Account for Danielle's search still has $24,000 (What about money promised to Laura Recovery?)

Union Trib ^ | March 31, 2002 | Kristen Green

[FresnoDA]

Account set up for Danielle's search still has about $24,000

Van Dams undecided on how money will be used

By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

March 24, 2002

After Danielle van Dam was abducted from her Sabre Springs home, neighbors, friends and even strangers volunteered to help out. Some put up fliers in storefronts around the county, and others joined the search party. But many also opened their checkbooks.

As of Friday, more than $33,000 had been donated by people from New Jersey to Oregon.

During the search for the 7-year-old, donations totaling more than $10,600 flowed into an account in Danielle's name. And since the discovery of her body in rural East County nearly a month after she was reported missing, an additional $22,800 has been deposited.

"We didn't go open an account and ask for money," said family friend Bill Libby, who handled donations for the van Dams. "I opened the account because people wanted to donate money."

Initially, the family expected to use the donations to pay for search expenses, like posters and fliers. After Danielle's body was found, the family Web site said additional donations would be used to pay memorial expenses.

But Libby said the family's expenses have been limited because of numerous donations, from fliers to cremation fees. So far, the van Dams have spent $4,200 of the donations to buy banners, posters and buttons.

And they are writing a $5,000 check to the Laura Recovery Center, which coordinated the search for Danielle.

The family hasn't decided how to use the remaining $24,000.

"I'm sure in due time that they will turn their attention to the appropriate and productive use of those funds, but right now they're really still dealing with the loss of their daughter," said family spokeswoman Sara Muller Fraunces.

Close friends have suggested the van Dams take their time considering how the money will be used. Libby has said the funds could be used to pay for counseling for the family, and the van Dams are considering establishing a local foundation to conduct searches for missing San Diego children.

After Danielle's parents realized she wasn't in her bed the morning of Feb. 2, people began donating money to cover search expenses. Libby tried to open an account at Wells Fargo on behalf of the van Dams.

But the account had to be set up by a nonprofit organization, and a family friend who attends Community Bible Church in Scripps Ranch asked the pastor if the church would sponsor the account. Even though the van Dams aren't members of his congregation, the Rev. Barry Minkow agreed.

Minkow, who was convicted of securities and bank fraud in the late 1980s and served a 71/2-year prison sentence, doesn't have access to the van Dam account, church treasurer Bruce Brown said.

Brown said he is the only person who can withdraw money from the account, taking requests for checks directly from Libby, who acts on the van Dams' behalf.

[Freedom2specul8]

click back a couple of pages, you'll find that I recopied your post about pedophile collections, but it's too easy to ignore it...just too easy.

[Valpal1]

I can't help you if you are incapable of understanding standard LEO procedure or using simple logic.

If they had "tip" on Westerfield they would have put out an APB for him and his HM. A girl's life was at stake. If they had a tip they would have acted on it ASAP, not two days later in the course of normal contact interviews. His name came up on the list of persons with recent contact. Not on a hot sheet.

They had no reason to suspect him on Saturday or Sunday, thus no APB. They went to interview him on Monday in the normal course of interviewing everyone on the recent contact list.

[Freedom2specul8]

I don't remember the name..but you might check this thread..fres posted some transcripts throughout I believe.

[MizSterious]

Funny. People always ask for a source. I post a source, a good source. A live interview, on videotape, of an officer's statement. You, however, do not wish to take the man at his word. He said they looked at Westerfield because someone pointed him out. That's a tip. If they did not have an APB on him perhaps they had their reasons. I cannot say what those might be, because so far no one's told me. But they have told me why they looked at Westerfield. Because someone pointed him out. Very simple.

[Valpal1]

Qwest did not advise it, they asked their own PR firm to help a valued employee. This larger PR firm (I believe) replaced a smaller pro bono one (probably looking for a leg up).

I read it in an article posted on a previous VD thread on FR. I'm not voluteering to find and repost it.

[Jaded]

Since when is John Walsh LEO? He's the HOST OF A TV SHOW. Didn't know that qualified as LEO.

[Jaded]

Source?

