WHERE IS DANIELLE VAN DAM? Town Is Rife With Talk!

Newsweek ^ | February 18, 2002 | Jamie Reno and Ana Figueroa

[FresnoDA]

Where is Danielle van Dam?

Feb. 18 issue

[FresnoDA]

San Diego Forum is rife with talk about the parents.  Their comments, actions and answers simply do not add up.

1.    Who were the 2 male "visitors" that Law Enforcement sources spoke about.

2.    Who were the 2 female "visitors" that LE sources have spoken about.

kristy Junior Member Registered: Feb 2002 Location: Rancho Penasquitos Posts: 2

swingers I think that the fact that the parents are swingers does make this whole case even more suspicious. Something just doesn't seem right. Who were the 2 guys that Brenda brought home with her 2 girlfriends that night? The fact that they had "special friends" and "special parties" is not the normal stay at home mom and working dad. The parents seem to like the publicity that they are getting on the news everyday...if my child was missing, I would love that the community was helping, but I would like to be more private moments to deal with my feelings and my family's feelings. I would be working with authorities to get my child back. And if I was out partying on the night in question and bringing dates home for my husband on the night, I might feel a bit guilty that I didn't check on my kids. All I can say, is that my gut feeling, something does not seem right

Again, the live internet interview of the Van Damed couple speaks volumes........

Brenda and Damon van Dam	02/07/02	11:05
Brenda and Damon van Dam join the John & Ken show via telephone to discuss their efforts to find their missing 7-year-old daughter.

[FresnoDA]

Police search Poway canyons for sign of missing girl

Danielle's dad seeks aid in hunt for clues

By Eleanor Yang
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

February 18, 2002

The continuing search for 7-year-old Danielle van Dam drew law enforcement officials to the canyons of Poway yesterday, while the missing girl's father spent the day in the desert recruiting volunteers to help look for clues.

San Diego police said they had no specific information that the missing Sabre Springs girl had been in canyons around Espola and Poway roads but thought it would be a good area to search, said San Diego police spokesman Dave Cohen.

The area is about five miles northeast of the van Dam home, where Danielle was reported missing Feb. 2. She was last seen about 10 p.m. the night before when her father, Damon, said he put her to bed. Police believe she was kidnapped.

Close to 100 searchers with the San Diego Police Department and the Sheriff's Department faced occasional showers and heavy fog as they walked the trails around Espola and Poway roads.

The horse trails lace between neighborhoods, running around Lake Ramona, Lake Poway and the South Poway Sports Park.

The canyon search was called off about 3:30 p.m. because of rain and fog, said Sheriff's Lt. Edna Ito. Officials said they don't know whether the area was searched before, and they have no plans for additional searches today, said Christine Robbins, a sheriff's search and rescue coordinator.

Residents in the area, where homes are being built for between $1 million and $3 million, said the trails are used frequently.

"There are at least 25 miles of trails up here, but I think between the horseback riders and hikers there aren't very many places that wouldn't have been passed over already," said Tim Budniewski, who has lived in the area for six years.

Damon van Dam spent yesterday handing out fliers in Borrego Springs, Glamis and Ocotillo, said family spokeswoman Paula Call.

Van Dam has been recruiting more searchers among the estimated thousands of people who are visiting the desert during the holiday weekend. The number of volunteers ranges from 10 to 100 per day, Call said.

Searchers are concentrating on the desert because van Dam neighbor David Westerfield, the focus of the police investigation, went to the desert the same weekend Danielle was discovered missing.

Westerfield was seen driving to Golden Hill yesterday to meet with his attorney, Steve Feldman. Westerfield stayed in the attorney's office for about three hours. Feldman did not return calls yesterday.

[corkoman]

sad

[FresnoDA]

I agree, the trail is growing colder by the day. Prayers that a miracle can happen. If like the parents believe, that the child is being held hostage, maybe the kidnapper will make ransom demands. In the live interview, there is an inference by Brenda VD to just such a possibility.

[crystalk]

Another Van Dam thread! Based upon more information than what the article above contains, I am on record as saying:

1. This Westerfield, who lives near the VD's but had never seen them or met them until the week or so before, when Danielle and her mother sold him Girl Scout cookies-- I maintain he is guilty of nothing but being an unattached male in the neighborhood. Police have practically disassembled his vehicle and home, and have not made any arrests or charges and it doesn't look like they are going to. If he had possessed kiddie porn, it would have taken very little to arrest him. He is considerably older than the VD's and has grown children.

Mrs. VD knows who has the child, and why. She may even know where the child is.

