Danielle's parents thank police
March 1, 2002
SAN DIEGO – The parents of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, whose body was found by a roadside nearly a month after she vanished from her room, expressed gratitude to police and searchers and said they now are seeking a sense of closure.
In a statement released late Thursday, Brenda and Damon van Dam said "we are experiencing the depths of sadness, loss and grief which only parents who have lost children under similar circumstances can fully comprehend."
A volunteer search team discovered Danielle's body Wednesday off a winding, two-lane road about 25 miles east of San Diego, and less than 20 miles from the van Dam's home in north San Diego.
During an autopsy Thursday, dental comparisons confirmed the body is that of Danielle.
The cause or time of death could not immediately be determined, and authorities said there was a chance they may never know due the body's state of decomposition. They also did not say whether the girl had been sexually assaulted. Further examinations were under way.
Police Chief David Bejarano informed the van Dams of the confirmation shortly before it was announced publicly Thursday afternoon.
In their statement, the couple expressed thanks to law enforcement officers and to the more than 2,500 volunteers who assisted in the search, which began after Danielle was discovered missing on the morning of Feb. 2.
"There is not a more anxious feeling for parents than to not know where our children are," the couple said. "Even though the final outcome is horrible, we could not have imagined the rest of our lives without this closure."
The van Dams said they desperately miss their "very special, beautiful, loving little girl" and are finding comfort "in knowing that she is now safe again and at peace."
Danielle disappeared after her father put her to bed the evening of Feb. 1. A neighbor, David Westerfield, 50, was charged Tuesday with murder, kidnapping and possession of child pornography. He has pleaded innocent and is being held without bond.
Authorities said they found traces of Danielle's blood in Westerfield's motor home and on an article of his clothing.
The self-employed engineer spent the weekend of Danielle's disappearance traveling around San Diego County in his motor home, stopping in the desert east of the city.
A hunch led volunteers to the area where Danielle's body was found about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday. The remote road was one Westerfield might have taken the weekend Danielle disappeared, said Bill Garcia, a private detective who coordinated searches in the area.
"Someone who would try to evade or stay low-key would have picked that route," Garcia said.
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 off the road under a cluster of oak trees across from a sand mine.
Both the police chief and San Diego County District Attorney Paul Pfingst thanked the volunteers whose unflagging efforts helped find Danielle's body. Searchers covered a vast search area that stretched from the ocean to the desert.
"It has been one of the most extraordinary things I have seen in my years of law enforcement," Pfingst said. "They found that needle in a haystack."
The van Dams' neighbors hoped for an end to what has been an emotional ordeal for the community.
"As unlikely as it was, everybody was still harboring some hope that she was still alive," said Jane Hurst, who lives near the van Dams. "Now that's gone, and at least we can start dealing with that."
A memorial to Danielle was posted Thursday morning on a Web site dedicated to her recovery. A message on the site quoted singer Sarah McLachlan: "You're in the arms of the angel. May you find some comfort there."
"There is not a more anxious feeling for parents than to not know where our children are," the couple said. "Even though the final outcome is horrible, we could not have imagined the rest of our lives without this closure."
Huh....Time to move on????
The van Dams said they desperately miss their "very special, beautiful, loving little girl" and are finding comfort "in knowing that she is now safe again and at peace."
Save Again???? Really, hhhmmmmm......