BREAKING NOW: Detectives Arrive at Danielle Van Dam Residence for 4:00 P.M. Announcement.

KOGO News Radio 600 ^ | February 28, 2002 | KOGO

[FresnoDA]

BREAKING NOW, KOGO........Unmarked Police Car just arrived at Van Dam's residence, breaking now.....reporter says very grim faced.....expecting that reason for visit is warning VD's of positive ID.

DA HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON
Authorities expect to announce today that the body of a young girl found dumped off a road in East County is, as law enforcement officials already believe, that of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam. Dental records will likely be used to make a positive identification. San Diego District Attorney Paul Pfingst said last night that all the evidence points to the body being that of the second-grader who had been reported missing on Feb. 2. ``We believe that Danielle van Dam's body has been found,'' he said during a news conference with San Diego police Chief David Bejarano. Susan Wintersteen, a family friend, said this morning that the Van Dams are ``going through unspeakable pain and loss right now.'' But she said that the discovery of the body ``has provided them with the closure that they so desired."
Stay tuned to KOGO for live coverage of the DA's news conference this afternoon between 4pm and 5pm.

[irish guard]

You are right about the parents bing victims, but there is a lot of stated evidence from police and investigative sources that would lead you to think twice about absolving the parents competely. Here is a link to another thread that has a lot of info.....make no mistake, there will be some interest151ing ties to the Van Dams and their neighbor.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/630327/posts?q=1&&page=

[marshmallow]

If you leave your door unlocked, you may not be very smart but you do not bear responsibility for the crime. Only the thief beras responsibility for his crimes. This is not to condone the actions of the parents but so far they are still the victims as is their daughter.

In that case, I invite you to drive your car to the local shopping mall, leave the doors unlocked and leave the key in the ignition.

When you return and find your car gone, your accusing conscience will tell you whether or not you bear any responsibilty in this matter.

[spectre]

...and your insurance company will tell you "tough s#it, you dumb arse".

sw

[today]

Body Found,

Confirmed to be Danielle van Dam

	DEHESA, CA - Authorities confirmed that the body found Wednesday near Dehesa Road is that of seven year Danielle van Dam. Volunteer searchers made discovery around 2:20pm. complete story

[marshmallow]

I think not. My car is the one that's locked.

As with children, I believe in protecting possessions from those whose intentions are dishonorable.

[Cold Heat]

"Volunteers first checked the site Saturday but found nothing. Ten volunteers returned to the site Wednesday after investigators decided the area needed to be checked again. Searchers found the body about 25 feet from the road under a cluster of oak trees."

Curious actions here, I wonder what led them to search the area twice.

[spectre]

You misread my reply...it was a post-script to your scenerio...I agree with you 100% .

sw

[marshmallow]

Sorry.

I'm seeing flames coming from everywhere. Probably a sign to pack it in for the night.

[FreeLibertarian]

Agreed

[spectre]

Good catch. Either Westerfield told them where the body was or someone else knew it was there??

sw

[GovernmentShrinker]

Obviously it's the killer who's responsible. But it doesn't speak well of the parents' concern for their children that both parents were too preoccupied with their own activities that evening to keep an eye out for the children's safety. I don't think most people here would be a whole lot happier with them if they'd been holding an all night prayer meeting in the garage, with the back door unlocked for the benefit of invited participants, and no one making sure the 3 sleeping children were protected from potential intruders.

[spectre]

I'm out of here too..take care..

sw

[Cold Heat]

I was thinking that they got info from somewhere. It is possible a witness called in.

[BluesDuke]

The Media needs to move on and let the parents grieve and the law take its course. However, I doubt that will happen, knowin the SD media.

A few years ago, when I was a small-city radio reporter, there was a case involving a seven year old boy who was molested and murdered. (A suspect was identified and booked not very long after the boy's body was found; the case had yet to go to trial when I left that radio station but I was told the suspect was convicted later.) I remember the boy's mother, uncle (as it happened, he was also the family's minister) and aunt being very cooperative with me, but then I wasn't the sort who went in for what they once called keyhole journalism. That caused me a little grief with my bosses, especially when I told them that when last I looked I'd been hired by their radio station and not the Weekly World News, and that if and when the family wished to speak to us then we had a proper place to be with them and, otherwise, we should leave them the hell alone. You may rest assured that, too, went into my dossier in red ink.

Some years earlier, in newspaper days, a story broke about a severe wind shear caving in a glass-and-steel elementary school cafeteria wall, killing several children; most regional reporters were practically camping out at those families' doorsteps, whereas I snuck an editorial into my paper to the effect that unless they invite us, we should butt the hell out. I say snuck because our editors approved the editorial until they got hammered by other news organisations, then they tried playing a CYA game at my expense, even though I was trying to stand for something called integrity. Now you know why I've had a journalism career best described as checkered. There are certain things I will simply not do.

A prayer for the Van Dam family.

[spectre]

Now, that is a possibility...

I'm signing off for tonight, and hopefully we will find out more tomorrow.

sw

[hoosierham]

" "Volunteers first checked the site Saturday but found nothing. Ten volunteers returned to the site Wednesday after investigators decided the area needed to be checked again. Searchers found the body about 25 feet from the road under a cluster of oak trees."

Curious actions here, I wonder what led them to search the area twice."

I remember an old Columbo movie in which the police didn't know where the suspected killer hid the body, soooo......Columbo conducted a very obvious search of a construction site, AND THEN watched from a hidden place. He caught the killer attempting to dispose of the body in the already "searched" location.

[demsux]

Ya know, I'm thinking something doesn't add up. DW drives to the desert and the ocean...but decides to dump the body 25 feet off the side of a road? What better place to dispose of a body, but the desert? The ocean? 25 feet off the side of a road near a path?

Could the VD's used a "date rape" drug on him, leave him in his home "passed out" and planted blood/DNA taken from him/her. All he could tell the police is...I don't know, I woke up at home after Dad's restaurant. </tin foil off>

[Luis Gonzalez]

"...but that's not been reported since early in this story."

Actually, that's never been "reported" in any sense of the word. Or at least not by any reputable source.

What you called "reported" boils down to an anonymous phone call to a discjockey, and some heavy-duty promotion since.

[gorio]

Try this thoery on for size...
DW was a creature of habit, someone knew about his treks to the desert. While DW was at Dad's his RV was certainly unattended. For what it's worth, Mrs. VD denies dancing with him, but someone could have quite possibly "planted" DNA evidence on the unsuspecting DW while dancing with him, while someone else dumped the body along the path to the desert.
Pure conjecture and in know way an accussation, but a viable possibilty. What if DVD's death was accidental during some type of perverted sex act and someone concocted a plan to frame DW.
Motive? I have no idea. What do the VD's and Mr. DW have in comman? They are nieghbors. Any falling out's? It was reported that both Mr. DV and DW were engineers...

Gorio

[3catsanadog]

If I recall correctly, when Danielle first disappeared, didn't the parents' point the finger at Westerfield?