Apparent Remains Of Danielle Found: (11:00 P.M. Update)

Union Trib ^ | February 27, 2002 11:00 P.M. | Jeffrey J. Ros

[FresnoDA]

Thanks, have seen these pictures 3 times now...?

[FresnoDA]

today

member since February 27th, 2002

Welcome to Free Republic.....it is good form to scan a thread before posting, especially large picture/graphic files.  Not a problem for those of us with broadband, but it slows things up a bit for our friends chatting over a typical modem line....FresnoDA

[LenS]

Look at that picture of the road. Lots of thick brush that would hide it from view of those on the road. Smell might be the best indicator, but then someone jogging by might just think it's a dead animal. The killer might just have stopped quickly, dumped the body and moved on in a haste to get rid of the evidence.

I recall a story about a serial killer in Rochester, NY who dumped the bodies of prostitutes near roads and bodies of water. Following a profile of his habits, the cops decided to have a chopper fly over the roads in the area. Amazingly, they spotted a body within feet of a well-traveled road with minimal brush cover. That body, once identified, turned out to point them at the killer.

Of course, stupidity among criminals should never be ruled out.

[FresnoDA]

Is that you B.U.......???? LOL!!

[CindyDawg]

Too weird for me. It was just an observation. My kids have gone thru periods where they get attatched to something for awhile. But every picture I see she has it on. Probably doesn't mean anything.

[cgk]

I have the same problem. That was the first time I've seen her (the mother) show any emotion in public... at the hearing. Perhaps it was because it was the first time her daughter was being called "murdered" and not "missing."

But the first time I saw her, she was smiling and holding a doll of Danielle's. They're a strange couple. The father also has a problem with her speaking to anyone. He'll stifle her in mid sentence if she discusses something he's not comfortable with (i.e. timeline of when she came home from the bar that night...).

I still think the parents know more about that night's events and of Westerfeld than they are admitting to. I don't think they had anything to do with her murder, at least God I hope not. But something still bugs me about the whole thing.

Mrs Kus

[FresnoDA]

St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Rancho Penasquitos, where the van Dams are members

Now this is kind of new and interesting.  Members means, not just an attendee, but immersed tithing church member.  Does that mean that after a wild weekend of partying, they scrub up, wake up and head to Sunday morning Church????  WOW!!!  I would be afraid of pllars of fire, or ligntening......guess things are a bit more strict in Assembly of God!!!

---

Episcopal Beliefs

Anglican Churches uphold and proclaim the Catholic and Apostolic faith, based on the Scriptures, interpreted in the light of tradition, scholarship and reason. Following the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Churches are committed to the proclamation of the Good News of the Gospel to the whole creation. Faith, order and practice have found expression in the Book of Common Prayer, Ordinals of he 16th and 17th centuries, and most succinctly in the 'Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral' which was first approved by the Lambeth Conference of 1888. This document affirms as the essential elements of faith and order in the quest for Christian unity:

1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the revealed Word of God;
2. The Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian Faith;
3. The two sacraments - Baptism and the Eucharist - ministered with the unfailing words and elements used by Christ;
4. The historic Episcopate.

Central to worship for Anglicans is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist (also called the Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper, the Mass). In this offering of prayer and praise are recalled the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, through the proclamation of the word and celebration of the Sacrament. Worship is at the heart of Anlgicanism. Its styles vary from simple to elaborate, from Evangelical to Catholic, as well as from Charismatic to Traditional.

The Book of Common Prayer, in its various revisions throughout the Communion gives expression to the comprehensiveness found within the Church whose principles reflect, since the time of Elizabeth I, a via media in relation to other Christian traditions.

Baptism, with water in the name of the Trinity, unites one with Christ and the Church. Other rites include Confirmation, Holy Orders, Reconciliation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick.

[FresnoDA]

Pierce said that Damon RULED the house, and that Brenda is simply the spokesman. But that behind the scenes, Damon is totally in controll. I agree with you that this is approaching total bizzaro.....

[crystalk]

Am I the only one who wonders if some perp unknown, perhaps drawn by the VDs lifestyle, took this girl from her home and SHACKED UP IN/TOOK REFUGE IN/ certain storage bldgs and or the motor-camper that were parked in/around the Westerfield driveway, and may have even killed the girl there and left her for him to find?

I tell you, if that had been done I might have been as freaked out as HE was, shaking like a fool, driving all over the county, etc. Somebody tried to pin him but good, seems to me.

When I next go look in my sheds and rarely used vehicles, I sure hope I do not find what he apparently did.

[dougherty]

I remember reading about that case in Mark Fuhrman's book 'Murder in Spokane'. They also used helicopters to try and catch the Spokane serial killer. They used helicopters and pilots from the National Guard, and oddly enough as it turns out, the killer, Robert Yates, was a helicopter pilot with the National Guard.

[Freedom2specul8]

probably xanax and anti-depressants are preventing public tears. Her eyes look like they have gotten no sleep and cry all the time. :(

[lady reaper]

Thanks, so much for researching, and finding the articles. You are an excellent source for information.

[fromnovascotia]

"At this point speed is not an issue," Pfingst said. "We'd rather do it right than do it fast."
Right attitude.

[runningbear]

Been said on the KFBK, Tom Sullivan show, that the Van Dam's were swingers. Stuff that is trying to stay out of the lime light. If I can find that info I will put it here....She reminds me of Tuesday Weld movie as a drunk, from long ago. I can't remember the movie title. But that is who she reminds me of from this pic.

[Lion's Cub]

I catch the news blimps on the TV, but I haven't been reading the articles posted here about the murder, so maybe there's something you all are aware of that I'm not. But I'll mention one thing that bothers me about the discovery of this body.

According to the articles on this thread, they only found one earring with the body. The police have searched Westerfield's home, camper, etc. thoroughly, I assume; but there has never been any mention of one of her earrings being found on him or any of his property.

Perhaps they did find it and just haven't released that to the press. But if they didn't find it, then I would wonder if it was kept as a souvenir by the real killer.

[MeekOneGOP]

Apparent Remains Of Danielle Found: (11:00 P.M. ET Update)
Looks pretty conclusive to me, from their detailed descriptions. . .
(((PING))))))
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[onyx]

The death penalty is a joke in CA, but nonetheless, Westerfield has lost his only bargaining chip to avoid it with the discovery of Danielle's body this afternoon.

Thank God, the on-scene investigators finished their work in and around her body late this evening (after 11:00 PM) which allowed her body to be placed on a gurney and then into the vehicle headed for the morgue and an autopsy.

One of my son's lives right off Dehesa Road approximately 1 mile from the site where Danielle was dumped; another son lives in Sabre Springs. Too close to home on both fronts. Sickening story. Gruesome.

crystalk --- you don't know what you're talking about --- you do not live in this area --- Westerfield is smart (cunning), he purposely left a trail of his travels --- call it "staging" --- he purposely tried to set-up his alibi by first overpaying at the Silver Strand and then again by getting his motorhome stuck in the sand near Glamis in the desert. Trouble is, Dehesa Road is is a back-country avenue between the Silver Strand and Highway 8 (I-8) to the desert. Obviously, Westerfield wanted to dump the body soon after he killed her. I doubt that she lived more than a few hours after her abduction.

[not-an-ostrich]

Perhaps the half-smile on Mr. Van Dam's face?

[runningbear]

Some refresher archive links on this story.

link to CNN.com

link to crime.com

Danielle Van Dam. (Reuters)

[Ditter]

If anybody, even a minister asked me if finding the body of my child brought me any 'closure' I punch his light out. I would like never to hear that word again.