THE OTHER VAN DAM STORY(New article from San Diego will have V.D. PR machine will be in overdrive!)

San Diego Online ^ | May 1, 2002 | Thomas K. Arnold

[FresnoDA]

Front Pages

\Edited by Sarah Sabalos LaSpaluto

Wednesday, May 01, 2002

The Other Van Dam Story

—Thomas K. Arnold

Talk show host Rick Roberts made headlines with his KFMB-AM radio show about Damon and Brenda van Dam’s allegedly swinging lifestyle. But he wasn’t the only radio personality—or media outlet—to cast a critical eye on the backstory of the Danielle van Dam kidnapping case.

John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, whose John and Ken Show airs weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m. on Los Angeles station KFI-AM, devoted three shows to the case, even traveling to San Diego to broadcast from the van Dams’ Sabre Springs neighborhood. The week before that, they were the first to cast aspersions on the van Dams, a full day before the Roberts broadcast.

The Millennium Children’s Fund had just announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of Danielle. Fund administrator Douglas Pierce had visited with the van Dams, and the next day he called a press conference in Los Angeles at which he voiced suspicions about the couple’s behavior. For an hour, Pierce blasted the van Dams for their apparent lack of emotion and general rudeness to him.

“I don’t know how much was true and how much was hysterical, but that’s what made it fascinating. We tried to unravel it on the air,” Kobylt says. “In retrospect, I think he did peg their personalities very well—the lack of emotion, the detachment, the obsession with the media message—and perhaps he got the vibe that they live a different life than most people.”

As soon as Pierce finished on-air, John and Ken introduced their next guests: an angry Damon and Brenda van Dam, who lambasted Pierce as a nut case. “We had scheduled them in advance, but when they heard Doug was on the show, they canceled, only to change their minds right before show time,” Kobylt says.

After the interview, John and Ken picked apart the conversation and spoke critically about the van Dams’ lack of emotion and their defensiveness about questions pertaining to their own behavior and actions the last night Danielle was seen. The next day, the swinger story broke in The San Diego Union-Tribune—furthered that evening on San Diego radio by Rick Roberts.

“It’s a very dramatic story,” says Kobylt. “Everybody got obsessed with it pretty quickly... We have a pretty fair audience in San Diego—we’ve even made it into the top 10 on occasion—and we started getting calls from people who live in the neighborhood and know the van Dams. As a result, it might as well have been in L.A. I tend to look at the whole [Southern California] area as the same, anyway.”

(By press deadline, the van Dams could not be reached for comment by San Diego Magazine.)

While the van Dam case has been duly covered by most of the mainstream media, the Star tabloid stoked the flames of controversy with a front-page banner that screamed, “The new JonBenet—what Danielle’s mom and dad are hiding.” Inside was a two-page story headlined, “Tragedy of little Danielle—and the dark sex secrets her parents are trying to keep hidden.”

Quoting the proverbial unnamed sources “close to the probe,” the Star reported that later-arrested suspect David Westerfield “was aware of the van Dams’ sexual activities and had approached Brenda about hosting a sex-swap party in his house.” The Star said Brenda had admitted to police “that the couple belonged to a swingers’ club called Club CB” and that sources say she “flirted outrageously and danced with Westerfield” the Friday night Danielle disappeared. “He [Westerfield] knew that Brenda and her friends were sexually involved, and he wanted to be part of the action, but for whatever reason, he was not invited by Brenda to accompany her and her four friends back to her home that night for more partying and sex,” the Star says it was told by a source.

[Lauratealeaf]

Sometimes my tolerance level for people who are sooo tolerant of neglectful, self centered, boozing, swinging, parents of children who are killed hits its limit.

[Freedom2specul8]

WHen pedophiles target their pray, they don't care of the parents are whores or Christian ministers. You know, there are a lot of professions and so called extra curricular activities that keeps parents busy. Pedophiles will find the weakness and exploit it. Just like THE PRIESTS found a weakness..THE FAITH OF PARENTS.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Sometimes my tolerance level for people who are sooo tolerant of neglectful, self centered, boozing, swinging, parents of children who are killed hits its limit.

Big ditto to that!!!!!! I find it is safer for me to avoid those "people" and not risk expressing what I really think.

[FresnoDA]

PING...) ) )

As the Van Dam's and their PR team take a more agressive role in the Jahi case....we need to keep closer tabs...

New Thread Alert....

Van Dam Volunteer Sets Up Shop To Help In Search For Missing Boy: Bill Garcia takes lead role.

[Lauratealeaf]

WHen pedophiles target their pray, they don't care of the parents are whores or Christian ministers

Don't you mean "prey"?

Pedophiles will find the weakness and exploit it. Just like THE PRIESTS found a weakness..THE FAITH OF PARENTS.

So now to you the van Dams are Mary and Joseph? I doubt that the van Dam's darkened the door of any church for spiritual enrichment. They seem to be more interested in material enrichment and nice new BMWs. Don't insult the Catholic parents of children molested by perverted priests by comparing them to the van Dams! That is really disgusting!

[Jaded]

Their lifestyle IS relevant to the evening in question everything they did that night is relevant. The fact that the outside garage door was revolving is relevant. The judge not allowing it... could it create grounds for appeal?

[Freedom2specul8]

Yea, I meant prey, not pray..innocent mistake.

"Pedophiles will find the weakness and exploit it. Just like THE PRIESTS found a weakness..THE FAITH OF PARENTS"

for the rest of your post.. Whatever. That doesn't even dignify a response. Of course not. I was discussing predatory behaviour, can't you tell or are you assuming again? Are you denying that the parents faith in their priests was not exploited? WHATEVER!!!! Are you trying to justify the predatory behaviour of the pedophile priests? Me thinks you're not. Oh, and is the catholic faith the only faith that recognizes mary and joseph? I think not??????