This child was ADMITTEDLY left alone for some 13 hours without being checked on, while who knows what or who was in the house, and doing what. Apparently the house was completely unlocked, and it was only when another little girl arrived to play with Danielle, and walked in and went up to Danielle's room, and found no one there...that anything was even known to be wrong!...

Even once the child was known missing, it seems hours went by as the VD's tried to clean up evidence of drug use and other wrong doing, and it now seems they have hired a PR firm and are even now more interested in their own image than in the fate of Danielle.

[Don Myers]

bttt

[BunnySlippers]

San Diego Forum is rife with talk about the parents. Their comments, actions and answers simply do not add up.
1. Who were the 2 male "visitors" that Law Enforcement sources spoke about.
2. Who were the 2 female "visitors" that LE sources have spoken about.

What San Diego Forum? URL?

Also, I have read a news article that said that all people who were there that night have been cleared.

I'm one of those who think the parent's behavior was reprehensible but the fact that the men and women present have been cleared may point even more in Westerfield's direction. I do hope that there will be an arrest soon!

[crypt2k]

Have police interviewed the four guests who where at the van Dam house that night?

[FresnoDA]

Agree 100% crystalk. The reason for another thread, is that the VD parents are yet to fall under scrutiny by San Diego LE officials. They have not answered who the 2 male and 2 female late night "visitors" were. If those visitors had been there 2 or 3 days earlier, then yeah, it would have not been as big a factor. But the daughter disappeared the SAME NIGHT that the rumpus room was open in the VD's garage. Sorry, it is what it is. The VD's must come clean, if recovery of this child is in fact what they hope to see as a resolution. One may begin to wonder if in fact that is what they want???? Something to consider maybe.

[FresnoDA]

Sorry, url as requested

 

SWINGERS read this!

Last Post:

I think that the fact that the parents are swingers does make this whole case even more suspicious. Something just doesn't s...

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What about the mother?

Last Post:

These types of sources have a history of inacuracies in this case. I've written them off, myself.

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Danielle

Last Post:

Jeeze, give the guy a break!

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Question Authority!

Last Post:

I've been catching snippets of the story about Danielle Van Dam girl, way up here in Fairbanks, Alaska. I don't know the pla...

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Pizza Delivery Person

Last Post:

quote: It was a quote in the news given by the police a few days after the night Danielle went missing that the Van Dam's had...

[crypt2k]

To what extent are the van Dams involved in illegal drugs? I keep thinking that if Westerfield didn't do it, there might be some intersection with criminal activity that the van Dams are exposed to, and the kidnapping may be a side effect.

[crystalk]

Several posters on here last night suggested that perhaps Danielle had realized she was being neglected and/or that her parents' activities were not merely unusual, but sinful and wrong...and might herSELF have run away and/or turned to more responsible adults who might at least fix breakfast for her and send her off to school...

Ideas ranged from a grandparent, aunt or uncle, to church people if she knew any, to school teachers or personnel, responsible families living nearby, or parents of her friends, and the like.

Also, I am on the other threads to say that if the guilty part(ies) are ever found, if there are any, they will be persons who have been in the VDs' home with their knowledge and consent, and probably in connection with swinging/sex.

[crystalk]

Several posters on here last night suggested that perhaps Danielle had realized she was being neglected and/or that her parents' activities were not merely unusual, but sinful and wrong...and might herSELF have run away and/or turned to more responsible adults who might at least fix breakfast for her and send her off to school...

Ideas ranged from a grandparent, aunt or uncle, to church people if she knew any, to school teachers or personnel, responsible families living nearby, or parents of her friends, and the like.

Also, I am on the other threads to say that if the guilty part(ies) are ever found, if there are any, they will be persons who have been in the VDs' home with their knowledge and consent, and probably in connection with swinging/sex.

[BunnySlippers]

Ah, yes, the San Diego Union (sdunion.com) ... the best source for news on this case. Thanks. :)

[wimpycat]

I'm one of those who think the parent's behavior was reprehensible but the fact that the men and women present have been cleared may point even more in Westerfield's direction. I do hope that there will be an arrest soon!

I saw the parents on TV last Thursday or Friday and they said they couldn't comment on the details of the events of that night so as to not jeopardize the investigation. It could be that they do not want to transmit their story so that the likely suspect (the neighbor) will not be able to tailor his alibi around theirs. Some people might think that it's because of what they were doing, but it is very plausible and reasonable to believe that they don't want potential suspects to tailor their alibis around what the parents say in public. Both parents have submitted to polygraph examinations (personally, I would think the stress the parents were under would render the polygraphs unreliable either way, but what do I know?) The father said that he knew that parents are always the first suspects and he said that he didn't mind going through all that, since he knew that the quicker they were cleared, the quicker the police would start looking elsewhere.

