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]

ps, the 3rd link is a slightly different variation of the first example I gave you..the little gif next to the claw gif is the variation I'm more familiar with. Now, I can go to sleep. zzzzzz.....

[tutstar]

Janet Reno!! She's going to run against Jeb in FL if she gets the nomination.

[MizSterious]

I got a chuckle out of that post too. Here's a little experiment Freeper ladies can try if they think that was platonic: put your significant other (hubby or fiance) in bed with only his underwear on. Bring in a female friend. Invite them to do whatever they want while you leave the room. When you come back into the room, and he's kissing her and rubbing her back, what do you think that means? How's the marriage now? ROFL!

[MizSterious]

The bleach was another police/media myth. Originally it was reported he had cloroxed his motorhome out so thoroughly that the dogs couldn't even enter. On the witness stand, the searcher said there wasn't a significant bleach smell.

[Mrs.Liberty]

I saw Walsh on TV defending parents that live like the VD's ..saying they are "good " parents..I decided that either he did not know what "good "parents looked like or he was on their payroll

Rn...my take on it is that he has gone so far down the road supporting the VD's, he can't turn back around and refer to them as negligent or bad parents. He has supported them too much at this point that to change now would be a hit against his credibility/image. He did come close in one of the interviews cited here...saying something about Brenda being a crack whore.

I think Mark Klass has taken it all too personal as well, and both might think that this spotlight on the VD's and their negligence that night somehow means that they (Klass and Walsh) were guilty of negligence when their kids were kidnapped/murdered.

The BIG difference is that both Klass and Walsh felt guilty and had remorse/guilt about the events leading up to the abductions of their children (what if I had done this that night instead), while the VD's stated they had no remorse about anything they had done that night, and that they would not have done one thing differently.

[Mrs.Liberty]

Hey Miz...that's proper LEO protocol...to leak stories to the police.

[Mrs.Liberty]

That Damon/Barb bed story was another "miscommunication" by BVD. In the beginning, both she and Brenda were upstairs, Brenda using the bathroom. The DVD and Barb were alone for less than five minutes. At PH, now it is 15 minutes...and a couple of kisses and backrubbing with DVD laying there in his...sorrry..gotta do it...BVD's?

[Mrs.Liberty]

sorry make that..leak (false) stories to the PUBLIC, not the police. Sigh..need more coffeee.

[Mrs.Liberty]

I am glad you had your daughter perform these tests. I have tried many times since that photo first came out only to leave bizarre red scracthes up and down my arm.

[Mrs.Liberty]

sexual relationship,he did? During his PH testimony?

Yes. He stated they had a "relationship". The word sexul, to my remeberance, was not stated,a nd I think Feldman knew he could not go there. No matter, everyone knew what DVD meant, and it was printed in the UT the next day (and reported on TV as well) that the two had a sexual relationship.

[MizSterious]

"...sorrry..gotta do it...BVD's?"

Har! What a set of initials in this family--VD, BVD.

[MizSterious]

This is just from the running transcript, so it's not as precise as official court documents. But here's the essence of that testimony.

[16:12] heard make voices as weelll
[16:12] knows both barbara and brenda came into bed room
[16:12] wife left u alone with barbara>? yes
[16:12] bren left
[16:12] barbara got into bed correct:? not the right order
[16:13] barbara got in bed before brenda left
[16:13] is that when u put yr arm aroundher an started to kiss her?
[16:13] yes
[16:13] was yr wife there? doesnt know
[16:13] barb intoxicated?
[16:13] yes
[16:13] was barbara intoxicated? dont know her well enough to know if intoxicated but she was tired...
[16:14] does barbara handle liquor well... i dont know
[16:14] next time u saw wife?
[16:14] was in bed with barbara 5 minutes [16:14] she came back in room and asked us to come downstairs
[16:14] believes brenda came bnack in room and asked them to come back downstairs
[16:15] and u didnt tell le about that in first 3 intervies... conscous decision not to tell le.... i made a decision that i didnt believe it was relavant
[16:15] u made a judgement about what was or was not relevant... yes
[16:16] and u decided not to tell them u consumed pot that night... i dont recall making that decision
[16:16] not a concious decision at all
[16:16] u were asked if u did drugs that night and said no... i do not recall being asked that question

I believe the transcriber left out the word "sexual" in the "relationship" statement--most people here heard it stated that way. These transcripts were typed on the fly as the hearing went on--they did a pretty good job overall, but in some places I've found discrepancies.

[MizSterious]

You might be right--again, I wish we could get the official court documents, because memories can be tricky. I think I remember the word "sexual" but I'd rather see it in a transcript.

[Mrs.Liberty]

And I may have missed the word "sexual". I was at work at the time, so not paying 100% attention.

[Jaded]

I'm thinking like tunnelling, hands down, shoved in, and the sand swept back toward him self, or at least done from an angle it's possible. Trust me, I'm the master of injury or gracefulness depending on you point of view.

[Jaded]

It's a guy thing... just like directions.

[RnMomof7]

The BIG difference is that both Klass and Walsh felt guilty and had remorse/guilt about the events leading up to the abductions of their children (what if I had done this that night instead), while the VD's stated they had no remorse about anything they had done that night, and that they would not have done one thing differently.

Can you imagine how you would feel? One time I thought my one son then 8 had gotten lost..all the neighbors were out..the police were out..I felt awful..it must have been my fault because I had not watched him well....(it ended up he was sick and had gone to bed early...I never said I was a brain surgeon:>)

But I remember the guilt and fear..I did not see that with them..

[spectre]

Don't be so sure...this is where Feldman's 3rd party culpability comes in.

sw

[Valpal1]

I have had the same thing happen, twice. Once my oldest girl, (6 at the time) fell asleep in a cardboard box. And not two weeks ago, my son who had received permission to cross the street and play with the neighbor boy until dinner, inexplicably crawled into bed and went to sleep. When I went to get him for dinner, it was panic city. Thankfully, I checked his room before dialing 911. I was freaked and he was mad that he missed his play date.

The fear and guilt is overwhelming, and the relief is indescribable.

I'm not willing to judge the Van Dams feelings of guilt or grief, or the lack of it. Public appearances and interviews are not a window into the inner heart.

[Amore]

Don't be so sure...this is where Feldman's 3rd party culpability comes in.

Sorry, I don't know what comment of mine you are referring to.