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.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Yes, he admitted to a sexual relationship with Barbara. I can't remember if it was defense or prosecution that asked. It was in the same time frame that the "bed" incident was covered, but asked as a general question and not pertaining to that specific night.

[demsux]

Look at a bicycle chain or a chain from a chainsaw.

Actually, the marks look like they were made from the gear that a bike chain would be attached to...or the "teeth" of a car jack (smaller)...didn't he say he got the marks from getting his RV unstuck

[Jaded]

Great post Wonders!!!

[Freedom2specul8]

You go! What great post! Yeah, your comments started the discussion...at least for me. I'm not sure that he panicked the entire time..could have been lucid at times, panicked at others. (according to testimony he seemed nervous by teh tow truck driver and calm by the ranger who appeared to give a refund: creating alibis so people would remember him?..not impossible) What kind of a finger nail mark would be left if the fingernail bent backwards while trying to grab? I noticed the pics don't have close up of the hands..would like to see those too.

He is a regular...he knows the sandy areas..so someone as experienced as him...and as the tow truck driver mentioned and the police speculated..everyone knows to not drive in the area he was in. He could have easily created an alibi..and possibly scratched himself doing that. I have no idea how people get ''unstuck'' from sand..but using a chain normally somewhat works for ice and snow to to create traction. What kind of traction can one get in the sand?

Well, as far as teh bleach thing being farfetched..it was just something to keep in the back of our minds. Someone mentioned cleaning products and the smell of bleach. I'm not sure WHEN the bleach smell was there..but by the time the lady investigator appeared, the smell was gone--assuming it was really there in the first place. That doesn't mean the smell wasn't there before she arrived. At least I Think it was the female investigator.

But if this were indeed the child’s “death grip” on the arm of her murderer, one would expect a more natural “thumb opposing the fingers” sort of mark. --I never thought of that.. you are correct... what if the thumb print never left a mark, but the index finger left 2. The first skipped..and then dug in again.

There is something to those marks and it is hard to trust him. if the wounds were FRESH..as he is claiming to the police..then the tow truck driver would have for sure noticed them-they would have been bleeding at that time..unless dw was moving so fast that the driver didn't have a chance to see his arms/hands. Why would he leave his equipment behind? I just don't understand that at all.

Jaded..ACCORDING to this, he was stuck up to the frame, there is NO WAY he would have been able to dig himself out.

---

Missing girl's neighbor went to desert, beach and back
http://video.uniontrib.com/news/metro/danielle/20020209-9999_1n9girl.html
February 9, 2002

Westerfield, an avid camper who has come under intense police scrutiny, drove his motor home to Silver Strand State Beach near Coronado on the afternoon of Feb. 2, apparently after leaving the dunes in the Imperial Valley desert, where the vehicle had been stuck in the sand, officials said yesterday. ...

Silver Strand rangers said Westerfield arrived at the $12-a-night oceanfront campground Feb. 2. A ranger knocked on his motor-home door to refund the overpayment between 3 and 3:30 p.m., and Westerfield drove off about 20 minutes later.

rangers did not go inside the vehicle and did not see or hear a child. He did not seem nervous, said Chief Ranger John Quirk. "There was nothing suspicious about it," Quirk said. "He sounded grateful they'd given him the money back."

Westerfield told police he decided to leave after paying for two nights because "he didn't know anybody down there. He decided to go to the desert where his friends were," an investigator said. It is not clear to what desert he returned.

Police said they find it curious that earlier that same day, Westerfield, a frequent desert camper, became stuck in the sand in an area most campers know to avoid. Some campers told police they watched as Westerfield continued down a sandy stretch and remarked that he was sure to get stuck. "He knows the desert real well. What's he doing out there?" an investigator said.

Conklin said that before noon Feb. 2, Westerfield hiked to an encampment of off-road enthusiasts and told a man he was stuck. That man went to Conklin's business and directed him to Westerfield. Westerfield was alone and without an all-terrain vehicle or dune buggy when Conklin found him trying to dig out his motor home, which had sunk into the sand up to its frame.

Conklin said he was immediately suspicious, and that he saw a long line of footprints that stretched from the motor home off into the distance. He said Westerfield told him he had been stuck since morning. At one point, police dispatched a plumber to the Westerfield house to assist in their search. It was not known what task the plumber performed. Police are still awaiting results of DNA tests. Undercover detectives also continue to track Westerfield's every move.

[Freedom2specul8]

We might have seen different interviews. I know I at least read the transcript from cnn.. The one I saw was when he was telling hannity that the focus of the problem should be on the killer..hannity wanted to focus on the side issues: smoking joints in the garage and walsh was trying to get hannity to focus on the defendant. They were acting like the people on this thread. :)

[Freedom2specul8]

Jaded, I'm getting tired pretty fast..so bear with me. I have no idea which version of events you posted. Focusing on the PH testimony seems to be most logical right now. I would have to suspect that the prosecution had expected arguments against the vd's testimony because of the enormous public outcry about swinging...now, I'd like to ask "Amore" if their statements can be contridicted or argued during trial since they're not on trial. Harassing the parents in front of the jury would not do well for the defense..so they'd have to tread lightly.

