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| Experts say attorney Steven Feldman's questioning of the van Dams gives clues to the strategy he will pursue during the trial. |
| Feldman's questions show defense strategy |
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| by Lynn Stuart |
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Posted on 03/19/2002 2:33:12 PM PST by FresnoDA
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Search and rescue personnel continued to look through canyons and hillsides near the Van Dam home Tuesday. The investigation, however, appeared to focus on Westerfield as a suspect. A shoe was taken from his home and presented to a search dog before entering the Van Dam home.
G'nite.
Unless the garage has seperate rooms in it I think you have it nailed
A unique pattern of distance relationships exists in child abduction murders. The initial contact site is within 1/4 mile of the victim's last known location in 80% of cases. Conversely, the distance between the initial contact site and the murder site increases to distances greater than 1/4 mile (54%). The distance from the murder site to the body recovery site again decreases, to less than 200 feet in 72 percent of cases.The defendant removes a living, but unconscious Danielle (nitrous oxide, available/cheap/effective), takes her somewhere (to MH at Poway),possibly travels some small amount of time/distance before he kills her and drives in MH to Dahesa Rd and dumps body. Returns MH to Poway, goes home before sunrise. Rest is as he states, tooled all over to distract from more local searches. Perhaps never even notices small amounts of blood until much later.
What we know from child abduction/murder studies. Victims are usually dead with in first 3 hrs (74%), perpetrators usually dump bodies very close to actual murder site, but at some distance from the snatch site.
This fits Dahesa Rd site pretty well.
For those who cannot fathom what appear to be "stupid" mistakes. Abduction/Murder is not a rational act, so may not be carried out in a rational manner, but in the manner that fits the obsession/compulsion the perpetrator is acting from. Perpetrators are often very conflicted in their behavior and sometimes want to be stopped.
The Roberts' leaks were surprisingly accurate. As is usually the case with a Clintonian mystery, sex plays a huge role in deflecting attention from the heart of the matter - which in the case of the van Dam's is drug use and probably deep involvment the drug distribution.
The van Dams are now cut off from this source of secondary income, and they have had to take out a loan against their house to remain solvent.
Who fits the model of "stupidity" more than the van Dams and their friends? You are right that "Abduction/Murder is not a rational act", and this sad group had demonstrated a surprising obsession/compulsion with personal vanity and self-indulgence, leading to the demise of a child.
Perpetrators are often very conflicted in their behavior and sometimes want to be stopped.
If this is the case with DW, then he would have confessed to the crime long ago. No, DW has no choice but to accept the fact he was in the wrong place and the wrong time and has to fight a false accusation.
Robert's provided an amazingly accurate picture that force the prosecution's hand in the decision to call the van Dams to the witness stand. Unfortunately, Roberts didn't go far enough in characterizing the van Dam's involvement in the drug trade leading to the third party abduction and execution style murder of Danielle.
From the report, Barbara only came on the phone to tell them what wonderful people her friends were, the van Dams. She refused to comment further on the case, [accept to say they were telling the truth about that night,] because of the "gag order" .
More PR.
sw
I have no doubt there are tons of bizarre things going on with the VD family, but in the matter of their daughters kidnapping and death I believe they have gotten the right guy. Not only from the physical evidence found on his property and person, but also from the defense strategy that is being used. It is blindingly obvious what is going to be attempted during trial, not any attempt to put up witnesses and proof of where and what the accused was doing during the time, etc so that he could not possibly have done it, but to parade the VDs activities around. This is not the strategy of an innocent man, but of someone looking for anything to cause jury distrust or reasonable doubt. Blame the victim.
This trial will play out and hopefully when it is done justice will be served. I see no reason to believe the police have the wrong man, and I don't buy the conspiracy theory that the accused was framed or that the DA arrested him just to get elected or that the cops are corrupt and just looking for an arrest and I sure as hell don't buy that one of the VDs guests did it and the parents are covering it up. What I am begining to understand by some people post here however is how murders, rapists and other predators get to walk in this country.
Oh? If you were to represent an innocent before the bar in such a case, you would be slack for not using these defenses.
Then you understand how it is that it is hard to get a conviction in a nest of liars, cheaters and low-life druggies, without a direct witness or confession.
It will be comforting to eventually know, without a doubt, if Westerfield is guilty or innocent. That's the way our Justice system works.
My one answered question, remains.."How did Westerfield get the child" since there are is no trace evidence of him ever being in that house" contrary to previous reports. I am totally prepared to fry Westerfield if found guilty based on the evidence that is beyond a reasonable doubt. Till then, we discuss the case.
I once watched an HBO special, where they discussed the Jon Benet Ramsey murder. It was the conclusion, of all the Forensic scientists gathered together at a convention, that the suspect had to be IN THE HOUSE, since there wasn't one single sign of forced entry, nor exit.
The Ramsey playbook is at work here, minus a ransom note and the body being found in the house.
There were people in that house that evening and early morning, and Westerfield wasn't one of them, that's all.
sw
One article in the SD Union-Tribune noted that the dogs went to every house in the neighborhood--some sum over 160, I don't recall the exact amount. Like you say, cookie sales.
Go back to your college days when criminal justice was your minor--did you keep any of your textbooks? I bet you know the answer to that one.
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