out.

[Jaded]

Ah, Cyn, there was no evidence at the autopsy that her hands had been bound. The evidence being either marks or residue, or fibers. So, I suppose he kidnapped her and let her run loose in the RV the whole weekend. Then spent the wee hours of Sunday night/Monday morning Febrezing the entire inside of the RV as well as outside surfaces and the undercarriage. The only spot that he missed was the shovel. He only wiped down spots he knew she touched except for those pesky little left ring and left middle finger prints that were found on the cabinet. Oh, and the partial palm from the driver's window. Then because he is such an efficient criminal, he lightly dusted the inside surfaces of the RV with dust, to give it the complete illusion of not having been recently cleaned.

Stealth Ninja Dave is incredible in his talents. And it appears his only flaw as a villian is that he helps out females in need of assistance. WOW.

/Sarcasm Off

[Jrabbit]

Oh my gosh, a barbeque? Was it like the one DW invited BVD to that offended her so much that she had to call Damon?

[the Deejay]

"Was it like the one DW invited BVD to that offended her so much that she had to call Damon?"

Yeah. Brenda is so stupid. Mind in the gutter at all times.
I certainly wouldn't have taken it the way she did.

[Spunky]

Oh my gosh, a barbeque? Was it like the one DW invited BVD....

Hehehehehehe! I don't think so. This lady looked very matronly.

[Rheo]

The witnesses, Keith and Denise have already testified, yet the officers who took their statements were not allowed to as the attorneys are arguing about heresay...The officers who taped the interviews of witnesses, have been allowed......so why the heresay controversy?...They are saying the witness has to be there, I guess, to refute and testimony the officer testifies too.??

[jacquej]

I was amazed to hear that wicked mean DAW went to the hospital when his girlfriend's daughter was having her baby, and was shocked to hear that DAW took in the young mother and her infant.

This is really not consistent with a potential child molester/murderer, and I am climbing down off my section of the fence.

I now think it is highly improbable that the right man is on trial. Dave Westerfield seems like one of those really nice guys who has gotten himself stuck by some rather unsavory neighbors, and a DA on the make.

Where will justice for DW come from when this hell/trial is over. What on earth will he do for a living. Even if he is aquitted, his business is ruined, his home is gone, and some idiots who haven't yet learned to color within the lines will never stop looking at him, pointing fingers, and hissing or spitting.

I sure would like to help him in any way I can at this point. It seems like a responsible thing to do, and Christian as well.

[Spunky]

It will be very interesting indeed.

[JudyB1938]

Oh, yeah. I remember that now. I remember it made me suspicious at the time. Then so much has happened made me forget about it.

What is the first place on a body that an animal normally attacks first? I thought it was the belly.

[Politicalmom]

From what I understand, the police officer will be recalled tomorrow, after the attorneys compare notes and figure out the exact discrepancies. They didn't want everyone sitting around while the Attnys got their acts together.

[JudyB1938]

Oh, Jacque. I almost started bawling when I read what you wrote!

[RnMomof7]

Some where it was pointed out that she was partially mumified..but the fatty tissue of the vaginal are may have remained attractive to the animals

[ItsOurTimeNow]

A wild animal will typically attack any soft, easily accessible portion of the body first. Belly, neck, buttocks would peobably be first pick. If Danielle was dead, lying on her back, they would probably go for the belly first, then the crotch.

[GoRepGo]

BUMP!

and a HUGE: AMEN from me