SDPD Takes Heat For Attempt At Interview: Contact with Westerfield called shocking(van Dam suspect)

Union Tribune ^ | March 8, 2002 | Greg Moran

[Valpal1]

Seems to me there is more evidence pointing to other "sickos"...

What evidence would that be?

[hsmomx3]

You're kidding? This is sick and pathetic. I sure would like to know of all the kids that go missing, why this particular child makes them want to change the name? This whole thing is very strange.

[hsmomx3]

I said on another thread that if his prints were in her room, could it have been because the mother and he were having a fling in that room?

[Mrs.Liberty]

To poster above, every bit of info in my VD file has come from postings on FR. Every scrap. I would say that in the last 500 postings about VD, 20 have alleged that Brenda van Dam was in this motor home at one time or another, and some gave their reasons for saying so, but I am not the source, they are

Now, don't get snippy about it ;-) ...I am just wondering if there was an actual place you had read this (except for here). I have seen those posts as well, I was just wondering if you had seen it elsewhere.

Kumbayah..

[Mrs.Liberty]

Re: Park.

There was at least one caller to a local radio show yesterday who mentioned this, and also mentioned she was against it as were several of her neighbors(who live in the neighborhood). They feel compassion for the VD's and their loss, but they do not want to have the park renamed. Caller also mentioned that there have been several Danielle related school assemblies at the elementary school she attended, a father-daughter dance postponed twice. Kids and parents are getting upset..kids want to know when they can go back to their lives. Mom who called was annoyed that there was yet another Danielle memorial assembly slated for today at the school, and kids at the school were made to make banners for the public memorial on Monday.

Perhaps if they just planted a tree at the park in her name, with a plaque, would be better. JMO.

[newzjunkey]

What's the old line, "I could indict a ham sandwich?"

I won't assume the police or Pfingst office is doing a good job and 'have their man' until it's shown in a court of law under cross-examination. A gag order prevents the prosecution, through careful use of Media leaks, to influence public opinion and a potential October/Novermber '02 jury pool.

The charged is NOT GUILTY until proven otherwise in a court of law. He has every right to an agressive defense. I sincerely hope Westerfield is put away on the strength of real evidence and not on sympathy for the victim. By the same token, he shouldn't walk simply because of allegations regarding the VD's lifestyle.

I hope the jury isn't lead by any lawyer's rhetoric or showmanship and is lead by the evidence and adheres to the jury instructions particularly where it'll say something like (I'm not a lawyer; pay attention to the exact jury instructions given to you in any case you serve on) if there are two or more reasonable ways to interpret some evidence, one leading to guilt and one not, you MUST choose the interpretation which absolves the accused.

There's nothing worse for an accused woman or man, imho as someone with criminal jury experience, than jurors who willingly and/or willfully ignore jury instructions and hang their judgement on emotionalism, not rational digestion of the evidence. The burden is *ALWAYS* on the prosecution to make its case.

[newzjunkey]

I agree. It's time for the community to be allowed to move on and not be hijacked by the van Dam family circus. Unfortunately, there's still more public memorializing to come, beyond the candlelight vigil, beyond the outpouring where she was found, beyond...--there's another one at La Jolla Shores public beach on the 16th or thereabouts.

Feel free to express your views. Contact information for the city counselman mentioned is in this post here.

[Valpal1]

That play book goes out the window if there is no sexual assault AND no murder, and thus almost certainly no violent or forcible abduction.

Not all sexual assault is penatrative in nature. And if you read my posted playbook, killing is sometimes the primary motive, seperate from hiding a sexual assault. Some kill for sport and pleasure.

Only the preliminary was released to the public. We don't actually know squat about was she or wasn't she.

The police have stated that they have DNA evidence from a peice of Danielle's clothing found in her room, that matches Westerfield.

They have Danielle's blood in his motorhome and on his jacket.

Police stated on the day of her disappearance that they had determined that she had been taken from her bed. As per playbook, they immediately started the search and canvass.

The dead body of an abducted child is proof of murder.

