[FresnoDA]

I watched a show recently on Discovery Channel, and a Doctor/Dentist? killed his wife/girl friend, and took the body off the Virginia coast, dumped in the ocean inside of an ice chest/bait box.  Body was never recovered, but the guy was sentenced for murder anyway.  I am sure there are other cases as well.  Sorry for the lack of details, just giving you the scenario.

Westerfield is definitely getting squeezed BIG TIME now by San Diego LE.

Must we presume that the investigation is over, and that Damon and Brenda VD are "off the hook"?

There are still many gaping questions, at least on the surface, with regards to their actions that evening.  In fact, one might conclude that their actions were either reckless or contributing to the outcome of the little girls safety....

[crypt2k]

Danielle: Lost in the Hustle

[scholar]

There are still many gaping questions,...

I agree, I am still praying that LE is taking a hard look at the van Dams.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Could you be referring to Thomas Capono, the attorney in Delaware who murdered his girlfriend and he and his brother dumped the body in the Atlantic in an ice chest?

You are correct, no body but he was convicted of her murder.

[spectre]

Anyone can say the alarm was flashing red because the door was open. If it wasn't punched in to the security alert monitoring service, then there is really no way of proving the VD's claim.

BTW, we have many neighbors who live quiet lives and don't socialize with other neighbors. Am I supposed to think they are "weird"? I'm not saying Westerfield is not guilty, I'm saying there is more to this than an open and shut case.

I'd like to know why Gary Condit is still walking free? There IS evidence to link him to a "motive" in Chandra Levy's disappearance and the subsequent covering up of his association with her, i.e., dumping the watch box. Condit WAS acting "weird". Condit should be behind bars too.

The Levy's must be silently groaning in disbelief.

sw

[MizSterious]

I hope you're wrong, but it's looking like no more investigation into the VDs ahead--sadly. One can't help but wonder if someone on city council or something might be part of the VD swing group. (No, that term VD swing group was not totally an accidental term.)

[Jaded]

There was always the state official in NJ, then the pilot who used the woodchipper... there's a whole list.

This one is just way too weird. Can't seem to get past the total lack of real concern on the part of the parents to the alarm light or the changing stories of so many of the people involved. Doesn't pass the smell test. I don't think we'll hear all of the truth.

[apollo11]

I believe you are referring to the case of Thomas Capano, who was a prominent Wilmington, DE attorney. He murdered his former girlfriend, Anne-Marie Fahey, and dumped her body (in a coller) off the Delaware coast into the Atlantic ocean. The body was never recovered (although the cooler eventually was found by fisherman), but he was nonetheless convicted of 1st degree murder and sentenced to death.

I believe he was convicted on the testimony of his own brother, who was on the boat and said that after the cooler floated, Capano shot it full of wholes to get it to sink, but it fell open and the brother saw a human foot going down into the water.

In an even stranger twist, they were able to match blood from Capano's house to Fahey's blood because she had donated blood a few days before her murder--they had to literally stop a ship heading to Europe with the plasma on board.

[Brytani]

FYI on Capano

New Page 1 Capano seeks help in Supreme Court
Death-penalty appeal should be heard with similar case from Ariz., lawyers say

By MARY ALLEN
Staff reporter
02/20/2002

Attorneys for Thomas Capano have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to consolidate his appeal with one from Arizona that raises similar legal issues.

Capano's attorneys want to join in arguments set for April 22 in Washington, where Arizona attorneys are scheduled to debate the constitutionality of that state's death-penalty law. Capano's team is questioning the constitutionality of Delaware's death-penalty law, which is similar to Arizona's.

Both states give judges the ultimate say over whether to order the death penalty.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2000 in a criminal case that did not involve the death penalty that only jurors can decide if facts of a case qualify it for a greater penalty.

Capano's attorneys and those in Arizona maintain that ruling should translate to death-penalty cases, because murder is punishable by life in prison unless circumstances of a case call for the greater penalty of death.

Attorneys for Capano and convicted murderer Timothy Ring in Arizona want new penalty hearings with jurors getting final say over the men's sentences.

Wilmington attorney Joseph M. Bernstein, who is leading Capano's appeal team, submitted the final round of paperwork to the court in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

Capano has been under a death sentence since 1999, when a Superior Court jury in Wilmington convicted him of murdering Anne Marie Fahey in 1996. Fahey, 30, was scheduling secretary to Gov. Tom Carper. Capano was a former prosecutor and political insider.

Prosecutors said Capano killed Fahey after she tried to end their affair. Capano said she was killed in an accident, after another mistress found him with Fahey.

Delaware prosecutors have asked the court to hold off on the portion of Capano's petition that challenges Delaware death-penalty law, according to court papers. They urged the court to decide the Arizona case in a way that applies to Delaware.

The nine Supreme Court justices are asked to hear about 8,000 cases a year, but accept only 90 to 100.

In addition to the death-penalty challenge, Capano has asked the court to review whether the jury that convicted him should have been allowed to consider lesser charges than first-degree murder, such as manslaughter.

Reach Mary Allen at 678-4275 or mallen@delawareonline.com.

[willyone]

Reckless? In what way? They put their daughter to bed like millions of others do every night. How is that reckless. You blame the victim liberals should really get over to Dem Underground. As for the parents being swingers who said so? Rick Roberts who can't hold a talk show spot? Anyone can accuse anyone of anything. I sincerely hope that some day you find that out the hard way.