‘It Isn’t Over Yet’:SDPD Chief Bejarano talks about latest developments in van Dam Case

Newsweek-Website ^ | March 1, 2002 | NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE

[FresnoDA]

Remember what you told me, about the thread buster....well, he is back.......same pictures, no comments. Next stop, moderators department....

[tutstar]

I'm surprised they haven't pulled the thread due to the unfounded, biased, comments about Christians.

[sneakypete]

Personal attacks are sneakpete's speciality.

Still sulking from the last time you tried to jump me?

[Naked Lunch]

POOR BABY! You come on here to imply the mother may be guilty in the murder of her daughter,and then get upset because somebody points out that logic ain't your strong point?

Sigh. 1. Did not imply any such thing. What I said was that perhaps the parents do not want their sexual lives bared before the court. Which would give them the incentive to avoid trial and to not publicly oppose a plea bargain. This is a potential factor whether the parents are involved or not (I happen to think not).

This just proves you are incapable of rational thought. The DA is the one who makes this decision,NOT the family.

2. My mother is a DA. And if you dont think that the DA takes the wishes of the victim's family into consideration when making this decision, you probably don't realize that there is actually a lot of politics involved in our justice system.

I do appreciate your increase in restraint. I'd rather be called "Poor Baby" than what you were calling me earlier.

[Darnright]

>Is this for real? It's sick.

Debarking is not common, but it is done in cases where people have a dog that barks incessantly (when the owners are at work, for example) and the neighbors are complaining. Rather than get rid of the dog, they take it to a Vet, who cuts the vocal cords (the voice box is not removed). This turns the volume of the dog's bark way down. Debarked dogs still bark, but they sound like they are whispering. Is it cruel? Perhaps in the minds of some people, but in a case where it's either put the dog through a fairly mild operation (similar to a tonsillectomy) or take it to the pound to be put to death, I wouldn't condemn the owners for wanting to keep their dog. Look at it this way - the dog gets to bark his head off, and the owners don't have to punish him constantly for barking.

[Spunky]

If they had no body, I can understand a plea, no body always leaves reasonable doubt... this case sadly has one.
I don't see what leverage either party would have to agree to a plea...

What if this guy David Westerfield lived in Colorado, lets say about 6 yrs ago.
The Ramsy case has never been solved.
I know this is far fetched, but its a thought.

[monkeywrench]

"You can all jump on me for the rumor thing, but how do you make ends meet at $125,000/yr.(gross)and a mortgage of $300,000? That is a big jump in risk." Maybe they had an inheritance somewhere along the line.

[sneakypete]

if you are bringing home new strangers you meet off the internet swingers' clubs every weekend.

The people she brought home were people from the neighborhood bar a couple of blocks away. We don't know at this point if they were strangers or long-time friends. What we DO know is that it wasn't some kind of "swingers club".

[El Gato]

Damon is telling Brenda in the background to not comment on the events and time when Brenda came home with her friends.

It's possible, logically at least, that the police told them not to reveal most of the details, especially certain ones. It would help to sort out the "confessors" from the real perp, and would also complicate the perp's construction of an alibi, if those details were not generally known.

[Amore]

Hey, Newbie, ever gonna say something useful, or are you just going to spam us
into eternity with those same old pictures you keep posting?

[Illbay]

I've agreed with Demi in the past that CPS can be the source of official repression.

That's not good enough for him. He wants us all to proclaim that there is NEVER a case where "government" should step in and save kids.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Was the alarm that went off at the Van Dams'monitored? If so who responded??

I have no idea, but I would think not. Some of them show open doors at any time but would not summon help unless armed. If they were partying in the garage, I can't imagine that they would arm the alarm. They might get caught with illegal substances.

[Illbay]

To be fair, though, that particular one SHE is using appears to be on of the stretchy-plastic types favored by girls her age for the last couple of years. I believe my daughter has one, though at 12, she thinks those things are "kid stuff" now.

[sneakypete]

Since you are not a swinger, yet you are defending the rights of swingers to swing in their homes with children.

You are a damn liar! WHERE have I EVER said it was ok to swing or have ANY sexual contact with children?

Yet, you say you are for freedom.

Yes,I am. Sorry to hear you aren't.

For you to say it's fine that they didn't check on their children for 11 hours, and that it's fine to bring strangers into the house (and not check on one's kids) shows you have a lack of any child rearing sense.

More lies? WHERE did I say that it is "fine to not check on your children for 11 hours"? You don't even believe in what you are arguing.

Of course I do. It's not my fault you can't understand something as simple as personal choice.

You have already admitted to not being a swinger, so you are just someone who feels the need to argue.

I know that you consider reality to be some sort of abstract concept,but it is not for me OR YOU to approve of or dissaprove of other people's life choices. It's none of our damn business. I don't ski or watch sports on tv either,but see no sense in condeming people that do.

You have no interest in this issue, except to further your argumentativeness.

No,I'm just not going to allow control freaks to push their insanity off on the rest of us.

[Spunky]

I would think that there would be more conjecture about Westerfield, his background, his lifestyle and his motivations.
Just where has he been for the last 50 years of his life, and what has he been doing.

See my post at 486. I put a thought down.

[sneakypete]

They will NOT plea, Gee,weren't you the one earlier in this thread claiming they WOULD agree to a plea bargain that guaranteed NO TESTIMONY?

What time do your keepers come by to feed you?

[Illbay]

I hardly avoided your question. Please reread what I wrote, and you'll have an idea of my answer.

We are all more cautious these days, but even my own caution I realize is overreaction.

There is a slim chance that my kid is going to be abused by a clergyman, that's what I'm saying.

And you SEEM to be implying, by your statement that "I wouldn't leave my child alone with ANY adult," that the risk is JUST as great whether he's a clergyman, or a policeman, or a teacher, or a nurse...or a swinging partner.

That just flies in the face of good sense.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Whoa, sweetie. CALM DOWN. You are getting entirely too upset in this thread. First off, yes, it's me. Just changed my name due to the optimistic turn our state's political situation is now taking--but I digress. Second, yes, children do sleep hard. I've been an RN for over 13 years now and have worked mostly with children in medical and psychiatric settings and to a lesser degree with adults in those settings. Some kids are that difficult to arouse. Some are not. Plus, you have to take into account what stage of sleep an individual is in. That being said, a good nurse, physician, cop, etc, anyone who works with people, is most effective when they use both their objective, logical abilities in conjunction with their gut instincts. I'm not accusing anyone one way or another, but this whole case sets off major alarm bells.

[Illbay]

Agreed. And the fact is that she may have known the man. She may have seen him in her parents' company before. She was a CHILD, and children that age are very trusting.

That's why many people here are horrified to think that her parents' negligence may have contributed to her demise.