Now if you want to claim that the intial investigation was fooled, and Danielle was killed in her own home and then moved, blah, blah, blah. go ahead, but I'm not going there.

[newzjunkey]

Have you heard if the searchers who located Danielle's body will be getting any of the reward money offered up (over $100,000?) for finding her? Or was that only if she was found alive?

[Jaded]

Imagine: Police have been leaking selective bits of information with intent to inflame public. Defense gets gag order after defense has made claims of SDPD ignoring exculpatory and third party evidence. Paul Pfingst gets re-elected. Trial begins in November after election. Defense has DNA, witnesses and other evidence and blows DA Pfingst out of water. SD citizens happy about spending possibly millions of dollars to clear up this case quickly and not punishing the right man? I think not. (Yes I know this scenario is made for TV)

[Jaded]

Acutally, if you read the original statement a couple of times and took note of the comas, it essentially said: There was Danielle's blood spot on the leather jacket. Dna found in the room matched the dna from the blood spot. Which was how they determined it was Danielle's blood. It's all in the wording.

[crystalk]

Nice freudian slip there about "comas" instead of commas.

If I understand you correctly, all they said is that they found a minute amount of the same blood on a jacket of DW's, that was also in Danielle's room.

But do either of those have to be Danielle's, or for that matter DW's?

Might not both blood samples belong to Brenda VD, or to any other person who might connect the two locales?

A "spot" on a "jacket" sounds a little neat, as if planted...no matter WHOSE blood it was.

My read on the autopsy, is that it showed no wounds or obvious sources from which Danielle's blood would (recently, shortly before death) have gotten onto anything.

Can they tell how old these stains might have been? Might his jacket have ever been borrowed on a chilly night by Brenda VD?

[MizSterious]

Maybe you are right, but I notice the legal eagles who have weighed in don't take this so lightly. Time will tell.

[MizSterious]

Unfortunately, you don't have all the posts unless you saved all the threads to disk before they were pulled. Some very good material has been removed (along with some garbage, no doubt). I have personally researched what's left on FR, and finding a lot that's missing--thanks to the self-appointed arbiters of truth whining to the moderators about articles they didn't like.

[FresnoDA]

Have you heard if the searchers who located Danielle's body will be getting any of the reward money offered up (over $100,000?) for finding her? Or was that only if she was found alive?

Here is just a small listing of the Media/Press Releases by the VD's and their PR Firm.  No mention of any rewards, as far as potential recipients.......FDA

---

van Dam Family Media Page

Page Last Updated

Media Contact, Sara Fraunces: (619) 246-2478

Current Media Information:

*** MEDIA UPDATES

 Tuesday, March 5, 4 p.m.

Media Contact:  Sara Fraunces, 619-246-2478

 

 

·                    In reference to the Dehesa site, the van Dams offer the following public comment:

 

                       “Although we have publicly shared our own raw emotions about the site where our daughter’s body was found, it was never our intention that the remembrances left there be moved to another location.  We are asking for that to be discontinued.  We deeply, deeply appreciate the love and support of each person, and of the greater, unified community.  In our time of sorrow, we don’t wish others any additional sorrow – neither those who choose to visit this site, nor those who were trying to focus the attention elsewhere.  We understand that there are many ways to work through grief, and we recognize that this is not just about our loss, but also about a community’s loss and pain.  We encourage people to follow their own hearts and path, and do not wish to interfere with that process.  Nothing will detract from the anguish we feel missing Danielle, or from the beautiful expression of love that has been manifested in the past four weeks.”

 

                                                Brenda & Damon van Dam

 

·                    Note to Media:  We would like to clarify a misunderstanding by some members of the media about the word “table” used in yesterday’s Media Update.  Those who have actually spent time outside the van Dam’s home understood the reference; those who’ve never seen the neighborhood table perhaps didn’t.  We apologize for not making it more explicit.  The referenced “table” is the one located in the Sabre Springs community that was set up by volunteers in the early days on the corner outside the van Dam’s home.  That table was moved yesterday out to the mini-park at Springhurst and Mountain Pass at the request of, and out of respect for, the neighbors’ homes that were adjacent to that table and the crowds of people gathering there.  We have been asked to leave the table in the mini-park until March 17, the day after the public memorial.

