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

Union Tribune ^ | March 1, 2002 | Seth Hettena

[FresnoDA]

Mourners gather at site where Danielle's body was found

By Seth Hettena
ASSOCIATED PRESS

March 1, 2002

Associated Press

Mourners place flowers and a stuffed animal Friday, on the site under an oak tree where 7-year-old Danielle van Dam's body was found along Dehesa Road.

Associated Press

Andy Black looks over a memorial for 7-year-old Danielle van Dam after placing flowers Friday on the site where her body was found.

EL CAJON – Laura Davis said she felt drawn to the quiet patch of shade under an oak tree where searchers this week found the body of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam.

"The memory of her soul compelled me to come down here and say a last goodbye," Davis said Friday, cradling her 7-month-old daughter and wiping away tears. "To actually see the place where her innocent sweetness was lying under a tree." Davis, 26, added white flowers to a growing memorial of messages, bouquets, a pink teddy bear and a stuffed blue bunny that marks the place where authorities believe a neighbor dumped Danielle's body weeks ago.

Dental records confirmed Thursday that remains found by a rural roadside 25 miles east of San Diego were those of the little girl, who vanished from her bedroom Feb. 2.

The cause of death could not immediately be determined – and may never be – because of the body's state of decomposition, said Police Chief David Bejarano. Further tests were under way.

Danielle's parents, Brenda and Damon van Dam, said the unflagging efforts of more than 2,500 volunteers who searched a vast area stretching from the ocean to the desert left them with "an overwhelming sense of gratitude and closure."

"With love for an innocent child and for one another, the community has brought her back to us, and for that gift we offer our most sincere and heartfelt thanks," the van Dams said in a statement. "Even though the final outcome is horrible, we could not have imagined the rest of our lives without this closure."

A memorial service is expected later this month.

A neighbor, David Westerfield, 50, was charged Tuesday with murder, kidnapping and possession of child pornography. He has pleaded innocent and is being held without bond.

Authorities said they found traces of Danielle's blood in Westerfield's motor home and on an article of his clothing.

The self-employed engineer spent the weekend of Danielle's disappearance traveling in his motor home, stopping in the desert east of the city, authorities said.

A hunch led volunteers to the area – the remote road was one Westerfield might have taken the weekend Danielle disappeared, said Bill Garcia, a private detective who coordinated searches.

Nearby residents said they were unsettled by the discovery of Danielle's body so close to home.

"It kind of sickens us," said Charles O'Neill, 28, who lives about a mile away. "We've been driving by this road every day for the past month and knowing she's that close is something we never would have imagined."

[MizSterious]

Regarding your link: who do you suppose the man in the parking lot might have been, in light of what we've learned overnight?

[MizSterious]

Oddly, there is a huge discrepancy between what Brenda said there and what Damon said on Feb. 8th, when he stated that the friends only stayed about 15 minutes. I think I referenced that in post #299, or maybe it was 298?? Anyway, I posted the quote and the link to the source.

[FITZ]

Brenda van Dam said. "Nothing would get in between me checking on my children.

So she did check on her children? What time was that? All the stories before said she didn't until a neighbor came at 9:30am.

[MizSterious]

"It would be virtually impossible to look at the door and close it without noticing whether there was someone in the bed or not. It's directly in the line of vision."

Ohhh, good catch, GSG!! You are so right!

[spectre]

Actually, golitely, the Susan Smith Documentary was a real eye-opener. They "tricked" Susan into thinking she passed the test, saying something like "you did well". Most everyone naturally assumed she passed the test, including Susan herself. "You did well" meant they had a pretty good idea she was not being truthful.

In the end, they set her up, saying the alibi she gave couldn't have possiblly happened at the location she described, because they were conducting a drug "sting" operation going at the intersection she claims the car was hi-jacked, and asked her "if she wouldn't like to change her story". There WASN'T a sting operation, the cops were laying a calculated trap for her. It worked.

Before hand, they made her write down the events of that evening, then they made her go back and write it again. EACH time, a different version was written down. (Does this have a familiar ring to it, LOL!)

sw

[MizSterious]

Good catch, Spectre, thanks. All this time I thought she had passed, and I think she had even said so in one of her press conferences. Amazingly good police work on that case.

