Posted on 03/01/2002 4:04:47 PM PST by FresnoDA
Mourners gather at site where Danielle's body was found
|
By Seth Hettena ASSOCIATED PRESS March 1, 2002
"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." |
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.
Ohhh, good catch, GSG!! You are so right!
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
And remember all the glowing character references Mr. Westerfield's friends provided?
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.
"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.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
sw
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. :(
sw
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 Danielles 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
sw
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
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.