---

*** MEDIA UPDATES

 Monday, March 4, 3 p.m.

Media Contact:  Sara Fraunces, 619/246/2478

·                    The memorial table has been relocated to the neighborhood mini-park at Springhurst and Mountain Pass Road.  Hundreds of flower bouquets, gifts, cards and stuffed animals have been brought by well-wishers to the mini-park.  The table will remain in the mini-park until March 17, the day after the public memorial.

 

·                    The Danielle Search Center, formerly located at the ReMax office, is now closed. The public is asked to please redirect tips related to Danielle's abduction to 619-235-TIPS.

 

·                    On Wednesday evening, the public is invited to a community meeting which will be held at 6:30 p.m. at St. Gregory the Great (11451 Blue Cypress Drive) to help support and give back to the local volunteers who participated in the search for Danielle.  Dr. Ken Druck, head of the Jenna Druck Foundation, will lead a workshop on post-traumatic stress geared toward all volunteers associated with the Danielle Search Center, as well as members of the general public who are dealing with grief.  Dr. Druck is a psychologist who provides support to bereaved families and communities who have experienced the death of a child.

 

·                    The outpouring of support for the van Dam family continues to build:  12,100 emails have been received to date, with 7,800 of those coming in since Thursday, 2/28/02.   On Friday (3/1/02) alone, there were 451,000 hits to the daniellemissing.com web site, bringing the total to over 2.5 million to date.

 

·                    Reminders:

 

Ø            The public is welcome to send messages, cards, etc. to the Post Office Box set up by the van Dam family.  Please make certain that the information being provided is accurate; the P.O. number has been mis-reported in some news media:  P.O. Box 501515, San Diego, 92150.

 

Ø            The public memorial will be held on Saturday, March 16 at 10 a.m. at La Jolla Shores.   No additional details will be released prior to the memorial.

 

Ø            The news media is asked to please show courtesy and restraint by not photographing the van Dam's sons; this request applies to both still and video photography.

---

***Media Update Friday, 
March 1, 5 p.m.
Media Contact:  Sara Fraunces, 619-246-2478  

• The public memorial for Danielle van Dam will be held on Saturday, March 16 at 10 a.m. at La Jolla Shores.  We will provide the news media with more details as soon as they become finalized.  No information will be provided about any private service.

---

*** MEDIA UPDATES FOR Friday
3/01/2002 3:00 PM
Media Contact: Sara Fraunces (619) 246-2478

 

• Note to Media: Brenda and Damon van Dam are appealing to the news media to please afford due sensitivity to their two young sons. They do not want their boys being photographed by either TV cameras or still photographers. To date they have not gone to great lengths to protect them visually, instead relying on the professional courtesy of the new media, but they feel that line of courtesy is now being crossed. Soon they will have no choice but to take steps to eliminate any visual opportunities; we ask that you save them that effort so they can attend to more important issues.

• In reference to the Dehesa site, the van Dams offer the following public comment:

"Our hope is that those who wish to pay respect to Danielle’s memory do so at the place where she often played – the Mountain Pass mini-park – rather than where her body was found. We want to celebrate her life over all else."

Brenda & Damon van Dam

• Today the family set up a post office box – the public is kindly asked to send all cards, etc. to that box instead of the van Dam home. The P.O. address is P.O. Box 501515, San Diego, CA 92150

• Reminders:

• • In lieu of additional flowers, the family suggests a monetary contribution to help support providing extensive flowers at the public memorial service.
  • All donations should be directed to the van Dam Family Trust, c/o Community Bible Church, 9919 Carroll Center Road, San Diego, CA 92126.

---

*** MEDIA UPDATES FOR Friday
3/01/2002 8:00 AM
Media Contact: Sara Fraunces (619) 246-2478

• This evening’s community fundraiser at the Doubletree Golf Resort is being postponed and will be rescheduled as a thank-you event for local searchers later this month. A second thank-you event is being planned for desert-area searchers. Details will be released to the media as they become available.