[mommya]

Not sure how relavent this is but here's someting to ponder -

"I have asked Dolly Libby to coordinate our outreach program this coming year and we grateful that she has answered the call." That's from here - looks like the Libby's were active in this church - the first one that the Van Dam's associated themselves with - I still have no clue as to how the second church beacame involved with the fund - (the one with Minkow) - why not just have the first church set up the fund instead of involving that con man Minkow?

[Freedom2specul8]

For which post?

[Valpal1]

He said they looked at Westerfield because someone pointed him out. That's a tip.

No it's not. In a kidnapping, a recent contact list will be made, it is SOP. Every one they sold cookies to the previous week would be on that list, as well as every teacher, every child she played with, etc. His name came to LEO attention because he was someone who had recent contact. That is why they went to interview him, yes. That is not why they became suspicious and got search warrants. He was interviewed in the normal course of investigation because his name had come up on the list of recent contacts,as had many others, but it was the interview that made them suspicioius of him.

If he had been pointed out deliberately as a hot tip as a possible perpetrator by the VD's on Sat or Sun as many have speculated, there would have been an all out search for him and his MH, in hopes of a live recovery of the missing Danielle. There was no APB and no tip. Did the VD's give his name to the police, yes, of course, along with all the other 100's of names of recent contacts. Does that constitute a tip, or fingering him. NO.

[Freedom2specul8]

You have the patience of Job.

[MizSterious]

Ok, let's put it in simpler terms.

The officer's statement is fact. We have it on tape, and on transcript.

Val's extension of that statement is imagination. Even if, as Val claims, Val is a police procedural genius. Val cannot know that this added speculation is true. Val suspects it might be, but neither sVal nor any of us can know it is true, because all we have to go on is the fact of the statement.

So...weighing...fact, or imagination? Fact, or imagination? I think I'll choose fact. Procedural geniuses aside.

[Valpal1]

LEO=LE.

The orignal claim was that he had no LE experience, my response was that he had some of the nastiest, up close and personal kind, being the suspect in his own son's decapitation murder.

That is experience, and since then is has become one of the foremost experts in child abduction/murders and his NAMEC organization is a resource for both the FBI and local LEO. FDA's foolish sniff at his "credentials" was ridiculous and I flamingly pointed that out.

[mommya]

Kim - thanks for the ping and thanks for the link - I found the part of the testimony with Kaiser and Ott mentioned - but no first name - darn. I'll just keep looking.

[Valpal1]

I can't help you if you are STILL incapable of understanding standard LEO procedure or using simple logic.

Nuff said.

[Freedom2specul8]

The orignal claim was that he had no LE experience, my response was that he had some of the nastiest, up close and personal kind, being the suspect in his own son's decapitation murder.

I remember it well...they say some of the most educated people in this world have learned by experience. Did you know that Einstein was homeschooled?

[Valpal1]

Yes, because his mother knew the gubmint teachers thought he was retarded.

I quite enjoyed Dr. Dobson telling parents to not put their kids in CA public schools. Should make it a nationwide statement.

Now we will be in trouble for being off topic;-)

[Freedom2specul8]

Hi Mommya! If I find out, I'll let ya know.

[mommya]

Just trying to un-confuse myself a bit - I have looked at some of the past threads already (actually been keeping up all along) and am trying to figure out - was that first PR spokesperson Susan Wintersteen? Was she the one they sought out? Was the next PR firm the one with Sara Muller Fraunces? Was that the big firm asked by Damon's employer? You don't have to post links - just say what you recall reading.

[rolling_stone]

Doesn't say that all 200 hundred were from RV, could easily be 200 prints from all sources in investigation.

Q) But with regard to the fingerprints seized at the Van Dam residence you've not been able to make identification on any of those yet, is that correct?

OBJECTION beyond the scope

Judge-Sustained.....

We don't know what prints were found/identified at the Van Dams or not, because prosecution and the judge prevented an answer to the question. Judge-Sustained.....

Val, that is why I transcribed and POSTED the above, to cut short the rumor that 200 prints were found in the MH..the question used the term CASE not MH...but I guess you just put me in DW fan pigeonhole?

As far as whether the DA has more evidence or not is just speculation.....we do know there were leaks of information that later turned out to be untrue...thus the gag order