[MizSterious]

"Anonymous "compliments" trump her own bar stories??????"

And remember all the glowing character references Mr. Westerfield's friends provided?

[FITZ]

Sneakypete has been banned!

I think that's terrible. I don't agree with that poster on some things ---but it's terrible if he got banned over these kinds of threads! I think it's okay to speculate on what might have happened but it's good to get an opposing view to that.

[Freedom2specul8]

I couldn't resist...

"Have you heard that Microsoft is buying the Catholic church? Have you heard about the organ thieves who kidnap travelers and then steal their kidneys? You haven't? Then you are not on the Internet."

http://www.urbanlegends.com/

http://www.snopes2.com/

http://www.rumorsrumorsrumors.com/

http://www.nypost.com/gossip/gossip.htm

http://www.msnbc.com/news/gossip_front.asp?cp1=1

http://www.tvguide.com/newsgossip/

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/stories/feature.cfm
http://www.starmagazine.com/
http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/

---

http://www.intouch.org/
"A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends." Proverbs 16:28

[spectre]

I was surprised when I saw the Documentary. Cops aren't as naive as some think they are...most have an "instinct" for things that don't pass the smell test. And if a person doesn't tell the truth or starts changing their story, it sends up red flags. But then, WE know that, LOL!

sw

[Freedom2specul8]

She said herself that they were in dad's hands when she got home,and that she trusted him--she didn't think she needed to. (I've heard a lot of parents agree with that).

If she's as bad as some would like to be, then she didn't care about her child anyway. BUT..if she did trust her husband and if she does love her children, God help her. She'll have to live with the fact that the last time she saw her beautiful baby alive was when she left to celebrate her friend's move at the restaurant/bar. :(

[MizSterious]

We've been pointing out the inconsistencies all along. Where were you?

[FITZ]

Yes ---she might change her stories somewhat because she's a flake instead of guilty ---I can't tell. Anyhow not everyone checks on their kids at 3am and there are still places in the country where people don't lock their doors at night. Mine aren't always locked and in the summer the windows are open at night.

[spectre]

Yes, I do. Fasten your seat-belt for tomorrow. Feldman is going to show us how he gained his reputation for an attack dog no one wants to go up against. No holds barred...and if the van Dams were doing anything makes them culpable that evening, we are going to know, FOR SURE...grins...

sw

[FresnoDA]

A NOTE OF THANKS

For almost a month now, I have continually asked you to do whatever you could to help find Danielle Van Dam. As you know, her body was found on Wednesday, February 26, 2002.

I would like to thank all of you who donated your time, energy and resources to search for Danielle, and the dedicated staff and volunteers coordinating the search at the Laura Recovery Center

High praise goes to the San Diego Police Department for their unrelenting investigation of Danielle’s disappearance and her abductor. While their thoroughness and professionalism do not surprise me, they have proven again, in the most meaningful manner, their commitment to San Diegans and law enforcement.

To the Van Dam family, I send my sincerest condolences. Although I have expressed concerns about aspects of this tragedy, losing a child brings a pain and anguish no parent should ever suffer.

Sincerely,

Rick Roberts

[spectre]

Opps, "anything THAT makes them culpable"...

sw

[Freedom2specul8]

Which is more important, searching for the truth, or hanging the parents with hate, gossip and gasp lies? As a Christian I know there are people who live for that kind of lifestyle. It reminds me of harper valley PTA. A group of people are so much better than everyone else. They have the ''wisdom, knowledge and astuteness'' to judge others....yet when ya people the public layers of BS off their smarmy faces, they are nothing but hypocrites. :)

[Freedom2specul8]

people = peel as in peel the layers.. (LOL)

[Freedom2specul8]

LOL His sincere condelences?? That's a good one. I expected to read, "and to the Van Dam's, I sincerely hope you change your lifestyle for the sake of your other children".. SHEESH

[spectre]

Hypocrites?

You could offer a billion dollars, and never come up with one person who would even THINK I have ever been unfaithful to my husband. And if someone tryed to lie, there would be a line from here to the moon laughing them off this planet.

Character counts, morals matter...

sw