Testimony costs flight attendant her job

SignOnSanDiego ^ | July 12, 2002 | Kristen Green

[MizSterious]

Testimony costs flight attendant her job

Airline fires witness for admitting pot use

By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

July 12, 2002

Denise Kemal was fired June 28, more than two weeks after her nationally televised testimony, because the company has a zero-tolerance drug policy.

Losing her job has ruined her life, Kemal said yesterday. "I've always wanted to fly," she said. "It took me years to get my job."

She said she is appealing the dismissal because smoking marijuana "wasn't an everyday thing." While she waits for an answer, Kemal, 28 and recently divorced, watches the Westerfield trial from the couch of her new Florida apartment.

Kemal was called to the witness stand by the prosecution June 10. She was at the van Dam home Feb. 1, the night 7-year-old Danielle van Dam was last seen, and spent the evening with Brenda van Dam, the girl's mother.

The two had become friendly through their husbands, who both work at Qualcomm. A spokeswoman for Southwest confirmed that Kemal had been fired, but declined to elaborate. She said company policy states that the "illegal use of drugs, narcotics or controlled substances off duty and off company premises is not acceptable and may result in termination because it can affect on-the-job performance and the confidence of our customers in the company's ability to meet its responsibilities."

Kemal said she was just answering questions posed to her during Westerfield's trial because "I want to make sure he gets convicted."

"Because of him, it's just ruined everyone's lives," she said.

Kemal testified that she went out with her Tierrasanta neighbor Barbara Easton and Brenda van Dam to Dad's Cafe & Steakhouse in Poway two Fridays in a row, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. They were celebrating Kemal's upcoming move to Baltimore, where she had been transferred for work.

The second night out, Feb. 1, she was introduced to Westerfield, whom she has described as "creepy." Westerfield is charged with kidnapping and murdering Danielle. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

Kemal said the three women first celebrated her move Jan. 25. Kemal and Easton, who lived in the same apartment complex, shared a bottle of wine before driving to the van Dams, Kemal testified. She said she smoked some marijuana in the van Dams' garage before they left for the bar.

The next week, the three women decided to spend that Friday night partying at Dad's again after Damon van Dam canceled plans to go out of town and agreed to stay home with the couple's three children.

On Feb. 1, they smoked pot in the garage a second time, Kemal testified, and she and Easton shared a beer. Later in the evening, they partied at Dad's, where they ran into Westerfield. At one point in the night, they went to van Dam's sport utility vehicle to smoke marijuana again.

Kemal said her supervisors learned that she had smoked pot because customers mailed newspaper articles about her testimony.

She had never had problems at Southwest before the trial, she said. In fact, she regularly received letters of commendation from airline passengers since she was hired in November 1998.

Once, a Texas couple she had met on a flight sent a box of candy to her home. Kemal, in turn, shipped them a set of candles for their living room.

Kemal said that even after Sept. 11, she didn't have any reservations about flying.

"I did it because it's my job, and I love my job," she said. "I get to travel and meet different people. I like to serve the public."

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

it only shows desperation on your part.

....and reveals the character (or lack thereof) that exists.

No surprise. She and her little sidekick think it's cute.

Oh well. Given enough time, most people's real character cannot stay hidden.

[RnMomof7]

I guess it's also possible someone killed her in her room and then carried the body out to Dehesa--but if she's dead, and the perp isn't caught, why would he want to carry around the evidence of what he'd done?

If she were killed in the house how did the fingerprint get in the MH? Who was david talking to in the desert? Would it have been a sexual crime or do they think he raped and murdered her in her own bed and no one heard..and no evidence left? Where is the prosecution case?

If that little girl was not bound she a) died in her home (murder would have made noise ..a struggle even for suffication or screaming )or 2) she was abducted from the home by the luring of a family member or friend...there are not other options IMHO

[spectre]

I thought the funniest, but dumbest defensive comment concerning the Van Dams came from YOU KIM, yesterday, when you could have sworn that Brenda got her money from winning Publisher's Clearing House...and you said you were "SERIOUS?"