Don't insult the Catholic parents of children molested by perverted priests by comparing them to the van Dams! That is really disgusting
What is disgusting that you would actually assume that. Sad.

[spectre]

I just can't post to this thread anylonger today...I feel like I am beating my head against the wall and will end up getting a time-out before the trial begins...so to protect myself..

Later...guys.

sw

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I plead ignorance about legal procedures, but can't the defense get around some of this lifestyle subject by thoroughly questioning people who "visited" the van Dams that night? Won't it possibly come out on its own or at least the implication?

[FresnoDA]

---

What do Tie-Ray Jones and Damon van Dam have in common?

• Both were the last people to see their "missing" children alive

• Both were the ones to call police to report the children missing

• Both have admitted to taking Lie Detector Tests

• Both ACTIVELY participated in the search

• Both have appeared publicly with their spouse before local press

• Both have "hired" Public Relations consultants

• Both drive luxury cars

• Both, when pressed, have given varying statements, deemed to be less than truthful

[FresnoDA]

Here is a picture of the "infamous" Dianne Halfmann....

One question.....is that a police issued wig????

[RnMomof7]

Sometimes my tolerance level for people who are sooo tolerant of neglectful, self centered, boozing, swinging, parents of children who are killed hits its limit.

Bingo!!

[Lauratealeaf]

Kim, you seem to miss my point. I really don't think you are deluded either. So, are you missing it on purpose? You assume that people like the van Dams have faith. What faith? How have they exhibited faith? Their reckless lifestyle has revealed only an interest in earthly matters, not spiritual. When adult parents live reckless, thoughtless, carnal lives and bring other reckless, selfish adults into their homes where their children are sleeping they are dead spiritually and emotionally to their children. The van Dams were not thinking of their children at all. They cannot be compared to parents who take their children to church assuming that the wolves in the outside world are not sharpening their teeth inside. The van Dams are the wolves and they have no faith.

[MizSterious]

It is refreshing to see someone who has limits. In this sad, sordid van Dam story, we see person after person parading through the new news articles, television interviews and news clips who do not now have and never did have any limits whatever on their behavior. Want to try sex with someone besides your spouse? They say, bring him/her/them on. Want a different thrill? They say, bring on the marijuana, the cocaine, whatever. Telling the truth too much of a hassle? They say, what the h*ll, lies are quick and easy. I think they typify what I call the "whatever" generation. (And I can't help but note that they have several enablers right here on Free Republic.)

[MizSterious]

"Just like THE PRIESTS found a weakness..THE FAITH OF PARENTS."

So, being Catholic is a weakness? Or is it only being a Catholic who has faith that's a weakness? That was a very ugly statement to make, especially when there are many Catholics on this board. Let me tell you something. Catholic priests are getting the media heat right now, but it's not unheard of in other types of clergy, not to mention Boy Scouts and other childrens' organizations. The thing is, real pedophiles will deliberately seek out the company of young children. They are teachers, Scout leaders, Sunday School teachers, daycare owners--and to call any of these organizations a weakness, in my estimation, shows a certain weakness in thought processes.

[MizSterious]

"Yea, I meant prey, not pray..innocent mistake."

Or Freudian slip.

[Lauratealeaf]

I think they typify what I call the "whatever" generation. (And I can't help but note that they have several enablers right here on Free Republic.)

I think you are onto something with the "whatever" terminology. Even the term "enabler" is suspect to me. It denies individual responsibility. But, you are right. There have been quite a few repetitive posts on these van Dam threads and they have not been for the edification of those who have been posting on these threads. They have been posted to influence those who may be lurking. Some people are simply uncomfortable with the word "evil" and can't quite conceive that there is such a thing and that women with manicured nails and blonde hair who drive BMWs and men who play video games with their sons can have evil hearts. It is much easier to imagine that single, twice divorced men who drive into the desert and take clothes to the cleaners and ask married women to dance and buy girl scout cookies are the dark hearts.

[Freedom2specul8]

No Mizsterious.....that's not true. The pedophiles exploited the FAITH of the parents. That means, they had the trust of the parents, the parents had faith that their children would not be harmed. Ooops, the pedophiles betrayed them. thereby exploiting their faith. I assume you realize that satan can and does hurt the children of God all the time. I'd say he had a hand in this wouldn't you? Don't read anything else into it,and then by gosh, you won't be offended cept by what the pedophiles did. You could compare the faith or trust the parents had to those parents who have faith in the public educational system. The pedophile teachers who exploit their trust by PREYING on their children. You must have been through the ringer on fr to assume the negative all the time..or shall I say "your self-reinforcing fear or insecurity" during so called debates is quite apparent.

[Freedom2specul8]

No, I'm not missing anything..but I think it's a matter of major miscommunication based on the fact that you believe I have a bias towards the parents personally. I wasn't referring to the van dam's religious nature, training etc.. I was referring to the fact that parents whose kids were victimized by the pedophile priests were betrayed, their faith in that particular situation was undermined. IE: I have faith that my kids teachers will not become abusive. If they do, steps would be taken. If they do, they betrayed my trust and undermined my faith. Some parents have lost COMPLETELY FAITH in the public school system so they remove their kids and put them in private schools or homeschool them. That is the kind of faith I was referring to.

[Freedom2specul8]

I think I'm with you...time for a break.. Where's the aspirin????