[mommya]

I guess the "scratches" could have come from the digging by hand. Just sort of making the motion of how I'd scoop sand would put my hands and arms out in front of my body and in a position sort of like making a pretend basketball hoop for a kid to throw a ball through - only my hands were pivoted to about a 45 degree angle, palms down, instead of perpendicular to the ground. If I was trying to scoop out the sand and there was an object in the sand that my arm jammed into during the scooping motion - it could put a mark in that position. What do ya'll think?

[Freedom2specul8]

More on the tow truck driver..it was later shown he was actually stuck on the 3rd and not the 2nd.

Imperial County dunes scoured for missing girl
http://video.uniontrib.com/news/metro/danielle/20020208-9999_1n8saga.html
February 8, 2002

Tow truck driver says suspect's vehicle was stuck in sand off road Dan Conklin, who owns a tow service that caters to all-terrain vehicles, said he spent more than two hours midafternoon Saturday getting David Westerfield's motor home out of the sand

Westerfield,...has said he drove his motor home to the desert Saturday morning, the same day Danielle's parents discovered her missing. Conklin said he found Westerfield, who has been described by friends as an avid desert camper, in an area people do not normally take motor homes.

After the vehicle was freed, Westerfield was in such a hurry, he left behind the motor home's leveling ramps, Conklin said. He "just wanted to get out of there," Conklin said. "He just got on the highway and left." Conklin said San Diego police and agents with the Bureau of Land Management questioned him Tuesday. He took bureau officers to the place where he found the motor home, and they spent several hours there. "I know this desert well," Conklin said. "This person did some things that were not normal at all."

[Freedom2specul8]

It was sunk up to the frame and it took the tow truck driver 2 hrs to get the motor home freed. Why in the world would he even try to get out with his hands? I suppose he could have spun the wheels and made it sink deeper. I wish there was someone on the thread who knew about getting stuck in sand.

[mommya]

Wow - Iwas just going to post something similar to you. I wonder if the tow truck driver actually saw that it looked as if Westerfield had indeed been trying to dig himself out? If you're experienced in the desert - then you're probably experienced enough to know when you shouldn't even try to dig yourself out - it would be futile. Maybe he was digging in the sand - for some other reason - like to bury something.

[Valpal1]

Yah, she can make a five mark arc, the thumb mark is made by the side edge of her nail. She is not grabbing (using her thumb opposibly) but pressing down hard in a claw like fashion. It works, the thumb is in the cresent but the thumb mark slant is not oriented exactly like the finger marks. My guess is a very short thumbnail would leave little or no mark.

[Freedom2specul8]

Yeah! One of the articles I just posted said the driver immediately got suspicious when he caught westerfield attempting to dig himself out... I can't wait for his testimony...

Questions:

Did DW use tools to dig himself out with?
Did DW have scratch marks on his hands and arms ?
--If yes, were they there before you showed up?
--If no, did they appear during the 2 hours you assisted him?

[Freedom2specul8]

that sounds like a karate move called the "tiger Claw"...

[Valpal1]

WOW, are you good or what, that's almost exactly what it looked like!

[Freedom2specul8]

Finally found a good picture of a tiger claw, but you have to go to the webpage to see it.
http://hgkfa.tripod.com/images/hgkfa.4.jpg

Here are some tiger claw strikes..more hand positions...the thumb isn't used to grasp, but to strike..however, it would not make the arc..

http://www.kungfula.com/gallery.html

[rolling_stone]

It was sunk up to the frame and it took the tow truck driver 2 hrs to get the motor home freed. Why in the world would he even try to get out with his hands? I suppose he could have spun the wheels and made it sink deeper. I wish there was someone on the thread who knew about getting stuck in sand

Well Kim, I know all to well about getting stuck in sand and ditches and also getting out from using 15 people to a fork lift, anything to avoid a tow charge..LOL..yes it is somewhat plausible to scratch your hands, both sides, the fingers and palms and under forearms from digging by hand and the backs of hand /forearms from hitting the vehicle frame/fender etc. People might also try and put objects such as brush or boards, comforters, pillowcases filled with sand etc under the wheels for traction, letting air out of the tires etc. As far as knowing where you might get stuck, I can state for sure no matter how much experience you have, sometimes you push it a little as the sand looks harder than it really is throw in a few rum and cokes and well $@#t happens....Oh he said he got stuck another place also and got out without the tow truck driver...

do I believe him? don't know yet..

[Freedom2specul8]

My dad taught karate for years..:)

[Freedom2specul8]

I thought we had found an article that said he got stuck twice..once in the dirt/mud or something? Did we ever find out if it rained during the time he was gone? I was wondering about rain, getting stuck, dumping danielle at the side of the road.

Tell us more about getting stuck in the sand. Can you imagine yourself freeing a motorhome that is BURIED TO THE FRAME..by digging "by yourself?"? I just can't picture that.

[Freedom2specul8]

What do you use for traction on sand, sober mind you. ;-)

[Freedom2specul8]

G'nite all..