Mourners Gathering At Site Where Danielle's Body Was Found: (Post van Dam News Here)

Union Tribune ^ | March 1, 2002 | Seth Hettena

[Hildy]

Apparently DW was seen at Sycuan Casino, which is a few miles from the site. I heard that he used his Player Card and that's how they knew when he was there. But that's just what I heard, has anyone else heard that?

[Valpal1]

would seem to be rather brazen, even for a killer.

Brazeness is a key turn on factor for sexual killers. An adrenaline rush is easily redirected into and enhances release of sexual tension

That's why they do this sick stuff.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"If someone chooses to be around people with less than godly morals, they are opening themselves up to exposure to people who do immoral things, if not in the IMMEDIATE circle of trysts, then their trysts trysts."

There is a whole world of difference between doing immoral things, and murder, wouldn't you agree?

While what you say may be true, that doesn't appear to be the case here because according to every account of the story that I have read, with the exception of the internet rumour mills, Westerfield was an outsider to that alleged circle of van Dam friends. The contact with the man who will apparently stand trial for the murder, did not come about as a result of their alleged lifestyle, and it didn't come about as a result of that expanding circle that you described, he simply moved into their neighborhood.

Sometimes people do not make the choice to be around people with less than godly morals. Sometimes they work with you, or move in next door to you, or are in the PTA with you. Then, if your statement holds true, you fall into that ever expanding circle whether you like it or not.

Larry invited the van Dams to come to his show and discuss Danielle's abduction, and to give them a forum to plead for her return. To take attention away from what had to be their main focus: doing everything they could possibly do to try and find their little girl, was BS.

I know that under similar circumstances, I couldn't have cared less about Larry's agenda, nor what the world thought about me.

Still, all in all, it's still really unusual that not one neighbor has made the slightest comment about strange going-ons at the van Dams.

One last thing.

I used the Federal Sexual Predator database, and did a search based on my zip code. There are seven listings (with pictures and addresses) listed there of registered sexual predators within two miles of my house.

I did one on my old zip code (I moved in May last year), and found one living a few doors down from my old house.

I used to chat with this guy when we saw each other outside working on our yards or washing a car or something.

What do you really know about your circle of friends?

[Freedom2specul8]

I thought you all might be interested in this:

http://video.uniontrib.com/news/metro/danielle/20020208-9999_1n8saga.html
February 8, 2002

Tow truck driver says suspect's vehicle was stuck in sand off road

Dan Conklin, who owns a tow service that caters to all-terrain vehicles, said he spent more than two hours midafternoon Saturday getting David Westerfield's motor home out of the sand

Westerfield,...has said he drove his motor home to the desert Saturday morning, the same day Danielle's parents discovered her missing.

Conklin said he found Westerfield, who has been described by friends as an avid desert camper, in an area people do not normally take motor homes.

After the vehicle was freed, Westerfield was in such a hurry, he left behind the motor home's leveling ramps, Conklin said.

He "just wanted to get out of there," Conklin said. "He just got on the highway and left."

Conklin said San Diego police and agents with the Bureau of Land Management questioned him Tuesday. He took bureau officers to the place where he found the motor home, and they spent several hours there.

"I know this desert well," Conklin said. "This person did some things that were not normal at all."

[joey'smom]

Story is that BvD's two women friends and two guys from the bar came home with her. The names of the 4 have not been released, to the best of my knowledge. (Tho I think one of the women was interviewed by a TV station.) I heard on Rick Roberts that if the names were known, all in San Diego would recognize one of them. Hmmm.....

[nicmarlo]

Sometimes people do not make the choice to be around people with less than godly morals. Sometimes they work with you, or move in next door to you, or are in the PTA with you. Then, if your statement holds true, you fall into that ever expanding circle whether you like it or not.

I don't disagree with you that the ever-expanding circle of which I discussed is sometimes imposed on you, i.e., through work relationships, PTA committees, etc. However, can you not agree that people who willingly go out of their way to associate with people in the act of doing things that are and have traditionally been considered immoral is opening themselves up to potential danger? The risks for problems have increased by this choice.

[joey'smom]

Paper said Sycuan turned over the info that DW was a member and were working on when he was last there. Haven't heard any update.