Your credibility factor went to ZERO with that conclusion, Kim...BWAHAHAHAHA!!

sw

[RnMomof7]

Got that right. More big brother BS. Who the hell cares if some flight attendent smokes some weed once in awhile. Why don't you work on drunk pilots and security. What a bunch of jerks. I've flown on Southwest a couple times. Never again.

yea it would be interesting to be led out of a burning or sinking plane by a high attendant..

[Greg Weston]

Oh yeah you wouldn't want to make fun of any of the witnesses would you? Geez.

"Ahhh you know(when I'm not camping and being "normal") I have ADULT parties too!"--David "Horn Dog" Westerfield

[Greg Weston]

LOL!

[RnMomof7]

You still think consenting adults having sex is worse than collecting images of little kids being raped?

Pathetic

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Your credibility factor went to ZERO with that conclusion

Really....that high? I was thinking negative territory. Maybe minus 10 and counting.

[Freedom2specul8]

The inability to distinguish humor against the vd's and humor against witnesses is amazing.(not spectre..cuz she didn't understand) I distinctly remember some jibes against the looks and behaviour of the VD's, the prosecution witnesss were 'picked on'.., heck, people on the vd threads were picked on for so long they left. Guess its not ok unless your in with the damon did it crowd..

[Freedom2specul8]

Spec, I was serious about it LOOKING like her...not actually BEING her..you misunderstood silly!

[spectre]

Get over it, Greg. We live by rules in this country...thank God. Next time you get in a car wreck, tell the nice Police Officer you ain't gonna take a Breath-a-lizer test or pee in a bottle...if you are suspect. You do that, Greggie...You'll be cooling your big mouth behind bars..

sw

[EllaMinnow]

The threadhounds are howllling.

[pyx]

Since the brain was intact..and not devoured by bugs (it was mummified type of thing),

Odd. I recall the testimony as being THE OUTSIDE features of the head were mummified. I do not recall part of the testimony that specifically stated the INSIDE of the skull was mummified or that the brain itself was mummified. A rather GLARING DIFFERENCE.

Feel free to post specifcally in the testimony where either in the Autopsy or in Faulkner's testimony where they stated the BRAIN ITSELF WAS MUMMIFIED.

In fact, I suspect the brain itself WAS NOT mummified and that is what Faulkner found unusual because it is such a delicious target for insects to feast on. Of couse, I could be wrong but, I'll wait for your posting of testimony or the autopsy report to correct me on this one point.

[MizSterious]

Binding should have bruised and torn her skin. The wrist skin and most of the lower arm skin was intact, so they could tell. Mummification doesn't hide that sort of thing, from what I can tell. How did he confine her, if he carried her around in the mh?

And if he did, where were her bodily fluids? Children tend to release their bladders when terrified and/or in pain--and the vds said she had trouble in that regard anyway. When people die, they usually also release everything. So where are the fluids? The mh should have smelled like a latrine, or the house should have, or the SUV should have.

And the DOGS should have just gone howlingly wild over the oders when those places were searched. (Yes, we now know there was no bleach in the mh, suv or in the house--except one small area in the garage--not nearly enough bleach to have done the job.)

[Greg Weston]

I can't help what the guy posted. That the Van Dams lifestyle was worse than the Westerfield porno. That is pathetic wouldn't you say??

[spectre]

NOOOO...Kimmiegrace...I did not misunderstand...silly-goose! Huggs xoxoxo...

sw

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I never did care for The Three Stooges. I hope this brief stint on FR doesn't mean a comeback is in the works.

[JudyB1938]

Well said, spectre, and I hope that woman never reads what's been put before the world about her on this thread.

She looks like just another average aging mama to me, so I never have understood why people made fun of her. So what if she doesn't have all the "social graces"! At least she appears to be a GOOD person, and I think her daughter is a nice person, too - for taking her mama out for her birthday.

My kids always take me out for my birthday, and I sometimes have to walk with a cane. Heaven forbid that I become a witness and end up having to take the stand. Especially if I become the derisive topic of discussion on a post at FR. It would hurt my feelings to be made such sport of.

[2rightsleftcoast]

Amen, when I heard her in court, I immediately thought she should be fired. Sorry, would rather not have my flight attendent getting high.

[Greg Weston]

Depending on the circumstances of this "accident" I just might refuse. Give me the exact circumstances of this accident. Fatalities? Fender bender? They we can discuss it.