• The Danielle Search Center will remain open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Sunday at the request of many volunteers who would like a place to gather to pay their respects to Danielle. A large whiteboard has been set up for people to write messages and there will be a basket for cards.

• A public memorial service is being planned for later this month. Details of this service will be released in the new few days.

• Nearly 50 flower bouquets have already been sent to the van Dam family and the makeshift memorial area outside their home. In lieu of additional flowers, the family suggests a monetary contribution to help support providing extensive flowers at the public memorial service.

• All donations should be directed to the van Dam Family Trust, c/o Community Bible Church, 9919 Carroll Center Road, San Diego, CA 92126.

• A post office box is currently being set up – the public will be directed to send all cards, etc. to that box instead of the van Dam home. We will provide the P.O. address as quickly as possible.

• The daniellemissing.com web site has not been shut down; it will remain as a "gathering place" indefinitely. News of Danielle’s passing has resulted in a flood of emails expressing sympathy and regrets to the van Dam web site. In the last 24 hours, 5,325 e-mails have been received. On Thursday alone, there were 682,000 visitors to the site bringing the total over 30 days to 2.4 million.

• For informational purposes, the names and roles of the core support team for the van Dam family are: Diane Halfman, volunteer director of the Danielle Recovery Center; Susan Wintersteen, volunteer community coordinator; Bill Libby, volunteer fund and foundation coordinator; Paula Call, volunteer communications coordinator; and Sara Muller Fraunces, volunteer communications consultant.

---

Statement by Brenda & Damon van Dam

Thursday, February 28, 9:30 p.m.

Media Contact:  Sara Fraunces, 619-246-2478

“With today's confirmation that our beloved Danielle will never again be physically present in our lives, we are experiencing the depths of sadness, loss and grief which only parents who have lost children under similar circumstances can fully comprehend.

These emotions are being tempered by an overwhelming sense of gratitude and closure.  There is not a more anxious feeling for parents than to not know where our children are.   While the past seven years we've had the peace and confidence of always knowing where Danielle was and that she was safe, someone took that away from us almost four weeks ago.  But now 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.  Even though the final outcome is horrible, we could not have imagined the rest of our lives without this closure.

Love has conquered evil in our community.   This is Danielle's legacy and we couldn't be more proud.  As we were praying this morning with the incredible volunteer searchers who actually found our daughter, our personal prayer was that God would share our little angel with everyone who helped to find her. 

Thousands of people have stepped forward in extraordinary ways since Danielle was abducted.  The entire search effort was started by the Laura Recovery Center Foundation and later carried out by our local organization, the Danielle Search Center.  More than 2,500 people generously donated their time and energy to the search, and countless more helped behind the scenes.

We also want to thank the San Diego Police Department for the thorough and caring approach they have given to Danielle's abduction and murder.  They are among the finest individuals we've ever known.

Danielle was a very special, beautiful, loving little girl.   We miss her desperately but find comfort in knowing that she is now safe again and at peace.  For Danielle, our family, friends and neighbors, we thank you for unifying us into such a giving community.  We will be forever grateful to all of you."

[demsux]

Soon they will have no choice but to take steps to eliminate any visual opportunities;...

Visual Opportunities...sheeese

[MizSterious]

Interesting article offering a different version of what went on that evening. (Thanks for posting it originally, FresnoDA.)

[spectre]

I still can't get past the "questions about their private life being evasive and not relevant to their little girl's disappearance" song and dance.

Not the nice, neat little packaged case the van Dams want it to be. The devil's in the details.

sw

[Jaded]

What I got out of it was that the only blood was on the jacket, there was some other type of DNA material, perhaps hair, that was retrieved from her bedroom. Is any part of the autopsy available? On the DNA thing, it doesn't tell you who it was so much as it tells you who it wasn't.

[FresnoDA]

The devil's in the details.

Also, the Devil's in Miss Jones......or in this case, Ms. BVD....