Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

BREAKING: BRENDA VAN DAM DANCED WITH WESTERFIELD: (Modern Day Westside Story?)7-9-02 Trial Watch
KFMB ^ | July 9, 2002 | KFMB

Posted on 07/08/2002 10:23:15 PM PDT by 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.

altBlake 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.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: frank180; vandam; westerfield
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 521-540541-560561-580 ... 1,281-1,292 next last
To: All
Sixteen year old Danielle L is now on the witness stand
541 posted on 07/09/2002 1:36:20 PM PDT by Spunky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 539 | View Replies]

To: Jaded
I found the testimony of Chris Morgan disturbing...I felt like he was supposed to find her body that day....and took his good buddy Karsten with, camera and all.
542 posted on 07/09/2002 1:36:58 PM PDT by Rheo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 517 | View Replies]

To: jacquej
I know all of that. I am merely requesting that things quit being perpetuated. If inappropriate comments are ignored, they'll go away. Maybe? :0)
543 posted on 07/09/2002 1:37:27 PM PDT by JudyB1938
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 528 | View Replies]

To: Spunky
Defense: How many times have you been camping in Westerfields motor home? Do you recall where you went in that motor home? Did you ever go to the Strand, etc. On these trips did you ever invite someone to go. "Yes" Was one of those friends Jennifer L. "Yes"
544 posted on 07/09/2002 1:38:23 PM PDT by Spunky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 541 | View Replies]

To: cyncooper
The open garage door at 2:00. By Damon's testimony the alarm light was not on at 1:45 but was on at 2:00 when the girls returned. The alarm light was then found on at 3:30, the open slider. That's over an hour. Unidentified prints were found on both doors.

I do understand about the prints...
545 posted on 07/09/2002 1:39:52 PM PDT by Jaded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 537 | View Replies]

To: Spunky
Nice cloths but very dirty. Danielle acting like a ragdoll. Almost falling over. White blouse dirty in front like she just fell over on her face. CTV shows it all the time.
546 posted on 07/09/2002 1:39:56 PM PDT by John Jamieson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 536 | View Replies]

To: All
Defense: When your mom lived with Westerfield were you present when it was loaded and unloaded? Answer: "Not when it was loaded."
547 posted on 07/09/2002 1:40:00 PM PDT by Spunky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 544 | View Replies]

To: Rheo
All I can say to parents out in the San Diego area is this...

Get yourselves some real dogs. The kind that terrify the meter-reader and the postman, the kind who will body-slam and hold a perpetrator...

Of course, get them trained (private lessons the best) and work to keep them that way. Brave dogs, ready to take an intruder apart at the seams is the best form of home protection available. They will take a bullet to protect you and yours, giving you time to dial 911, or reach for your gun...
548 posted on 07/09/2002 1:40:26 PM PDT by jacquej
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 534 | View Replies]

To: John Jamieson
There has to be something to Faulkners possible testimony of a later dumping...or the prosecution would have called him..IMO

And the possible phone call to the tapped VD line on the 16th.

549 posted on 07/09/2002 1:40:28 PM PDT by Rheo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 522 | View Replies]

To: ItsOurTimeNow
Laura Recovery Center -- headquarters for the search.
550 posted on 07/09/2002 1:40:33 PM PDT by Karson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 539 | View Replies]

To: JudyB1938
Lie.
551 posted on 07/09/2002 1:41:03 PM PDT by Politicalmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 529 | View Replies]

To: Rheo
His birthday is 2/25. Stealth Ninja Dave Basic facts listed on index.
552 posted on 07/09/2002 1:41:31 PM PDT by Jaded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 538 | View Replies]

To: Karson
Ok...now I'm schooled...thanks.
553 posted on 07/09/2002 1:42:05 PM PDT by ItsOurTimeNow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 550 | View Replies]

To: All
Prosecution: How long would you say your mother was girlfriend of Westerfield? Answer: About 3 years.

Court TV drives me nuts. Just as they get started they are always going to a comercial or something.

554 posted on 07/09/2002 1:42:48 PM PDT by Spunky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 547 | View Replies]

To: JudyB1938
I did not flame anyone. I did not break any rules. If its bandwidth you're worried about, seems to me your posts to me are doing the same. And, if I do say so myself, I made a darned good suggestion. I hope she will start her own thread tomorrow.
555 posted on 07/09/2002 1:43:06 PM PDT by MizSterious
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 505 | View Replies]

To: Spunky
Just about EVERY picture of Danielle has showed an unkempt, dirty child. I would have had my child at LEAST neat and tidy for a passport picture.....
556 posted on 07/09/2002 1:43:15 PM PDT by Politicalmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 536 | View Replies]

To: ItsOurTimeNow
Laura Recovery Center. Named for Laura Kate Smithers, abducted and murdered near her Friendswood, Texas home in 1996.
557 posted on 07/09/2002 1:43:23 PM PDT by Jaded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 539 | View Replies]

To: Spunky
The video tape of a dirty, clumsy, Danielle is so telling about the care the parents gave this little girl

Can you describe this video? Clothes, place, etc. I don't recall seeing anything like you have described.

I haven't either. Some have opined that her hair was unkempt but it looks like normal 7 year old hair to me and always looks brushed but not full like hair on a more mature person will look (I was in a classroom full of them last year so observed different of hair types). She also doesn't appear dirty to me.

558 posted on 07/09/2002 1:43:50 PM PDT by cyncooper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 536 | View Replies]

To: JudyB1938
one can always hope, but given the track record from the beginning of this trial, I find it hard to hang on to that thin slim strand of hope remaining...

That is why I think it might be a good idea to have two separate threads, so the temptation to go after each other is constrained...
559 posted on 07/09/2002 1:44:54 PM PDT by jacquej
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 543 | View Replies]

To: Jaded
His arraignment was on the the 25th then, right?..Something was on his birthday...besides a celebration.
560 posted on 07/09/2002 1:45:07 PM PDT by Rheo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 552 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 521-540541-560561-580 ... 1,281-1,292 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson