Police: Break In Missing Girl Case Soon

AP/Yahoo! ^ | Friday February 15 11:56 AM EST

[MizSterious]

Police: Break In Missing Girl Case Soon

A high-ranking San Diego police official said in remarks published Friday that he is confident there will soon be a break in the case of missing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam.

"We will solve this case sooner rather than later," Assistant Chief Steve Creighton told The San Diego Union-Tribune. "We have a ton of evidence that we are meticulously going over. We are making progress."

Creighton's remarks were published only two days after police, for a third time, searched the home of David A. Westerfield, who lives just two doors from the van Dam home.

Police refused to say what they may have found in the home of the 50-year-old, who has been the focus of the investigation into what police say was an apparent kidnapping.

Twice before, detectives took service dogs through Westerfield's house, and he has been under 24-hour police surveillance in the days since Danielle's disappearance.

In addition, Westerfield has submitted a sample of his DNA to authorities for analysis.

During the initial searches, officers carted off boxes and bags full of household items. Police also impounded his sport utility vehicle and the motor home he took to the Imperial County desert over the weekend the girl vanished.

Still, authorities have referred to the neighbor only as a "potential suspect" and have not taken him into custody.

Danielle's father, meanwhile, said he plans to join concerned citizens in scouring arid wilderness areas around Glamis, Borrego Springs and Ocotillo over the Presidents' Day weekend.

The search for the girl has included those vast open areas because Westerfield took a trip there around the time Danielle vanished.

Brenda van Dam said her husband's plan to help comb those wastelands was helping him cope with the ordeal of his child's disappearance.

"You know, it's harder for me to have to stay here in the house. But I know that's what I have to do, just in case I'm needed by the investigators," she said. Rewards offered in connection with Danielle's disappearance now total $185,000. Some are offered for her safe return. Others are payable in the event of an arrest and conviction.

[scholar]

Brenda is a stay-at-home mother involved in Girl Scouts and youth sports.

According to reports, Brenda was involved in a lot more activites than Girl Scourts and youth sports.

[Amore]

What are y'alls views about clicking on LA Times links (or the Washington Post)? I clicked on the LA Times link, but thought after I had that I shouldn't have. If they count hits for any purpose, I would think we probably shouldn't do anything to make them look good.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"We will solve this case sooner rather than later," Assistant Chief Steve Creighton told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The phrase "sooner rather than later" can be roughly translated as "I am lying through my teeth."

You'd think this idiot would know better than to use it, unless he is deliberately thumbing his nose at the entire world.

[a_witness]

The little girl's Mother is truly a beautiful and apparently wonderful woman.

Really ?

[PianoMan]

I was hoping this was a Chandra thread

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Here is a quote from Brenda reported in a north San Diego County newspaper.

"Somebody knows where my baby is, and it's not me. I just want to go and say, 'Tell me where my baby is,' " Brenda van Dam said.

She added that she will not do so because she does not want to do anything to compromise or interfere with the case.

"It's not me"............ Well duh.........that should be a given. What a weird thing to say !!! Then she says she won't say, "Tell me where my baby is" because it will compromise or interfere with the case ?????????? Can someone translate that for me? How so?

[MsLady]

post# 20 I agree!!!

I pray for the Danielle but, fear it's to late.

[Amore]

Then she says she won't say, "Tell me where my baby is" because it will compromise or interfere with the case ?????????? Can someone translate that for me?

Not I.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I pray for the Danielle but, fear it's to late.

I feel the same. I pray and want to be hopeful but logic tells me that hopes are dim.

[MizSterious]

Great catch. Boy, that should set some alarms off. So someone knows where the child is, but not the mother--the mother seems to know who it is, wouldn't you say? And she says she doesn't want to ask that person where the child is, lest it "compromise" the investigation? What is going on here, I wonder?

[LaineyDee]

But no reason to actually go check on the kids apparently!

This is what struck me. I had an incident when my kids were young.... and thought I heard someone open a door downstairs. My first reaction was to jump out of bed and check the kids....THEN go investigate. How could anyone who lives in the city...find their door open, alarm blinking.....and NOT investigate further???? Crazy. IMHO, this Mom knows something happened to this kid because of...and due to her extra-curricular "activities" and is scared to death...plus consumed with guilt.

[FresnoDA]

CLOVIS UNIFED IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE

NEW STUDENT CLUB

THE VAN DAM SWINGERS CLUB

MEETS EVERY FRIDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT

TIME:    Midnight until whenever.

PLACE:    Our garage

CALL:    800-WEE-SWNG

[Teacup]

I have this strange feeling about the parents. I saw them on FOX news yesterday with Polly Clus's dad. They were announcing the new Danielle Center, complete with a staff and all. The dad, seemed all happy and excited about his new business. HMMM? I would be sooooo, unble to function. I rememebr when we lost our 6 year old niece to a drunk driver. Lordy, Lordy, none of us could function. The funeral was just a blurr to me. How can you set up a foundation complete with a staff? They haven't even found her yet.

[Gophack]

This case is truly disturbing. We live up in Northern California and I hadn't heard about the case when it first broke. My husband was out of town that weekend and called me and told me about it, making sure that I checked all the doors, the kids, etc. I must have checked on the kids a dozen times that weekend while they were sleeping. My dog thought I was bizarre and parked herself outside the kids' doors.

This is a sad, sad case. I hope and pray that the parents are innocent, because no one wants to ever believe that parents can do anything bad to their children. But they do. I don't know what the story is, and I would only be speculating. Everyone handles stress differently. If the stories about sex and wife-swapping are true, the parents are obviously irresponsible. But, as with any high-profile case, we don't know all the facts.

We need to add Danielle to our prayers so that the truth may be revealed, and that she will return safely. It's been too long, though. I can not bare to think of anything happening to my children ... sometimes, I hear stories like this, and I envision one of my kids missing and I just start crying. What kind of society do we live in where our children are not safe in their own homes?

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

What is going on here, I wonder?

So do I !!!!!!!

[MizSterious]

Another peculiarity I just found today--it had been published a few days ago in the San Diego Union-Tribune (a very good source for info on this case for those interested in investigating what AP doesn't cover). Apparently Danielle's bedroom was not located on the ground floor as I had just sort of assumed, but on the 2nd floor, with no door to the outside nearby at all. Someone would have had to go through the house and up the stairs to get to the child. To me, it sounds like someone who might be pretty familiar with the lay of the house to have pulled this off. Or possibly someone leaving the "rumpus" in the garage rumpus room to use the bathroom, and took a little detour? Anyway, I was surprised to learn that.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Very interesting !!!

[DittoJed2]

I agree. I though her reaction was rather cold considering the circumstances.

[FresnoDA]

Description

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.

 

[MizSterious]

I'm going to be unable to tune in--care to report on it for those of us who can't listen in?