Right now, my money is still on Westerfield, and (don't ask me why, it's just a hunch) I think he abducted her on purpose, and killed her by "accident". I also think that they haven't made an arrest yet because they're hoping he will crack under pressure, and also maybe because they're waiting on crucial forensic testing results to come back to clinch their case against him.

[Johnny Shear]

Where is Danielle van Dam?

Who cares? I don't mean to be nasty about this but damn...How many children go missing everyday in this country?

This case draws the voyers, not much else...

[BunnySlippers]

I keep thinking that if Westerfield didn't do it, there might be some intersection with criminal activity that the van Dams are exposed to, and the kidnapping may be a side effect.

Possibly. But my theory is that it has to do with pornography ... probably pedophilia. I'm guessing here, but Danielle may still be alive.

[FresnoDA]

Sorry to do this again, but it is a KEY part of this very sad story!!!

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RICK ROBERTS’ SOURCE, HIGH-PLACED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL’ TOLD RICK

The comments of Rick Roberts source (a high placed law enforcement official) are in bold type. Additional information from other sources (press, etc.) are in italics.

• Rick Roberts’ high-placed law enforcement official said that the van Dams were involved in "swinging, lots of wife swapping."
• Rick Roberts’ high-placed law enforcement official said that before Danielle’s disappearance, the van Dam’s neighbor, David Westerfield "found out about the family’s (van Dam’s) swinging lifestyle and approached them to host an adult party at his house."

David Westerfield has been quoted in the press as saying that he was a friend of the van Dams.

The van Dams have denied this, stating that their only contact with him was when Brenda and Danielle came to his home to sell girl scout cookies, and when they exchanged greeting as they passed by.

• Rick Roberts’ high-placed law enforcement official said that on the night of Danielle’s disappearance, "Brenda van Dam was at a local Poway bar where she was grinding away on the dance floor and possibly ‘did’ a guy in the parking lot."

The bar has been identified in the press as "Dad’s Café and Steak House."

David Westerfield openly admitted that he was at the bar that night. He claims that he danced with Brenda van Dam. Brenda denies this.

• Rick Roberts’ high-placed law enforcement official said, "Brenda left the bar with 2 girlfriends and 2 guys and went back to the van Dam’s house."
• Rick Roberts’ high-placed law enforcement official said, "One timeline given in police records shows Brenda coming home from the bar to find the light [on the alarm] flashing and a door open. [She closed the door]."
• Rick Roberts’ high-placed law enforcement official said that Brenda "‘gave’ one of the girlfriends to her husband Damon ‘as a present,’ and made sure to shut the doors on all the bedrooms so the kids wouldn’t be awakened by loud lovemaking. She did not look to see if the kids were in their rooms."
• Rick Roberts’ high-placed law enforcement official said, "the adults locked themselves in the van Dam’s garage – they have special inside locks so the kids can’t come in – and started smoking marijuana and ‘fooling around.’ The adults in the garage were Brenda, Damon, 2 girlfriends, and 2 guys from the bar."
• Rick Roberts’ high-placed law enforcement official said, "after everyone had sex, Damon noticed the [alarm] light blinking and a door open. They were busy with their adult party, so they never checked on the kids."

[wimpycat]

Also, I am on the other threads to say that if the guilty part(ies) are ever found, if there are any, they will be persons who have been in the VDs' home with their knowledge and consent, and probably in connection with swinging/sex.

If the guilty party is not connected to the swinging, I think the guilty party at least had knowledge of what was going on that night, and took advantage of the parents' "distraction".

[Valpal1]

In reality what we are doing is trying to reassure ourselves that ‘nothing this horrible could ever happen to me, because I never would have behaved that way.’ It protects us from having to face the dreadful truth that the most heinous of things sometimes happen to good and innocent people. People like us.

I think that there is a lot of this, blame gaming. What makes me ill, is that it could happen to anyone, anywhere. Our society is so full of predators, this little girl is just the tip of an ice berg of disappeared children.

I just hope the LEO's find enough evidence to get the real perp, and don't end up railroading someone in order to get resolution.

Although, I wonder if this will turn out similar to the child sex slave rings in Belgium. Maybe Danielle isn't in the desert, but has been spirited away to some grotty sex dungeon in Mexico.