[Valpal1]

Why have no grandparents, aunts or uncles of Danielle surfaced to say anything about this case?

Um, because their family is loving and loyal, they are grieving for Danielle and her parents, and having surveyed the landscape of journalistic malfeasance and irresponsibility, realize the total uselessness of surrendering their precious privacy to the sharks. It would change nothing except to traumatize more family members.

[nicmarlo]

that if the names were known, all in San Diego would recognize one of them. Hmmm.....

I hadn't heard that one before, although I believe I do recall hearing about the rest of your post. Very interesting.

[nicmarlo]

Yeah, I remember reading stuff about Conklin. He at first got the day wrong that he helped the neighbor get out of the sand (understandable and not suspicious, IMO). I remember reading that statement about something the neighbor did not being "normal."

[joey'smom]

Actually, in the very beginning, Brenda's family was on tv and her dad referred to Danielle as having been killed. That was the last we saw of them!

[MizSterious]

Here are just a couple more for your collection:

Source: "Westerfield, a friend of the missing girl's family, told police that he left on the solitary outing Saturday morning in a recreational vehicle he owns, Collins said." (Excerpted from article)

Source: "Said Sara Fraunces, a family spokeswoman: “They do not lead a perfect lifestyle. But they did not kill their daughter.” (Excerpted from article)

I'll be back later with some of my other links.

[Greg Weston]

Ah read again. I wasn't agreeing with that nutty conclusion about the Van Dam's.

Let's say someone invites a person at their church over for a bible study and later this person comes back and abducts their kid. It's certainly possible. Are the people who invited this person over "opening the door" for such a situation to happen? And BTW I've heard only gossipy speculation about some sort of connection between the Van Dam's and Westerfield anyway. You got some solid proof to put up that they were involved together in swinging or anything else?

Someone's post earlier was right on target. A predator needs no excuse to do their thing. They only look for ANY weakness to take advantage of.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Swingers (I've known a few, never participated, never plan to) are adults who make a choice not to live by societal norms in the area of marriage and sex. Their activities are fully consensual, and are enjoyed with like-minded adults, these are people who are completely comfortable with their sexuality. BTW, this is the kind of post that some repressive types around here deem as my "defending" the swinger's lifestyle.

According to everything that I have ever read about pedophiles and sexual predators, they are exactly the opposite. Uncomfortable with their sexuality and unable to have any sort of sexual relationship of any sort, they wouldn't be able to perform in a swinging setting.

Pedophiles are not interested in having sex with some other guy's wife, they want to have sex with their kids.

The main question here is whether one can see a difference between immoral behavior, and murder.

I do, and even more so when that murder is perpetrated on a child.

[BunnySlippers]

Thanks. I had read before that DW had taken and failed a lie detector test but could not find the article again. Failing the test would immediately pin point one as a suspect. Also, and I cannot verify this information, I had heard that the sniffing dogs had originally trailed Danielle from her bedroom directly to Westerfield's camper and their lost the scent ... because when the door to the camper opened it was reaking with bleach fumes.

Keep in mind, Monday is a big document dump on this case unless DW's lawyer is able to keep it from happening.

[StayoutdaBushesWay]

I 2nd that! Thank you FresnoDA, you are a great asset to the FreeRepublic community. :)

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Do you ACTUALLY think that a fellow "swinger" is going to come forward and tell on himself?"

They advertise on newspapers, magazines, and the internet...do you think they care what anyone thinks of their lifestyle?

"Do you ACTUALLY think that the Van Dams are going to be "swinging" while all this attention is focused on them?? "

I never even suggested that.

[Luis Gonzalez]

No, they're a few of the ones that I found in under thirty seconds on the internet.

Funny thing is that the individual sensationializing this case in FR posted other pictures from the same source, yet not a single one where Mrs. van Dam was crying.

Hmmmm....

[MizSterious]

Here's another link for your collection:

Source: "Damon van Dam said he woke up when they got home and talked with the four friends until they left about 15 minutes later. Then the couple went to bed. "

This story was from February 8th.

[MizSterious]

Maybe it's because we use the photos that came with the articles. I tend to just lift the code from the source page when I post an article. Also, I note that you only posted, what, 3 or 4 photos of the weeping VDs? I don't think there are very many available.